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TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (April 5, 1996)From: TRKNWS-L <[email protected]>Turkish Press Review DirectoryCONTENTS[01] AGREEMENTS BETWEEN TURKEY AND GEORGIA[02] DEMIREL, YILMAZ SEND CONDOLENCES[03] TURKEY ASSUMING A LEADING POSITION[04] REACTION TO EU EXCLUSION OF TURKEY[05] ISRAELI PILOTS TO BE TRAINED IN TURKEY[06] A TURKISH SENATOR IN AUSTRALIAN ASSEMBLY[07] A YOUNG GENIUS TURK[08] WINDS OF TURCO-GREEK FRIENDSHIP IN CESME[09] MED TV IN DIFFICULTIES[10] ATV-INT ON GERMAN CABLE TVTURKISH PRESS REVIEWFRIDAY APRIL 5, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] AGREEMENTS BETWEEN TURKEY AND GEORGIATurkey and Georgia agreed yesterday to speed up efforts for the construction of a major pipeline for transportation of Caspian oil to Western markets via Georgia and Turkey. "Turkey and Georgia have very important projects for the future" President Suleyman Demirel said in a joint press conference with his Georgian counterpart Eduard Shevardnadze. Demirel said he was referring to what was known as the "Eurasia corridor" which included both the oil pipeline from Baku to the Georgian port of Supsa and from then on to Ceyhan.Shevardnadze and Demirel, who made the joint declaration after their official talks, agreed that the bilateral relations between the two countries should be stepped up. The priority areas would be the construction of a Black Sea coastal highway that would tie Turkey and Georgia together as well as developing the Kars-Tbilisi railway project. The sides also agreed that they should have further talks on maritime transportation. The two presidents said international cooperation was necessary for fighting against terrorism. Their stance against terrorism found strong expression in a joint declaration as both sides said that they condemned terrorist "action and methods, which were a violation of human rights in the most severe way" and firmly guaranteed their struggle against terrorism and separatism of any kind. In a similar vein, the two countries stressed respect of independence, sovereignty, the non-violability of borders, territorial integrity and non-interference in domestic affairs as a way to maintain stability and peace in the troubled Caucasus. Demirel and Shevardnadze signed about 10 agreements, including one on military training. This agreement is designed to transfer Turkish training techniques to Georgia, which is still seeking to establish and improve its national army. Some of the other accords envisage cooperation in the energy field, legal cooperation on commercial and criminal matters, facilitation of visa requirements between the two countries, cooperation between the Anatolia news agency and Georgian news agency, kG Ankara became sister-cities yesterday. A protocol was signed by Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek and Tbilisi Mayor Badri Shoshitaishvili. /Cumhuriyet-Hurriyet/
[02] DEMIREL, YILMAZ SEND CONDOLENCESPresident Suleyman Demirel and Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz yesterday sent messages of condolence to US President Bill Clinton over the death of Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown in a plane crash over Dubrovnik on Wednesday. Demirel, recalling that he had met Brown last week while visiting Washington, said that he had personally witnessed the enthusiasm of the late secretary of commerce for promoting ties between his country and Turkey. In his letter Demirel also lauded the efforts of Ron Brown for the development of Bosnia-Herzegovina.Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, expressed his deep sorrow over the death of Brown and those accompanying him and said they had given their lives in the line of peace and service to their country. /All papers/
[03] TURKEY ASSUMING A LEADING POSITIONGiving a speech celebrating the 47th year since the founding of NATO, President Suleyman Demirel said amongst other things that Turkey had become central power, and was assuming a leading position in both Europe and its own region.Since the end of the cold war and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, Turkey had advanced from strength to strength within the framework of the new European security architecture. Noting that Turkey had been a NATO member since 1952, Demirel said that Turkey had moved into a leading position following events in the Balkans and Caucasia and Turkish initiatives in those regions. Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz also had a message for the occasion, noting that Turkey had proved itself to a loyal and responsible NATO member. /Cumhuriyet/
