TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (July 27, 1995)

From: hristu@arcadia.harvard.edu (Dimitrios Hristu)

Subject: TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review (July 27, 1995)

CONTENTS

  • [01] FM INONU TO GO TO TUNISIA

  • [02] NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING

  • [03] TURKEY SLAMS UN OVER ZEPA

  • [04] PKK MILITANTS KILL TWO VILLAGERS, KIDNAP TWO CHILDREN

  • [05] CULTURE MINISTER IN ROME

  • [06] HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION ON BOSNIA

  • [07] TURKEY MONITORS GREEK INVESTIGATION OF MINORITY LEADER'SDEATH

  • [08] BORDER GATE TO BE OPENED BETWEEN TURKEY AND GEORGIA

  • [09] GOLD MARKET IN ISTANBUL

  • [10] KINKEL: CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS "AN IMPORTANT STEP"

  • [11] GREEK ASSEMBLY MEETS WITH PKK

  • [12] GREEK MOVES IN THE AEGEAN

  • [13] TURKISH AID FOR NORTHERN IRAQ

  • [14] RED CRESCENT AID FOR BOSNIA

  • [15] TURKISH STOCKS GO LIKE HOT CAKES

    •

    WITH THE COMPLIMENT OF

    DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION

    TURKISH PRESS REVIEW

    JULY 27, 1995

    Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish

    press this morning.

    [01] FM INONU TO GO TO TUNISIA

    Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu will go to Tunisia tomorrow to attend the Mediterranean Forum's extraordinary ministerial meeting. The Barcelona Meeting, which is to be held at the end of this year, relations with the EU and Bosnia will be the items on the ministerial meeting's agenda. Inonu is expected to take up the Bosnia problem with the foreign ministers of France, Spain and Egypt. /Hurriyet/

    [02] NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING

    The National Security Council (MGK) met yesterday in Istanbul. The meeting was chaired by President Suleyman Demirel. According to a statement by the MKG General Secretariat, developments in Bosnia were discussed in detail. The situation at home and on the international front were also carefully assessed in the light of latest developments in Bosnia. Prime Minister Tansu Ciller, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Hikmet Cetin, Interior Minister Nahit Mentese, Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu, National Defence Minister Mehmet Golhan, Chief of the General Staff Ismail Hakki Karadayi and other high level officials and army representatives participated in the meeting. /Hurriyet/

    [03] TURKEY SLAMS UN OVER ZEPA

    Turkey yesterday lambasted the UN, accusing the world body of letting the UN-designated safe area of Zepa in eastern Bosnia fall into the hands of Serb aggressors. "Despite warnings by President Suleyman Demirel in Bosnia and calls by our delegation at the London meeting (of the Western Contact Group) on July 21, the world organization did simply nothing in the four following days to protect Zepa from Serb attacks, further losing its credibility" a Foreign Ministry statement said. Emphasizing that Turkey supports effective protection of the other safe areas of Sarajevo, Bihac and Gorazde, the Foreign Ministry reiterated Ankara's calls for the lifitng of a UN arms embargo on the Bosnia government. The statement said the UN should finally take up its duty to protect all the innocent people of Bosnia more effectively and without further delay. /All papers/

    [04] PKK MILITANTS KILL TWO VILLAGERS, KIDNAP TWO CHILDREN

    Militants of the PKK terrorist organization raided Yerkaya village in the Haskoy district of Mus, killing two villagers and kidnapping two children aged 12 and 13. During another operation, the bodies of two children were found, but the identities of the bodies are, as yet, unknown. Military officials said that an investigation has been launched to catch the militants. Meanwhile, eight PKK militants were killed during continuing military operations, five militants surrendered to authorities and the bodies of eight militants were found in the Southeast. /Milliyet-Sabah/

    [05] CULTURE MINISTER IN ROME

    The Mediterranean will be a centre for peace and development, said Culture Minister Ismail Cem, speaking on the first day of a Rome meeting, organized by the Italian ASPEN Institute, to discuss the relations of Mediterranean countries with Europe. The meeting was opened by the chairman of the Institute, Carlos Scognamiglio. In his speech, Scognamiglio said that Western countries must provide an international peace. Cem said that 10 million Muslims from Mediterranean countries were working in Europe, Italian Foreign Minister Susanna Agnelli, Maltese Foreign Minister Guido De Marco and Greek Cypriot Industry Minister Kyriakos Christofi were also at the meeting. Cem will leave Italy today. /All papers/

    [06] HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION ON BOSNIA

    The Turkish Human Rights Association (HRA) has written a second letter to UN Secretary-General Boutros Ghali reminding him of the ideals the UN is supposed to represent and calling on him to take definite action against the Serbs' chauvinist attacks. In its first letter, the association expressed its concern over the situation in Bosnia and its expectations from the UN. "However", the second letter read, "the Serbs have only increased their attacks as a result of the failure of the UN to take any definite decisions at the recent London Conference. Even the meaningless peace force has been attacked. All the principles laid down by the Geneva Law on War are being violated in full view of the frightened silence of the world". It is clear that with regard to Bosnia, the UN has applied a double standard concerning the tens of agreements it has prepared to protect human rights, the letter said. It proceeded to imply an accusation against the UN that it differentiated between peoples of different religions, races and nations. The letter concluded with a call to the UN to decide on a definite attitude toward the Serb attacks. /All papers/

