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Anadolu Agency: News in English, 98-01-23Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.gov.tr/>23 JAN 1998CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCANThese are some of the leading stories in Turkey's press on Jan 23, 1998. Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. You will find better detailed summaries of major news reports in a few hours.HÜRRİYET (LIBERAL)TERRIFIC!Ugur Dundar, in Arena program last night, revealed interesting parts from Susurluk report which Turkey waited for days. Terrible facts revealed in the report. MİLLİYET (LIBERAL)SHAMEFUL!Susurluk report revealed the facts about state-mafia-gang triangle. Yilmaz starts an Italian style probe. SABAH (LIBERAL)MILLIONS OF PEOPLE SHOCKED INFRONT OF TV LAST NIGHTWe have learned a lot from Susurluk report. An execution group set up within state. Killing machine of National Intelligence Organization used Yesil (Green) and protected him. CUMHURİYET (LEFT)PEOPLE WAIT FOR SOLUTION FROM YILMAZPrime Minister Mesut Yilmaz's statements about Susurluk report was found as inefficient. TÜRKİYE (RIGHT)YILMAZ: ''I WILL NOT LET DETORIATION OF STATE''Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz who disclosed Susurluk report to public for the first time reiterated that he would focus on the incidents adding that ''yet, state should not be detoriated.'' RADİKAL (LEFT) HERE IS GANG REPORT ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE) WARNING FROM TUSIAD YENİ YÜZYIL (LIBERAL)GREAT INVESTIGATIONPrime Minister Mesut Yilmaz disclosed a ''horrible tabloid.'' Gangs infiltrated to every part of the state. A special committee to be established to determine who was responsible. FİNANSAL FORUM (ECONOMY)SUPPORT FROM US TO ''CASPIAN PASSAGE'' IN TURKMEN GASClinton Administration who did not favor transportation of Turkmen natural gas to Turkey and Europe via Iran, calls for realization of Caspian line with the support of Russia. [02] TURKEY-BRITAIN - BRITISH SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE HANNAY'S CONTACTS - TURKISH-EU TRADE RELATIONS TO FORM AGENDA OF YILMAZ-HANNAY MEETINGANKARA, Jan 23 (A.A) - Sir David Hannay who came to Turkey as the ''special representative'' of British Prime Minister Tony Blair will meet Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz. Turkish-European Union (EU) political relations and Cyprus issue will not be taken up during the meeting.Sources close to the government said Hannay was appointed as ''special representative'' by British Prime Minister Blair as he was not found appropriate to come to Turkey as Cyprus Special Representative. Hannay's requests to meet Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and State Minister Sukru Gurel was rejected. Hannay will only meet Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz within this framework. A high ranking official said Hannay's visit aimed at testing Turkey's determination after its decision to frozen political relations with the EU after Luxembourg Summit. Turkey decided not to talk on several issues. He said Turkey's determination will continue during his meeting with Yilmaz. The same official said EU-Turkish political relations and Cyprus issues would not be taken up during Yilmaz-Hannay meeting, adding that ''trade relations between Turkey and the EU will mainly be discussed.'' [03] CYPRUS - INFORMATIONS ABOUT MISSINGS TO BE EXCHANGEDLEFKOSA, Jan 23 (A.A) - The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Greek-Cypriot side will start to exchange information about the missings on Friday, it was reported on Thursday.Turkish Representative Rustem Tatar and Greek Representative Takis Hristopulos will hold a meeting in Ledra Palace through the supervision of the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's Deputy Special Representative Gustave Feissel to this end. Rustem Tatar said that the reports including the information about the burial grounds of the missings would be exchanged. The UN Peace Force Spokesman Waldemar Rokozewski stated that the UN Peace Force Political Adviser Peter Schmit would also participate in the meeting. Pointing out that the information exchange about the missings was a ''positive step'', Rokozewski said that the TRNC gave information about 400 missings and Greek-Cypriot side gave information about 200 missings to the UN. [04] TURKEY-BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA - PARLIAMENT SPEAKER CETIN IN BOSNIA- HERZEGOVINASARAJEVO, Jan 23 (A.A) - Parliament Speaker Hikmet Cetin arrived in Bosnia- Herzegovina on late Thursday after wrapping up his contacts in Crotia.Cetin and the accompanying parliamentarian delegation were welcomed by Bosnia-Herzegovina's People's Assembly Speaker Avdo Campara, People's Assembly Deputy Speaker Mirsad Ceman and Representative Assembly Deputy Speakers Halid Genjac and Ivo Lozncic. Cetin and the accompanying delegation will be received by Bosnia- Herzegovina's Presidential Council Chairman Alia Izzetbegovic on Friday. Hikmet Cetin will then meet with Bosnia-Herzegovina's Head of Government and Serajevo Mayor. Parliament Speaker Hikmet Cetin and the parliamentarian delegation will then proceed to Zenica on January 24 to visit the Turkish Unit Headquarter in Bosnia-Herzegovina. [05] TURKEY-TRNC - TURKEY AND TRNC SIGN 60 MILLION DOLLARS OF LOAN AGREEMENTLEFKOSA, Jan 23 (A.A) - Turkey and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) signed 60 million dollars of loan agreement, the second part of a 250 million dollars deal, on Thursday in Lefkosa in accordance with the Cooperation Protocol signed between two countries.The agreement signed by Turkish Treasury Undersecretariat's Representative Salih Yilmaz, TRNC Finance Ministry Undersecretary Mehmet Burhan and TRNC Economy Ministry Undersecretary Mehmet Turgud. Salih Yilmaz said in the signing ceremony that the remaining part of the loan will be transferred to TRNC in near future. The Economic Cooperation Protocol was signed on January 3, 1997 between two
countries. The Protocol foresaw the transfer of 250 million dollars of loan
to TRNC and the first part, 50 million dollars, was given to TRNC on June
10, 1997. [06] TURKEY-SUSURLUK SCANDAL (1) - PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ: ''EVERY STATE HAS SEVERAL SECRET OPERATIONS''ANKARA, Jan 23 (A.A) - Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz on Thursday said that the facts revealed with the Susurluk report were ''scandal'', adding that ''personally, I do not have reservations to probe the incidents. Yet, I have only one reservation that is I do not want to detoriate the state.''Yilmaz participated in a TV program broadcasted in private tv channel D and responded to questions about Susurluk report. Yilmaz recalled that when he came to force, he appointed Kutlu Savas as Premiership Inspection Committee Chairman and assigned him to investigate Susurluk case. ''I told him to probe the correctness of the information acknowledged last year. The report was given to me last week but I did not disclose the report to public so far because the duty of the government is to reveal illegal incidents and to hand over the accused to the justice,'' Yilmaz added. ''What I attribute importance is that I do not want such a scandal anymore in Turkey. People who work for the state should not get involved with such scandals,'' Prime Minister said. Yilmaz said he has to determine who got involved in the unlawful acts but at the same time protect the state, adding that ''Can state secret concept be accepted or not? People who are against state due to their ideologies say that there could not be a concept as state secret and they want met to disclose the report as a whole. Every state has several secret operations.'' ''Now, think that there is a foreign state which kill your citizens and shelter a terrorist organization and its chief. It opens training camps and extends financial support. It undermines the sectors which are vital for your economy with the help of this separatist organization. As a state of law, first you launch diplomatic initiatives. You will retaliate to this if you can not reach an outcome through diplomatic ways. State has secret services in this repect. Secret operations inevitably bring state secret into agenda,'' Prime Minister said. He said, ''Yet, we can not accept one thing. That is state can not use wanted people for such secret activities.'' Responding to Ugur Dundar's question ''can excluding of National Intelligence Organization and cooperation with the gangs remain as a secret of state,'' Yilmaz said, ''we should be careful in protecting the state in every step. There are more than two million people working for the state. The number of people who got involved in this scandal is not more than one percent.'' When asked ''if