Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-02-10

Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.gov.tr/>

[01] AA News

10 February 2000 Thursday

[02] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

KOC INVITES BAHCELI TO THE U.S.
Mustafa Koc, Chairman of Turkish-American Businessmen Association, invited Devlet Bahceli, Deputy Prime Minister, to Turkish-American Business Council meeting that will take place in Washington D.C.

Pointing out that the importance of this meeting increased very much after announcement of Turkey's formal candidacy, and after the visit of the U.S. President Bill Clinton to Turkey, Koc said, ''the U.S. Ministers of Energy, Defense, and Trade will attend the meeting. So, we should be represented in high level. We have requested Bahceli to attend the meeting. We will be very pleased if he accepts our request.''

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

BATMAN MARSH
Missing weapons scandal becomes ''deeper''. The importation expenses has been paid from lodging fund. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said the weapons may have gone to terrorist Hezbollah organization. Ertac Tinar, the importer of the weapons, said he only contacted with Mehmet Agar, then- Security Chief. Tinar said, ''the state imports the weapons and we find it. We are not interested in its shipping. The rest is the secrecy of the state.''

SABAH (LIBERAL)

KORKMAZ, NOTORIOUS MAFIA BOSS, DISCLOSES THE NAMES OF OFFICIALS HE BRIBED
Ayvaz Korkmaz, notorious mafia boss, one by one disclosed the names of officials he bribed. Korkmaz said he gave 300,000 U.S. dollars to a former minister, and Rolex watches to him and his wife. Korkmaz said he gave 5 billion Turkish Lira to a police officer before a murder, and 50,000 U.S. dollars after the murder. He said he continuosly gave allowances to former Security Chief of Bakirkoy district, and gave two weapons as gift. Korkmaz also said he bought a Mercedes car to a security chief in narcotics department, and a car to his wife.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

Genc evalauted the operation against terrorist Hezbollah organization. He said this was the ''biggest operation'' carried out in 48 provinces at the same time.

SOUTHEAST IS THE ARMS DEPOT
The fifth arsenal of the terrorist Hezbollah organization has been revealed in southeastern Gaziantep province. Police examined 1500 km within the city to find this arsenal. Officials said the arsenals in Batman, Kiziltepe, Hilvan, and Gaziantep could equip an army. One mortar, 149 weapons, 156 kalashnikovs, 702 hand grenades, 169 rocket launchers, more than 25,000 bullets, and many explosive devices were found in five shelters in the Southeast. It was claimed that the weapons were brought via Iran and Northern Iraq. Efforts continue in Mersin, Ankara, and Istanbul with the suspicion that there may be some other arsenals.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

AFTERSHOCK MEASURING 4.2 CREATED PANIC
An aftershock, measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale, created panic in Golcuk. Bogazici University Kandilli Observatory said the epicenter of the aftershock, which occurred at 18:40 local time, was Golcuk. The aftershock was also felt in Istanbul and surrounding provinces. Some people left their houses in panic, and some were hospitalized because of shock.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

BOMB ATTACKS IN ISTANBUL LAST NIGHT
There were bomb attacks in four separate places in Istanbul on Wednesday night. Bombs exploded in Ataturk Museum in Sisli Halaskargazi Avenue, in Istanbul Mufti's office in Suleymaniye, and offices of Turkcell and Telsim companies in Sishane. Placards were found on the spot written IBDA-C on them.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

TURKISH-JAPANESE FRIENDSHIP IN HARD DAYS
A settlement of 500 prefabricated houses constructed by Japanese government was officially opened in Adapazari, which was hit by a strong earthquake last year.

Ichita Yamamoto, Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister, said, ''we are in the fault line like Turkey. We had experienced Kobe quake in which we lost 6, 000 people. We are here as a country who knows and understands well the sufferings of countries and people during the disasters.''