    [07] TURKEY MONITORS GREEK INVESTIGATION OF MINORITY LEADER'S DEATH

    Turkey said yesterday that it was closely monitoring an investigation by Greek authorities on the death of Sadik Ahmet, leader of Greece's Turkish minority, following an allegation that his death was not accidental. His wife Isik, who was with him when his car collided with a tractor, said yesterday that the tractor's driver deliberately caused the crash. At yesterday's weekly press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Omer Akbel, asked by a reporter if Turkey took the allegation seriously, said: "Our ministry is closely monitoring the issue and will await the results of the investigation". He did not elaborate. Ahmet's body will be laid to rest in a Muslim cemetery in Gumulcine following a funeral service today. A Turkish delegation headed by State Minister Algan Hacaloglu is due to attend the funeral. /All papers/

    [08] BORDER GATE TO BE OPENED BETWEEN TURKEY AND GEORGIA

    The border gate between Turkey and Georgia at Ardahan-Posof Turkozu will be opened by the presidents of both countries on July 31. Kutluay Oktem, governor of Ardahan, said that the opening of the border gate would improve economic, commercial and cultural relations between the two nations and that Turkish President Suleyman Demirel, Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze and other ministers would participate in the opening ceremony. Oktem noted that it would a bridge to Central Asia and Azerbaijan, adding that a second border gate in the Cildir-Aktas region will be opened soon. /Cumhuriyet/

    [09] GOLD MARKET IN ISTANBUL

    Prime Minister Tansu Ciller spoke of how important a step it was to have the Istanbul Gold Market (IAB) open at last because it would lead to the establishment of Istanbul as a financial centre. Expressing her pleasure at how the IAB had been established one step at a time, Ciller pointed out how capital markets such as a gold exchange were important mechanisms in ensuring a just income spread and providing people with income. She predicted that people would channel their funds towards the capital markets as more and more big companies chose to offer their stocks publicly. Ciller was accompanied by Aykon Dogan, the state minister responsible for the economy, a number of other ministers, the members of the Capital Markets Board which supervises the activities of the IAB, and high level bureaucrats. /Milliyet/

    [10] KINKEL: CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS "AN IMPORTANT STEP"

    German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel said yesterday that Turkey's amendments to its constitution fulfilled a precondition for closer relations with Europe. Kinkel noted that by concluding a customs union agreement with Turkey, the EU had for its part "underlined its readiness for closer cooperation". "The approved constitutional reform is an important step toward strengthening the democratic system, the effective functioning of state institutions and the free rights of individuals" Kinkel said. "It also opens the way for further democratization and liberalization as desired within Turkey itself" he added. /Cumhuriyet/

    [11] GREEK ASSEMBLY MEETS WITH PKK

    A group of people who represent the separatist terrorists currently in prison in Turkey for their illegal acitivities went to Athens to meet with Greek Parliament Speaker Apostolos Kaklamanis. The group asked Kaklamanis for help from the Greek parliament and institutions to have the imprisoned terrorists described as "prisoners of war" according to the Geneva Convention on War. A deputy from Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou's Pasok party was also present at the talks. /Sabah/

    [12] GREEK MOVES IN THE AEGEAN

    Besides pressing for a coastal twelve mile limit around the Greek islands in the Aegean, Athens is also setting in motion new moves to populate some of the uninhabited Greek islands close to the coast of Turkey.

    The Greek government has announced that it will provide economic and other aid to those who are prepared to go and live and set up communities on the islands. Telephones and electricity will be hooked up to the islands which at the moment are desolate and without any kind of facilities at all.

    According to government spokesmen, there have already been some enquiries about life on the islands. Said one official "we want to bring life to these quiet and deserted islands and protect their natural beauty." /Milliyet/

    [13] TURKISH AID FOR NORTHERN IRAQ

    Foreign Ministry spokesman Omer Akbel said yesterday that Turkey had provided 12 million dollars in aid to northern Iraq during April 1 to June 30 of this year.

    In addition, three thousand tons of food, educational equipment and medicines had been distributed to the around 250 thousand people living in Suleymaniye, Erbil and Dohuk. Other aid in the form of power supplies and equipment for agricultural development and medical centres had also been provided, explained Akbel during his weekly press meeting. /Cumhuriyet/

    [14] RED CRESCENT AID FOR BOSNIA

    The Turkish Red Crescent organization has sent off 118 tons of humanitarian aid to the refugee camp being set up in Zenica to accomodate those fleeing from areas under Serb assault.

    The aid includes food, medical supplies and equipment, cleaning materials, tents, blankets and sleeping bags -all being ferried to Bosnia in a seven truck convoy.

    To date, 7,500 tons of aid has been sent to Bosnia in 42 different aid convoys. /Sabah/

    [15] TURKISH STOCKS GO LIKE HOT CAKES

    The 500 million mark Turkish State stocks issued by the German Commerzbank yesterday were all sold off in one day. Massive demand pushed up the price and initial response was so good that Turkish Treasury officials say that both foreign and domestic debt repayments look fair for the August-September period. /Hurriyet/

  • [16] PREPARATIONS FOR CUSTOMS UNION

    Aiming to ensure the conformity of Turkish Customs Law with the regulations of the European Customs Union, Parliament has passed a decree making some changes in the Customs Law. The amendments have simplified to a great extent the Turkish regulations. With the new implementations, called "simplified procedure", bureaucratic operations will be minimized. The amendments will enter into force on January 1, 1996. /Milliyet/

    END

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