they would ask for the 12 million dollar spent in Beirut and 40-50 million dollar conveyed to weapon smuggler Ertac Tinar and if he could say he would take every radical measures to prevent the repetition of these incidents'' Yilmaz said he personally did not have any reservations to probe the incidents but that his only reservation was that he did not want to detoriate the state. ''On the contrary I want to clean the state. State would not do wrong. People do wrong.'' Yilmaz called on all state officials to want written order even if he was the one who gave the illegal order. The one who fulfilled the illegal order will be kept responsible. This is valid for everybody. Journalist Haluk Sahin who particapated in the program said an appropriate atmosphere was created for gangs and it became harder to struggle against it. ''What kind of measures will you take to this end?'' He asked. Yilmaz said there are lots of things to do from now on. Premiership Inspection Committee Chairman prepared 27 proposals in this respect. There are ones which I agree and disagree among these. ''I did not disclose the report to public for one week and I evalutated it with my partners. You will not wait for a solution only from me. Institutions, media and all other responsible ones should help me in solution.'' Yilmaz said he would set up an inspection committee and lauch a large-scale investigation to illuminate the incidents and relations mentioned in the report and to send them to court. (continues) [07] TURKEY-SUSURLUK SCANDAL (2) - PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ: ''WE WILL TAKE EVERY NECESSARY MEASURE TO PREVENT THE REPETITION OF THESE INCIDENTS''ANKARA, Jan 23 (A.A) - Yilmaz said Susurluk incident was a regrettable incident as three people died but at the same time a chance for Turkey. ''Turkey turned from a corner point. First of all we will take every necessary measures to prevent the repetition of these incidents,'' he said.Yilmaz said in a private tv channel that intelligence has a vital importance in a country like Turkey who struggles against terrorism. Unfortunately Turkey continuously lost power on this issue due to debates between the institutions. What I first want to do was to create a coordination between the Security Department and National Intelligence Organization, yet I could not achieve this so far. Yet, I will do it soon.'' Dundar asked why police organization did not clean the illegal elements within itself. Responding to this question, Yilmaz said ''there is an understanding in Turkey that the insitutions would receive damage if the ones who are involved in the incidents are punished. '' Yilmaz said only the Courts may give punishment. Organs of the state like MIT, Security Department and Gendarme could only capture the accused ones and hand them over the courts. Yilmaz said there was no extrajudical killings since they came to power. ''Only six people were killed on TEM highway in a bus, yet it was solved.'' Yilmaz also called on people to cover the incidents from the media and help the government with offering proposals. ''The duty of the investigation will be to reveal the relations of state officials with drug smugglers, casino owners and wanted men and to expose those responsible,'' he said. Prime Minister said he would pick the necessary documents from Susurluk Report and gave them to related courts where these cases are hold. Yilmaz said there was a need for a ''repentance law'' and that it would be taken up in the Parliament next week. He said nobody should have any suspicion over our determination to struggle against the gangs. Responding to another question, Yilmaz said an ''inspection committee'' will investigate the coup initiative in Azerbaijan. Responding to a question how Omer Lutfu Topal, who was killed earlier, could get necessary permission from Tourism Ministry, Yilmaz said ''there are more than that. He got a document from the Prosecutorship that he has a clean past. There is a great black picture.'' (continues) [08] TURKEY-NORTHERN IRAQ-ANKARA PROCESS - US: ''THERE HAVE BEEN POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTHERN IRAQ ISSUE''WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (A.A) - The United States (US) on Thursday said that recently there had been ''positive'' developments in the Northern Iraq issue.The US State Department Spokesman James Rubin said in a press briefing that the call for peace, which was voiced out by Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) led by Mesut Barzani and its rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) led by Celal Talabani, constituted the first step for those positive developments. Spokesman Rubin said that the second positive development was the contacts between the officials from the Turkish government and PUK delegation in Ankara. Rubin said that they were in close relation with the leaders of both groups. Further steps could not be taken in Ankara process due to clashes between KDP and PUK. The Ankara process in which Turkey, US, Britain and the delegations from PUK and KDP participate, targets to provide a mutual understanding and peace between PUK and KDP. [09] TURKEY-ECONOMY - CENTRAL BANK'S FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES INCREASE BY 45 MILLION DOLLARS IN SECOND WEEK OF JANUARYANKARA, Jan 23 (A.A) - The Central Bank's foreign exchange reserves increased by 45 million US dollars in the second week of January, it was reported on Friday.Central Bank's data showed that the foreign exchange reserves increased 45 million US dollars to 19.3 billion US dollars on January 16 from 19.2 billion US dollars on January 9. Meanwhile, Turkey's total gold and foreign exchange reserves decreased 252 million US dollars to 29.6 billion US dollars according to January 2, 1998- based statistics. Turkey's total reserves were constituted of 1.4 billion US dollars of gold, 18.6 billion US dollars of Cetral Bank's foreign exchange reserves and 9.6 billion dollars of commercial banks' foreign exchange reserves as of January 2. [10] TURKEY-ECONOMY - FOREIGN DEBT PAYMENTS - TURKEY PAYS 1.08 BILLION US DOLLARS OF FOREIGN DEBT IN FIRST THREE WEEKS OF JANUARYANKARA, Jan 23 (A.A) - Turkey paid 1.08 billion US dollars of foreign debt in first three weeks of January, 1998, it was reported on Friday.The Cenral Bank data showed that the Treasury paid 900 million US dollars, the Central Bank paid 18 million US dollars and other public institutions and organizations paid 162 million US dollars of foreign debt between January 2 and 21. Turkey had paid 10.3 billion US dollars of foreign debt in 1997. [11] TURKEY-SUSURLUK SCANDAL (3) - SUSURLUK REPORT: ''ALL INSTITUTIONS OF THE STATE KNEW WHAT WAS DONE''ANKARA, Jan 23 (A.A) - Susurluk Report, prepared by Premiershıp Inspection Committee Chairman Kutlu Savas about the relations network revealed after an accident that happened on Nov 3, 1996, said on Thursday that all institutions of the state knew what was going on.The report pointed out that there was an arguement between National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and Security Department stressing that division of influence facilities due to this debate led to failure. Several parts of the report was disclosed on a panel debate broadcasted live on a private tv channel. The report was presented under main topics and included formations in various levels of the state. -BUREUCRACY RESISTS...- -DEATH TRIANGLE...- -WAYS OPENED TO GANG- -MIT-SECURITY DEPARTMENT ARGUEMENT...- -JITEM...- ...Two people from this group were wonderful. One of them was major Cem Ersever and the other one was Mahmut Yildirim having a code name ''Yesil'' (Green). ...An execution group has been established within the state. Yet, who was to use such an authority in the state? Decision for the killings in Emergency Rule Region were even left to master-sergeants and to potential criminals, that is confessors. -IS THERE GENERAL STAFF?...- -UNSERIOUS GOVERNMENT...- It will not be a prediction to identify all the gang activities with Susurluk incident and to say local camps and bullies would take over the state soon if great remedy projects are not taken. (continues) [12] TURKEY-SUSURLUK SCANDAL (4) - SUSURLUK REPORT : '' THE COMPLEX STRUCTURE OF EVENTS STEMMED FROM THE UNSERIOUSNESS OF THE STATE INSTITUTION''ANKARA, Dec 23 (A.A) - The Susurluk report of which a part has been disclosed in a private tv channel said ''... the complex structure of events stemmed from the unseriousness of the state institutions. This negative atmosphere is the cause of what has happened, the report added.The report said that it will not be a prediction to identify all the gang activities with the Susurluk incident and to say that local camps and bullies would take over the state soon if great remedy projects are not adopted. Briefing