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Turkish Press Review, 97-02-17
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
CONTENTS
[01] CILLER TO ATTEND NATO MEETING IN BRUSSELS
[02] ARAFAT COMING TO TURKEY
[03] BOMB EXPLOSION NEAR TURKISH CONSULATE
[04] EUROPEAN GUEST FOR KAZAN
[05] LATVIAN PRESIDENT ARRIVING TOMORROW
[06] POLISH FM TO VISIT TURKEY
[07] TURKEY SENSITIVE ON NATO EXPANSION
[08] TURKISH SOLDIERS IN EL-HALIL
[09] CEASE-FIRE MONITORING FORCE TO BE DEPLOYED IN MARCH IN N.IRAQ
[10] TURKEY EXTENDS DEADLINE IN FRESH WATER TENDER
[11] ANKARA PROTESTS TO BEIRUT OVER ANTI-TURKISH TV SERIES
[12] ISTANBUL PROMOTED TO WORLD BUSINESSMEN
[13] MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE TO CYPRUS
[14] GERMAN FIRMS LEADING IN TURKEY
[15] TOURISM MINISTRY TO PROMOTE OTTOMAN, TURKISH AND ANATOLIAN CULTURES
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
MONDAY FEBRUARY 17, 1997
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this
morning
[01] CILLER TO ATTEND NATO MEETING IN BRUSSELS
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller will go to
Brussels to attend an extra-ordinary meeting of foreign ministers of
NATO-member countries to be held on 18 February. It is expected that
Ciller will convey this message: "The expansion of NATO, the European
Union (EU) and the Western European Union (WEU) are connected to each
other". During the meeting, the new security structure envisaged to
be established in Europe will also be discussed. /Cumhuriyet/
[02] ARAFAT COMING TO TURKEY
Palestinian leader Yaser Arafat will visit Turkey on his way back from
an official visit to Russia, Foreign Ministry officials said over the
weekend.
During his stop-over in Turkey, Arafat will have talks with President
Demirel about the Middle East peace initiatives and regional
developments. There is a likelihood that Arafat could also meet with
Prime Minister Erbakan and Foreign Minister Ciller. /Cumhuriyet/
[03] BOMB EXPLOSION NEAR TURKISH CONSULATE
A powerful bomb exploded near the Turkish Consulate in Sydney,
Australia, on Sunday. Official reports later said that it was
unlikely that the bomb was politically aimed at the Consulate.
Buildings in the immediate vicinity were badly damaged and some
slightly injured people were taken to nearby hospitals. Extensive
police enquiries are continuing. /Cumhuriyet/
[04] EUROPEAN GUEST FOR KAZAN
Chairman of the European Human Rights Commission Stefan Trechsel
arrived in Istanbul yesterday as the official guest of Turkish Justice
Minister Sevket Kazan. Proceeding on to Ankara later in his three-day
visit, Stefan Trechsel will meet Kazan and furnish information to
Turkish officials regarding the studies of the European Human Rights
Commission. /Sabah/
[05] LATVIAN PRESIDENT ARRIVING TOMORROW
Guntis Ulmanis, President of Latvia, is to pay a three-day visit to
Turkey, beginning on February 18, after being invited by President
Suleyman Demirel, the Foreign Ministry announced on Friday. President
Ulmanis is to hold talks with politicians and businessmen. /All
papers/
[06] POLISH FM TO VISIT TURKEY
Polish Foreign Minister Dariusz Rosati is to visit Turkey in March to
discuss NATO expansion. Speaking to reporters in Warsaw, Rosati said
that Poland was in the process of joining NATO, despite Russian
efforts to hinder its membership, and that he was coming to Turkey to
verify Ankara's position on the issue.
Poland, along with Hungary and the Czech Republic is one of the
strongest candidate countries for joining NATO. The primary hearings
for these countries' proposals will be heard at the NATO summit in
Madrid in July. /All papers/
[07] TURKEY SENSITIVE ON NATO EXPANSION
The Turkish Parliament is very sensitive on the issue of NATO
expansion, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Onur Oymen, in Brussels for
talks with members of the European Parliament and European Commission
officials, told reporters. Turkey was in favour of expansion, but the
issue could not be isolated from enlargement of the EU and the Western
European Union (WEU). "For the last four years the Turkish Parliament
has not accepted a partnership agreement between the WEU and Turkey,
because it believes Turkey should be a full member of this union
rather than a partner" Oymen said.
This year was a critical one, and the EU has to decide on the issue of
Turkey's membership, said Oymen, adding that if Turkey does not become
a member of the EU it would be detrimental for Europe. /All papers/
[08] TURKISH SOLDIERS IN EL-HALIL
Fifteeen Turkish soldiers left for Hebron on Friday to join the unit
of peace observers in the city. The Israeli government and Palestine
signed an agreement on Hebron, which allows a total of 130 soldiers
from countries including Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and
Norway to patrol in Hebron as peace observers. The commander of the
Turkish troop is Colonel Atilla Altınkurt. /All papers/
[09] CEASE-FIRE MONITORING FORCE TO BE DEPLOYED IN MARCH IN N.IRAQ
Deployment of a projected Cease-fire Monitoring Force (CMF), to
supervise the truce between the two rival Kurdish parties in northern
Iraq, will likely be delayed to next month, the Anatolia news agency
reported on Friday. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) agreed to the establishment of the
CMF in February in peace talks held in Ankara under the joint
sponsorship of Turkey and the US. The talks, started last October,
ended renewed fighting between the rival factions when the KDP allied
itself with Baghdad and attempted to seize total control of the
Western-protected Kurdish enclave.
[10] TURKEY EXTENDS DEADLINE IN FRESH WATER TENDER
Turkey extended the deadline in a tender for a project to lease a
fresh water purification and treatment plant for sales to thirsty
Middle Eastern countries, the Official Gazette said on Friday. It
said the deadline had been extended to March 31 from the original date
of February 14. The project will cost the winner $100 million,
according to the tender terms.
[11] ANKARA PROTESTS TO BEIRUT OVER ANTI-TURKISH TV SERIES
Turkey has sent a protest to Lebanon requesting a ban on broadcasting
a Syrian made television series containing scenes which are strongly
anti-Turkish. The series "Brothers of the Earth" is being advertised
to start broadcasting within the next week on a private Lebanese
channel. The future of the series is not clear following Turkey's
protest, although no response has yet been received.
[12] ISTANBUL PROMOTED TO WORLD BUSINESSMEN
The "Business Traveler International" magazine published for world
businessmen devoted seven pages to Istanbul in its last issue. The
magazine noted that American firms had made investments worth $1.5
billion in Turkey and trade worth billions of dollars was carried out
between Turkey and the US every year. The magazine also furnished
information regarding touristic sites in Turkey. /Sabah/
[13] MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE TO CYPRUS
The Sunday Times daily newspaper reported that Britain would send 600
soldiers to join a 5,000 strong multi-national force to be deployed in
Cyprus. Pointing out that NATO countries had started to pay more
attention to the Cyprus issue after the missile system crisis between
Turkey and Greece, the paper noted that Britain's suggestion regarding
a multi-national force to be stationed in Cyprus would be discussed in
European capitals. It was also reported that the suggestion had been
presented to Ankara and Athens. /Hurriyet/
[14] GERMAN FIRMS LEADING IN TURKEY
There are totally 3,360 foreign capital companies in Turkey, which has
been gaining importance in countries that trade in a wide range of
markets such as America, Japan and Germany. Most of the foreign
companies in Turkey are German firms. There are 653 German companies
in Turkey, whereas French companies have invested the most capital.
From the point of view of total capital, American and Dutch companies
follow the French firms. /Sabah/
[15] TOURISM MINISTRY TO PROMOTE OTTOMAN, TURKISH AND ANATOLIAN CULTURES
Tourism Minister Bahattin Yucel announced that during 1997, the
ministry will develop tours to areas in Turkey where there are ruins
from the Ottoman, Turkish and ancient Anatolian cultures, the Anatolia
news agency reported on Friday. In a statement made by Yucel, he said
that 1997 will be a year in which cultural tourism will be promoted.
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