[04] REACTION TO EU EXCLUSION OF TURKEYReaction to the way the European Union (EU) has excluded Turkey from talks on future EU policy and who will be new members of the Union, is growing. Head of the Turkish Economic Development Foundation, Meral Gezgin Eris said yesterday that it was "impossible to accept" that Turkey was not included among the participating countries.Eris added however, that Turkey would have to work harder to become part of the EU system and secure a firm place in the new shape of the EU that was even now being planned. She also commented on the situation with Greece, noting that somehow Greece was leading Europe by the nose. She added that Greece was a small country that could achieve nothing against Turkey- and that Turkey had to show understanding in connection with various crucial matters. /Hurriyet-Sabah/
[05] ISRAELI PILOTS TO BE TRAINED IN TURKEYTurkey has opened its airspace and military bases to the Israeli air force for training its combat pilots. The arrangement was a key component of the strategical and technical cooperation agreement signed between the two countries in February. Confirming the deal, Defence Minister Oltan Sungurlu said the facility had been extended to the Jewish state in "view of its limited airspace". /Hurriyet/
[06] A TURKISH SENATOR IN AUSTRALIAN ASSEMBLYFollowing Europe, a Turk has won a seat in the Australian Assembly. At the general elections held on 30 March in Victoria, Australia, Tayfun Eren was elected senator from the Labour Party. Eren, who received nearly 60 % of the votes with the support of Turks in the electoral region, thus became the first Turk to be elected to the Australian Assembly. /Hurriyet/
[07] A YOUNG GENIUS TURKThis year, a young Turkish woman has been awarded with the "Amelia Earthart Prize", which is given to only 10 women throughout the world every year in the field of aircraft engineering. Oksan Cetiner (29), who is a graduate of the Aircraft Engineering Department of Istanbul Technical University, has received $6,000 which the International Zonta Association gives on behalf of Amelia Earthart, the first woman pilot to fly the Atlantic Ocean. /Milliyet/
[08] WINDS OF TURCO-GREEK FRIENDSHIP IN CESMEIzmir's Cesme district was the site of a bi-communal meeting, organized by the ANAP-led Cesme Municipality together with the Communist Party of Greece. They were demonstrating that goodwill and a mutually defined goal was enough to bring together and unite two groups with generally opposing viewpoints. The meeting was attended by Aleka Papariga, chairwoman of the Greek Communist Party, Straits Korakas, a deputy of the same party, other party members, and several journalists from Greece. Izmir deputies Hakan Tartan and Suha Tanik, as well as the mayors from the municipalities on the Cesme peninsula, also attended. The Greek delegation was welcomed at the town harbor early yesterday morning by Cesme Mayor Nuri Ertan, who coordinated the meeting. After the welcoming ceremony at the municipality, a joint press conference was held, in which both sides expressed their wish for further cooperation.The Turkish deputies supported the view that it was Greece's turn to take some steps to support the closeness of the two people after Turkey's move to ease the departure of Turkish citizens abroad by abolishing the housing fund. "We expect Greece to abolish the visa application for Turkish citizens" Hakan Tartan said. Member of Parliament Aleka Papariga, declaring that she supported the point of view of the Turkish deputies, said that she expected other towns and villages to follow the example of Cesme and Khios, which are about to become sister-cities, for the establishment of bi-communal friendship. "We believe that this meeting here in Cesme is a good response to those who try to hinder peace. We have the power to raise our voices against these circles, as long as we act together" Papariga declared. /Cumhuriyet/
[09] MED TV IN DIFFICULTIESThe pro-PKK satellite MED TV channel is having to look for a new base to operate from. Now that the British government has cancelled MED TV's contract, the channel is out in the cold with nowhere to go. Most European countries have already said that they will not permit MED TV to operate in their countries, especially after the Turkish government has shown that the purpose of the channel is to support PKK terrorism.Switzerland has denied earlier reports that MED TV was setting up a new base there. The Swiss government has looked into the situation and announced that it had found no evidence supporting MED TV broadcasts from anywhere in Switzerland. Other European countries like France and Belgium have made it clear that they do not want the problem of MED TV. Although Britain has done what it can to stop the broadcasts, MED TV is apparently still broadcasting from London. Nevertheless, everything legally possible is being done to block MED TV broadcasts. Officials in European countries note that MED TV employs very professional legal advisors and that they are skilled in finding ways to keep MED TV operating. /Cumhuriyet/
[10] ATV-INT ON GERMAN CABLE TVOn April 1, the Turkish ATV channel started broadcasts in Europe via the Turksat satellite. ATV officials have also signed an agreement for cable TV broadcasts with the German telecommunications company Deutsche Telecom. Viewers in Hamburg and Solingen are now able to watch ATV-INT, using a decoder. /Sabah/
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