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Turkish Press Review, 99-11-10Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>10.11.99Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morningCONTENTS
[01] FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS[02] ATATURK COMMEMORATEDThe 61st anniversary of the death of the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, will be held today. President Suleyman Demirel said in his message to mark the occasion that the historic duty of the Turkish nation was to further develop the Republic of Turkey. The Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA), Yildirim Akbulut, said that he saw November 10 as the day to once more realize the principles, ideas and reforms of Ataturk. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli, Chairman of the Motherland Party (ANAP) Mesut Yilmaz and the Head of the Kemalist Ideas Association (ADD), Yekta Gungor Ozden, also issued statements to mark the occasion. /All papers/[03] GEN.MUSERREF LEAVES TURKEYGen.Pervez Muserref, Pakistan's Military Leader, laid a wreath at Ataturk's Mausoleum which he visited soon after arriving in Ankara following his trip to Qatar. It was Gen.Muserref's fourth trip abroad since seizing power on October 12 and deposing civilian Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Gen.Muserref met top-level Turkish officials, including President Suleyman Demirel and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. Having arrived from Qatar, Gen.Muserref was due to leave for Kuwait yesterday. /All papers/[04] "PIPELINE" TO THE STRAITSSeljuk University's, Engineering Faculty's Environmental Technology Dean, Associate Prof. Yuksel Burdurlu, in a statement he issued to the Anatolia News Agency said that the Straits, oppressed as they were under the heavy burden of international transport, should be rescued. He added that the Bosphorus, where pollution is increasing every year, was in danger due to the transport of oil by tankers, and a pipeline should be installed to prevent this pollution. Burdurlu also said that if no measures were taken to prevent such a situation, it could be too late. He added that every year one or two accidents regularly occurred in the Bosphorus and the threat of pollution had become serious. Burdurlu stated that even the passage of oil tankers created environmental problems.[05] OSCE REVIEW CONFERENCEThe Review Conference held prior to the OSCE Istanbul Summit to be held on 18-19 November, is in progress. The conference, during which the conformity of member countries to the principles of the organization, human rights issues, security and the economic aspects of the OSCE are being discussed, is closed to members of the press. The Marmara Group's Strategic and Social Research Foundation Chairman, Akkan Suver, in a speech to the conference pointed to the assaults of the PKK terrorist organization which violate human rights, and said that Turkey had for 16 years suffered from such aggression. He also added that Turkey had been able to protect her unitary structure and territorial integrity, had captured and handed the chief of the PKK terrorist organization over to justice.The Kurdish Institute has also presented a report to the OSCE Secretariat. In the report, a separate budget was requested for countries like Turkey who had socio-economic problems so that these countries could overcome them. The US Senator responsible for Human Rights, Harold Koh, who came to Turkey some time ago and had visited Southeastern Anatolia, said that they were pleased with the steps Turkey was taking concerning human rights but further work remained to be done. Yesterday, human rights issues were discussed at the conference, and today it is expected Bto discuss the economic aspect of the Organization, the Anatolia News Agency reports. [06] CLINTON'S INTENSIVE SCHEDULE IN TURKEYUS President Bill Clinton will be the first US President to visit Turkey since 1991 when George Bush visited Turkey as the official guest of the eighth Turkish President, Turgut Ozal. President Clinton will first visit Ataturk's Mausoleum in Ankara on November 15. An official ceremony will be held at the Presidential Palace on the same day. Afterwards, Turkish President Suleyman Demirel and the US President will meet together and will head talks between the delegations of both countries. Clinton will also meet Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. Clinton will deliver a speech at the Turkish Parliament and attend a banquet to be given in his honour by Demirel. Clinton will later visit the earthquake disaster region and will be in Istanbul on November 16 where he will attend the OSCE sessions on November 18 and 19 and then leave Turkey. /Aksam/[07] ISTANBUL STREETS UNDERGO CHANGES FOR OSCE SUMMITThe alarm has already been sounded for the Istanbul OSCE Summit on November 18-19, which the heads of state of 50 countries and 3,000 delegates are expected to attend. The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality is closing a number of roads so as to allow foreign guests to travel around more easily. Access to summit venues will only be granted to those carrying official passes. /All papers/[08] RUSSIAN PRESS COMMENTS ON ECEVIT'S VISITThe Russian 'Izvestiya' newspaper devoted wide coverage to the visit paid by Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to Russia. The newspaper said that Turkish construction firms were the only foreign companies which are continuing to invest in Russia. The newspaper quoted the words of Ecevit: "Turkish firms know that the economic difficulties being encountered by Russia are temporary, and they trust in the future of the Russian economy". /Aksam/[09] FOGG: "I HOPE THAT TURKEY WILL BE GRANTED EU CANDIDACY"The EU Representative to Turkey, Ambassador Karen Fogg, said she hoped that during the EU Summit in Helsinki in December, Turkey's EU candidacy status would be granted. Ambassador Fogg delivered a speech at a conference on 'Turco-EU Relations during the EU Enlargement Process' in Ankara yesterday, and stated that the Customs Union (CU) agreement signed between Turkey and the EU had enabled Turco-EU relations to further develop, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[10] TURCO-BRITISH COMMERCIAL RELATIONSThe Head of the British Trade Commission to the Middle East, Michael Thomas, said that Turkey was of great importance in the region and added, "We view Turkey as one of the 10 biggest markets in the world". Thomas is holding a series of talks with a group of Turkish businessmen in Hatay as the guest of the Hatay Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (HASIAD). Thomas stated that their aim was to facilitate the meeting of small-scale businesses from Britain with those in Turkey. Thomas said, "We aim to direct British businessmen towards Turkey. The development of trade and investments is of great significance to us. We believe that such meetings are beneficial as they permit us to evaluate the opportunities available".The Head of HASIAD, Ihsan Aydeger, said for his part that foreign countries have begun to realize Turkey's importance and stated that they were trying to take advantage of every opportunity to attract foreign investments to Hatay, the Anatolia News Agency reports. [11] ERDAL INONU RE-ELECTEDThe Honorary Chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Prof.Erdal Inonu, was again elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Socialist International yesterday. During the elections at the Socialist International General Congress, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterrez was elected Chairman in place of the previous Chairman, Pierre Mauroy. The Socialist International General Congress will end today. /Aksam/[12] HEALTH MINISTER DURMUS TO VISIT ALBANIAHealth Minister Osman Durmus will go to Albania on November 11 as the official guest of Albanian Health Minister Leonard Solis. A statement issued by the Health Ministry said that during the visit between November 11 and 15, an agreement on cooperation in the area of health would be signed between Turkey and Albania. During the visit, in addition to bilateral relations, regional and international health issues will also be discussed. Durmus will also tour various health institutions in Albania, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[13] BLACK HAWK HELICOPTERS ARRIVE IN TURKEYFour out of the 50 Black Hawk helicopters ordered will arrive in Turkey today. The helicopters, which will be brought to Ankara by a Sikorsky transport plane, will later be delivered to the Turkish Air Forces. During the handing-over ceremony, Dean C.Borgman, the Head of the Sikorsky firm, the producer of the Black Hawk, will also be present. Two more Black Hawks are also expected to arrive in Turkey at the end of this month. By the end of this year, a total of 20 will have been sent to Turkey. An agreement concerning the delivery of 50 Black Hawk helicopters had previously been signed between the Sikorsky firm and Turkey, the Anatolia News Agency reports.