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Turkish Press Review, 96-09-25Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWWEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] ERBAKAN PLANNING A VISIT TO THE USAlthough Prime Minister Erbakan has been pointedly attaching more importance to making visits to moslem countries rather than to those in the West, there are reports that after his visit to South Africa, Erbakan will likely journey on to the US. There are thoughts that the Prime Minister could also visit Italy and Germany in moves to ease approaches to the West.Officials said yesterday that dates were still not clear, and that a reported visit to Syria was not in fact part of Erbakan's schedule. /Cumhuriyet/ [02] GREECE WANTS TO TEAR TURKEY FROM EUROPE, CILLER SAYSDeputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller said she hoped that Costas Simitis' victory in the Greek election would usher in a new period in relations between Turkey and Greece. Ciller was attending a reception held by Turkish Amabbasdor to the UN Huseyin Celem in New York. "Before the election, we saw that escalation of tension took place, particularly in Cyprus. Using foreign policy in internal politics is wrong, although, we observe that this happens from time to time. We hope that this situation will change in Greece" said Ciller."The Greek lobby was very effective in the decision European Parliament (EP) made (to freeze aid to Turkey). We see that they put pressure on the people who will carry Turkey to the EU. They want to isolate Turkey from Europe. We should learn to live together" she said. Ciller indicated that german Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel has said the EP decision had been a great injustice. Ciller said Turkey made reforms of its own will. /All papers/ [03] CILLER GIVES SIX MESSAGES TO CHRISTOPHERAfter the 40-minute meeting between Turkish Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller and US Secretary of State Warren Christopher in New York on Monday morning, Turkey and the US put to rest previously reported differences of views between the two NATO allies concerning the containment of Saddam Hussein. "As a result of today's meeting, Turkey and the US firmly agree that Saddam's influence in northern Iraq should be minimized" said Nicholas Burns, spokesman for the US State Department.Admitting the importance the US gives to Mesut Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) which, the help of 30,000 Iraqi troops and 300 Iraqi tanks, took back the city of Erbil from Celal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) on August 31, Burns said the US and Turkey would like to work with Barzani and with Turkmen leaders to "fill the security void in northern Iraq". At a news conference he held after the Ciller-Christopher meeting, Burns said: "The US strongly believes Saddam Husesin can play no useful role in northern Iraq. We hope to work to create stability in northern Iraq without Saddam Hussein's forces in play. There doesn't seem to be any sort of close diplomatic contact between Iraq and Turkey" Burns added. Ciller gave six messages to Christopher: 1) Cooperation between Barzani and Turkmens should be undertaken in northern Iraq. If a local administration is established in the region, Turkmens should have equal rights. 2) The structure of the Provide Comfort, multinational force deployed in Turkey, should be revised and Turkmens should also be taken under its protection. 3) Turkey's financial losses stemming from the Gulf War have reached $27 billion. Necessary initiatives should be launched to overcome this loss. 4) Textile quotas implemented by the US against Turkey should be lifted. Eximbank credits should be opened for Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises. 5) MED-TV, a channel used by separatists, should not be allowed to broadcast in the US. 6) Destroyers and helicopters needed by the Turkish Armed Forces should be delivered to Turkey as soon as possible. Meanwhile, in an interview on the CNN TV news channel, Ciller recalled that Turkey has been against Saddam Hussein's forces seizing Erbil since the beginning and said: "Turkey wants the power vacuum in northern Iraq to be filled". /Sabah/ [04] NEW TRADE TARGETS WITH CHINAState Minister Ayfer Yilmaz, stressing the potential of the developing China market has also drawn attention to Turkey's giant GAP water and food production project in southwest Anatolia.Heading a delegation to develop trade ties with China, Ayfer Yilmaz has been holding talks with leading Chinese trade officials and laying the foundation for more trade cooperation in the future. Both sides have agreed that more trade cooperation would be beneficial for both countries. /Hurriyet/ [05] KINKEL SAYS NO TO ISOLATING TURKEYGerman Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel said in New York yesterday that it would be wrong to try and isolate Turkey. Attending the current sessions of the UN General Assembly, Kinkel said during a press conference that to try and isolate Turkey because of domestic Islamic policies, would be unwise.Speaking out strongly in support of Turkey, Kinkel said that it would be "entirely wrong" for the European Parliament (EP) to follow policies designed to push Turkey out of the European Union. Referring to the EP decision to stop promised financial aid to Turkey as applicable following Customs Union with the EU countries, Kinkel stressed that Turkey was part of a most important region that both the EU and Germany should work hard to keep close ties with. /Hurriyet/ [06] DEFENCE MINISTERS TO DISCUSS FUTURE OF NATO IN BOSNIAAn informal meeting of NATO defence ministers is set to begin today at Bergen in Norway. Although no official decisions are to be taken, the meeting is expected to shape the future decisions of the alliance. The Turkish delegation is headed by Defence Minister Turhan Tayan and includes Deputy Chief of General Staff, Gen.Cevik Bir, Turkey's Ambassador to NATO, Tugay Ozceri and head of Turkey's military delegation to NATO, Adm.Atilla Kiyat.In a press conference before his departure to Bergen, Tayan said the future of the Implementation Force (IFOR) in Bosnia, whose mandate is set to end on December 20, will be a major point of discussion. Tayan said that Turkey sincerely wished for peace and stability in Bosnia and was ready to participate in any arrangements after the current force ends its tour of duty. Tayan said the broadening of NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme and structural changes