TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (May 1, 1995)

From: hristu@arcadia.harvard.edu (Dimitrios Hristu)

Subject: TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (May 1, 1995)

CONTENTS

  • [01] PKK OPENING OFFICE IN HELSINKI

  • [02] CILLER TO WELCOME RETURNING TROOPS

  • [03] DEMIREL COLD SHOULDERS MOSCOW

  • [04] FOREIGN MINISTER INONU VISITS BAKU

  • [05] CULTURE MINISTRY TO FOCUS ON TURKS IN GERMANY

  • [06] SAHIN TO REPRESENT TURKEY AT MOSCOW COMMEMORATION OF V-E DAY

  • [07] TURKEY, KUWAIT SIGN COOPERATION PROTOCOL

  • [08] AKCALI RETURNS HOME

  • [09] AKTUNA TO VISIT WESTERN THRACE

  • [10] OSCE DELEGATION COMES TO TURKEY

  • [11] RECORD EXPORTS FROM ETIBANK

  • [12] TURKISH RESTAURANT BOMBED IN GERMANY

  • [13] FOREIGN MINISTER INONU RETURNS HOME

  • [14] IRANIAN OIL MINISTER IN TURKEY

  • [15] THY AVIATION SCHOOL CELEBRATES 60TH ANNIVERSARY

  • [16] YEAR 2010 TOURISM TARGETS

    •

    MONDAY MAY 1, 1995

    Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish

    press this morning

    [01] PKK OPENING OFFICE IN HELSINKI

    In moves to create division between Turkey and European countries, the PKK terrorist organization is planning to open yet another representative office in Helsinki. The move is seen as part of the "Kurdish parliament-in-exile" scheme begun in Holland to bring Turkey into disrepute in European countries.

    The PKK is seeking to establish itself in countries with a more tolerant view of fringe or even extremist groups. The PKK will slowly build up credibility at the cost of Turkey. No real reaction to the PKK Helsinki project has been reported. /All papers/

    [02] CILLER TO WELCOME RETURNING TROOPS

    Prime Minister Ciller will go to Silopi today to welcome back the units withdrawing from the military operation in northern Iraq.

    After flying to Silopi, Ciller will welcome the last units of the 20 thousand or so soldiers who have been withdrawn from the northern Iraq region where they have been fighting against PKK terrorists. Turkey is now working establish a long term solution that will stabilize the area.

    At least ten thousand troops will remain in the region holding key points, and officials said over the weekend that they will continue to seek out and destroy PKK strongholds. In the mean- time, talks are going on with regional Kurdish leaders with whom it is hoped that agreement can be reached for united action against the PKK. /All papers/

    [03] DEMIREL COLD SHOULDERS MOSCOW

    President Suleyman Demirel has assumed a cold attitude towards Moscow. Responding cooly to Russian Federation President Boris Yeltsin, who has refused an invitation to visit Turkey, President Demirel has rejected an invitation to participate in "End of the Second World War" ceremony that will be held in Moscow on May 9. Further, the postponement of Russian Federation Deputy Foreign Minister Albert Chernishev's Ankara visit, the Chechenya issue and Russia's military action in Caucasia, has created a tense atmosphere in Turco-Russian relations. It has been noted that Foreign Ministry circles are reacting to Russia's stand against the Conventional Forces in Europe agreement, and this reaction is shared by President Demirel. Foreign Ministry officials said that "There are some things that Turkey cannot accept. President Demirel takes the Foreign Ministry approach in international relations". /Milliyet/

    [04] FOREIGN MINISTER INONU VISITS BAKU

    Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu will visit Azerbaijan as the guest of Azeri Foreign Minister Hasan Hasanov during 3-4 May. This second visit by a top level official to Azerbaijan follows closely on the heels of the one-day visit of Prime Minister Tansu Ciller on 12 April. Stating that the two-day official visit will take place within the framework of the usual consultation period between the two countries, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ferhat Ataman said that the visit would contribute to the comprehensive cooperation which was being developed in every field and add momentum to measures already being taken. According to diplomatic sources, Inonu will meet with his Azeri counterpart Hasanov and Azeri President Haydar Aliyev. By-passing the blockage in the negotiation process of the Minsk peace talks, putting Azerbaijan- Turkey economic relations on a sound footing and democratization in Azerbaijan will be among the issues to be discussed. According to a high-level diplomatic source, the two sides are about to reach agreement regarding the Karabakh problem, but the Lacin corridor remains as an obstacle in this process. The same source also noted that Armenia had alway laid claim to the region and that acted as if they had the right to possession. /Cumhuriyet/

    [05] CULTURE MINISTRY TO FOCUS ON TURKS IN GERMANY

    Culture Minister Ercan Karakas has confirmed that the government will be making serious plans to lighten the problems concerning Turks in Germany, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. Karakas, who spoke to reporters in Gelsenkirchen where a symposium on the "Social, Cultural and Economic Transformation of Turks" was held recently. He said that they were cooperating intensively with the opposition parties to make a constitutional change concerning the rights of Turkish citizens to have their vote in domestic elections from the European countries where they live, and to assume dual citizenship.

