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Turkish Press Review, 96-10-09Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWWEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9, 1996Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] DEMIREL'S CONTACTS IN ITALYPresident Suleyman Demire in Italy for an official visit met with Italian Deputy Prime Minister Walter Veltroni and Rome Mayor Francesco Rutelli yesterday. Noting that he was very pleased with the hospitality shown to him in Italy, Demirel said: "Turkey and Italy are two big Mediterranean states of Europe. Both countries are responsible for stability and peace in Europe". Pointing out that there were many historical sites in Istanbul just as in Rome, Demirel said: "Istanbul is a city in which many people from different religions have lived for years. Everyone should respect each other and live in peace".Demirel met with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi yesterday to wrap up his official talks. Earlier on Tuesday, he met with Italian business representatives and attended a ceremony for the signing of an agreement between small- and medium-scale business enterprises. Under the agreement Italian agency SBC is to provide financial support to projects backed by Turkey's KOSGEB. He also met with Director General Jacques Diouf of the Rome-based UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Demirel returns home Wednesday after a sightseeing trip to Venice. /All papers/ [02] ERBAKAN VOWS TO BOOST TIES WITH NIGERIA IN ALL SPHERESPrime Minister Necmettin Erbakan said his country's target was to boost trade with Nigeria. Nigeria is the third and last stop of Erbakan's troubled African tour which already has taken him to Egypt and another pariah state, Libya. Erbakan reiterated that he was after Turkey's interests and stressed that the negligible trade volume between Nigeria and Turkey would be taken up drastically over the coming months and that annual volume was targeted to reach $1 billion. The current annual trade between the two countries is worth barely more than $1 million, but Turkey has said it will take $100 million of liquefied natural gas, when a plant under construction comes on stream in 1999. The prime minister said Ankara would help Nigeria in exploration and making use of its vast natural gas reserves. He said Turkey would sell automobiles, as well as macaroni, flour, biscuits and several other kinds of agro-products to the African country. He said Turkey will as well meet Nigeria's edible oil needs.On the last day of Erbakan's visit to Nigeria, the two countries signed a Joint Economic Commission protocol and accords to boost trade, protect and encourage investments and cooperation in maritime transport. Erbakan also disclosed that Nigeria would open a cultural centre in Ankara. /All papers/ [03] TURKISH F-16 JET CRASHES IN AEGEANA Turkish Air Force (TuAF) F-16 fighter jet crashed yesterday into the Aegean Sea near Sakiz (Chios) Island as one of the two-seater aircraft's pilots ejected safely. The other is still missing. The Turkish jet, flying with four F-4Es, was intercepted by two Greek Mirage 2000s. After a short period of maneuvering between the aircraft, The Turkish F-16 crashed west of Sakiz Island. No shots were fired. The pilot, who baled out from the stricken plane, was rescued by Greek Search and Rescue teams and was alive, Greek Defence Ministry officials said. The Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed the crash. /Hurriyet/[04] MASSIVE ANTI-PKK OPERATIONS CONTINUESecurity forces on Monday killed 118 terrorists from the PKK terrorist organization during massive operations in the rural southeastern provinces of Sirnak and Hakkari. Meanwhile, forty-three terrorists were killed in recent clashes near the town of Divrigi in Sivas province after the PKK killed four soldiers and wounded 17 there last weekend. In other action, security forces reported that 30 terrorists were killed in fighting around Cudi mountain near Sirnak. This brings the number of terrorists killed in recent clashes in the Southeast to 148, and the total number to 191 including those in Sivas. Eleven members of the security forces lost their lives. The security forces, backed by helicopters and other aircraft, seized machine guns, ammunition and illegal documents during the operations.In Ankara, acting Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller was briefed yesterday by officials at a meeting with Chief of General Staff Ismail Hakki Karadayi and Defence Minister Turhan Tayan. They discussed Turkey's internal security, anti-terrorism operations against the PKK, recent relations with neighbouring countries and the situation in northern Iraq. Referring to the killing of 43 terrorits in recent clashes, deputy governor of Sivas, Mustafa Unlusoy, said that security forces had inflicted heavy blows against the PKK which has stepped up its terrorist activities in the region recently. Unlusoy said that the terrorists killed were responsible for many of the recent attacks in the area, including the murders of eight people in Kangal's Demiriz train station and the deaths of several soldiers and villagers. Sezai Doga, the so-called regional commander of the PKK, was among the militants killed in the recent operations. He was responsible for ordering the killing of 80 people in the region, said an official of the security forces. /Hurriyet-Cumhuriyet/ [05] 38.3 % OF INVESTMENTS IN GAP COMPLETEDThe Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), Turkey's greatest irrigation and energy project, is 38.3 % completed. Expenditure on the network of dams and powerplants from domestic sources has reached TL 979.700 trillion while foreign credits total $3.6 billion. On the sectoral basis, 84.6 % of planned investment has been made in the mining sector, in health 70.9 %, in energy 69.6 %, and in manufacturing 40.1 %. Investments in housing reached 29.9 %, 27 % in transport and 23.1 % in tourism. Investments in the agriculture sector were 8.7 % complete. GAP development officials said that TL 35.617 trillion was allocated from the 1996 budget. /All papers/[06] EUROCHAMBERS AND ASCAME SIGN ACCORDEurochambers and the Mediterranean Chamber of Industry and Trade (ASCAME) signed an accord to evaluate the EU's role in the Mediterranean and to monitor the progress of the Mediterranean Economic Development Agency. The aim of the agreement is improved relations in tourism, transportation, culture and the environment among Mediterranean countries. The Eurochambers annual meetings began in Athens yesterday with the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) in attendance. /All papers/[07] KUSADASI ENERGY CONFERENCEFive hundred experts from around the world are meeting in Kusadasi to discusss world energy needs in a "Habitat" style conference.Because Energy Minister Recai Kutan is in the delegation accompanying Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan on his South Africa tour, Housing Minister Cevat Ayhan opened the conference. Minister Ayhan noted the problems of increasing world population in his opening talk, but added that Turkey was one of the countries around the world that was an advanced energy producer. /Hurriyet/ END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |