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TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (April 16, 1996)From: TRKNWS-L <[email protected]>Turkish Press Review DirectoryCONTENTS[01] TURKEY AND AZERBAIJAN CRITICIZE RUSSIAN DUMA[02] TURKEY REASSESSES BALKAN POLICY[03] INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION CONFERENCE OPENS IN ISTANBUL[04] TURKEY SUPPORTS CZECH BID FOR NATO MEMBERSHIP[05] TURKEY WARNS IRAN[06] DEMIREL TO MEDIATE IN RUSSIA-CHECHEN CONFLICT[07] IIF GIVES TURKEY GOOD MARKS ON FINANCIAL DATA[08] EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER CANCELS HIS VISIT TO TURKEY[09] S.AFRICAN GOVERNMENT MAKES FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO TURKEY[10] FOUR PKK MILITANTS KILLED, ONE CAPTURED[11] MILITARY TRAINING DEAL WITH ISRAEL[12] PKK WASHINGTON REPRESENTATIVE ARRESTED[13] TURKISH CINEMA LOOKING GOOD ABROAD[14] ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND ROSY WITH THE US[15] AUTO SECTOR LOOKING GOODTURKISH PRESS REVIEWTUESDAY APRIL 16, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] TURKEY AND AZERBAIJAN CRITICIZE RUSSIAN DUMATurkey and Azerbaijan have criticized the recent resolution adopted by the Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, which expressed regret at the dissolution of the Soviet Union and declared null and void the agreement that enabled this dissolution. A joint statement issued after day-long talks by Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and Azeri President Haydar Aliyev in the Azeri capital Baku, indicated that such initiatives as this one by the Duma would adversely affect peace in the region as well as the world. During his visit to Azerbaijan, which ended on Monday, Prime Minister Yilmaz also reassured his Azeri interlocutors that an overland border post between Turkey and Armenia would not be opened until Armenian forces evacuated the Azeri lands they have occupied. Addressing a joint press conference with Azeri President Aliyev after the official talks, Yilmaz said that it was out of the question that Turkey would open the Alican border gate to Armenia as long as Yerevan refused to compromise with Azerbaijan.Responding to a question, Yilmaz said Turkey remained insistent on the question of an oil pipeline that would carry Caspian oil over Anatolia to the Mediterranean. "We will follow this subject to the end both from the economic angle and from the angle of the safety of the Turkish Straits" Yilmaz said. President Aliyev, for his part, told the press conference that early oil from the Caspian fields would be transported to world markets both from Russia's port of Novorossiysk and through the Georgian port of Soupsa. He added that work was continuing concerning the transportation of the main Caspian oil reserves and that the results of this work would be announced soon. Indicating that his talks with Yilmaz would "prove Azeri-Turkish friendship to the whole world", Aliyev also recalled that a commission had been set up between the two countries to promote commercial ties. He said this commission would start work immediately. Visiting Azeri refugees who had fled the Armenian onslaught which eventually occupied a third of Azerbaijan, Yilmaz told them on Monday that he "condemned with hate those who have made you suffer all this". Accompanying Yilmaz to the refugee camps, Aliyev said that Azerbaijan had always been conscious of Turkey's support since the start of the Armenian occupation. Aliyev said this had always given them great strength. Replying to questions of journalists while returning from Baku, Yilmaz evaluated the statement of Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis. Simitis had said that if Turkey brought the issues of Kardak and territorial waters to the Court of Justice in The Hague, Greece would give up its claims to 12 mile-coastal rights in the Aegean. Yilmaz said: "We cannot accept this condition. I hope that Greece will re-evaluate the situation and become more consistent. We desire peace with Greece in the Aegean and all other issues". /Milliyet-Cumhuriyet/
[02] TURKEY REASSESSES BALKAN POLICYTurkey, struggling with the new balances in the volatile Balkans, has summoned its ambassadors in Balkan countries for policy assessment before a presidential visit to Romania this week. President Suleyman Demirel will go to Romania on 18 April as the official guest of Romanian President Ion Iliescu. Turkey's ambassadors in key Balkan countries and Turkey's representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) arrived yesterday in Ankara and paid a visit to President Suleyman Demirel in Cankaya Palace. They will start a two-day policy assessment orientation this morning along with the related departments of the Turkish Foreign Ministry. "The Foreign Ministry periodically holds such meetings" Ministry Spokesman Nurettin Nurkan said yesterday. "The meeting will reassess Turkey's bilateral relations with the Balkan countries as well as the overall situation in the region". A brief statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that the prospects of Balkan cooperation would top the agenda. /Cumhuriyet/
[03] INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION CONFERENCE OPENS IN ISTANBULThe 95th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference opened in Istanbul yesterday with President Suleyman Demirel calling on world legislators to "help find global solutions to global problems". Some 800 parliamentarians from 135 countries are attending the five-day conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the world organization of parliaments. The Geneva-based IPU is an advisory body that recommends legislative action for member parliaments. "We must look beyond our own personal interests and our national boundaries to solve international problems" Demirel told the opening session of the conference. He said that governments were having difficulties adjusting to the rapid changes taking place in the world. "We must prove together that genocide, poverty, hunger and contagious diseases aren't the fate of mankind" Demirel declared.The conference will focus on two main issues -conservation of world fish stocks, and the safeguarding of the rights of the world's minorities, IPU officials said. They said the parliamentarians will choose to debate a supplementary item from several issues, including the fight against terrorism, the banning of land mines, nuclear test bans and the tightening of American economic sanctions against Cuba, during the meetings. /Sabah-Milliyet/
[04] TURKEY SUPPORTS CZECH BID FOR NATO MEMBERSHIPReports say that Turkey has expressed its support for the Czech Republic and other Eastern European countries to join NATO. Turkey and the Czech Republic plan to sign a "free trade agreement" following yesterday's "air transport" agreement signed by Turkish Foreign Minister Emre Gonensay and his Czech counterpart Josef Zieleniec. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] TURKEY WARNS IRANAnkara has warned Tehran to respect Turkey's regime and not to interfere in its internal affairs. Turkish Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Ambassador Nurettin Nurkan, in a press conference yesterday, said that there was still no progress in the "diplomat crisis" that has strained relations between the two countries. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] DEMIREL TO MEDIATE IN RUSSIA-CHECHEN CONFLICTIn a statement to the Interfax news agency, Chechen leader Cahar Dudayev noted that he was ready for discussions with Russia through the mediation of Turkish President Suleyman Demirel. The withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya was a basic precondition for initiation of the talks, Dudayev added.A high level official from the Russian Foreign Ministry said Russia would officially ask for President Demirel's mediation in the search for a solution to the conflict in Chechnya as soon as the approval of President Boris Yeltsin was obtained. The fact that Russia has started the withdrawal of its troops from the hot region gives hopes for peace in Chechnya. /Milliyet-Cumhuriyet/
[07] IIF GIVES TURKEY GOOD MARKS ON FINANCIAL DATAThe Institute of International Finance (IIF) has published its first assessment of the economic data made available by leading countries and comparing emerging markets. The report covers 28 emerging market countries, including Turkey, which received total net private capital inflows of about $180 billion in 1995.The IIF Annual Meeting this year will convene in Istanbul, with the participation of 205 member banks, between May 14-16. The meeting will be attended by the leading world commercial banks, investment banks and mutual funding institutions. /All papers/
[08] EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER CANCELS HIS VISIT TO TURKEYEgyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa's visit to Turkey was cancalled yesterday due to an emergency meeting of the Arab League on the Israeli raids to lebanon. Turkish Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Nurettin Nurkan said that the cancellation of the visit bore no relation to any Egyptian displeasure over Turco-Israeli deals. Nurkan noted that Moussa had telephoned Gonensay to tell him that he was unable to leave Egypt and hoped to see his Turkish counterpart in Luxembourg, where the foreign ministers of 22 countries will come together for a follow-up meeting of the anti-terrorism summit in Shram El-Sheikh, Egypt.Ankara's position vis-a-vis the Israeli raids in Lebanon remained unchanged. "There is no change in the Turkish attitude. I stick to the earlier statement made Friday" Nurkan said in a response to a question. Friday's statement contained no condemnation of Israel, except to urge the Jewish state to refrain from action that would harm civilians and deal a blow to the peace process in the region. Israeli Ambassador to Turkey Zvi Elpeleg said in a press conference on Sunday that Turkey was briefed on the operation which aimed to force Lebanon to restore its sovereignty over its own territory. "We have no territorial claim on Lebanon. We only want Lebanon to maintain security in its own territory and prevent terrorist attacks against Israel" he said. /All papers/
