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Turkish Press Review, 98-03-03
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
03.03.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] PRESIDENT DEMIREL OFF TO SPAIN
[02] TURKEY DISCUSSES CASPIAN OIL TRANSPORT
[03] TURKEY-SYRIA RELATIONS
[04] DENKTAS: "NO EU WITHOUT TURKEY"
[05] TURKEY-LITHUANIA AGREEMENT
[06] TURKISH BUSINESSMEN TO TRNC
[07] 108 FUGITIVES DETAINED
[08] $234 MILLION FROM PRIVATIZATION
[09] DINI MAKES BRIEF VISIT TO TURKEY
[10] TAX NUMBER FOR EVERYONE
[11] DEMIREL RECEIVES FP DELEGATION
[12] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MEETING
[13] NEW TERM IN NATIONAL SECURITY ACADEMY
[14] SPECIAL STAMPS TO COMMEMORATE 75th ANNIVERSARY OF THE REPUBLIC
[01] PRESIDENT DEMIREL OFF TO SPAIN
President Suleyman Demirel, started today a visit to Madrid as the
guest of Spain's King Juan Carlos which was scheduled a year ago.
Turkey, which is seeking full membership in the European Union (EU)
wants to strengthen ties with some of the EU member countries.
/Cumhuriyet/
[02] TURKEY DISCUSSES CASPIAN OIL TRANSPORT
The Foreign Ministers of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhistan and
Turkmenistan confirmed on Monday the need for the safe transport of
Caspian basin oil and gas resources to international markets at the
end of a two-day Istanbul meeting held at the Ciragan Palace Hotel.
"The ministers confirmed the need for of transporting these resources
to international markets in safety through economically and
commercially feasible multiple oil and natural gas pipelines," a
comminuque issued at the end of the meeting declared. The communique
added: "The ministers jointly expressed their conviction that the
construction of an east-west corridor for the transportation of oil
and natural gas from Central Asia, the Caspian basin and the Caucasus
to the West through multiple pipelines, particularly through
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, shall meet not only the national
expectations of the energy-supplying states, but shall also address
the requirements of the transit and consumer countries," the
communuqie read.
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said that during the multilateral meeting
held with the participation of five countries, support was given to
the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project. He added that an invitation from
the Georgian Foreign Minister to hold the next foreign ministers
meeting in Georgia will be evaluated. /Cumhuriyet/Milliyet_
[03] TURKEY-SYRIA RELATIONS
Turkey said on Monday that it was seeking to launch a fresh dialogue
with Syria in a bid to restore ties battered by a series of disputes.
"We are hoping that we will make a new start in our relations with
Syria," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sermet Atacanli told a news
briefing. Atacanli said that a Syrian delegation might visit Turkey
soon, following last week's visit to Damascus by a Turkish delegation
led by Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Aykut Cetirge. Atacanli
said that while in Damascus Cetirge had discussed Turkey's relations
with Israel.
Atacanli said the Turkey's delegation had once more assured the Syrian
side that the developing ties with Israel did not target any third
country and that Turkey remained committed to the Middle East peace
process. /Cumhuriyet/Hurriyet_
[04] DENKTAS: "NO EU WITHOUT TURKEY"
Rauf Denktas, the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC), asserted once again on Monday that Turkish Cypriots would
never agree to join a European Union (EU) which excludes Turkey.
Denktas further told reporters that the TRNC does not want to be alone
in the political arena.
President Denktas said that the doors for negotiations will be open if
Clerides invites him as the President of the TRNC. /Hurriyet/
[05] TURKEY-LITHUANIA AGREEMENT
A "Free Trade Agreement" between Turkey and Lithuania has been
accepted by the Cabinet. The agreement aims to improve trade
conditions and increase cooperation between the two countries. It
also seeks ways to participate actively in the Europwan economic
integration process. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] TURKISH BUSINESSMEN TO TRNC
Chairman of both the Democrat Industrialists' and Businessmen's
Association (DEMSIAD) and the Turkish Exporters' and Importers'
Association (TIDER), Fermani Altun, and an accompanying delegation
will pay a visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
tomorrow. The delegation will discuss export, import and investment
projects between the two countries. /Cumhuriyet/
[07] 108 FUGITIVES DETAINED
108 fugitives from eight countries, waiting to illegally cross the
Greek border in efforts to reach European countries, have been
detained. It is reported that Albanians, Egyptians and many Asians
were among the fugitives. /Milliyet/
[08] $234 MILLION FROM PRIVATIZATION
It is reported that during the first two months of 1998, privatization
projects worth $234 million were finalized. Meanwhile, 10 more public
institutions are about to be put on the block. /Milliyet/
[09] DINI MAKES BRIEF VISIT TO TURKEY
Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini visited Turkey while journeying
to Iran for an official visit there. Dini met with Turkish Foreign
Ministry Undersecretary Ambassador Korkmaz Haktanir. It is reported
that during the meeting, initiatives taken developed by Turkey for the
solution of the Iraq problem, the new Iranian administration and
European Union (EU) issues were taken up. /Milliyet/
[10] TAX NUMBER FOR EVERYONE
From now on, everyone who wants to purchase and sell vehicles will
have to have a tax number. Those who do not have a tax number must
apply to the tax administration with their birth certificate, when
they will be given a number. Finance Minister Temizel said in a
statement to Milliyet newspaper that after 1 May, tax numbers will
also be required during the buying and selling of property.
/Milliyet/
[11] DEMIREL RECEIVES FP DELEGATION
Representatives of the newly established Virtue Party (FP) were
received yesterday by President Suleyman Demirel. The Virtue Party
was established after the Constitutional Court decision to ban the
Welfare Party (RP) entered into effect. FP has managed to attract
many former RP deputies, and ensured more than 130 seats in
Parliament, in a short time emerging as the biggest opposition party.
During his meeting with FP leader Ismail Alptekin and FP Parliamentary
Group Chairman Recai Kutan, President Demirel said that from the legal
point of view the FP was as a continuation of the outlawed RP.
/Sabah/
[12] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MEETING
Following a meeting of the Turkish government coalition partners and a
subsequent Council of Ministers meeting, Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz
announced yesterday that girls studying at religious schools were free
to wear head coverings. This statement aims to ease a recent
escalation of tensions caused by Education Minister Hikmet Ulugbay's
decision to stick to clothing regulations banning head scarves.
/Sabah/
[13] NEW TERM IN NATIONAL SECURITY ACADEMY
The 1998 term of the National Security Academy (MGA) started yesterday
with an opening ceremony which Deputy Chief of the General Staff,
General Cevik Bir, attended. Describing the purposes of the National
Security Academy, General Kemal Yżlmaz stressed the necessity for the
preventing the growth of Islamic fundementalism by informing
administrators and advancing new ideas on this issue. Yżlmaz also
noted that out of the 1211 individuals given special training in the
academy so far, 750 were civilians. /Hurriyet/
[14] SPECIAL STAMPS TO COMMEMORATE 75th ANNIVERSARY OF THE REPUBLIC
Celebratory stamps will be issued for the upcoming 75th anniversary of
the Turkish Republic. The Directorate General of the Postal Services
has arranged a competition in order to select the stamp designs.
Designs must be related to the principles of Ataturk. /Cumhuriyet/
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