[03] COTTARELLI, CHIEF OF THE IMF TURKEY DESK, TO VISIT TURKEY ON FEBRUARY 18

The experts of IMF Turkey desk will arrive in Turkey on February 16, before Cottarelli.

IMF delegation will meet with the officials of Treasury, Central Bank, Finance Ministry, State Planning Institute, Privatization Administration Board, and officials of Banking Union, and review 1999 realizations and results of January 2000.

The primary target of the IMF delegation is to evaluate the general results of Staff Monitored Program (SMP), which ended in December and replaced by Stand-By, and to evaluate the realizations in January 2000, which is the first month of Stand-By.

Stand-By agreement which was put into implementation at the beginning of the year 2000, will be valid for three years.

Meanwhile, it was reported that IMF's opening of office in Turkey will be on the agenda during the visit of Cottarelli.

IMF opens temporary offices in countries where they implement the program. The host country has the right to say the final word regarding the opening. IMF has 73 offices throughout the world.

The IMF delegation is expected to stay in Turkey for nearly two weeks. The officials will submit a report to IMF Executive Board of Directors in their return to Washington D.C. briefing about the developments in Turkey.

In case the Board approves the developments, Turkey will be allowed to use the second slice of 305 million U.S. dollars loan in March.

The IMF delegation, led by Cottarelli, is expected to visit Turkey again in May to review the targets of the first three months of Stand-By.

[04] WORLD BANK-TURKEY - FIELD OF RESPONSIBILITY OF DERVIS, WORLD BANK DEPUTY CHAIRMAN, TO BE CHANGED

Dervis, who was responsible for North Africa and the Middle East, will act as the Chairman of ''Recovering Poverty and Economic Administration Unit'' as of May.

Meanwhile, restructuring efforts continue in International Finance Institution (IFC) which is linked with the World Bank.

Sources said Turkey will be excluded from IFC's Middle East-North African region, and included in the Balkans-Central Asia region within this framework.

It is reported that Turkey's close relations with the countries of the region and its effectiveness in the region were determining in Turkey's inclusion to Central Asia and the Balkans region.

Sources also said Turkey will be regional center of the IFC within the framework of restructuring.

[05] FM CEM: ''WE ARE STARTING THE EU PROCESS CAREFULLY''

Cem met with the representatives of the private sector at the Economic Development Fund (IKV). This is Cem's first official meeting under the circular which was issued by the Prime Ministry regarding the EU process.

The non-governmental organizations, the IKV and similar private sector institutions, the labour trade unions, and the universities will help Turkey reach the EU targets, Cem noted.

Cem said, ''we are starting the EU process carefully. We are not in a hurry. We are gradually completing the first steps of this process. The political dimension of the EU process is very important. I had earlier explained the political dimension of this process to the leaders of the parties that form the coalition government. I listened to their valuable ideas. I asked them to direct me. We discussed the steps that will be taken in the politics. We programmed all these steps.''

All these steps are the political dimension of the EU process, Cem stated.

Cem stressed that there are two other important dimensions of this process besides the political dimension.

One of these dimensions is Turkey's relations with Brussels, which is the center of the EU; Cem emphasized.

Cem pointed out that to this end, they held intensive contacts in Brussels last week.

They discussed about the institutional and political path which will be pursued, the things which will be done or which should be done, during these contacts, Cem said.

Cem noted that he held comprehensive meetings with Guenter Verheugen, the EU Commissioner for enlargement; Javier Solana, EU foreign policy chief, and the administrators of the European Investment Bank (EIB) which has an important role for Turkey's candidacy process.

''We have created new ideas about how to organize some financial resources that Turkey may need in this process. I think that our State Minister responsible for Treasury, our Treasury Undersecretary, and the high-ranking economy bureacrats will go to Brussels or Luxembourg to hold contacts with the EU representatives and the EIB administration,'' Cem said.

Cem stated that Verheugen will visit Turkey in the beginning of March and that they will evaluate the initiatives that Turkey materialized until then.

The third dimension of the EU process is the domestic economic organization which is a very difficult dimension, Cem stressed.

Cem emphasized that Turkey will overcome this difficult dimension, and that the Prime Ministry issued a circular regarding its own domestic arrangements ten days ago.

The pre-studies regarding this dimension had earlier been launched in the Prime Ministry, Cem recalled.

Cem pointed out that they are working on how this dimension will be established and improved in Turkey, in the level of ministries, in the level of non-governmental organizations, in the level of private sector and labour sector.

He will meet with two ministers this afternoon, who are included in the Supreme Council which will work under the Prime Ministry and which will arrange and direct the domestic organization; Cem said.

Cem noted that they will exchange ideas and that they will hold the first official meeting under the chairmanship of Premier Bulent Ecevit in the end of February.

There are many things and experiences that he wants to learn and benefit from those who participate in today's meeting, Cem stated.

Cem said, ''I want to learn what your foresight is. I want to learn what we should do, how we should materialize our ideas, at what point we will have problems, how we can get organized against the problems, and how we can have your contribution regularly in this process.''

''I hope that this new process will be advantageous for our nation and Turkey. I believe that we will reach the end of this process sooner than expected,'' Cem added.

Later, Meral Gezgin Eris, the Chairman of the IKV, said that Turkey should use her time very carefully and should carry out efficient initiatives.

They convened today to ensure the cooperation of the public and private sector to become a full member of the EU at the most approprite time by being very successful in the process, Eris noted.

Eris added that he believes that the efforts exerted until the Helsinki Summit will be the guarantee of the efforts that will be exerted following the Helsinki Summit.

Oguz Demiralp, the Foreign Ministry Special Consultant; Selim Kuneralp, European Community (EC) General Director; the representatives of the Turkey Chambers and Commodity Exchanges Union (TOBB), IKV, Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ISO), Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO), Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM), Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD), Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB), Turkish Agricultural Chambers Union (TZOB), Confederation of Turkish Employers' Unions (TISK), and Foreign Economic Relations Council (DEIK), participated in the meeting.

[06] FORMER BATMAN GOVERNOR SARMAN: ''WE HAD THE APPROVAL OF THE PRIME MINISTRY TO IMPORT WEAPONS AT THAT TIME''

Responding to the allegation that the missing weapons could have been received by the Hezbollah terrorist organization, Sarman told A.A that the allegations were ''fabrication and full of lies.'' He said the investigation about these claims was continuing. ''We responded to the allegations by using the information obtained by the Gendarme General Commandership and Customs General Directorate. We submitted the documents to the inspectors proving that these accusations are totally baseless,'' he added.

Sarman said such baseless news is imputing the gendarma and customs organizations. ''Although we have done nothing illegal and carried out all those works to fight against terrorism, they are now putting the blame on us,'' Sarman said.

They imported weapons to fight against the terrorist organization Hezbollah and they had the approval of the Prime Ministry to do it, he stressed.

''We submitted it as a project and it was approved. Later they gave us resources. Treasury Undersecretariat gave us a certificate of import. We got their permission for everything we imported. This is a totally subjective and a fabricated accusation. They directed these accusations to me at the beginning of the investigation saying that some of the weapons were never brought to Turkey and those which entered Turkey disappeared. First of all, the Customs General Directorate carried out a wide investigation about our import transactions. It was proved that everything was done legally and all the imported weapons were brought to Turkey. I asked the registrations of these weapons from the Gendame General Commandership and they were sent to me. Later, I gave these documents to inspectors. A very little amount of the weapons, such as 5 to 10 percent, were given to the security. I didn't ask for their registrations because they were very few. I told the inspectors that they could obtain their registrations also if they wish,'' he explained.

Sarman noted that they gave the biggest struggle against Hezbollah during those years. ''I have evidence of it. The same thing is true for PKK. But now they are accusing us as if we committed a crime. This would not be encouraging for those who will serve in such positions in the future,'' he added.

