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Turkish Press Review, 97-02-24Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>CONTENTS
TURKISH PRESS REVIEWMONDAY FEBRUARY 24, 1997Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning[01] KALEMLI VISITS HIROSHIMA PEACE MUSEUMParliament Speaker Mustafa Kalemli, in Japan for an official visit, has visited the Hiroshima Peace Museum. Kalemli was informed about the damage the atom bomb caused in the city and then signed the museum visitor's book. "The exhibition in this museum proves it is hard to make peace and easy to make war. We wish for a world without nuclear weapons, a beautiful, peaceful world" Kalemli wrote in the visitor's book.During his visit to Japan, Kalemli has also visited a number of historic temples. He left Tokyo for a one-day trip to Kyoto on Sunday, and will be received by the Japanese Emperor on Monday in Tokyo before returning to Turkey on Tuesday. /All papers/ [02] KARADAYI VISITS ISRAELTurkish Chief of General Staff Gen.Ismail Hakki Karadayi is going to Israel today. It is expected that Karadayi will meet with Israeli President Ezer Weizman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Today, Karadayi will visit the Jewish Genocide Museum and the military facilities where F-14 aircraft will be modernized. Karadayi will meet Israeli Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Sahak and National Defence Minister Mordechai tomorrow and meet with Netanyahu in Jerusalem on 27 February. /Milliyet/[03] GUL IN NEW YORKState Minister Abdullah Gul will begin a new round of contacts in New York today after his stay in Washington. While in New York, Gul will have talks with the New York media and with Wall Street finance leaders.Minister Gul will try to convince both groups that Turkey is a stable developing country. He will try to persuade representatives of the World Financial Center and finance houses like Lehman Brothers that Turkey has a sound economy ripe for more foreign investment. He will also have talks with Standard and Poor about their economic rating for Turkey. Reports from New York indicate that the meetings between Gul and the financial sector will be "critical" with a strong influence on future economic ties between Turkey and the US. /All papers/ [04] HOLBROOKE: 'TURKEY'S STRATEGIC LOCATION STILL A MAJOR FACTOR'The former Assistant Secretary for European and Canadian Affairs Richard Holbrooke, who is currently a Wall Street banker in New York City, told a jam-packed audience at the American-Turkish Council's award banquet, said "as I private citizen I am commited to remain a friend of Turkey". Holbrooke received ATC's Distinguished Citizen award.After praising the hard work accomplished by US Ambassador to Turkey Marc Grosssman, and former US representative to the European Union Stuart Eizenstat, Holbrooke said: "There is still such a thing as a front line state...Turkey is a front-line state" and the "critical importance of Turkey cannot be overlooked". Turkey should be regarded as a "European country in every sense of the word" he said. Holbrooke praised Ataturk to the sky and said he was among the "giants (who) changed history". He compared Ataturk to Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping who died at 92 recently. Both Ataturk and Deng took hold of a backward country and engineered a miraculous turnaround despite tremendous odds. On the Greek-Turkish dispute, Holbrooke said: "Greece should understand that a stable and prosperous Turkey is in Greece's best interests. And a stable prosperous Greece is in Turkey's best interests". /All papers/ [05] UN SANCTIONS COMMITTEE REJECTS PRIVILEGES FOR TURKEYThe United Nations Sanctions Committee has refused Turkey's request for special treatment in the import of petrol from Iraq. Turkey, claiming to have suffered particular damage last summer as a result of the trade embargo imposed on Iraq, requested extra privileges from the UN Sanctions Committee to compensate for its losses. The committee met in New York on Saturday and reportedly intends to reject Turkey's demand. /All papers/[06] CILLER EXPRESSES SORROW ON DENG'S DEATHTansu Ciller, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, sent condolences over the death of China's leader Deng Xiaoping to Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen. In her message to Li Peng, Ciller expresed regret at the death of the legendary leader Deng, saying he was a statesman who had changed the face of his country.Speaking of Deng's reformist policies which had improved living standards for countless Chinese people, Ciller said Deng had gained the respect of the international community and would never be forgotten. Ciller's message to Qian Qichen referred to Deng's economic successes and how they had opened a new chapter in the history of China. /All papers/ [07] OYMEN DEFENDS TURKEY'S NATURAL GAS COOPERATION WITH IRANDuring a panel meeting on defence sponsored by American-Turkish Council, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Onur Oymen, contended that because Turkey was a neighbour, Turkey must continue to maintain a high-level diplomatic relationship with Iran. Concerning intensifying economic and political relations with Iran, Oymen said that the signed natural gas deal with Iran did not constitute an investment as such in Iran's petrochemical industry, and thus should not trigger the US L�bya Iran Sanctions Act sanctions. Oymen pointed out that Turkey's natural gas agreement with Iran did not create a problem with the US, and that the issue had been taken up in a friendly and reasonable manner. Oymen stressed that the D'Amato Law imposes penalty for third companies which invest in Iran and said: "In our project, there is no resolution that Turkey will not make investments in Iran". He added that Turkey would not only purchase Iranian natural gas from the Iranian pipeline but also purchase Turkmen gas.Oymen defined Turco-US relations as friendly and said: "The US supports Turkey's full membership in the EU and opposes Turkey's exclusion from Europe". Oymen stated that US President Bill Clinton attached great importance to Turkey and said that the US administration had ascertained that the expansion of NATO, the EU and the WEU was connected to each other. Oymen also noted that the Cyprus issue could not be solved only by Turkey's goodwill but that the other side should also be ready to work for a solution. /Milliyet-Sabah/ [08] NEW PKK CAMP IN IRANIt has been discovered that Iran has helped separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorists to establish a new camp. It is understood that almost 300 separatists have been staying in the Qal'el Rash camp where there are 60 shelters, two dish-antennas, six anti-craft guns and Sayno-8004 high-tech radios.Military sources have reported that the camp is just across from the Baskale township of Van and that there have been disturbing incidents of gun fire against Turkish units. /Sabah/ [09] TURKISH, GREEK BUSINESSMEN TO MEET UNDER SAME ROOFTurkish and Greek businessmen will come together in Izmir in May to form a Turco-Greek Businessmen's Association. The association will aim to try to solve problems between Turkey and Greece and to lay a peace foundation between the two countries. A 50-member Greek delegation will be hosted on 3-4 March by the Aegean Young Businessmen's Association in Izmir to discuss the framework of the association. /Sabah/[10] AUSTRIAN SUPPORT FOR TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIPAustrian Foreign Minister Wolfgang Sousel said that there could be no other way but to accept Turkey into the European Union (EU). According to his statement to To Vima Greek daily newspaper, Sousel noted that it would be to the benefit of Europe to follow a policy which would help Turkey to join to the EU. "With its 60 million population Turkey is a vast market. It is a stable element in the region. Europe should develop its economic and political ties with Turkey," said Sousel. /Cumhuriyet/[11] DAVID HANNAY IN ANKARABritain's special envoy to Cyprus, David Hannay said that the Cyprus issue should be solved within the framework of the United Nations (UN). Hannay, who is in Ankara said that arms build-up was increasing in the island, and that the UN Peace Force would continue its mission until an agreement was reached. /Cumhuriyet/[12] TURKEY TO OPEN $50 MILLION CREDIT LINE TO PALESTINETurkey is to open a line of credit to Palestine worth $50 million to fund the setting up of projects, Foreign Ministry officials announced on Friday. The projects include the building of two schools, a hospital and housing. Palestinian Ambassador to Ankara, Fuad Yaseen, said the feasibility work for the projects was going ahead and that they hoped to start building as soon as possible. /All papers/END Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |