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Turkish Press Review, 97-12-18
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
CONTENTS
[01] EU COMMISSIONER ASKS FOR MEETING WITH CEM
[02] PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ IN NEW YORK
[03] ISTANBUL CLOSELY ESCAPES DISASTER
[04] BALANCE OF LATEST OPERATION IN NORTHERN IRAQ
[05] US WILL DELIVER THREE TANKER AIRCRAFT TO TURKEY
[06] SEZGIN IN BUDAPEST
[07] TRNC TO SEEK INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
[08] SNOW PARALYZES LIFE
[09] TURKEY APPOINTS NEW AMBASSADOR TO LIBYA
[10] TURKISH BUSINESSMAN CEM KINAY GIVEN AUSTRIAN AWARD
TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION,OFFICE OF PRIME MINISTER
18.12.97
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this
morning.
[01] EU COMMISSIONER ASKS FOR MEETING WITH CEM
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem has agreed to have talks with European
Union (EU) Commissioner resposible for Foreign Relation, Hans van den
Broek, strictly on the subject of the government's Sunday announcement
to freeze political dialogue with the EU.
Cem, currently attending a NATO ministers meeting in Brussels agreed
to meet Broek in Copenhagen on Friday, where he will attend an OSCE
ministers meeting. /Milliyet and all papers/
[02] PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ IN NEW YORK
Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz headed yesterday for New York together
with a 200-person delegation for a five day visit. Yesterday Yilmaz
met US President Bill Clinton's Special Cyprus Envoy Richard Holbrooke
and Cyrus Coordinator Tom Miller. The Turkish Prime Minister was
presented with an award by the Anti-Defamation League lobby group.
The same "Honorary Statesman" award has also been presented to Richard
Holbrooke, US State Secretary Madeleine Albright, German Foreign
Minister Klaus Kinkel and other officials.
Today Yilmaz will ring the bell at the Wall Street stock exchange to
open the morning session, and then he will fly to Washington.
Tomorrow Yilmaz is scheduled to meet US President Bill Clinton and
other top level US officials. During his contacts in Washinton,
Yilmaz will work out a number of agreements for bilateral economic
cooperation. /Sabah/
[03] ISTANBUL CLOSELY ESCAPES DISASTER
A 30,000 ton Norwegian tanker carrying early oil run aground yesterday
morning near Yenikoy, Istanbul, paralyzing marine traffic through the
Bosphorus Straits. Observers say that the tanker could have exploded
and add that with the hazardous tanker traffic through the Bosphorus,
the next time Istanbul citizens may not be that lucky. /Cumhuriyet
and all papers/
[04] BALANCE OF LATEST OPERATION IN NORTHERN IRAQ
The General Staff yesterday gave out details about the sweeping-up
operation in Northern Iraq against the terrorist PKK organization
sucessfully completed early this week. According to General Staff
figures, 182 terrorists were killed in the clashes, and 807 tons of
weapons, ammunition, medical and food supply worth TL 343 billion have
been seized. A PKK training camp in Misalog was destroyed by the
Turkish Armed Forces during the operation. /Milliyet/
[05] US WILL DELIVER THREE TANKER AIRCRAFT TO TURKEY
Three U.S.-made KC-135R tanker aircraft will be delivered to the
Turkish Air Force as a first package on December 19 under an earlier
agreement for a total of seven aircraft. The next four aircraft will
be delivered by May, 1998. An official ceremony marking the delivery
will be held at the joint Turkish-American air base in Incirlik on
Friday. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] SEZGIN IN BUDAPEST
Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin yesterday began an official two-day
visit to Hungary to sign a military training and cooperation agreement
between Ankara and Budapest. Sezgin, who was greeted by his Hungarian
counterpart, Ghorgy Keleti, at Budapest's Tokol Airport, will head the
Turkish delegation during official talks between the delegations. The
signing of a military training and cooperation accord will follow the
meeting.
During his visit to Budapest, Sezgin is expected to meet with
Hungarian Parliamentary Speaker Zoltan Gal, Prime Minister Gyula Horn
and the Hungarian Parliament's Foreign Relations Commission chairman,
Istvan Szent-Ivanyi. He will return to Turkey on December 19.
/Cumhuriyet/
[07] TRNC TO SEEK INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has decided to
accelerate its efforts to obtain international recognition following
the European Union's (EU) recent decision to invite Greek Cyprus to
start accession talks next year. "An official call for our
recognition is now on the agenda. The steps to be taken have been
determined," said TRNC Defense and Foreign Minister Taner Yetkin.
The EU, at its December 12-13 summit in Luxembourg, invited five
eastern European countries plus Greek Cyprus to start membership talks
next year, preferably with a mixed delegation but if that proves to be
politically impossible, with Greek Cypriots only. The Turkish Cypriot
government has repeatedly rejected the proposal, saying that they can
join the talks only as a separate but equal state. /Cumhuriyet/
[08] SNOW PARALYZES LIFE
Thrace and Western Anatolia are in the grip of heavy snow, and severe
winter storms continue in the southern parts of the country. Snow has
paralyzed life in Istanbul. People who set out on their way back home
yesterday evening were stuck on the road. Snow locked up the traffic,
cut electricity supplies and caused dalays in mass transportation
schedules. The Istanbul Governor's Office declared a one-day official
holiday for primary and secondary schools. /Cumhuriyet and all
papers/
[09] TURKEY APPOINTS NEW AMBASSADOR TO LIBYA
Turkey and Libya have decided to mutually appoint ambassadors.
Accordingly, Turkey has requested a letter of accredition for
Ambassador Mufit Ozdes. Observers say that this move is an indication
of Turkey's efforts to improve relations with Arab countries.
/Cumhuriyet/ Milliyet_
[10] TURKISH BUSINESSMAN CEM KINAY GIVEN AUSTRIAN AWARD
Trend, an economics periodical, and News, a weekly magazine in
Austria, has presented Dr.Cem Kinay with the the Businessman of the
Year award. The award was presented by Dr. Christian Rainer, the
editor of Trend, in a ceremony where Minister of Internal Affairs,
Karl Schogl, remarked his friendship with Kinay and expressed his
admirations for Kinay`s performance in the field of tourism
organization. Dr.Kinay, in his reply, thanked his family and all the
people working in his company for their support. Kinay underlined
that with this award Austria was again giving support and
encouragement to foreign businessmen. /Hurriyet/
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