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Turkish Press Review, 97-08-26
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
CONTENTS
[01] DEMIREL SETS FOUR MAJOR GOALS
[02] PM YILMAZ OPENS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MEETING
[03] GOVERNMENT TAKES TWO IMPORTANT DECISIONS
[04] SUPPORT FROM TOBB
[05] FM CEM STRESSES BAKU-CEYHAN PIPELINE
[06] TURKISH-IRANIAN WAY TO KAZAKH OIL
[07] IRAN AND LIBYA ON NSC AGENDA
[08] SEZGIN ISSUES CALLS FOR DIALOGUE WITH GREECE
[09] EU TERM CHAIRMAN COMING TO TURKEY
[10] DENKTAS, "CYPRUS WILL BE DRAGGED INTO A WAR"
[11] GREEK CYPRUS: "EU TO OPEN ITS DOORS TO TURKEY"
[12] THIRD BOSPHORUS BRIDGE IN THE OFFING
[13] TURKEY PRAISED FOR ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING MOVES
[14] 'TURKEY INCREASES COMPETITIVE POWER'
[15] ATATURK AT THE TOP
[16] DRUGS SEIZED IN AGRI AND ANTALYA
[17] GERMAN CONCERN OVER PKK
[18] 42 PKK TERRORISTS KILLED
[19] RACIST ATTACK IN GERMANY
[20] IZMIR INTERNATIONAL FAIR OPENING TODAY
[21] 1996 TOURISM BOOM
[22] SIM TOKYUREK RANKS FIRST
[23] FUREYA KORAL PASSES AWAY
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION,OFFICE OF PRIME MINISTER
26.08.97
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this
morning.
[01] DEMIREL SETS FOUR MAJOR GOALS
Commenting on recent political developments in Turkey, President
Demirel said that present and future governments will exert efforts to
accomplish four main goals: to maintain domestic peace and an
atmosphere of tolerance; to raise the moral values of society and
improve the country's image; to end debate on secularism; and finally
to clean up the Susurluk and similar scandals. Demirel added that
privatization and inflation were the two major items on the agenda of
the government. /Sabah/
[02] PM YILMAZ OPENS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MEETING
Speaking at the opening of a meeting of the High Board of Science and
Technology yesterday, Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said science and
technology would be the key to Turkey's ability to compete in the
international arena. The Supreme Board of Science and Technology aims
to help the government determine its long term science and technology
policies. A number of top level state officials participated in the
meeting, the Anatolian news agency reported. At the meeting, the
Board discussed measures for preparing Turkey for the information age
by setting up a triumvirate of science, technology and production.
The national defence industry also emerged as a sector to be beefed
up. The Board also took in hand measures for extending the use of the
Internet. Prime Minister Yilmaz said that the government will
encourage research and development projects adding that the necessary
arrangements for financing such projects would be materialized without
delay.
[03] GOVERNMENT TAKES TWO IMPORTANT DECISIONS
Labour Minister Nami Cagan yesterday announced that the retirement age
will be 50 for women and 55 for men. At a meeting of the Economic and
Social Council yesterday, a draft envisaging reforms in the social
security system was taken in hand. The draft will be finalized in the
light of decisions to be reached at the meeting and then submitted to
Parliament for approval.
Another important decision was released yesterday by the Ministry of
National Education. Foreign language courses have been introduced as
compulsary classes in the programme of the fourth year of primary
education. Students will be able to learn English, German or French
according to their own preferences in the foreign language classes.
