TRKNWS-L Press Review -- Wed, 20 May 98

[trknws...@nwu.edu]

20.05.98

Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press
this morning
CONTENT
[1]COOK VISITS TURKEY
[2]YOUTH FESTIVAL CELEBRATED
[3]CELEBI AT WTO MEETING
[4]KINKEL: "TURKEY IS ESSENTIAL FOR GERMANY"
[5]PANGALOS CRITICISES US AND EU
[6]CEM EVALUTES VISITS TO BULGARIA, ROMANIA AND ENGLAND
[7]KARADAYI IN MOSCOW
[8]SWEDISH BUSINESSMEN TO VISIT GAP
[9]GIANT PROJECTS FOR TURKEY
[10]TURKISH AND BULGARIAN BUSINESSMEN TO MEET ON INTERNET
[11]FOUR PKK TERRORISTS KILLED
[12]GREEK CYPRIOTS ARREST TURKISH SOLDIER
[13]ARMENIAN PROBLEM CASTS SHADOW ON TURCO-FRENCH RELATIONS
[14]US REVEALS SALE OF MISSILES TO TURKEY AND GREECE
[15]GREEN LIGHT FOR PIPELINE VIA IRAN
[16]TURKEY AMONG THE CHEAPEST HOLIDAY COUNTRIES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
[17]JAPANESE COMPANY IN ISTANBUL

COOK VISITS TURKEY

Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, saying British Foreign Secretary
Robin Cook displayed the "correct attitude" in their meeting in Turkey
on Tuesday, reported that the European Union (EU) and the Turkish
government were together laying the groundwork for a possible meeting
of the Turkish-EU Association Council. Cook, who arrived for a short
visit to Ankara, met with President Suleyman Demirel and Prime
Minister Mesut Yilmaz as well as with Cem before returning home in the
evening. Cem said Turkey's position of refusing to conduct political
dialogue with the EU remained, but said this did not mean the two
sides could not discuss economic and social issues. Cem added that he
told Cook the EU had to abandon its stance of discriminating against
Turkey if it wants to mend fences with Ankara and resume political
talks. After the Cem-Cook meeting, the two sides issued a joint
statement declaring they had agreed on the importance of laying the
foundation for a European strategy to prepare Turkey for accession.
/All papers/

YOUTH FESTIVAL CELEBRATED

The 79th anniversary of founder of the Turkish Republic, Kemal
Ataturk's arrival in Samsun from Istanbul on May 19 to start the War
of Independence was celebrated yesterday in Ankara and other cities.
Official ceremonies in the capital were held at the May 19 Stadium,
which high school students from Ankara attended both as performers and
spectators. President Suleyman Demirel and other leading politicians
attended the ceremonies. /All papers/

CELEBI AT WTO MEETING

Turkish State Minister Isin Celebi has said that the World Trade
Organization (WTO), which brings together the highly developed
countries and less developed countries, should adopt a balanced
approach, which favours the interests of all countries. Delivering a
speech at the WTO Second Ministers' Conference continuing in Geneva,
Celebi noted that Turkey, which is among the first signatories of the
Customs Tariffs Agreement (GATT), was also determined to support the
targets of the WTO. /Milliyet/

KINKEL: "TURKEY IS ESSENTIAL FOR GERMANY"

In a speech on German foreign policy, Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel
talked about German-Turkish relations in detail. He said that Turkey
has a strategic role in the Mediterranean and way of essential
importance to Germany. Adding that Turkey was a part of Europe, Kinkel
said he had started personal initiatives to normalize Turkey-Germany
and Turkey- European Union (EU) relations. /Hurriyet/

PANGALOS CRITICISES US AND EU

Greek Foreign Minister Thedoros Pangalos held a press conference
yesterday and turned down a US suggestion for solving the Cyprus and
the Aegean issues. He also criticised European Union (EU) efforts to
break the Greek veto in order to extend financial aid to Turkey. He
added that Cyprus and the Aegean issues should not be mixed with each
other, and that the Cyprus issue should be solved within the framework
of the United Nations (UN). Pangalos said that they would not lift
their veto on financial aid to Turkey until Ankara changed its
policies towards Greece and the EU. /Hurriyet/

CEM EVALUTES VISITS TO BULGARIA, ROMANIA AND ENGLAND

Foreign Minister Ismial Cem, who returned home on Monday, evaluated
his visits to Bulgaria, Romania and England to Turkish press members.
Cem said: "During the visits I stressed that Turkey had formulated a
Eurasian policy. Turkey gives importance not only to its relations
with Europe but also with the Eurasian countries, where interest in
Turkey has been increasing." /Hurriyet/