About allegations of his personal assets, he said he gave a ''cent by cent'' account of it in the past and he was found innocent.

[07] ''EMITT 2000'' TO BRING TOGETHER INTERNATIONAL TOURISM FIRMS IN ISTANBUL

The fair is organized by the cooperation of Tourism Ministry and tourism sector institutions. About 150 tourism firms from 40 countries will participate in the fair.

The income obtained from the entrance fees of Emitt 2000 will be donated to quake survivors in Turkey and Greece.

During the fair, a friendship agreement will be signed between Istanbul and Athens. Istanbul Mayor Ali Mufit Gurtuna and Athens Mayor Dimitris L. Avramapoulos will sign the agreement on the first day of the fair. The agreement aims to boost tourism between the two cities.

One day before the fair, on February 16, leading institutions of international tourism market will hold an international meeting where they will discuss tourism in Eastern Mediterranean. The region includes countries like Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Turkey, Tunisia, Egypt, and Israel where there is a high competition for tourism.

Besides international tourism firms; travel agencies, textile, and chain hotels, holiday villages, airlines, and other transportation, car rental, and travel technologies firms will also take part in the fair. 500 travel agencies are expected to participate in Emitt 2000. The tourism ministers of the participating countries have also been invited to the fair.

[08] TRNC PRESIDENT DENKTAS RETURNS TO TRNC

Mustafa Akinci, the TRNC State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister; Serdar Denktas, the leader of the Democratic Party, and Mehmet Ali Talat, the leader of the Republican Turkish Party, returned to TRNC together with Denktas, who participated in the second round of Cyprus proximity talks in Geneva under the supervision of the United Nations (U.N).

All the leaders said that they are pleased about the results of the second round of Cyprus proximity talks.

Akinci said that there are two nations and two states on Cyprus which have equal rights and authority, rather than a single state.

This reality should be accepted if people want to reach an agreement on the island, Akinci noted.

Akinci added that he believes that the future will be peaceful when this reality is understood.

[09] U.S., BRITISH, AND ISRAELI AID FOR CHILDREN IN QUAKE ZONE ARRIVES IN TURKEY

The aid which was sent by the three countries within the framework of the joint initiatives of the Turkish Children's Project and Social Services and Children Protection Agency, was brought to Istanbul.

The aid includes winter clothes for the children and adults, education materials, diapers, quilts, toys, and medical equipment.

At the Ataturk Airport of Istanbul, Rosalind Marshall, the Coordinator of the Turkish Children's Project, said that the U.S. people felt great sorrow about the quake disasters.

Various U.S. institutions launched aid campaigns when they received the sad news, Marshall noted.

Marshall stated that the U.S. nation is very pleased to help and assist Turkish nation.

The campaigns which started in December 1999, will continue in the following months, Marshall added.

The officials said that the aid will be sent to the quake zones after the legal procedures are completed.

The Turkish Children's; Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB); Turkish Airlines (THY); Turkish cargo company Yurtici Kargo; Expeditors, Blackteck (New York) and Istanbul Anglican Church sponsored this aid campaign.

[10] TURKEY-INDIA JEC 8TH TERM PROTOCOL SIGNED

The Foreign Trade Undersecretariat said on Thursday that Abdulhaluk Cay, the State Minister, headed the Turkish delegation and Murasoli Maran, the Indian Trade and Industry Minister, headed the Indian delegation during the meetings.

The economic and trade relations between two countries were revised during the meetings, the Undersecretariat noted.

The Undersecretariat stated that the two sides discussed the ways to increase the trading volume to 1 billion U.S. dollars.

The two sides evaluated the proposals regarding the establishment of mechanisms that will facilitate the inflow of trade know-up, the encouragement of the businessmen, the solution of the problems faced in banking and transportation sectors, the Undersecretariat stressed.