for the alliance were also high on the meeting's agenda. The NATO defence ministers will have a speech session with their Russian counterpart, Igor Rodinov, on Thursday, to set up a dialogue with Russia over PfP. /All papers/ [07] NEARLY 1,000 MILITANTS KILLED SINCE AUGUST 15Chief of General Staff, Gen.Ismail Hakki Karadayi, has announced that nearly 1,000 militants of the PKK terrorist organization have been killed in clashes with government forces since August 15. The military's top brass are continuing their tour of the eastern provinces. Gen.Karadayi, accompanied by the commander of the land forces, the commander of the air force and the commander of the gendarmerie arrived in Erzurum yesterday. At a press conference in Erzurum, Gen.Karadayi said operations were proceeding against separatist militants in Tunceli and other parts of the region.Security forces began operations against a group of 250 militants encircled near Hozat in Tunceli on Monday. Eleven terrorists were killed in clashes yesterday and there were no casualties among government forces. Officials say the casualty numbers for the terrorists may be much higher since they were having difficulties reaching the most rugged places in the operation zone which was being bombed from the air. Many weapons and large amounts of ammunition belonging to the militants were seized. Operations will continue until the area is fully cleared of militants, say officials. Another large-scale operation began on Monday against a PKK group on the Silo Plateau near Semdinli in Hakkari. Elite mountain commandos and Cobra helicopter gunships are taking part in the operation. /Sabah-Hurriyet-Cumhuriyet/ [08] TURKISH DELEGATION TO ATTEND IMF-WB GENERAL ASSEMBLYA Turkish delegation will travel to the US at month's end to represent national interest in international monetary issues. The group will attend the annual joint General Assembly meetings of the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and to "voice the Turkish government's determination in structural reforms" said Ufuk Soylemez, State Minister and Turkey's IMF Governor.Soylemez, speaking at a press conference just prior to his departure for the US, said that the meetings to be held in Washington and New York would provide Turkish officials with an opportunity to meet representatives from large international finance organizations, major insurance companies and banking institutions. In addition to general topics, he said that the subject of the Turkish economy would be put on the table as well. The minister said that the delegation planned to update thie rcounterparts about targets in the Turkish government's programme. He said that, prior to the discussions in Washington, they would meet with officials from both the IMF and US government. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller would also participate, Soylemez said. The delegation, led by Soylemez, includes officials from the Finance Ministry, the Central Bank, the Treasury and bureaucrats from the Privatization Board. The group is scheduled to return home on October 5. Minister Soylemez touched on the issue of a possible standby agreement between the Turkish government and the IMF saying this was not foressen for the time being and would probably have to wait until after the US trip. If the officials see that the IMF is supportive of the Turkish government's approach, they plan to invite Fund officials to negotiate further, he said. /Sabah/ [09] TURKEY, SYRIA SIGN GRID LINK CONTRACTTurkey and Syria signed an agreement on Monday worth TL 3.2 trillion for the construction of a power transmission line and four transformer centres. Energy Minister Recai Kutan said the government has begun working on new coal and natural gas plants to prepare for the increasing demand for energy in Turkey. He also said that the nuclear power plant will be bid on at the end of October. Kutan also reminded reporters about the agreement signed in 1989 to build an inter-connection system among Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq and said that the system will be completed by the end of 1997. /All papers/[10] CABINET APPROVES $250 MILLION WB CREDITThe Cabinet approved the $250 million World Bank credit to be used for improving motorways and traffic security. According to the Official Gazette yesterday, repayment of the credit will begin on March 15, 2002, and will continue at twice-yearly intervals until September 15, 2013. The credit will be used to improve the Ankara-Kirikkale motorway and repair some bridges. /All papers/[11] ECO COMMITTEE MEETSThe Trade and Industry Transport Committee of the Economic Cooperation organization (ECO) held its first meeting in Istanbul yesterday with four member countries attending. Deputy chairman of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), Ali Osman Ulusoy, gave an opening speech and said that they had to provide cooperation and union among Islamic countries. Ulusoy also said that there might be problems among these countries, but that these could be solved by governments. Manager of the International Transport Association (UND), Saffet Ulusoy, said that they had started discussion about transport among Islamic countries for the first time.Saying that Turkey had always been a bridge between Europe and Asia, Ulusoy added that Iran should also participate in this cooperation. ULusoy said that the ECO countries' roads had passed through Iran and that therefore that country had an important role in developing transport cooperation. /All papers/ [12] TURKISH MEDICAL SUPPLIES FOR IRAQIraqi Health Minister Dr. Umit Mithat Mubarek said yesterday that Iraq was fully prepared to purchase new medical supplies from Turkey. He noted that a medical supplies fair in Baghdad attended by large numbers of Turkish suppliers of medical goods had led to many important connections in this trade area.Referring to the UN agreement under article 50, proposing new trade opportunities for Iraq after a UN imposed embargo, Minister Mubarek called upon Turkish companies to develop trade connections with Iraq. /Cumhuriyet/ [13] THY FLYING TO BOSNIAStarting on Monday, September 30, the state-run Turkish Airlines (THY) national carrier will commence flights to Sarajevo in Bosnia. Using B-737 type passenger planes, THY will fly between Istanbul and Sarajevo twice a week. The Monday and Thursday flights will also call in on Zagreb, a THY official announced yesterday. /All papers/END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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