TRKNWS-L Press Review -- Fri, 14 Aug 98
TRKNWS-L
14.08.98
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press
this morning
CONTENT
[1]GERMANY BANS EXTREMIST DHKP-C AND THKP/C
[2]DEMIREL RECEIVES MEMBERS OF US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
[3]TURKEY-TRNC COOPERATION
[4]FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES INCREASE
[5]GREECE: S-300s WILL BE DEPLOYED BY EARLY NOVEMBER
[6]TURKMENS PROTEST BARZANI
[7]GERMANY TRANSFERS $265 MLN IN WEAPONS TO TURKEY
[8]'WISE MEN AND SAINTS' CONFERENCE TO ENRICH TURKISH CULTURE
[9]TURKEY RECEIVES FOUR BIDS FOR EREGLI CONSULTANCY
[10]INTERNATIONAL ATATURK OIL PAINT PORTRAIT COMPETITION
[11]DAMS IN GAP REGION
[12]DALYAN INFRASTRUCTURAL PROJECT TO BE IMPLEMENTED
[13]FOREIGN CAPITAL PERMITS INCREASE
[14]SUPPORT FROM THE WORLD BANK FOR NATURE
[15]SECOND CYPRUS PEACE OPERATION TO BE CELEBRATED
[16]DEMIREL APPROVES GOVERNMENT DECISIONS
[17]JUSTICE MINISTRY WORKS TO CONFORM AGREEMENTS WITH EU
[18]TURKISH ENTREPRENEURS IN PAKISTAN
[19]TWO PKK TERRORISTS KILLED
GERMANY BANS EXTREMIST DHKP-C AND THKP/C
Germany has banned the two rival left-wing Turkish extremist groups,
the Revolutionary Popular Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) and the
Turkish Popular Liberation Party/Front (THKP/C) as threats to domestic
security, citing growing violence and criminal activity mainly
targeting Turks living in Germany. "The ban is the best response that
a state based on the rule of law can give to these two extremist
groups, who have perpetrated grave crimes and have not hesitated to
kill people openly on streets" German Interior Minister Manfred
Kanther was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency yesterday.
Kanther said that the two groups should cease their activities in
Germany immediately and emphasized that the ban would also cover their
publications. Their property in Germany would be confiscated, he
added. Kanther pointed out that the DHKP-C and THKP/C largely financed
their activities by blackmailing Turkish residents and businesses, and
have for many years used violence and murder to gain dominance in
Germany, home to some 2 million Turks.
DEMIREL RECEIVES MEMBERS OF US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
President Suleyman Demirel yesterday received Gerald B.H.Solomon, a
member of the House of Representatives of the US Congress and his
accompanying delegation at the Presidential Palace, the Anatolia news
agency reported. The delegation consisted of 22 members of the House
of Representatives.
TURKEY-TRNC COOPERATION
A protocol, which foresees cooperation in various issues between the
Bayrak Radio-Television of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC) and the Black Sea Television was signed yesterday by TRNC
Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas and Turkish State Ministers Sukru
Sina Gurel, Hasan Gemici and Refaettin Sahin. /Cumhuriyet/
FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES INCREASE
Central Bank foreign exchange reserves increased by $595 million
during the first week of August. Foreign exchange reserves, which
totalled $25.711 billion on July 31, rose to $26.306 billion on August
7. Meanwhile, Turkey repaid $122.6 million in foreign debts between
3-12 August. Foreign debts paid since the beginning of this year have
amounted to $7 billion. /Milliyet/
GREECE: S-300s WILL BE DEPLOYED BY EARLY NOVEMBER
Greece announced that the controversial Russian-made S-300 missiles
would be deployed to the Greek Cypriot Administration by early
November. Greek Alternate Foreign Minister Yannos Kranidiotis, who
paid a visit to southern Cyprus on Wednesday, said that the arrival of
the missiles on the island was expected to proceed in two-and-a-half
months, the Anatolia news agency reported.
TURKMENS PROTEST BARZANI
Iraqi Turkmens protested against Massoud Barzani's Kurdistan
Democratic Party (KDP) yesterday, laying a black wreath in front of
the party's office. A crowd of 50 Turkmens gathered before the KDP
representation headquarters in Ankara, shouting slogans against
Barzani and asking Ankara to take urgent steps to defend Turkmen
rights. Turkmen leaders Mustafa Kemal Yaycili and Feridun Hurmuzlu
were among the protestors. Iraqi Turkmens claim that in an effort to
eradicate the Turkmen presence in northern Iraq, the KDP attacked
Turkmens in Arbil. /All papers/
GERMANY TRANSFERS $265 MLN IN WEAPONS TO TURKEY
Germany reortedly sold DM 449.2 million (approximately $265 million)
worth of weapons and military equipment to Turkey in the first half of
1998, the Anatolia news agency reported from Bonn. The number was
derived from a response by the German government to a questionnaire
submitted by the Green Alliance 90, a united opposition movement, on
the transfer of weapons to some countries in recent years. The
government statement said that a cargo ship used by the German
military had been sold to Turkey as surplus equipment.
'WISE MEN AND SAINTS' CONFERENCE TO ENRICH TURKISH CULTURE
The first International Turkish Wise Men and Saints Conference opened
in Ankara yesterday. The conference, which will last for four days, is
being held by the Culture Ministry Folkloric Research Centre and the
Anatolian Wise Men and Saints Culture and Arts Foundation, the
Anatolia news agency reported. Deputy Parliament Speaker Uluc Gurkan,
Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Culture Minister Istemihan Talay
and Democratic Left Party (DSP) Deputy Chairwoman Rahsan Ecevit
attended the opening ceremony of the conference. Indicating that wise
men and saints played an important role in developing Turkish culture,
Ecevit said: "Most of our wise men and saints were folkloric poets.
During the Ottoman Empire, when the state language was Ottoman, there
was a cultural and linguistic division between the state and the
people. But the wise men and the people spoke the same langauge".
Ecevit added that wise men taught people tolerance and love.
TURKEY RECEIVES FOUR BIDS FOR EREGLI CONSULTANCY
Turkey has received four bids in a tender to choose an adviser for the
privatization of its sole flat steel maker Eregli Demir Celik
Fabrikalari (Eregli Iron and Steel Plants), the privatization
administration said in a statement. Bids were received from the
following companies: Bankers Trust, Deutsche Morgan Grenfell Co
Ltd.-ING Barings, HSBC and Salomon Smith Barney. The bidders will
present their proposals by August 17, the administration said.
INTERNATIONAL ATATURK OIL PAINT PORTRAIT COMPETITION
An international competition for "Ataturk Oil Paint Portrait" on the
occassion of the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the Turkish
Republic will be jointly organized by the International Herald Tribune
and the Milliyet daily newspaper. The competition will also be
supported by Kenan Evren Education, Culture and Nature Foundation.
/Milliyet/
DAMS IN GAP REGION
Dogan Altinbilek, the General Director of the State Water Works (DSI)
said that seven dams were concluded so far within the context of the
Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) and seven others were under
construction and that the two more dams will be constructed in the
region. Speaking to the Anatolia news agency correpondent, Altinbilek
said that the DSI investments were composed of 13 great projects aimed
at the agricultural, energy, services and environmental sectors for
the improvement of water and soil sources in the GAP, which is
regarded as the greatest investment in the Republican period.
DALYAN INFRASTRUCTURAL PROJECT TO BE IMPLEMENTED
Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will lay the foundation for the
"Koycegiz-Dalyan Infrastructural Project" on August 19, which is
regarded as the rescue of the Koycegiz Lake and Dalyan Canals in the
Koycegiz County of the Aegean Mugla Province. The German KWF
Foundation will pay a portion of TL six trillion and the Private
Environment Protection Committee will pay a portion of TL four
trillion of the project, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday.
Meanwhile, officials said that Yilmaz is also scheduled to lay the
foundation of the purification plant in Gocek and the infrastructural
project and solid waste purification plant in Dalaman. The officials
pointed out that the region entered into a very significant
infrastructural mobilization.
FOREIGN CAPITAL PERMITS INCREASE
22.4 % of the foreign capital permits has been given by Turkey to
French investors. According to the Treasury Undersecretariat data,
OECD countries such as the US, Holland and Germany follow France. The
total foreign capital permits given by Turkey since the beginning of
this year until the end of July amount to $23.245 billion including
$5.200 billion for French firms. /Cumhuriyet/
SUPPORT FROM THE WORLD BANK FOR NATURE
The GES-2 Project (Global and Environmental Sources) prepared by the
World Bank in order to protect Sultansazligi Bird Paradise, will be
discussed in Kayseri on August 16, the Anatolia news agency reported
yesterday. Timur Erdem, National Parks Engineer from the Forest
Ministry, told the Anatolia news agency correspondent that the GES-2
project prepared by French SECA-BRL firm, includes the control of
biological diversity and the natural sources in Sultansazligi Bird
Paradise, Artvin Camili Gorgit-Efeler Forest, Antalya Koprulu Canyon
and Kirklareli Igneada Sakagolu deep area. The project will take its
final form at the meeting and a joint declaration will be issued
before the project is presented to the Forest Ministry and the World
Bank. The project will be put out to tender by the World Bank at the
end of September.
SECOND CYPRUS PEACE OPERATION TO BE CELEBRATED
Second phase of the Cyprus Peace Operation which Turkey launched by
using its right of guarantorship on 14 August, following July 20,
1974, will be celebrated with ceremonies on the 24th anniversary.
Within the framework of the celebrations, ceremonies will be staged
the people who were massacred will be commemorated, the Anatolia news
agency reported.
DEMIREL APPROVES GOVERNMENT DECISIONS
A decree which reduces the withheld tax rate from 12% to 6% has taken
effect after being published in the Official Gazette yesterday. The
decree has relieved the Turkish banking sector which requested the
Finance Ministry and ministers responsible for the economy to reduce
the withheld tax on the grounds that it will lead to an increase in
interest rates. Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, State Minister
responsible for the economy Gunes Taner and Finance Minister Zekeriya
Temizel agreed to reduce the tax after a meeting held last week.
President Suleyman Demirel approved yesterday a decision by the
Council of Ministers which reduces the value added tax rate in tourism
sector services from 23% to 15%. Demirel also approved a decree
related to a 40 million 497.6 thousand dollar loan from Italy to be
used for a purification project for the Izmit Gulf. /Hurriyet/
JUSTICE MINISTRY WORKS TO CONFORM AGREEMENTS WITH EU
The Justice Ministry's European Union Coordination Department has
prepared a project for developing expert courts for "intellectual and
industrial rights" in 12 locations in Turkey. The department will
submit the project to the EU to jointly implement the project. The
department will also prepare a project for "consumer rights court".
/Hurriyet/
TURKISH ENTREPRENEURS IN PAKISTAN
While five Turkish construction firms are implementing various
projects in Pakistan, 10 other Turkish firms have won tenders and
started investing in this country. The economic relations between
Turkey and Pakistan, improved by a Pakistan Trade Mission's visit to
Turkey in 1997 and efforts by the Turkish-Pakistani Joint Economic
Commission, have reached their zenith in 1998. /Sabah/
TWO PKK TERRORISTS KILLED
In a clash with PKK members in the district of Pulumur near Tunceli
two PKK terrorists were killed yesterday. PKK members abducted two
shepherds and stole 170 animals in the Kumcati district of Sirnak.
Security forces also apprehended three people alleged to support the
PKK terrorist organization in the Tercan district of Erzincan. /Sabah/