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TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (November 3, 1995)
Subject: TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (November 3, 1995)
CONTENTS
[01] PRESIDENT DEMIREL TO VISIT ISRAEL AND PALESTINE IN NOVEMBER
[02] CILLER TO EUROPE: "CU REBUFF WILL SERVE FUNDAMENTALISTS"
[03] TURKEY ADAMANT ON CFE LIMITS IN CAUCASUS
[04] DEMIREL SENDS MESSAGE OF THANKS TO CLINTON
[05] TURCO-GREEK TEXTILE COOPERATION
[06] BANGLADESH AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY DIES
[07] PATRIARCH TO CHIRAC: "SUPPORT TURKEY FOR EU"
[08] PKK THANKS MOSCOW
[09] CENTRAL BANK CURRENCY RESERVE AT NEW HIGH
[10] INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT JUMPS 8 % THIS YEAR
[11] JCR AFFIRMS RATINGS ON TURKEY'S BONDS
[12] FIFTEEN PKK MILITANTS KILLED IN SOUTHEAST
[13] US ENCOURAGING INVESTMENT IN TURKEY
[14] FRANCE SENTENCES PKK SEPARATISTS
[15] PKK MEMBERS FLEEING TO IRAN
[16] "KURDS", ON AGENDA OF MOLDOVA MEETING
[17] SIDING ATTITUDE OF THE EP CHAIRMAN
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 3, 1995
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press
this morning
[01] PRESIDENT DEMIREL TO VISIT ISRAEL AND PALESTINE IN
NOVEMBER
President Suleyman Demirel will visit Israel and Palestine
between November 12-15, the first such visit by a Turkish
president. Although Turkey has not requested them to do so,
Israeli officials are taking tight security measures for the
president's visit due to mounting tension in the region because
of the Islamic Jihad leader Fathi Shgagi. During the visit,
Demirel will meet his Israeli counterpart Ezer Weizman to
discuss bilateral ties between Israel and Turkey. Demirel will
also meet other high ranking Israeli officials, including Prime
Minister Izhak Rabin and Foreign Minister Shimon Perez. On
November 15, Demirel will go to Palestine to meet Yasser Arafat.
/Cumhuriyet/
[02] CILLER TO EUROPE: "CU REBUFF WILL SERVE FUNDAMENTALISTS"
Faced with a strong challenge from the pro-Islamic Welfare Party
(RP) in the upcoming election, Prime Minister Tansu Ciller served
a strong warning to the European Parliament that a rejection, or
even a postponement of the Customs Union (CU) which Turkey seeks
with the EU would serve to strengthen the fundamentalists, with
dire results not only for Turkey, but for the region as well.
"Now it is up to our friends to make a historic decision as to
whether they want Turkey in Europe or not" she said, addressing
foreign jounalists on Wednesday. The effects of a fundamentalist
success would be felt throughout the Middle East, Ciller warned.
She also indirectly warned the West not to be taken in by the
popularity of the RP mayors throughout Turkey, particularly in
cosmopolitan urban centres in western Turkey, saying their
attachment to democracy could be deceptive. She repeatedly
warned that people who come to power in the name of democracy
turn around and destroy it.
In calling for Europe's assistance against the specter of
fundamentalism, Ciller stressed the further steps her government
had taken to broaden the country's democracy, "Working miracles
to do that...in the middle of a political crisis". In this
context, she recalled the recent softening of the country's
strict Anti-Terrorism Law. She also said a comprehensive transfer
of power from central government to local administrations,
inserted into the 7th five-year development plan approved
earlier this year by the Parliament, would also help address
grievances. /All papers/
[03] TURKEY ADAMANT ON CFE LIMITS IN CAUCASUS
During a Tuesday "mini summit" on the Caucasus held in
Washington at the ambassadorial level, and hosted by the
Carnegie Foundation, Turkey reaffirmed its opposition to any
changes in the CFE flank limits above and beyond the NATO plan
offered to the Russians while stating openly that it was
respectful of Russia's territorial integrity and was in no way
trying to block Russia out of the Caucasus. On the contrary,
Turkey, just like Azerbaijan, welcomed Russia's involvement in
such projects as the Caspian pipeline. In the meeting, which was
attended by Turkish Ambassador Nuzhet Kandemir, Azeri Ambassador
Hafiz Pashayev, Armenian Ambassador Ruben Shugarian, senior
diplomats from the Georgian and Russian Embassies and senior US
officials from various departments and agencies, the parties
expressed their resolve to find a viable solution to their
mutual problems and to continue the rapprochement between
Armenia and Azerbaijan on the one hand, and Turkey and Armenia
on the other. /All papers/
[04] DEMIREL SENDS MESSAGE OF THANKS TO CLINTON
President Suleyman Demirel has conveyed a message of thanks to US
President Bill Clinton for his congratulatory message sent on the
occasion of the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the Turkish
Republic. In his message, President Demirel expressed his
satisfaction over the development of Turco-American relations.
/Cumhuriyet/
[05] TURCO-GREEK TEXTILE COOPERATION
Turkish and Greek textile producers will come together on
November 6-8 in Thessalonica to discuss opportunities for
cooperation. Details related to joint investment in the Balkan
countries, and especially in Macedonia and Albania will be taken
in hand. /Sabah/
[06] BANGLADESH AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY DIES
The ambassador of Bangladesh to Turkey, Mahmudul Hassan, died in
the early hours of the morning on Thursday in Ankara. Ambassador
Hassan underwent heart surgery on October 6 and had been
convalescing. /All papers/
[07] PATRIARCH TO CHIRAC: "SUPPORT TURKEY FOR EU"
Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartalomeos visited French President
Jacques Chirac during his visit to Paris to attend the
celebrations organized for the 100th anniversary of the
Greek church in Paris. The Patriarch said that President
Chirac supports Turkey's application to enter the customs
union. Bartalomeos also visited French Foreign Minister Herve
de Charette. The Patriarch will return to Turkey on November 9.
