TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (July 13, 1995)

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

CONTENTS

  • [01] PRESIDENT DEMIREL ON BALKAN TOUR

  • [02] CILLER USES ARMENIAN ROUTE

  • [03] MAIN TARGET IS STABILITY

  • [04] FOREIGN CAPITAL FLOWING IN

  • [05] PARLIAMENTARIANS DROP BOYCOTT

  • [06] MORE COOPERATION WITH SPAIN

  • [07] ANKARA HAPPY WITH CHIRAC

  • [08] 2,472 PKK MILITANTS "RENDERED INEFFECTIVE" IN 1995

  • [09] ROMANIAN PRESIDENT ION ILIESCU RECEIVES EREK

  • [10] THE NETHERLANDS: BILATERAL COOPERATION CONTINUES

  • [11] NINE PKK MILITANTS AND TWO SOLDIERS KILLED

  • [12] SINGAPOREANS PREFER TURKEY FOR HOLIDAYS

  • [13] US SUPPORTS HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS IN TURKEY

  • [14] DRUG BUST AT KAPIKULE BORDER GATE

  • [15] YILMAZ TO VISIT MOSCOW

  • [16] USE OF INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY RISES BY 81.5 % IN JUNE

  • [17] PKK CRUSHED IN ITS LAIR

  • [18] POSITIVE MESSAGE FOR THE EU

  • [19] GREECE SUPPORTING PKK

  • [20] GHALI BRIEFED ABOUT PKK

    •

    WITH THE COMPLIMENT OF

    DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION

    TURKISH PRESS REVIEW

    JULY 13, 1995

    Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish

    press this morning.

    [01] PRESIDENT DEMIREL ON BALKAN TOUR

    President Suleyman Demirel has arrived in Tirana on the first leg of his visit designed to boost Turkey's relations with two key Balkan countries, Albania and Macedonia. "Turkey has historical and sociological relations with the Balkan region, so it is only natural that we take a close interest in the region. Turkey, as a responsible state of the region, is doing all it can for the establishment of stability in the region" Demirel said before his departure. Noting that Turkey was the first country to recognize Macedonia and open an embassy, Demirel said: "Turkey supports Macedonia". Demirel pointed out that Turkey's trade with Western Europe was made via the Balkans. Stressing that Turkey's friendly and constructive relations with Albania and Macedonia were advancing, Demirel said that top-level and frequent visits with Albania had contributed to the development of cooperation between the two countries. Demirel was accompanied by Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu, some deputies and businessmen. Demirel met with President Sali Berisha and addressed the Albanian People's Assembly. Completing his contacts in Albania yesterday, Demirel will go to Ohri, Macedonia today and Skobje tomorrow. He will sign a Friendship, Cooperation and Good Neighbour Accord and agreements for the protection and encouragement of investments. /Hurriyet-Sabah/

    [02] CILLER USES ARMENIAN ROUTE

    For part of her tour of some of the Central Asian countries, Prime Minister Ciller flew along the so-called "Armenian air corridor" -unused since Armenian military units began to invade and occupy Azeri territories.

    The Turkey-Armenia air corridor has been a sensitive issue for some time, but during her last visit to the US, Ciller said that as a gesture towards the Armenians, Turkey would have the corridor re-opened. Last month Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu used the route on the way to Baku, and the air corridor was declared officially re-opened. /Hurriyet/

    [03] MAIN TARGET IS STABILITY

    Speaking at Ankara Esenboga airport yesterday following her visit to Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, Prime Minister Ciller said that one of Turkey's basic targets was "full cooperation with Russia to create stability in the region."

    Ciller noted that more than just cultural ties were needed with some of the Central Asian. "On my tour, I saw that difficult days were ahead. Economic ties also need to be developed. Ties with our neighbour Russia also need to be strengthened" noted Ciller. /Cumhuriyet/

    [04] FOREIGN CAPITAL FLOWING IN

    In comparison with June of last year, foreign capital investment in Turkey has shown an increase of 188 percent, peaking out last month at almost 451 million dollars.

    The latest figures show that last year's total capital investment was surpassed during the first six months of this year. /Milliyet/

    [05] PARLIAMENTARIANS DROP BOYCOTT

    The group of twelve Turkish parliamentarians representing Turkey in the European Parliamentary Council, have decided to end their boycott of parliament sessions.

    The group began their boycott protest action last April when the EU was debating whether or not to suspend further talks on Turkey's membership in the EU. Connecting the issue with human rights and the PKK terrorist question, the twelve claimed that Turkey's national integrity was under fire and withdrew from further debate. According to head of the group, DYP representative Sait Kemal Mimaroglu, the twelve parliamentarians will attend upcoming sessions in Strasbourg. /All papers/

    [06] MORE COOPERATION WITH SPAIN

    Spain has informed Turkey that it is ready to cooperate more in the areas of security and anti-terrorist control. According to a statement by Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Nurettin Nurkan, Foreign Ministry adviser Onur Oymen during recent contacts in Madrid secured new agreements in these areas.

    Spain has also confirmed that it supports EU customs union with Turkey, and will exert pressure to have the agreement signed. /Cumhuriyet/

    [07] ANKARA HAPPY WITH CHIRAC

    Turkey reacted gratefully to French President Jacques Chirac's appeal to the European Parliament to ratify the customs union. "We are happy with the statements of President Chirac" Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Nurettin Nurkan said at a press conference yesterday. Chirac, reporting to the Strasbourg-based European Parliament on France's recently ended presidency, said Turkey's aspirations to be associated with Europe should not be disappointed. A word of support also came from Spanish Foreign Minister Javier Solana, whose country has taken over the presidency, "Turkey is an irreplaceable Mediterranean partner of the EU" Solana said. Ankara's reaction to an interim report by the European Commission, the Union's executive body, however, has been lukewarm. "The report appears evenhanded, and gives the impression of refraining from criticizing Turkey overtly and exaggeratedly" Nurkan said. However, he compared the report unfavourably to one that was recently prepared by the US State Department. "The Commission does not fully show that the human rights abuses in Turkey are caused by the terrorism of the PKK terrorist organization" Nurkan said.

    [08] 2,472 PKK MILITANTS "RENDERED INEFFECTIVE" IN 1995

    Unal Erkan, governor of the State of Emergency region, said on Tuesday that 2,472 Kurdish separatists had been "rendered ineffective" (killed, captured or surrendered) in the first six months of 1995. Erkan said during a press conference in Diyarbakir that military operations are continuing against militants of the PKK terrorist organization, but that terrorist attacks in the region had decreased from a year ago. He said that in the first six months of 1994, there had been 1,553 terrorist attacks in the region, but in the first six months of 1995, there were 824 terrorist attacks. Erkan said a total of 129 people had been killed by PKK militants in the first six months of 1995, and 321 soldiers had died in action. The governor also reported that 2,130 PKK militants out of the total 2,472 were killed within the emergency rule region. Erkan added that the PKK was being weakened by factionalism and that it would soon be defeated. /Sabah/

    [09] ROMANIAN PRESIDENT ION ILIESCU RECEIVES EREK

    Transportation Minister Ali Sevki Erek was received yesterday by President Ion Iliescu in Romania. Erek presented messages to Iliescu from both President Suleyman Demirel and Prime Minister Tansu Ciller. Erek is in Romania to participate in meetings of the Turco-Romanian transportation committee. After the meetings in Romania, Erek will visit the Bulgarian transportation minister in Bulgaria.

    [10] THE NETHERLANDS: BILATERAL COOPERATION CONTINUES

    The Dutch Interior Ministry said that the cooperation between its intelligence services and those of Turkey in the fight against terrorism would continue without fail. "The tension between The Hague and Ankara, which arose because of the PKK's establishment of a Kurdish parliament-in-exile, has not affected cooperation between the two countries' intelligence services" Dutch officials said. /Sabah/

    [11] NINE PKK MILITANTS AND TWO SOLDIERS KILLED

    Nine PKK militants were killed during military operations and two soldiers lost their lives in clashes. Three members of the outlawed Hezbollah were also captured. Officials from the emergency rule region governor's office said six of the militants, two of whom were women, were killed in Hakkari's Yuksekova district, two died in Diyarbakir's Lice district and one militant was killed in Sirnak's Uludere district. Meanwhile, PKK militants attacked a military vehicle, killed one soldier and injured four soldiers and a village guard in Mus' Uvecler district. Military officials said that the injured were taken to a medical school hospital in Diyarbakir. /Cumhuriyet/

    [12] SINGAPOREANS PREFER TURKEY FOR HOLIDAYS

    According to the statistics of NATAS (Travel Agencies Union of Singapore), most Singaporeans prefer Turkey as a holiday destination to other countries. Tourism Ministry officials said that previously Turkey was unfamiliar to the people of Singapore, but this year, travel agencies were surprised by the level of Turkey's popularity. /Cumhuriyet/

    [13] US SUPPORTS HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS IN TURKEY

    An agreement between the US and Turkey aiming to improve health conditions in the latter country was signed by Sally Sheldon, representing the US, and Omer Yildiz, deputy undersecretary at the Health Ministry. Yildiz said the aim of the agreement was to reduce the number of fatalities among mothers and young children -who make up 60 % of the population- as well as to improve their health conditions. Yildiz concluded that they have been cooperating with international health associations as well as with the US on similar projects since the mid-1970s.

    [14] DRUG BUST AT KAPIKULE BORDER GATE

    Officials from the Edirne governor's office said in a written statement that, based on a tip, some 55 kilograms of heroin was found in secret compartments of a bus as a result of cooperation between Kapikule border gate officials and the police. Officials also said that the heroin was worth TL 300 billion. The officials noted that 11 people had been taken into custody, two of them citizens of Poland.

    [15] YILMAZ TO VISIT MOSCOW

    Deputy Chairman of the European Democrats Union (EDU) and Chairman of the Motherland Party (ANAP), Mesut Yilmaz will go to Moscow tomorrow to attend the meeting of the commission regarding Russia's integration with Europe. After participating in the EDU meeting on Saturday morning, Yilmaz will hold a press conference the same day. Yilmaz will visit Leningrad on Monday. /Cumhuriyet/

    [16] USE OF INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY RISES BY 81.5 % IN JUNE

    Turkey's use of its manufacturing capacity in June, 1995, increased to 81.5 % from the 70 % of the same month last year, State Statistics Institute (DIE) figures revealed yesterday. /All papers/

    [17] PKK CRUSHED IN ITS LAIR

    Entering north Iraq and making attacks at midnight, Turkish commandos have inflicted great losses upon the PKK terrorist organization by using guerilla tactics. Commandos carried out operation "Dragon" in order to destroy the terrorist organization which had begun to set-up camps in northern Iraq again. After killing 167 PKK terrorists during the 6-day operation, the commandos have been withdrawn. A military expert said that Operation Dragon had been carried out in perfect military fashion. The same expert said: "This operation was as successful as the operation of British commandos in the 2nd World War." 21 specially trained commandos were martyred and 7 soldiers were wounded. /Hurriyet/

    [18] POSITIVE MESSAGE FOR THE EU

    Although Serge Abou, the head of the Mediterranean desk of the European Commission (EC) said that he believed that Turkey would achieve customs union with the EU, an EU progress report regarding Turkey has been criticized by the Ankara government. Stressing that some circles in Europe had doubts about Turkey's meeting the necessary conditions for customs union, Abou said: "But I have always trusted in the capacity of Turkey." Recalling that the European Parliament had asked for improvements in human rights and democratization from Turkey, in line with Turkey's customs union application, Abou said that the last report of the EU Commission regarding Turkey would be published after the completion of the process regarding constitutional amendments in Turkey. Saying that he saw no reason for postponing Turkey's customs union, Abou stated that making constitutional amendments was not that easy and that it could also be seen that governments having the majority in their parliaments were also facing the same difficulties. Nurettin Nurkan, Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman said that the EU Commission interim report was trying to be impartial in many issues but was making mistake in its opinion regarding the necessity to find a political solution to terrorism. Taking on the term-presidency of the EU, Spain has announced that effort would be exerted in order to realize Turkey's customs union during the next six months programme of the EU. The European Parliament has called upon Turkey to continue its effort regarding constitutional reforms. /Hurriyet-Cumhuriyet-Sabah/

    [19] GREECE SUPPORTING PKK

    At a press conference held yesterday, Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Nurettin Nurkan said that the Turkish government had used every opportunity to warn the public about the support extended by Greece to the PKK terrorist organization. Nurkan added that many documents proving the connection between Greece and the PKK organization had been submitted to the attention of the public. /Cumhuriyet/

    [20] GHALI BRIEFED ABOUT PKK

    UN Secretary-General Boutros Ghali met officials from the UN High Commission for Refugees which is providing shelter, food and financial aid to PKK members living in the Lavrion Refugee Camp in Greece. UN officials in Athens informed Ghali about PKK activities in Greece and about the support provided to the organization by Greece.

    In Athens, Ghali was presented with the Onasis Award, worth $250 thousand, during a ceremony attended by many distinguished guests. /Cumhuriyet/

    END

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