/Sabah/
[04] SUPPORT FROM TOBB
Chairman of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges
(TOBB), Fuat Miras, delivered an opening speech at the Economic and
Social Council and said that they had allocated TL 1 trillion to
support the eight-year uninterrupted compulsory education programme
and added: "We will also build schools in 10 provinces". /Milliyet/
[05] FM CEM STRESSES BAKU-CEYHAN PIPELINE
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, in Rome for a four-day official visit,
said that the passage of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline route through Turkey
was one of Turkey's major foreign policy priorities. Cem noted that
the Foreign Ministry had requested the government to appoint an
official to coordinate moves related to the pipeline project on behalf
of the prime minister. Commenting on the busy traffic in the
Bosphorus, Cem said that the failure of the Baku-Ceyhan project would
further complicate the already heavy maritime traffic in the
Bosphorus. He added: "A Turkish citizen's life is as valuable as the
life of an American citizen. We will implement measures taken in the
US. The US does not allow oil tankers without double reinforcement to
come within 120 miles of its continental shelves. In contrast, in
Turkey, we are discussing whether or not to let tankers pass by our
houses." /Hurriyet/
[06] TURKISH-IRANIAN WAY TO KAZAKH OIL
Officials from Kazakhstan, which is about to drill oil from the
Caspian Sea, have stated that the choice lay between Turkey and Iran
when it came to transporting Caspian oil. Kazakh Head of State
Nursultan Nazarbayev recalled that they had previously signed an
agreement to transport oil through Russia's Novorossisk port, but
added that since the amount of oil was very great, one route would not
be enough. Nazarbayev noted that Caspian oil could be transported via
the Ceyhan pipeline to the Mediterranean. /Milliyet/
[07] IRAN AND LIBYA ON NSC AGENDA
The National Security Council will convene tomorrow to discuss recent
domestic developments. Fundamentalist demonstrations staged to
protest the education reform launched by the government and PKK
efforts to infiltrate the western regions of the country will be top
issues on the agenda of the meeting. Claims that Iran and Libya are
behind these developments aimed at creating turmoil in Turkey will
also be taken in hand. /Cumhuriyet/
[08] SEZGIN ISSUES CALLS FOR DIALOGUE WITH GREECE
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ismet Sezgin said that
instead of resorting to ambitious armament programmes, Greece should
seek ways for improving dialogue with Turkey. Sezgin stressed that
Turkey was not pursuing expansionist policies targeting the sovereign
rights of Greece, and added that Greece was the party attempting to
change the status-quo in the Aegean. /Hurriyet/
[09] EU TERM CHAIRMAN COMING TO TURKEY
It is announced that European Union (EU) term chairman Luxembourg
Foreign Minister, Jacques Poos, will pay a one-day-working visit to
Ankara. Diplomatic sources reported that Poos will come to Ankara
next Sunday. After meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem
on Monday he will leave Ankara. The visit will be an important one as
it will be the first visit since Luxembourg took over the EU
chairmanship from the Netherlands. /Hurriyet/
[10] DENKTAS, "CYPRUS WILL BE DRAGGED INTO A WAR"
President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Rauf Denktas
stressed yesterday that intense efforts to annihilate Turkish Cypriots
by the full membership of Greek Cyprus in the European Union (EU) will
drag Cyprus into a war. He added that the Turkish side should leave
the talks immediately to prevent a possible war. Stressing again that
one-sided membership of Greek Cyprus in the EU would destroy the
balance between the two communities on the island, Denktas added: "If
this happens, there will be a threat of war. In order to prevent such
a risk it is better for the Turkish side to abandon the talks."
/Hurriyet/Cumhuriyet_
[11] GREEK CYPRUS: "EU TO OPEN ITS DOORS TO TURKEY"
According to the Greek Cypriot Simerini daily newspaper, following the
European Union evaluation the 2000 Report in December, there could be
a possibility of including Turkey in the second round of the expansion
of the organization. It is also noted that U.S. special envoy to
Cyprus, Richard Holbrook, has already begun initiatives with EU
members to expand this formula. /Hurriyet/
[12] THIRD BOSPHORUS BRIDGE IN THE OFFING
At a recent meeting of the High Planning Board, the establishment of
an organized industrial zone in the Southeastern Anatolia Project
(GAP) region, the construction of various autobahns and of a third
Bosphorus bridge emerged as investment projects to be given primary
importance. The government has allocated an additional TL 37 trillion
to autobahn construction and road reconstruction to improve traffic
safety. TL one trillion will be spent to support the construction of
the Bolu Mountain Tunnel. /Milliyet/
[13] TURKEY PRAISED FOR ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING MOVES
Patrick Moulette, spokesman for the Financial Activity Mission Group,
told the Anatolian news agency yesterday that Turkey was introducing
effective regulations designed to combat money laundering, and added
that they were encouraged by the efforts being exerted by the Turkish
government. The Financial Activity Group was set up by the Group of
Seven in 1989 in an effort to step up the worldwide fight against
money laundering. In June the group criticized Turkey over its record
on money laundering, urging the government to pass new regulations.