/Hurriyet/
[08] PKK THANKS MOSCOW
The so-called "Kurdish parliament-in-exile" praised Russian
President Boris Yeltsin for allowing the parliament meeting to
be held in Moscow and criticized the US for its reaction. Yasar
Kaya, chairman of the parliament-in-exile and former Democracy
Party (DEP) deputy, said they had not faced any obstacles during
the three-day meeting. At a press conference held on Thursday,
Kaya said that the meeting was organized with the assistance of
the Russian Parliament. Asked to comment on the Russian Foreign
Ministry's criticism of the meeting, he said that an executive
body could not interfere with a legislative body. /Milliyet/
[09] CENTRAL BANK CURRENCY RESERVE AT NEW HIGH
The Turkish Central Bank's foreign currency reserve rose $306
million last week to a record high of $16.8 billion on Friday,
the bank said. The foreign currency reserves were $7.1 billion
at the beginning of the year. It said that on October 27
Turkey's gold reserves were at $1.38 billion. Thus, the CB's
gross reserves, including foreign currency and gold, surpassed
$18 billion for the first time. /Cumhuriyet/
[10] INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT JUMPS 8 % THIS YEAR
Turkey's industrial production boomed in the first nine months
of the current year after last year's record contraction,
official figures revealed on Wednesday. The State Institute of
Statistics (DIE) said that industrial output soared 8 % in real
terms in the January-September period, compared with a 6.1 %
plunge in the corresponding period of last year. /All papers/
[11] JCR AFFIRMS RATINGS ON TURKEY'S BONDS
Japan Credit Rating Agency Ltd. (JCR) said it has affirmed its
"BB+" ratings on the Turkish government's rated bonds and
assigned the same rating to bonds Turkey issued earlier this
year. JCR said that Turkey's real GNP had grown by about
five percent annually for the 10 years prior to 1992. The
Turkish economy recorded an annualized growth rate of 6.2 % in
the first half of this year, it said. Treasury officials said
JCR's rating was of great significance in shaping the terms of
finance Turkey may raise from the Japanese markets. /Sabah/
[12] FIFTEEN PKK MILITANTS KILLED IN SOUTHEAST
Fifteen militants of the PKK terrorist organization were killed
during military operations in the southeast. Officials from the
Diyarbakir-based emergency rule region said that eight militants
were killed in Batman's Gercus district, two in the rural area
of Bitlis' Tatvan district, and five in Diyarbakir's Lice
district. Meanwhile, 18 militants were arrested after their
capture in Bingol, Bitlis and Tunceli. /Milliyet/
[13] US ENCOURAGING INVESTMENT IN TURKEY
The US Commerce Department is encouraging US businessmen to show
more interest in Turkey and invest more in Turkish development.
In a new report issued by the Department on growing international
markets, Turkey is described as having improving ties with the
US, and as a suitable country for investment and partnership
projects.
The report gives a breakdown of economic growth in Turkey, and
examines the indicators for further development. It also notes
that modern Turkey is the "inheritance of Ataturk" and that most
of Turkey's present-day development stems from the visionary
concepts of Ataturk.
Turkey also holds an important central position in the fast
expanding commercial and trade markets in central Asia.
Recognizing this, the US Commercial Department report underlines
the strategic value of Turkey-both in the region and in the
world.
In projects for the year 2010, the report sees inflation in
Turkey as running at 20-25% and national growth at 5%. The report
adds that areas to watch include the textile and communications
sectors. The report is positive insofar as it notes the problems
and shows how Turkey has forged ahead despite setbacks and
serious issues involving organizations like the separatist PKK
active in the southeastern regions of Turkey. /All papers/
[14] FRANCE SENTENCES PKK SEPARATISTS
A French court has sentenced five PKK separatists to a minimum of
eighteen months in prison for their part in an attack against a
Turkish Consulate in France. During the attack the PKK
separatists severely beat up members of the staff and caused
damage running into thousands of dollars. /Sabah/
[15] PKK MEMBERS FLEEING TO IRAN
Reports from the Kurdistan Democratic Party say that during the
last two months, PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) separatists have
been fleeing to Iran to avoid further confrontations with
supporters of the Kurdish parties in northern Iraq.
According to the KDP, the PKK members have left behind their
weapons and other material. The KDP notes however, that Iran
refuses to accept PKK separatists if they are carrying weapons.
KDP representative Haci Salih Huseyin said that the PKK was
having a hard job trying to infiltrate the Turkish border
because Turkish military units were like a "wall" blocking all
access to the border regions. The PKK was now seeking sanctury
elsewhere said Huseyin in his report. /Milliyet/
[16] "KURDS", ON AGENDA OF MOLDOVA MEETING
Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ambassador Onur Oymen met with
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Albert Chernishev, in Kishinev,
at a meeting of Black Sea Economic Cooperation foreign
ministers.
The two ambassadors discussed Russia's attitude regarding the
meeting of the so-called Kurdish parliament-in-exile.
/Cumhuriyet-Hurriyet/
[17] SIDING ATTITUDE OF THE EP CHAIRMAN
European Union (EP) Chairman, Klaus Hansch has re-stated his
support for the membership of Greek Cyprus in the European Union,
and said that Turkey did not have the right to veto the
membership.
Hansch's recent visit to Southern Cyprus created massive
reaction in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
According to statements by the TRNC foreign and defence
ministries; Hanch's visit was nothing more than a display of
double standards. /Hurriyet/
END
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