KARADAYI IN MOSCOW

Chief of General Staff Ismail Hakki Karadayi continued his contacts
during his second day in Russia. Karadayi visited the Jukovka Military
base and examined the KA-52 type Russian helicopters there. Later he
laid a wreath at the Unknown Soldier Monument in Moscow and also
visited the Trtyakovskaya Art Gallery during the same day. KaradayI
will start his official contacts today. It is expected that at the end
of the meetings a memorandum of "mutual understanding" will be signed
between the delegations. /Sabah/Hurriyet/

SWEDISH BUSINESSMEN TO VISIT GAP

A delegation of Swedish businessmen will visit Turkey on 24-28 May.
There are high-level representatives from multi-national Swedish
companies in the delegation. After holding contacts in Istanbul and
Ankara, the delegation will visit the Southeast Anatolian Project
(GAP) Office and the European Commission Representative Office.
/Sabah/

GIANT PROJECTS FOR TURKEY

A conference on "Point at the crossroads of the world" to be held on
27-29 May by the "Trade and Development Agency" annexed to the US
Commerce Department will be hosted by Turkey. It is expected that
nearly 500 people will attend the conference, during which over 65
projects in the energy, mining and transportation sectors of 14
countries, including Turkey, will be discussed. /Sabah/

TURKISH AND BULGARIAN BUSINESSMEN TO MEET ON INTERNET

Aegean businessmen are discussing cooperation opportunities with their
Bulgarian counterparts. Members of the Aegean Chamber of the Industry
and Trade in Bulgaria for a Turkish-Bulgarian Businessmen's Meeting
organized by the Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Trade discussed
opportunities to further develop economic and commercial relations
between the two countries. An agreement was signed between the two
chambers for the exchange of information on Internet. /Sabah/

FOUR PKK TERRORISTS KILLED

During current operations carried out by Turkish forces in the Hafik
district of Sivas, four members of the PKK terrorist organization have
been killed. Meanwhile, the "Murat Operation" carried out by the
Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) in the southeastern region of Turkey ended
on May 10. It is reported that security forces are preparing to launch
a new cross-border operation along the northern Iraqi border, aiming
to eradicate PKK terrorists from the region. During another operation
carried out against the illegal fundamentalist Hizbullah organization
in Mus, 44 members of this organization were arrested. /Sabah/

GREEK CYPRIOTS ARREST TURKISH SOLDIER

Greek Cypriots have arrested a Turkish soldier in the Akincilar region
of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). TRNC officials
noted that the UN Peace Force had informed them that the Turkish
soldier had crossed the Greek Cypriot border, and added that
investigation into the incident was continuing. /Milliyet/

ARMENIAN PROBLEM CASTS SHADOW ON TURCO-FRENCH RELATIONS

The Armenian issue, which dominated Turco-French relations in the
early 1980s, has again disturbed the otherwise smooth relations
between Ankara and Paris. A new initiative on the Armenian issue by
some socialist party deputies led to a meeting between Turkey's
ambassador to Paris, Sonmez Koksal, and Foreign Ministry
Secretary-General Bertrand Dufurcq yesterday. The socialist deputies
want to present on May 29 "an Armenian resolution" on the so-called
Armenian genocide between 1915 and 1921. /All papers/

US REVEALS SALE OF MISSILES TO TURKEY AND GREECE

Washington is planning to sell Turkey and Greece anti-ship and
air-to-ground missiles, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. A
statement made by Pentagon officials said that the total sales,
pending approval by Congress, would be worth $67 million. Turkey's $43
million share of the proposed deal is expected to be in the form of
$30 anti-ship Harpoon missiles plus spare parts. Defense Department
officials said that the sale will serve the security interests of the
US by contributing to Turkey's military and security needs. Turkey
currently has McDonnel Douglas-made Harpoons in its military
inventory. /All papers/

GREEN LIGHT FOR PIPELINE VIA IRAN

After the US declared that it will not impose sanctions on French,
Russian and Malaysian companies, all of which have made natural gas
agreements with Iran, hopes have arisen that the proposed Turkmen
natural gas pipeline via Iran to Turkey and Europe will actually be
built. /Sabah/

TURKEY AMONG THE CHEAPEST HOLIDAY COUNTRIES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

It is reported that Turkey is the third cheapest holiday country in
the Mediterranean after Tunusia and Malta. According to the Turkish
Tourism Investors Association (TYD), one week hotel costs during the
high-season at a three star hotel in Turkey is DM 1077, whereas it is
DM 1270 in Spain or DM 1160 in Greece. However, it was also reported
that costs in Turkey are 14 % more than in Tunisia and 6 % more than
in Malta. /Hurriyet/Sabah/

JAPANESE COMPANY IN ISTANBUL

The Japanese NSK-RHP company, the second largest ball-bearing producer
in the world, has announced that they will use Turkey as a base and
has already started activities in Istanbul. Toshia Arata, chairman of
thecompany, and other high level officials of the company attendedthe
opening ceremony of the Istanbul office yesterday. Arata said in a
speech that they will sell the spare parts that they produce in
Istanbul internationally. /Hurriyet/

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