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Turkish Press Review, 99-04-05Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>05.04.99Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] TURKEY STRANDED IN KOSOVAR REFUGEE CRISISAs Kosovars continue to flee from their homeland where they are faced with Serbian aggression, Turkey finds itself in an increasingly difficult situation in relieving the refugees' sufferring. Ankara had to abort its initial plans to set up two refugee camps in Macedonia that would have hosted 20,000 refugees, because of Skopje's refusal to allow it to do so. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit announced yesterday that Turkey is ready to set up those camps within its own boundaries. According to officials at Edirne's Kapikule gate on the Bulgarian border, so far more than 5,300 refugees have entered Turkey.Ecevit made this announcement in Ankara while preparing to go to an open-air election rally in Kastamonu, in Northern Turkey. On his way to Kastamonu, Ecevit also said that two Turkish military cargo planes had been turned back after Bulgaria did not grant them permission to fly over its airspace. "We were ready to send equipment to the refugee camps in Macedonia, but unfortunately the Macedonian government did not give us permission", Ecevit said. The Prime Minister said Turkey has so far provided aid for the Kosovar refugees worth a total of $5.5 million since the refugee crisis began. "We also sent $25 million in aid to the Kosovars even before the crisis started", he added. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit remarked that, in line with the legal regulations in effect, a temporary Higher Coordination Council will be established to determine policy regulations concerning those Kosovar refugees in Turkey. Ecevit said, "Whatever its cost may be, this is a humanitarian issue and we will do what we have to." The Turkish Red Crescent (Kizilay) announced earlier that it hoped to send humanitarian aid equipment, including tents, food, clothing and other basic necessities, to Albania and Macedonia soon. The air corridor through Bulgaria is soon expected to be reopened. So far, only part of this aid has made it to Macedonia, Kizilay officials said in a written statement. Meanwhile, the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Rauf Denktas, suggested that the refugees be placed in the deserted town of Varsoha. The Greek Cypriot Administration strongly reacted to Denktas' announcement, saying that there is a UN resolution concerning the status of Varosha and Turkish Cypriots 'cannot disregard' that resolution. /All papers/ [02] RUSSIAN SHIP SAILS TO MEDITERRANEANA Russian warship was reportedly heading towards the Mediterranean to shadow NATO ships in the Adriatic Sea participating in the air strikes in Yugoslavia. The small reconnaissance ship, `Harbour', passed the through Dardanelles Strait early yesterday; it left the Bosphorus on Saturday. The passage of warships via the Turkish Straits is not banned during peacetime, as long as they notify the authorities eight days in advance. Russia earlier announced that it would send seven ships to the Mediterranean to monitor the activities of the NATO ships.Along with the NATO forces, Turkish military aircraft are also participating in the air strikes. The 11 F-16 fighter jets stationed at Italy's Ghedy Air Base have so far flown 336 flight hours since the operation began. A Turkish frigate is also currently in the Adriatic Sea. /All papers/ [03] ANKARA IS COOL ON LAND OPERATIONAnkara is cool regarding a land operation by NATO in Kosovo. Turkish officials noted that currently, the land operation is mere speculation at an international level. Officials said that any land operation would make the situation more difficult and pointed out that it would create a negative reaction from the political standpoint as well. Officials added that any land operation could cause the division of Yugoslavia and this would not be limited to the Balkans alone. /Milliyet/[04] LETTER OF THANKS FROM CLINTONUS President Bill Clinton sent a letter to President Demirel, expressing his thanks for Turkey's sensitivity on the Kosovo issue. It is reported that Clinton also thanked President Demirel for his personal interest in the issue. /Aksam/[05] DEMIREL TALKS WITH MUBARAKPresident Suleyman Demirel talked with Egyptian President Husnu Mubarak on the phone yesterday. It is reported that Demirel and Mubarak discussed the recent developments in the Middle East peace process and the Kosovo issue. A statement made by the Presidential Office said: "During the conversation on the phone, Demirel proposed that steps should be taken by Turkey and Egypt, within the structure of the Organization for Islamic Conference (OIC), to establish emergency humanitarian aid for the Kosovar refugees. Mubarak agreed with this proposal". /Hurriyet/[06] ARAFAT