about Mahmut Yildirim who is known by the public with the code name of ''Yesil'', the Susurluk report said, ''his name is Mahmut Yildirim. His code names are Ahmet Bilgin, Ahmet Demir, Mehmet Komurcu, Sakalli, Terminator... born in Bingol in 1953. He works several times for MIT, JITEM, and the Security department. In the identity cards he is called a psychological war expert. Yet, his real duty is to commit crimes. His assignment places are Bingol, Genc, Tatvan, Tunceli, Nazimiye, Ovacik, Mut, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Antalya, Ankara and Istanbul. The Intelligence units of the state know about his activities, from whom he collects illegal money and who he has killed. In fact, he is a state official. He appears to be a worker at the Elazig Ferro Krom Installations. Yesil argues with the police while entering a night club and he is brought to the security department. He undergoes a thorough investigation here. His code name was Hasan Tarlaci when he was captured. The Police break his ribs and MIT helps him to receive medical treatment. The report says that Orhan Tasanlar, the Ankara Security Chief investigates him and searches for his links with MIT. As an outcome, the MIT officials including the MIT Counter- Terror Department Chief Mehmet Eymur come and take Yesil and bring him to MIT. Meanwhile, it was also revealed from Yesil's telephone notebook that he had links with Ibrahim Sahin, Mehmet Eymur, Abdullah Catli, Sirri Sakik and Sami Hostan. Yesil collects illegal money from drug smugglers such as Hursit Han. Yesil addresses Eymur as ''father'' which is an indication of the existence of the problem. That is what we call a Susurluk incident. The report also widely included Omer Lutfu Topal who is known as the ''king of casinos.'' Quotations from the report said: ''...the money activities of Topal is a great incident in itself. It has been reported that the Azeri Prime Minister Haydar Aliyev's son has a 500, 000 US dollar debt to Topal. It is as though the Imperial Company invaded Turkmenistan. The Turkish Eximbank credits opened to Turkmenistan went to the Imperial Company. The State financed Topal here. It came to a point where the Imperial Company and Topal began to intervene with Turkmenistan's natural gas and oil reserves.'' -DECISION FOR THE TOPAL MURDER- (Continues) [13] TURKEY-SUSURLUK SCANDAL (5) - SUSURLUK REPORT : '' AFTER THE CHANGE OF PRIME MINISTER, THERE WERE RADICAL CHANGES IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1993 IN THE POLICE AND INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM''ANKARA, Jan 23 (A.A) - The Susurluk report a part of which was disclosed to the public in a private tv channel said, ''...After the change of Prime Minister, there were radical changes in the second half of 1993 in the police and intelligence system which attracted the attention of the public. Mehmet Agar was appointed as Chief of the Security Department. Mehmet Eymur again became the Undersecretary of MIT. Yet, there was a gap between these two organizations..''...the police organization, within this atmosphere, took up an important project: the capturing and killing of Abdullah Ocalan the chief of the separatist terrorist PKK organization. Meanwhile, Tarik Umit began to search for Dursun Karatas in Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands. The drug smuggler Nurettin Guven was included in this team. A fund was allocated from the secret fund for this purpose. MIT gave 12.5 million US dollars from its own sources to the Security Department. As this could only be done with the order of the Prime Minister, details have not been searched on the issue. This quantity increased to 40-50 million US dollars with the resources of the secret fund. The main issue in this respect was the MOSSAD relation. The aim of the visits to Israel was the operation that would be launched against the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. The payments were made to Ertac Tinar and service was expected from Israel. Yet, Ocalan was saved from the operation. The Syrian military troops surrounded the operation region and attributed the operation to the CIA and MOSSAD,'' the report said. The Susurluk report also pointed out the arguments between the MIT-Security Department and Military Intelligence and the developments in public banks especially between 1992 to 1996. The report said: ''...the failure of