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Turkish Press Review, 97-02-17Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWMONDAY FEBRUARY 17, 1997Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] CILLER TO ATTEND NATO MEETING IN BRUSSELSDeputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller will go to Brussels to attend an extra-ordinary meeting of foreign ministers of NATO-member countries to be held on 18 February. It is expected that Ciller will convey this message: "The expansion of NATO, the European Union (EU) and the Western European Union (WEU) are connected to each other". During the meeting, the new security structure envisaged to be established in Europe will also be discussed. /Cumhuriyet/[02] ARAFAT COMING TO TURKEYPalestinian leader Yaser Arafat will visit Turkey on his way back from an official visit to Russia, Foreign Ministry officials said over the weekend.During his stop-over in Turkey, Arafat will have talks with President Demirel about the Middle East peace initiatives and regional developments. There is a likelihood that Arafat could also meet with Prime Minister Erbakan and Foreign Minister Ciller. /Cumhuriyet/ [03] BOMB EXPLOSION NEAR TURKISH CONSULATEA powerful bomb exploded near the Turkish Consulate in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday. Official reports later said that it was unlikely that the bomb was politically aimed at the Consulate.Buildings in the immediate vicinity were badly damaged and some slightly injured people were taken to nearby hospitals. Extensive police enquiries are continuing. /Cumhuriyet/ [04] EUROPEAN GUEST FOR KAZANChairman of the European Human Rights Commission Stefan Trechsel arrived in Istanbul yesterday as the official guest of Turkish Justice Minister Sevket Kazan. Proceeding on to Ankara later in his three-day visit, Stefan Trechsel will meet Kazan and furnish information to Turkish officials regarding the studies of the European Human Rights Commission. /Sabah/[05] LATVIAN PRESIDENT ARRIVING TOMORROWGuntis Ulmanis, President of Latvia, is to pay a three-day visit to Turkey, beginning on February 18, after being invited by President Suleyman Demirel, the Foreign Ministry announced on Friday. President Ulmanis is to hold talks with politicians and businessmen. /All papers/[06] POLISH FM TO VISIT TURKEYPolish Foreign Minister Dariusz Rosati is to visit Turkey in March to discuss NATO expansion. Speaking to reporters in Warsaw, Rosati said that Poland was in the process of joining NATO, despite Russian efforts to hinder its membership, and that he was coming to Turkey to verify Ankara's position on the issue.Poland, along with Hungary and the Czech Republic is one of the strongest candidate countries for joining NATO. The primary hearings for these countries' proposals will be heard at the NATO summit in Madrid in July. /All papers/ [07] TURKEY SENSITIVE ON NATO EXPANSIONThe Turkish Parliament is very sensitive on the issue of NATO expansion, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Onur Oymen, in Brussels for talks with members of the European Parliament and European Commission officials, told reporters. Turkey was in favour of expansion, but the issue could not be isolated from enlargement of the EU and the Western European Union (WEU). "For the last four years the Turkish Parliament has not accepted a partnership agreement between the WEU and Turkey, because it believes Turkey should be a full member of this union rather than a partner" Oymen said.This year was a critical one, and the EU has to decide on the issue of Turkey's membership, said Oymen, adding that if Turkey does not become a member of the EU it would be detrimental for Europe. /All papers/ [08] TURKISH SOLDIERS IN EL-HALILFifteeen Turkish soldiers left for Hebron on Friday to join the unit of peace observers in the city. The Israeli government and Palestine signed an agreement on Hebron, which allows a total of 130 soldiers from countries including Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway to patrol in Hebron as peace observers. The commander of the Turkish troop is Colonel Atilla Alt�nkurt. /All papers/[09] CEASE-FIRE MONITORING FORCE TO BE DEPLOYED IN MARCH IN N.IRAQDeployment of a projected Cease-fire Monitoring Force (CMF), to supervise the truce between the two rival Kurdish parties in northern Iraq, will likely be delayed to next month, the Anatolia news agency reported on Friday. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) agreed to the establishment of the CMF in February in peace talks held in Ankara under the joint sponsorship of Turkey and the US. The talks, started last October, ended renewed fighting between the rival factions when the KDP allied itself with Baghdad and attempted to seize total control of the Western-protected Kurdish enclave.[10] TURKEY EXTENDS DEADLINE IN FRESH WATER TENDERTurkey extended the deadline in a tender for a project to lease a fresh water purification and treatment plant for sales to thirsty Middle Eastern countries, the Official Gazette said on Friday. It said the deadline had been extended to March 31 from the original date of February 14. The project will cost the winner $100 million, according to the tender terms.[11] ANKARA PROTESTS TO BEIRUT OVER ANTI-TURKISH TV SERIESTurkey has sent a protest to Lebanon requesting a ban on broadcasting a Syrian made television series containing scenes which are strongly anti-Turkish. The series "Brothers of the Earth" is being advertised to start broadcasting within the next week on a private Lebanese channel. The future of the series is not clear following Turkey's protest, although no response has yet been received.[12] ISTANBUL PROMOTED TO WORLD BUSINESSMENThe "Business Traveler International" magazine published for world businessmen devoted seven pages to Istanbul in its last issue. The magazine noted that American firms had made investments worth $1.5 billion in Turkey and trade worth billions of dollars was carried out between Turkey and the US every year. The magazine also furnished information regarding touristic sites in Turkey. /Sabah/[13] MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE TO CYPRUSThe Sunday Times daily newspaper reported that Britain would send 600 soldiers to join a 5,000 strong multi-national force to be deployed in Cyprus. Pointing out that NATO countries had started to pay more attention to the Cyprus issue after the missile system crisis between Turkey and Greece, the paper noted that Britain's suggestion regarding a multi-national force to be stationed in Cyprus would be discussed in European capitals. It was also reported that the suggestion had been presented to Ankara and Athens. /Hurriyet/[14] GERMAN FIRMS LEADING IN TURKEYThere are totally 3,360 foreign capital companies in Turkey, which has been gaining importance in countries that trade in a wide range of markets such as America, Japan and Germany. Most of the foreign companies in Turkey are German firms. There are 653 German companies in Turkey, whereas French companies have invested the most capital. From the point of view of total capital, American and Dutch companies follow the French firms. /Sabah/[15] TOURISM MINISTRY TO PROMOTE OTTOMAN, TURKISH AND ANATOLIAN CULTURESTourism Minister Bahattin Yucel announced that during 1997, the ministry will develop tours to areas in Turkey where there are ruins from the Ottoman, Turkish and ancient Anatolian cultures, the Anatolia news agency reported on Friday. In a statement made by Yucel, he said that 1997 will be a year in which cultural tourism will be promoted.END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |