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Turkish Press Review, 98-01-19
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
CONTENTS
[01] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT BANS WELFARE PARTY
[02] SUMMIT MEETING OF COALITION PARTNERS
[03] US TRADE DELEGATION IN TURKEY
[04] IMF DELEGATION HOLDS CONTACTS IN ANKARA
[05] OIL GIANT AMOCO INVESTS IN ALIAGA, IZMIR
[06] PRODI'S STATEMENT
[07] GERMAN MINISTER: PKK IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION
[08] "EVERYTHING CAN BE SOLD IN ISRAEL"
[19] 'WE ARE NOT THE ENEMY OF TURKS"
[10] "EUROPEAN UNION MUST CHANGE ITS POLICY"
[11] VURAL: "GERMANY IS IN CONTACT WITH PKK"
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
19.01.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this
morning
[01] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT BANS WELFARE PARTY
The Constitutional Court issued Friday its final decision in the
case for closing down Islamic-oriented Welfare Party (RP). The Court
decided to ban the party for activities designed to undermine secular
democratic order. Nine of the Constitutional Court members voted in
favour of the decision, while two voted against. RP leader Necmettin
Erbakan and six other RP activists, Sevket Kazan, Ahmet Tekdal, Sevki
Yilmaz, Hasan Huseyin Ceylan, Halil �brahim Celik and Sukru Karatepe,
will not be able to found new political parties and to participate in
the political life of the country for five years. The decision will
enter into effect after its publication in the Official Gazette. The
case filed by Supreme Court of Appeals Chief State Prosecutor Vural
Savas was continuing for eight months and was closely followed by the
Turkish and foreign media. /All papers/
[02] SUMMIT MEETING OF COALITION PARTNERS
The leaders of the coalition parties will meet today in the Prime
Ministry Residence to discuss a report prepared by Inspection Board
Chairman Kutlu Savas. The report dwells on corruption within the
state and on connections between politicians, bureacrats and mafia.
The serious dimentions of corruption within the state first came to
light in the aftermath of a traffic accident near the town of Susurluk
at the end of 1996. /All papers/
[03] US TRADE DELEGATION IN TURKEY
US Secretary of Commerce William Daley accompanied by 64
businessmen arrived yesterday in Ankara. In a statement to
journalists, Daley said that the visit aims to improve bilateral
economic and commercial relations and seek ways for enhancing
cooperation. State Minister Isin Celebi said that the visit will play
an important role for improving economic and commercial collaboration
between the two countries. /All papers/
[04] IMF DELEGATION HOLDS CONTACTS IN ANKARA
An IMF delegation will arrive today in Ankara to discuss
possibilities for backing moves of the Turkish government to pull down
inflation. The delegation is headed by Martin Hardy, responsible for
IMF Turkey Desk, and Ajay Chibber, World Bank official responsible for
Turkey, and is expected to arrive in Ankara Wednesday.
The delegation is scheduled to hold contacts with Turkish
officials by the end of this month. IMF officials will meet Prime
Minister Mesut Yilmaz, State Ministers in charge of national economy
Gunes Taner and Isin Celebi, and Finance Minister Zekeriya Temizel.
/Milliyet/
[05] OIL GIANT AMOCO INVESTS IN ALIAGA, IZMIR
A delegation of officials from oil giant Amoco hold contacts with
Turkish officials last Friday. Amoco officials signed a memorandum of
understanding and agreed to set up a power station in Aliaga near
Izmir. Prospects for the materialization of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline
projects were also taken in hand. Observers draw attention to the
fact that the visit came in the aftermath of US Energy Undersecretary
Robert Gee's contacts in Ankara, and note that Turco-US commercial
relations were intensifying. /Milliyet/
[06] PRODI'S STATEMENT
Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi criticized the European Union
(EU) and pointed out that the EU should be opened up to Turkey. Prodi
delivered a speech at a meeting in Italy saying, "Mediterranean
countries constitute the borders of the EU. Therefore, there should
be a policy of peace and dialogue in the Mediterranean. We are
responsible for the development of the Mediterranean". /Sabah/
[07] GERMAN MINISTER: PKK IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION
Bavarian Interior Minister Gunther Beckstein met yesterday with
Turkish State Minister Refaiddin Sahin at Turkey's Numberg Consulate.
Beckstein noted that he did not share the same views with Federal
Chief Prosecutor Kay Nehm and said: "The PKK is absolutely a
terrorist organization, which abuses human rights, abducts children
and extorts money". /Sabah/
[08] "EVERYTHING CAN BE SOLD IN ISRAEL"
Turkish Ambassador in Israel, Barlas Ozener, called upon Turkish
entrepreneurs to make further cooperation with their counterparts.
Ozener noted that he wanted cooperation with Israel in trade and
technology in addition to military projects and said: "Turkish
businessmen can sell everything to Israel on condition that they pay
attention to quality". Ozener stated that Israel's state-of-the-art
technology in agriculture could also be evaluated in joint projects
with Turkey and added that following the free trade agreement between
Turkey and Israel, the agreement for the prevention of double taxation
and the encouragement of investments should be promulgated at the
Turkish Parliament as soon as possible. /Milliyet/
[09] 'WE ARE NOT THE ENEMY OF TURKS"
John E.Porter, who is a member of the European Security and
Cooperation Commission (shortly the Helsinki Commission regarding the
human rights), is visiting Turkey with four other US Congress members.
His wife Kathryn Porter, Chairperson of the Human Rights Union, is
also accompanying him. The delegation made contacts with various
human rights groups in Istanbul. They expect to meet with Turkish
President Suleyman Demirel, Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and other
high-level officials including Gen.Cevik Bir in Ankara. John and
Kathryn Porter said that they were not the enemy of Turkey and their
stance regarding the Kurdish problem, Cyprus and human rights was not
against Turkey. /Milliyet/
[10] "EUROPEAN UNION MUST CHANGE ITS POLICY"
Political scientist, Amos Perlmutter stated that European Union
must change its ill-considered policy towards Turkey. In his article,
which was published in Washington Times, Perlmutter stressed the
strategic importance of Turkey. He also mentioned that Turkey, Israel
and United States were the allied countries who could prevent Islamic
fundamentalism in the Mideast, and the European Union should not
ignore this fact. /Cumhuriyet/
[11] VURAL: "GERMANY IS IN CONTACT WITH PKK"
Turkish Ambassador to Germany, Volkan Vural, noted that German
officials had held meetings with PKK militants and added that the PKK
organization agreed to give up terrorist activities in Germany in
exchange for German support for the organization. "It is difficult to
understand why Germany, once determined to fight against terrorism,
today voices support for the PKK terrorist organization," Vural said.
Vural added, "In order to protect its place in Germany, the PKK
has decided to act in line with the regulations of the country.
However, it should be very well known that the PKK is a terrorist
organization. Turkey and Germany need each other and they should
protect their mutual interests." /Cumhuriyet/
END
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