TO VISIT ANKARAPalestinian National Authority (PNA) Chairman Yasser Arafat is coming to Turkey on Monday for a brief visit. Turkey will be the first leg of Arafat's broader tour that will cover Russia and the Asian continent. During his five-hour stopover Arafat will meet President Suleyman Demirel in the morning and will hold brief talks with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit in the afternoon. /All papers/[07] DEMIREL PRAISES NATO ON 50TH ANNIVERSARYOn the 50th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), President Suleyman Demirel praised the Alliance saying that it has served to ensure peace in the Euro-Atlantic region, not to counter any specific bloc or country. "The importance of the vital role undertaken by the Alliance has been proven in the recent past in Bosnia, and is now being proven in Kosovo", Demirel said in a written message marking the occasion of the anniversary of NATO. /All papers/[08] DEMIREL CONVEYS HIS CONDOLENCES TO AKAYEVPresident Suleyman Demirel expressed his condolences to Kyrygzistan President Askar Akayev on the death of Prime Minister Cumabek Ibrahimov. In his message Demirel praised Cumabek Ibrahimov's contributions to improvements in both to the welfare of his nation and in its relations with Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/[09] LI PING IN ANKARAThe Chairman of the National Peoples' Congress of the Republic of China, Li Ping, and a delegation of M.P.s came to Ankara yesterday upon the official invitation of the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA), Hikmet Cetin. Before arriving in Ankara, the Chinese delegation met the representatives of the Foreign Economic Relations Council (DEIK) in Istanbul. /Cumhuriyet/[10] GENERAL ATES IN CHINAThe Commander of the Land Forces, General Atilla Ates, left for China yesterday to begin a series of official meetings today. He will meet the Chinese Chief of General Staff and later visit the 6th Armoured Brigade in Beijing. It is expected that Ates will meet the Deputy Head of the Chinese Central Military Commission and Minister of Defence, Chi Haotian. /Turkiye/[11] MAVI CARSI SUSPECT CONFESSESTerrorist militant Metin Yamalak, who has been under investigation for his involvement in the molotov cocktail attack on Mavi Carsi in Kadikoy which resulted in the death of 13 people, has confessed his guilt, the Anatolia News Agency reported over the weekend. Atilla Cinar, the Deputy Police Chief of Istanbul's Anti-Terrorism Branch, stated that Yamalak, who was arrested in Mersin and brought to Istanbul, has confessed to taking part in the attack. Police officials are continuing their investigation in order to find other suspects who were involved in the bombing.[12] TURKISH NATIONAL INCOME RISES 6.33 % IN 1998Turkey's Gross National Product (GNP) increased by 6.33 % in 1998, rising from $192.4 billion to $204.59 billion. According to data provided by the State Institute of Statistics (DIE), $46.15 billion of the GNP comes from industry, $34.53 billion comes from agriculture, $27.71 billion comes from transport and communication and $18.45 billion comes from government services. Meanwhile, Turkey's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose by 5.55 % in 1998, from $188.75 billion in 1997 to $192.23 billion in 1998. /All papers/[13] TREASURY EXPORTS LONG-TERM BONDSThe Treasury will export 21-month bonds worth 250-400 trillion TL today. The repayment of the bonds will be on January 6, 2001. The NATO intervention in Kosovo has negatively affected markets, officials noted.Meanwhile, Vakifbank will implement its first bond exports today. The General Director of Vakifbank, Altan Kocer, said that they would provide syndication credits worth $400 million. Kocer noted that following the export of the Vakifbank bonds, a total of $200 million in foreign borrowing would be achieved. /Milliyet/ [14] TECHNICAL COMMITTEE FORMED FOR TURKISH-QATAR NATURAL GAS DEALTurkey and Qatar have decided to form a technical committee to discuss the Gulf country's sale of two million tons of liquid natural gas (LNG) to Turkey. An official from Qatar's Energy Ministry said that during the visit by President Suleyman Demirel to Qatar, the formation of a technical committee was decided on by Demirel and Qatar Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani to solve any problems over the natural gas deal.