[14] TOPTAN: OFFICIAL CANDIDATE FOR DYP LEADERSHIPFormer Bartin Deputy from the True Path Party (DYP), Koksal Toptan, officially announced yesterday that he would stand as a candidate for the DYP leadership during the DYP Congress on November 20. Toptan held a press conference at the DYP General Centre yesterday during which he revealed this information. /Aksam/[15] NATO MONUMENT UNVEILEDA monument erected to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of NATO was unveiled during a ceremony attended by Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen.Huseyin Kivrikoglu yesterday in Brussels. The 50th anniversary celebrations were cancelled on April 4, 1999, due to NATO operations in Kosovo. /Aksam/[16] 'CAMDESSUS' RESIGNATION DOES NOT AFFECT TURKEY'The IMF Chairman Michel Camdessus, whose term of duty expires in 2002, has handed in his resignation. Officials said that the Turco-IMF stand-by agreement, as yet to be signed, would not be affected by this resignation. Camdessus is expected to leave his post in mid-February. Officials added that Camdessus knew the Turkish economy well, however he was not responsible for IMF policies concerning Turkey. /Milliyet/[17] "NO TRNC, YES GREEK-CYPRIOT ADMINISTRATION"The TRNC will not be able to attend the last OSCE Summit that will be held in Istanbul, whereas the Southern Cypriot Greek-Cypriot Administration (GKRY) will attend the Summit with a delegation of 30 people chaired by Glafkos Klerides. The GKRY, which is not recognized by Turkey, is recognized by international circles. In spite of all Turkey's opposition, the GKRY, which is considered to be a member of the OSCE, will attend the Summit in Istanbul due to the independent function of the OSCE. The TRNC's President, Rauf Denktas, will not be able to attend the Summit because of a decision by the OSCE, which has been unable to improve its diplomatic relations with the TRNC. In a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkey is declared the host of the Summit and, thus, it does not mean that she recognizes the GKRY because of its attendence at the Summit. /Cumhuriyet/[18] OCALAN CALLS FOR KURDS TO 'COME HOME'The PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan called on Kurds living outside Turkey to come home. Ocalan stated that it was time for Kurds to return and contribute to the development of democracy and a new era of pace in Turkey. Ocalan's latest messages were relayed to the public by his attorney Dogan Erbas, who had visited Ocalan on November 4 at the Imrali Island prison where he is being held. /All papers/[19] TALABANI: "WE DO NOT WANT PKK IN NORTHERN IRAQ"The leader of the Iraqi Kurdistan Patriotic Union (IKYB), Celal Talabani, stated that they did not want the PKK terrorist organization in Northern Iraq any more. Talabani, while answering the questions of journalists during the Socialist International Congress, said, "They bother us. It would be best for them to go back to Turkey. When I wanted Ocalan to 'give up armed action' four years ago, Ocalan accussed me of 'compromise'. However, now he himself has had to admit that he has reached the stage of that same request." /Turkiye/[20] ONE MORE STROKE AGAINST IBDA_CSeven people determined as being responsible for bombing the Eyup Governor's Office in the name of the terrorist IBDA_C organization, which supports the religious law, have been captured with materials used in bomb-making. Four of these seven people, after being seen by Istanbul State Security Court, were detained and sent to prison. /Cumhuriyet/[21] DRUGS RAIDSMembers of the Narcotics Department seized 3 tons of acit anhydride used to manufacture heroin, 3 kilos of heroin, 18 kilos of hashish, and 70 grammes of cocaine during their raids in different places in Istanbul. Related to the incident, 17 persons were taken into custody. /Turkiye/[22] KENAN SAHIN'S 50 TRILLION TURKISH LIRA DONATIONTurkish businessman Kenan Sahin, who has been living in America for 30 years and is among the biggest names in the computer world, donated 100 million dollars (50 trillion TL) to the Massachusetts' Institute of Technology (MIT) from which he graduated and in which in he now works as a lecturer. 