coordination between intelligence organizations and intervention with each others' authority and responsibility reached grave dimensions. There was an atmosphere of chaos. The institutions accused each other of a lack of information and unnecessary source expenses and prevented each others efforts. The report said that a comprehensive investigation should be launched against the Banks issue and should be transferred to the State Security Court. The Susurluk report also mentioned a lot of incidents extending from the Abdullah Catli-Ankara relations to the killing of Major Cem Ersever and to the operations of the Special Operation Teams. The report said that Abdullah Catli went to the farm of the famous businessman Guven Sazak and met with former Treasury Undersecretary Osman Unsal. This part of the report said that Catli has links with ''the Kocaeli Gang and that when he died he left two million marks to his family.'' ''There are the fingerprints of Catli in the Topal murder. Abdullah Catli was seen in many parts of the Susurluk incident. The Catli file should be opened again and it should be asked where MIT got the information that Catli and the police killed Topal.'' GENDARME-MIT-SUSURLUK RELATION ''1- Cooperation with Yesil although all his inhumane acts were known and a protection of him. 2- Cooperation with people who are not respectable and turning this cooperation to sincerity. 3- Doing nothing although the gang links were known. -GENDARME- -SPECIAL OPERATION- ''It should be openly said that no money or foreign currency was seized from the separatist PKK terrorists who were killed or captured. There had to be money in the region and team heads for emergency needs. Officials working in the region thought that both the lives and the assets of the PKK terrorists belonged to the state. Thus, the process of gang formation became more extensive. Speaking about the killing of Major Cem Ersever the report said, ''Ersever wrote a book after he retired and talked about the operations launched in the region. Yet, he could not get the necessary support from the Turkish Armed Forces. Ersever had financial and security problems. According to MIT, Ersever's killing was described as follows: The Security Intelligence Deputy Director Hanefi Avci called Mahmut Yildirim (Yesil) and told him that Ersever should be killed due to his activities in the recent period. He later provided the support of Mustafa Deniz and Nevval Boz and handed Ersever to the execution group with the order of Avci. The report said that the statements of the MIT are distant from the facts. Yet, a logical statement came from Avci. He said that Cem Ersever's archive was kept at the house of Kemal Uzuner, the Gendarme member. Later, the Gendarme came to Ersever who came to the house to take the equipment and the archives and later captured Mustafa Deniz and Neval Boz. When it is taken into consideration that Ersever was an expert on security issues, it has been revealed that those three people were captured by people whom they thought were reliable. There was no force in the incidents and this weakens the possibility that the PKK killed those people. There are 27 proposals in the report prepared by the Prime Ministry Inspection Committee Chairman Kutlu Savas. The ones disclosed are as follows: ''1- The Security Department should declare war against the gangs. The requirements for this should be met immediately. The Police organization should launch the necessary technical study on the Imperial Company. 2- Measures should be taken urgently which will provide for coordination between the Security Department and MIT. 3- Research about the police should be concluded with financial follow ups. Gangs including Omer Lutfu Topal and the mafia should be investigated. 4- A Susurluk centered confession list should be issued about the gangs. 5- Members of the Special Operations Department should not have this name apart from in the Emergency Rule Region. 6- All operations and relations should be transferred to the Foreign Ministry and MIT apart from Interpol. 7- Effective measures should be implemented in the struggle against drug smuggling. 8- Casinos should be investigated from the very beginning. The report also called for a new evaluation about the Nesim Malki and Yener Kaya murders and to adopt legal arrangements as a result of the investigations related to the Banks. [14] TURKEY-TENDER - SPANISH EA COMPANY WINS NUCLEAR POWER PLANT TENDER - AN INVESTMENT OF 280 BILLION LIRAS TO BE REALIZED THIS YEAR FOR THE 663.8 TRILLION LIRAS PROJECTANKARA, Jan 23 (A.A) - The consulting company, which will assist in the evaluation of the construction bids for the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Project, was determined on Friday.The Spanish EA company won the tender for which nine companies submitted tenders. The EA company had submitted a bid of 550 thousand US dollars. The Turkish Electricity Inc. (TEAS) General Director Zeki Koseoglu told the A.A correspondent that the evaluation of the three construction bids for the nuclear power plant would be concluded within six months with the assistance of the consulting company. The term of adjudication for submitting tenders began in October 1997. Those bids were earlier planned to be evaluated in April 1998 and the contract negotiations were planned to be held in July 1998 and the construction process was planned to start in January 1999. Meanwhile, the study-project and installation cost price of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant was determined in the investment program to be 663.8 trillion liras. This year the program foresaw an investment of 280 million liras in the power plant project and a total of 646.7 trillion liras which will be met by foreign sources. [15] TURKEY-WORLD BANK - FINANCE MINISTER TEMIZEL RECEIVES WORLD BANK DELEGATION - WORLD BANK'S DIRECTOR TO TURKEY CHIBBER: ''WE ARE REALIZING POSITIVE NEGOTIATIONS ON SPECIFIC ISSUES'' - TREASURY DEPUTY UNDERSECRETARY SEL: ''GENERALLY, THEY FOUND THE TAX REFORM VERY POSITIVE. THEY ARE SUPPORTING THIS REFORM''ANKARA, Jan 23 (A.A) - Zekeriya Temizel, the Minister of Finance received on Friday Ajax Chibber, the World Bank's Director to Turkey and the accompaying delegation. Cuneyt Sel, the Treasury Deputy Undersecretary and Fikret Sevinc, the Deputy General Director of the Directorate General of Incomes also participated in the meeting.Chibber said after the meeting that they held a very positive technical- level negotiation, adding that they had also held very positive meetings covering specific issues with economy authorities. Chibber said that the contacts regarding the tax reform would continue for a few days. Responding to a question, Chibber said, ''we took up the issue of 'retirement-age' on a large-scale. We conveyed our views concerning the issue. The negotiations have not been concluded yet.'' Chibber stated that he would give a press briefing covering his contacts in Turkey. Cuneyt Sel said after the meeting that they took up the issues of the ''budget'', ''tax reform'' and ''Public Finance Administration Project'' implemented by the Ministry of Finance and the World Bank. ''Generally, they found the tax reform to be very positive. They are supporting this reform,'' said Sel. [16] TURKEY-BRITAIN - PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ RECEIVES HANNAYANKARA, Jan 23 (A.A) - Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz on Friday received Sir David Hannay who came to Turkey as the ''special represenative'' of British Prime Minister Tony Blair.The meeting was closed to the press and no statement was issued. David Logan, the British Ambassador to Ankara and Jon Benjamin, the Chairman of the British Embassy Political Department joined the e meeting later. Meanwhile, it was also reported that Hannay met with the Foreign Ministry European Union (EU) Department General Director and his Assistant in the morning. A high ranking Foreign Ministry official said that political relations and the Cyprus question were not on the agenda during the meetings, adding that they had conveyed to Hannay the uneasiness Turkey felt over the functioning of Customs Union. Hannay left Turkey this evening. [17] TURKEY-GERMANY - CULTURE MINISTER TALAY CANCELS HIS VISIT TO GERMANY DUE TO HIS DAUGHTER'S ILLNESSANKARA, Jan 23 (A.A) - Istemihan Talay, the Minister of Culture cancelled his visit to Germany due to his daughter's illness, it was reported on Friday.The Ministry of Culture said in a written statement that Talay would not participate in the official delegation's visit to Stuttgart. Klaus Von Trotha, Minister of Science, Research and Art for the city of Baden Würtemberg in Germany had invited Talay to Germany. Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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