[15] IMKB IS FAVOURED BY FOREIGN INVESTORSForeign investors bought $ 242 million and sold $ 251 million of stocks in January 1999. In February, they made $ 258 million clear profit. Foreign funds look for political and economic stability in a country in order to invest in it. Recent developments in Turkey, such as the capture of Abdullah Ocalan, a clear decrease in inflation and the preparations to achieve reforms in the banking and social security systems and giant steps which have been taken in privatization, have attracted more foreign investors to the Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB). It is also important that foreign investors trust in the Turkish banking system. /Turkiye/[16] TURKISH DELEGATION FLIES TO MOSCOWA delegation headed by Foreign Trade Undersecretary Yavuz Ege went to Russia yesterday to hold official talks on commercial and economic issues. According to information provided by Foreign Trade Undersecretariat (DTM) officials, the talks will be the continuation of preliminary technical talks. The Turkish delegation will come back to Turkey on April 8, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[17] NAVAL MARTYRS DAY CELEBRATED NATIONWIDEOn April 4, 1953, the Dumlupinar submarine was returning from a NATO exercise in international waters when it collided with the Swedish steamer 'Nabolant' in the Bosphorus. The naval accident claimed the lives of 81 sailors. In memory of these 81 naval martyrs, April 4 has been commemorated as Naval Martyrs Day in Turkey. This year, Turkey commemorated the martyrs in many organized events nationwide, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[18] TURKISH AIRLINES THIRD IN EUROPEAccording to a survey by the Association of European Airlines (AEA), Turkish Airlines (THY) ranked third among 22 world-renowned airlines in terms of its punctuality. /Aksam/[19] TURKISH GIANTS INTENSIFY INVESTMENTS ABROADThe two giants in the Turkish private sector, Koc Holdings and the Sabanci Group, aim to become bigger in international markets and utilize export opportunities as much as possible. It is reported that the Koc Group plans to increase its exports to over one billion dollars in 1999. Accordingly, the efforts towards globalization will be the benchmark of its foreign investment policy. Meanwhile, the Sabanci Group continues to invest in areas such as finance, textiles, cement and cord production in 8 countries: the USA, Switzerland, Italy, Egypt, Spain, Germany, Brazil and Argentina. /Aksam/[20] INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL EXPERT IN ISTANBULProf. Dr. Rodney Wilson, one of the leading financial experts in the world on the rational use of capital funds and on determining capital savings strategies, will come to Turkey. Wilson will arrive in Turkey upon the invitation of the International Consultation and Financial Club and deliver a key-note speech on how Turkish businessmen and firms could benefit from the funds saved by Arab and Gulf countries, on 8 April in Istanbul. /Turkiye/[21] SPAIN AIDS TURKEY IN EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENTSpanish high-technology companies will cooperate with Turkey in the cleanup of Salt Lake and Iznik Lake as well as in other water and sewage projects, the Anatolia News Agency reports. Meanwhile, the Spanish Industry and Technology Fair 'Expotecnia 99' will be organized in Istanbul between June 1-6.[22] GERMAN COMPANIES REALIZE 8.1 % OF TRADE VOLUME IN TURKISH FREE ZONESThe German companies realized 8.1 % of the trade volume worth $7.7 million in the free zones in 1998, the Anatolia News Agency reports. German companies standed at the top of the countries which had shares in the trading volume of the Turkish free zones.[23] TURKISH CONFECTIONARY ACHIEVES SWEET SUCCESSThe confectionary sector in Turkey has proved itself to be successful in spite of the global economic crisis last year. Okan Oguz, the Chairman of the Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM), declared that the total amount of products exported by the Turkish confectionary sector increased by 7.6% in 1998 and reached $8 billion. /Aksam/[24] 25 PLANTS IN KARSDue to an incentive package prepared by the Turkish government for the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolian regions, 25 plants will be put into operation by the end of this year in Kars providing new employment opportunities for 3,000 people. It is reported that big firms from Japan, Italy and Taiwan are also preparing to open new plants in Kars. /Milliyet/[25] TOWER OF BABEL IN EASTERN BLACK SEA REGIONIt is claimed that the Tower of Babel, one of the seven scenic wonders of the world, is near Trabzon not in Mesopotamia as previously suggested. According to Michael Sanders, an English archeologist who examines both the satellite photographs taken by the American Space and Aviation Department and the Bible, the Tower of Babel is near Trabzon in the Eastern Black Sea region. /Hurriyet/[26] MAY WILL BE THE `TURKISH MONTH' IN NEW YORKThe United Turco-American Associations (BATD) decided to celebrate May as the `Turkish month' in New York. The traditional Turkish Day Walk organized by the Turco-American Associations' Federation (TADF) will be held in Madison Avenue on May 15th. In addition, according to BATD's celebration schedule, a number of concerts, exhibitions, and a Turkish Films' Week will be on