    [06] SAHIN TO REPRESENT TURKEY AT MOSCOW COMMEMORATION OF

    V-E DAY

    Minister of Housing and Public Works, Erman Sahin, will represent Turkey at the celebrations to be held in Moscow on the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. After attending the ceremonies scheduled for May 8-9, the minister will hand a message of goodwill from President Demirel to Russian leader Yeltsin. Sahin will also meet with Turkish contractors working in Russia and the republics of Central Asia before returning home. /All papers/

    [07] TURKEY, KUWAIT SIGN COOPERATION PROTOCOL

    A delegation from the Turkish Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchange (TOBB) has signed a cooperation protocol with its Kuwaiti counterpart, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. The TOBB delegation, headed by chairman Yalim Erez, is in Kuwait on an official visit. The chambers of both countries will organize fairs, symposiums, conferences and issue publications and catalogues to promote cooperation between the two countries.

    [08] AKCALI RETURNS HOME

    Environment Minister Riza Akcali returned to Turkey on Sunday after attending the "Third Conference of the Commission on Sustainable Development" organized by the UN in New York. At a press conference at Istanbul Ataturk Airport, Akcali stated that an agreement had been reached with the US concerning the establishment of a centre in Turkey to gather information on the environment and to aid the Balkan and Central Asian countries. He also said that the UN Environment Director had agreed that Environment Day in 1996 should take place in Turkey.

    [09] AKTUNA TO VISIT WESTERN THRACE

    State Minister and Government Spokesman Yildirim Aktuna will be in Western Thrace on May 2-4 as a guest of the Solidarity Council for Turks in Western Thrace to "give regards from Turkey" to ethnic Turks before the religious Bayram celebrations. Aktuna announced that he will be joined by a Turkish parliamentary committee, members of the press as well as musicians from the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT). /All papers/

    [10] OSCE DELEGATION COMES TO TURKEY

    Upon the invitation of Parliament Speaker Husamettin Cindoruk, a 14-person delegation from the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will come to Turkey today. The members of the OSCE delegation, who will meet with top level officials, will go to the Southeast Anatolia region and make on-the-spot inspections there. They will go to Diyarbakir and visit the Governorship of State of Emergency. In Silopi, they will be given a briefing about the northern Iraq military operation. A report to be prepared by the OSCE delegation is expected to be discussed at the meeting of the Parliamentarians Assembly which is expected to meet in Ottowa in July. /Milliyet/

    [11] RECORD EXPORTS FROM ETIBANK

    Etibank realized the highest exports ever in the first four months this year when compared with the same period for the last five years. Etibank Chairman Ismail Hakki Arslan said: "In the first four months, Etibank reached a record with 381,823 tons of exports worth $102 million". Although, $79.2 million in exports was targeted for the end of April 1995, Arslan stated that $102.9 million in exports had been achieved by Etibank. /Cumhuriyet/

    [12] TURKISH RESTAURANT BOMBED IN GERMANY

    A restaurant managed by Turks in Babenhausen, Germany was fire-bombed early yesterday morning. Police said unidentified men smashed the restaurant windows and threw firebombs in. There were no casualties but substantial property damage was reported. /Sabah/

    [13] FOREIGN MINISTER INONU RETURNS HOME

    Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu arrived home on Friday following his one-day official visit to Slovakia. Inonu, in the press conference he held at Ankara Esenboga Airport, said he had signed a cultural cooperation development agreement with Slovakia, and that three agreements regulating economic cooperation between the two countries were expected to be signed in the very near future. /All papers/

    [14] IRANIAN OIL MINISTER IN TURKEY

    Iranian Oil Minister Gulamriza Agazade is expected to arrive in Turkey on May 2. Ahmet Gokcen, the Energy and Natural Resources Undersecretary, said the issue of 2 million cubic metres of excess Iranian gas, which was discussed at previous meetings, will be brought up again to see whether it could be made available to Turkey. The Iranian minister is expected to depart from Turkey on May 4. /All papers/

    [15] THY AVIATION SCHOOL CELEBRATES 60TH ANNIVERSARY

    The "Turkkusu" Turkish Airlines (THY) aviation school celebrated its 60th anniversary yesterday. Pilots flew various types of planes during the celebrations where there were also "parachute shows". /All papers/

    [16] YEAR 2010 TOURISM TARGETS

    It is reported that the target for the year 2010 in tourism in Turkey is 15 million tourists and $10 billion. Tourism Ministry Promotion General Director Fermani Uygun said that Turkey was leading many countries in promotion abroad. Pointing out that Turkey had a very positive image abroad from the standpoint of tourism, Uygun added: "In the last two years, we have opened up to Asian and Pacificrim countries. Israel and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) are our new markets". /Sabah/

    END

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