The government has since then implemented regulations which require
financial institutions to report abnormally large transactions along
with measures to tighten rules on opening accounts.
[14] 'TURKEY INCREASES COMPETITIVE POWER'
According to the World Economic Forum, Turkey's competitive power has
increased compared with last year. The World Economic Forum, which
estimates that Turkey will show a better performance this year from
the standpoint of the economy and domestic market and puts Turkey 21st
in a group of 53 countries listed according to their attraction for
foreign capital. The 1997 Report of the World Economic Forum based in
Geneva states that Turkey has risen from 42nd to 36th among 53
countries when it comes to competitive power. Regarding growth in the
domestic market, Turkey ranks 15th. /Sabah/
[15] ATATURK AT THE TOP
In a campaign opened by Time magazine to select the most important
people of the 20th century, Ataturk ranks first. Ataturk, who
received more than 30,952 votes yesterday evening, left behind Ronald
Reagan, who has 29,234 votes. /Milliyet/
[16] DRUGS SEIZED IN AGRI AND ANTALYA
During two separate operations in Antalya and Agri, police have seized
heroin, pure morphine and Indian hemp worth over TL 2 trillion.
Officials, who carried out the operations, said: "We will continue
with our operations also against terrorism". /Milliyet/
[17] GERMAN CONCERN OVER PKK
Federal German Interior Minister Musa Anter has stated that he banned
the entry of the Peace Train into Germany because he was concerned
that it might turn out to be a PKK propaganda scheme. German Interior
Ministry Spokesman Oger Kiel also made a statement and said that they
had not allowed the train entry in line with the prohibition which was
in effect in Germany against the PKK. /Milliyet/
[18] 42 PKK TERRORISTS KILLED
As a result of the operations conducted around Yazlica Mountain near
the Pervari district of Siirt, 30 Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
terrorists were killed. One security guard was also killed. During
clashes in the Hani region of Hakkari, and the Baskale district of Van
10 terrorists were killed. Moreover, five terrorists were captured in
Bingol, Diyarbakir and Tunceli. On the other hand, the PKK launched
an attack on a coal mine in Sirnak during which two terrorists were
killed and one security guard died. /Hurriyet/Cumhuriyet_
[19] RACIST ATTACK IN GERMANY
A group of racist Germans in the Pforzheim district of Germany
destroyed a car belonging to a Turkish citizen. Following
investigations regarding the incident, three Germans including one
woman were arrested. /Sabah/
[20] IZMIR INTERNATIONAL FAIR OPENING TODAY
The 66th International Izmir Fair is opening today. It is expected
that President Suleyman Demirel and Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will
attend the opening ceremony. It is reported that 1389 companies of
which 427 are from abroad are participating in the fair. It is also
thought that the fair will bring in five trillion TL.
/Hurriyet/Cumhuriyet_
[21] 1996 TOURISM BOOM
The Turkish tourism sector grew by 7.9 percent in 1996, higher than
both industry and agriculture. According to a report by the monthly
"Ekonomik Forum" magazine published by the Union of Chambers and
Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), the tourism sector boomed in 1996.
Tourism revenues from hotel and restaurant services grew up by 7.9
percent of GNP in 1996 up from 1.7 percent in 1995. Capital
investments in tourism increased from $874 million in 1995 to more
than one billion dollars in 1996. /Hurriyet/
[22] SIM TOKYUREK RANKS FIRST
Sim Tokyurek, Ankara State Opera and Ballet singer, who represented
Turkey at the fifth International Rieumes Lyrical Competition held in
Toulouse, France, between 13-16 August, ranked first as "female opera
singer". 83 singers from 14 countries participated in the
competition. /Sabah/
[23] FUREYA KORAL PASSES AWAY
Turkey's first ceramic artist, Fureya Koral passed away at the age of
87 in Istanbul. Graduating from the Philosophy Department of
Darulfunan Literature Faculty in 1940, she worked as a music critic
for Vatan daily newspaper. In 1946 she started her ceramic studies in
Laousanne and then went to Paris. She had various exhibitions both
abroad and in Turkey. In 1981 she was presented with the Culture
Ministry Award and in 1986 the Sedat Simavi Art Award. Koral, who won
many national and international awards, conducted her work not only in
ceramics but also in murals and tile-making./All papers/
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