show in New York. /Aksam/[27] BESIKTAS DEFEATS FENERBAHCEDuring the Premier League derby in Istanbul yesterday, Besiktas beat Fenerbahce 2-1, leaving Fenerbahce's praying for a miracle to help them win the Championship. Thanks to this score, Besiktas has maintained its position three points behind the current leader, Galatasaray, while the difference between Fenerbahce and the leader increased to 8 points. which means a serious disadvantage for Fener on the road to the Championship. Meanwhile, Uche, Fenerbahce's world renowned Nigerian player, broke his leg during yesterday's match. It is reported that this injury might well be the end of his football career. /Aksam/[28] TURKISH JUDO NATIONAL TEAM WINS MEDALSThe Turkish Judo National team won yesterday four gold, one silver and three bronze medals in the (A) Category International Tunisia Judo Tournament, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[29] FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS[30] "PRAYING IS NOT ENOUGH" - BY GUNGOR MENGI (SABAH)Gungor Mengi wrote in his column today about the tragedy going on in Kosovo. Mengi claimed that the genocide in Bosnia had been watched while calculating whether "to allow the establishment of an independent Muslim state in the centre of Europe or not?" And, he added, due to this inferiority complex thousands of victims had been buried together with Western civilization under the soil.Mengi continued, "It was noticed all too late that the rationalist butcher would repeat the same tragedy in Kosovo. Finally, the current consciousness was organized under the NATO flag to take action but this is only a deterrent operation not a rescue operation. Serbian cruelty has increased the massacares and 'ethnic cleansing' and forced the Kosovar Albanians to leave their settlements since after the NATO operation started in the region. Today, almost 300,000 Kosovar Albanians, mostly of children, women and elderly people, have piled up at the borders of neighbouring countries. NATO Commander General Clark confessed that "a paramilitarily massacre cannot be prevented by air strikes alone". If the "Belgrade Butcher" is not dismissed within the following few days, there will be no Albanians in Kosovo, and the detreent power of the century will be bankrupt. Turkey is the only Muslim country to contribute and take part in the allied operation because she is a NATO member and these people who are suffering these terrible massacres are our blood brothers, our brothers through religion. Because of this, rationalist savagery wants to destroy them. Within these circumstances, Ecevit ought to demand more for our brothers. Turkey should shout "What are we waiting for?"; there is enough humanitarian consciousness in the world to answer this cry. The Turkish nation has more responsibility than the others. "Humanitarian aid rivers" ought to be established to assit the refugess. We should do more than pray; a pair of socks, even a toy, would be very useful. While doing our duty as a brother, we should give the best example of a lesson in humanitarianism to the world." [31] "THE FACISM OF MILOSEVIC" - BY TAHA AKYOL (MILLIYET)Columnist Taha Akyol analyzes the recent incidents in Kosovo by referring to Noel Malcolm's book, 'Bosnia, A Short History'. A summary of his column is as follows:"Malcolm is an expert academic and journalist on Balkan problems. His book is one of the best references on the Bosnian tragedy and the chapters on Serbian nationalism shed light on the Kosovo tragedy... On the 600th anniversary of the war in Kosovo, in the square where hundreds of thousands of Serbs were gathered, President Milosevic said, "We are entering a new war after 600 hundred years. It is not an armed struggle but if necessary we will use arms." Balkan wars were kindled at that moment...According to Malcolm, Milosevic knows communist methods very well, uniting them with nationalist rhetoric, and had used three techniques in Bosnia. These can be listed as encouraging radicalism in the Serbian people, turning the Serbs into militia, and organizing provocative incidents. To radicalize the Serbs, Milosevic has misinformed them. Implying that the Muslim population and the Croats were planning to kill the Serbs, he said that they had to eliminate them first. Then he armed all the Serb peasants and provoked them to attack the Bosnians and Croats. To top it all, following the incidents created by the Serb militia he asked the Serbian army to go in and thus held the upper hand...In Kosovo, the savage actions are all the work of the 'militia'. The only difference lies in the fact that, when the Serbian army was preparing to go into Kosovo, NATO has interfered... NATO has to eradicate Serbian facism. Only then can peace come to Kosovo, and the Balkans." Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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