'The Wall Street Journal' wrote a great deal about this occurence. Sahin's generous donation will be used for the needs of the students, campus expenses and for scientific research. Sahin plans to establish a fund and convert academic research into software programs for global use. /Sabah/[23] "FRIENDSHIP WALK" FROM ISTANBUL TO SELANIKThe "Friendship Train", organized to enhance the atmosphere of friendship and trust between Greece and Turkey, set out from Sirkeci Station to travel to Selanik. There are 53 people on board, including the Director General of the Turkish Radio and Television Cooperation, Yucel Yener, the General Director of the State Railways, Hasan Mollaogullari, the Art Advisor to the TGNA, Yasar Calli, and representatives of the Turkish Search and Rescue Society (AKUT). The "Friendship Train" will arrive in Selanik at 7 a.m. The passengers will go to the house in which Ataturk was born and observe a minute of silence at 09:05, the moment at which he died. /Sabah/[24] HOPE OF KAZAKH FOR BAKU-CEYHANTurkey has begun to contact the Exxon, Texaco and Chevron oil companies, which are active in Kazakhstan, to arrange the transport of more petroleum via the Baku-Ceyhan petroleum pipeline and to increase the plausibility of the scheme. It was stated that Kazakh and American firms are extremely interested in the suggestion in order to find ways to deversify petroleum exports. The fact that the agreements will be signed at the OSCE Summit is increasing the possibility of Turkey's reaching an agreement with both the Azerbaijani International Petroleum Consortium (AIOC) and the Exxon, Texaco and Chevron oil companies in Kazakhstan. /Cumhuriyet/[25] SCHILLY: "MEMBERSHIP OF EU WILL SOLVE PROBLEMS"The German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Otto Schilly, during the press conference that was held two days after his visit to Turkey, signalled that if Turkey becomes a candidate to the EU, she will receive more intense urging concerning human rights and democratization. He said, "During the meetings in Ankara, which were very friendly and sincere, we discussed the Turkish people living in Germany and their problems, the fight against crime, illegal immigration and relations between Turkey and the EU. Germany strongly supports Turkey's membership of the EU. We want Ankara to conform to the Copenhagen criteria on democracy and human rights. Positive steps have been taken thanks to the laws that were implemented a while ago." /Cumhuriyet/[26] TURKISH AIRPORTS: AMONG LOWEST RISK OF BUGS IN 2000'Task Force 2000', a monthly magazine published by British industrialists, said that millions of tourists will be travelling during the last five weeks of this century. The magazine published a 'risk list' in which it was declared that Turkish airports were among the ones with the lowest risk, together with the airports of France, Greece, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Holland, Iceland, Canada, India, South Africa, New Zealand and Japan. /Hurriyet/[27] DRY CARGO VESSEL HAS SUNK: 13 PEOPLE LOSTIn a statement issued by the Regional Directorate of Shore Security and Vessel Rescue in Rize, the dry cargo vessel, 'Alican Deval' sank in high seas off Pazar near Rize. The 982-gros-ton vessel, which had set out from Hopa Harbour to deliver ore to Samsun, sent out an SOS distress signals three times at approximately 18:00. In spite of the strong seas, efforts to reach the lost crew of 13 people are underway. /Turkiye/[28] HUGE INVESTMENT IN SIRNAKThe bid for the Sirnak thermic power plant, which is planned to be built with the aim of using the coal in Sirnak, will be put out to tender next month. The Director General of TEAS, Muzaffer Selvi, in a statement he gave to the Anatolia News Agency said that a thermic power plant costing 74 trillion Turkish Liras was going to be built to generate energy by using the coal produced in Sirnak, which was forbidden to be used otherwise. Selvi added that the energy requirement of Turkey was currently increasing by 10% every year and this percentage reached 50% in Southeastern Anatolia which was in the process of industrialization. In the power plant, which was expected to be completed in four years, electricity worth $150 million would be generated and close to 1,500 people would work on its construction.