[09] S.AFRICAN GOVERNMENT MAKES FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO TURKEYA member of South Africa's National Unity Government began yesterday the "first ever" visit to Turkey which follows months of tense relations stemming from Pretoria's "arms embargo" against Turkey. Energy Minister R.F. (Pik) Botha, a veteran diplomat who served 17 years as foreign minister before the 1994 all-race elections, arrived in Turkey yesterday. Botha will lay a wreath at the Mausoleum of Ataturk on behalf of South Africa's National Unity Government.Botha met his Turkish counterpart Husnu Dogan yesterday afternoon in what was described as an "introductory meeting". The aim of the veteran polician is to assure Turkey that South Africa is eager to improve relations with Turkey. /All papers/
[10] FOUR PKK MILITANTS KILLED, ONE CAPTUREDFour militants of the PKK terrorist organization were killed and one captured during security operations in the Southeast, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. Officials of the Diyarbakir-based emergency rule region said that the bodies of eight PKK militants had also been found in the region. A member of the security forces was killed in action during the clashes. Six militants surrendered in Sirnak's Silopi and Bingol's Genc districts. Meanwhile, 79 PKK militants were arrested after their capture in Batman, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Mus, Sirnak, Tunceli and Van.//
[11] MILITARY TRAINING DEAL WITH ISRAELA deal with Israel for military training cooperation is already bearing fruit. Yesterday eight Israeli pilots came with their F-16 fighter planes to Ankara for combined training with Turkish pilots at the main Ankara jet fighter base.The new programme would have been begun with meetings between Israeli Air Force Commander Herzle Bodinger and his Turkish counterpart Ismail Hakki Karadayi, but because of the situation between Israel and Lebanon, Bodinger is otherwise engaged. Nevertheless, according to military sources, combined training exercises will go ahead in programmes designed to increase skills and knowledge. The whole programme is being kept under shrouds of secrecy and security at the base is very tight. /Hurriyet/
[12] PKK WASHINGTON REPRESENTATIVE ARRESTEDReports from Washington say that head of the Washington office of the American-Kurdish Information Bureau, Kani Gulam, has been arrested. Gulam is known to be really promoting the interests of the PKK terrorist organization, and officials have been keeping him under surveillance, while making enquiries for two months.Gulam has been arrested on charges of possessing a false passport, and it is thought that he will be extradited to Turkey. Gulam, whose real name appears to be Nimet Gunduz, has been using a passport bearing the name of a person killed in a car accident 25 years ago. During the very recent visit of President Suleyman Demirel to Washington, Gulam set-up Greek, Armenian and Kurdish demonstrations against the visit and against Turkey. /Hurriyet/
[13] TURKISH CINEMA LOOKING GOOD ABROADIn Paris especially Turkey is taking the first steps towards a successful Europalia 97 festival by opening a six month long celebration of Turkish cinema during which 110 Turkish films will be shown.The programme will start tomorrow and go on right through to October. Tomorrow Paris film addicts will be able to see the award winning "Waterless Summer" produced by Metin Erksan which has already won a number of foreign awards. During the opening week, Turkish stars like Turkan Soray, Mujde Ar, Kadir Inanir and Hale Soygazi will appear on the silver screen. /All papers/
[14] ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND ROSY WITH THE USAccording to the Turkish Foreign Relations Board, things could not be better when it comes to economic ties with the US. Speaking over the weekend, chairman of the Board, Yilmaz Arguden, said that economic ties had improved with more investments in both directions.Arguden also noted that the Board had arranged a seminar in Chicago about Turkey as a "Big Emerging Market"-which had attracted a lot of attention. "We also reached a lot of new US investors" stressed Arguden, who said that new developments were on the way. /Milliyet/
[15] AUTO SECTOR LOOKING GOODReports from the auto sector are also looking good, with Turkey exporting more cars. Turkey is thus moving into the same markets as Japan, the US, France, Germany and Italy- and more people abroad are driving more "Made in Turkey" cars.The car producers say that Turkey is now selling to 144 foreign countries, and that the sector is earning 1.1 billion dollars from exports. TOFAS leads the field, but all the main Turkish producers, including Renault and Otoyol have a stake in the urkish export market which now has a 6.6 percent share in the world market. /Hurriyet/
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