[29] KOC ENERGY INVESTMENTSThe Koc Conglomerate stated that its investment budget, previously announced as $2.5 billion, would be increased to $3.7 billion. The Company's Energy Scheme Coordinator, Deniz Unal, said in her speech at a meeting on financial and investment information yesterday that out of this total, $1.2 billion would be spent on the energy sector. /Aksam/[30] TOURISM RELATIONS WITH AUSTRIAAustria Airlines and the Austrian Tourist Office held a press conference yesterday at the Hilton Hotel in order to improve tourism relations between Turkey and Austria. The Austria Tourist Office's Director in Eastern Europe, Stefan Bammer, said that nearly 22,000 tourists had visited Austria in 1998 and that this number had increased by 12% in 1999. Bammer further added that their target was to increase both the persentage of tourists and the number spending the night in Austria. /Cumhuriyet/[31] 'GLOBAL VIEW TO FOR VEHICLES`The 2nd International Automotive Conference, held in Istanbul, has brought together the experts on automotive world. The Congress was organized by the Association of Vehicle Importers, Management Centre Turkey and the Yapa Promotion and Organization Company at Lutfi Kirdar Congress and Exhibition Palace. During the Conference the latest developments in the sector were discussed./Turkiye/[32] JOINT WORK WITH OECDThe Chairman of the Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB), Osman Birsen, has talked about the work undertaken in a joint programme with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). He expounded on subjects related to 'developing stock markets and financing Bschemes in Eurasia` at a press conference. Birsen said that Turkey was a leader in stock marketing in the region and pointed out that the joint programme with the OECD was of great importance in the development of stock marketing in Eurasian countries. /Turkiye/[33] CUSTOMS TO BE MODERNIZEDState Minister Mehmet Kececiler said that 70% of Customs transactions in the year 2000 and 95% of them in the year 2001, will be included in the automation scheme. The Minister declared that in 2001 a Customs Law will be implemented in Turkey which would be compromising with the EU. During his Ministry's budget-presenting speech to the TGNA's Planning and Budget Commission, Kececiler also pointed out that the number of staff allocated to the Customs will be decreased to 5 thousand, from 10,102. /Turkiye/[34] 'TURKEY SHOULD BE SUPPORTED`The Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) and the Dutch Industrialists' and Businessmen's Confederation (VNO) issued a joint statement saying that Turkey should be supported in order to enable her to implement the economic and political criteria needed during her wait for EU full membership. Holland has been Turkey's 7th biggest economic partner in the world. Emphasizing that the economic relations between the two countries have followed a hopeful trend in recent years, while increasing in investments and cooperation, the statement pointed out that the Customs Union which was started between Turkey and the EU in 1996 was the major cause of this progress. In the declaration, Turkey was also defined as the most developing market in Europe. /Turkiye/[35] FOREIGN TRADE INFORMATION SESSIONA 'Foreign Trade Education Programme` will be organized by the Prime Ministry Export Promotion Centre (IGEME) and the Antalya Union of Exporters, on Nov. 16th-18th in Antalya. The subjects of the 'Turkish Foreign Trade Regime`, 'Payment and Delivery in Foreign Trade`, 'Exchange and Banking` and 'Loans for Exports` will be discussed during the Programme. Officials declared that people who are interested in these subjects are free to attend the seminars. /Turkiye/[36] DEUTSCHE BANK'S PREFERENCE: AKBANKAkbank declared that the largest German Bank, Deutsche Bank, has chosen Akbank's shares as the most suitable to buy. In the declaration, an evaluation of Deutsche Bank's 'Developing Markets Report` issued in Oct. 1999, covering all sectors and companies in all of the developing markets world-wide, has been made. The declaration said that Akbank shares would be the most appreciated as they hope to achieve a 43% increase from a dollar basis in a year. /Turkiye/[37] IMKB INDEX CONTINUES TO RISEThe Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) 100-Index rose to 7,593 points yesterday. The transaction volume was valued at 349.4 trillion TL. The amount of transactions was 46.1 billion. /Milliyet/[38] FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS[39] CLINTON'S STATEMENT BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)Columnist Derya Sazak comments on US President Bill Clinton's statement made at Georgetown University concerning Turkey's role. A summary of his column is as follows:The expressions of praise employed by US President Bill Clinton concerning Turkey's role in shaping the next century, came as a 'balm' to Turkey, who has been in the clutches of domestic problems during the last few weeks. During his speech at Georgetown University, Clinton stressed the importance of Turkey's taking its place in the EU as a secular and Moslem nation while he was talking about the expansion process of the EU. He stated that the European allies should be confident that the West and the Moslem World would meet together in harmony with the participation of Turkey and provide an opportunity for achieving their dreams concerning the region in the next Millennium. The US President based his speech on history while expounding on the advantages of the new Millennium. Clinton stated that Turkey could become the strongest country in her region and expressed his belief that Turkey would play the role of a 'bridge' between the East and the West. Certainly, there is no need to believe in our own strength just because the US President does so. Clinton has also revealed the recipe for Turkey's success. He said, "If Turkey can take her place in Europe as a secular, democratic and Moslem nation, she will have a bright future." Building the future is in our hands. Whatever the road map will be after the Helsinki Summit in December, we shall continue to struggle with both domestic and foreign problems in the region. We still have shortcomings concerning the improvement of the values of the 21st century, such as democratization, disputes in ethnic and religious affairs instead of compromise, respect for human rights and freedom of expression. We must be able to unite the economic and social policies required by a sharing society, rather "savage capitalism", and the policies of living in human dignity and improved development in equality with globalization. President Clinton is right in that the Turkish Republic, established by Mustafa Kemal out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire with the aim of reaching the standards of modern States, has not only changed the fate of oppressed States in the second quarter of the 20th century but has also put her mark on the whole age. The Soviet Union collapsed, the Berlin Wall fell down but Turkey is standing strong, entering the 21st century with the aim of becoming a World Power. " [40] TURKEY'S IMPORTANT DAYS BY DOGAN HEPER (MILLIYET)Columnist Dogan Heper writes about the problems facing Turkey. A summary of his column is as follows:"The statement of President Suleyman Demirel concerning Turkey's situation is correct. The country is caught between three volcanoes: the Balkans, the Middle East and the Caucasus. All three of them are erupting and Turkey has had to exert the utmost effort to extinguish their fires. In the Balkans, in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, Turkey has tried hard to achieve peace. In the Middle East, her efforts are on-going just as they are in the Caucasus. However, it is very hard to obtain positive results from the initiatives being undertaken in these regions where there are massive conflicts of interest. While continuing to launch her initiatives, the natural gas pipeline has risen as an important concern for Turkey. Turkey needs natural gas. Natural gas is of strategic importance. Today, two sources are subject of dispute. One is the "Blue Stream" venture, which will bring natural gas from Russia, and the other is the Turkmen pipeline, which will transport Caspian natural gas. The second project is important because of Turkey's Central Asian perspective and is necessary due to the strategic importance it will confer on Turkey as an energy corridor. It will also show that the Central Asian Republics can stand on their own feet without leaning upon Russia, and this will put an end to Russian authority over them. The US and Turkmenistan are lobbying against Russian natural gas. On the other hand, Russia is exerting every effort to impede the agreement on the Baku-Ceyhan scheme. Russia is trying to continue its hold and sovereignty over the region and is trying to bring about a return to the situation in the days of the Soviet Union. The problem has turned into the balancing of global powers. Ankara has to continue her good relations with Russia and especially to ensure that trade relations are important. At the same time, she needs to have close ties with Central Asia and the Caucasus. This is not easy but necessary. If Turkey can play a key role in solving the problem between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Caucasus will from under Russian rule. Ankara's influence could be increased while that of Moscow would decline and Turkey would become the guarantor of the region. To achieve this aim does not necessarily mean burning our bridges with Moscow." Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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