The Undersecretariat emphasized that Turkey submitted India the list of the goods that can be exported from Turkey and that also, India submitted the list of the Indian goods that can be imported by Turkey.

Turkey and India agreed to have cooperation in the small and medium scale enterprises, the irrigation, the regional development projects, the agriculture, science and techonology, the Undersecretariat pointed out.

The Undersecretariat added that two countries also decided to search for the joint oil production opportunities.

[11] PREMIER ECEVIT DUE TO BUCHAREST

The Prime Ministry Press Center said on Thursday that a delegation including Ismail Cem, the Foreign Minister, and the officials of the Prime Ministry and Foreign Ministry will accompany Ecevit during his visit.

Ecevit will meet with Mugur Isarescu, the Romanian Prime Minister, and Emil Constantinescu, the Romanian President, the Press Center noted.

The Press Center stated that Ecevit will participate in the working luncheon of Isarescu and the official dinner of Constantinescu.

Ecevit will return to Turkey on February 13, 2000, the Press Center added.

The Southeastern Europe Countries' Cooperation Process which was launched by the foreign ministers' meeting held in Belgrade in 1988 and Tirana in 1990, aims at the establishment of a lasting peace and stability in the region and improvement of the cooperation among the regional countries.

The Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the Heads of State and Government Meeting are staged every year under the term presidency of one of the member countries.

Turkey, Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, Yugoslavia Federal Republic, and Greece are the members of the process while Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia are the observers.

The first Heads of State and Government Meeting was staged in the Crete in 1997 and the second in Antalya in 1998.

The third Heads of State and Government Meeting will be held in Bucharest on February 12, 2000.

The ''Charter on the Good Neighbourly Relations, Stability, Confidence and Cooperation in the Southeastern Europe'' which was proposed by Turkey in 1998 and which was initiated in the Foreign Ministers' Meeting in 1999, will be signed in this meeting.

This charter is the first political document which will be signed by the Balkan countries since the Balkan Pact of 1934.

The Charter carries importance because it proposes cooperation in every field, and because it is an official document which puts forward the scope, principles and targets of this cooperation.

The joint statement which will be issued in the end of the summit will include the below mentioned items:

-The charter that will be signed is an action plan which puts forward the rules of behaviour and the cooperation among member countries,

-The regional countries share the European-Atlantic standards of judgement including the democracy and respect to human rights. Within this framework, solution should be found to the Kosovo dispute under the resolutions of the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council. Under this resolution, the international existences in Kosovo is supported,

-Within the framework of the Southeastern Europe Stability Pact which was adopted in Cologne in June 1999, the foreign ministers are charged to develop a mechanism to determine the regional projects.

[12] WORLD MUNICIPALITIES CONFERENCE - ALIAGA MUNICIPALITY'S PROJECT TO PREVENT SLUMS DRAWS ATTENTION

Turkey is represented at the conference by Bursa, Diyarbakir, Batman, Bingol, Hakkari, Van, Mardin, Siirt, Golcuk, and Aliaga municipalities. The participants are discussing the future of cities in the 21st century, environmental health, health problems of people who live in cities, traffic, and construction of residences.

Diyarbakir Mayor Feridun Celik, Batman Mayor Abdullah Akin, Bingol Mayor Feyzullah Karaaslan, and Siirt Mayor Mehmet Selim Ozalp told A.A that at the conference, they would bring up issues like restructuralization of southeast, problems caused by migration, infrastructure, culture, and education issues.

A project carried out by Izmir Aliaga Municipality about slums, which is a problem in many Mediterranean countries, drew the attention of many local administrators. Hakki Ulku, Aliaga Mayor said it was possible to prevent the formation of slums. ''We assigned land owned by the treasury and municipality to the owners of 415 squats. We distributed the land to people after completing its infrastructure. People, within two years, built houses on this land where they can live in good conditions. This way, we proved that a residential area can be formed in an industry region and slums can be prevented,'' he explained.

[13] EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE'S DECISION: ''TURKS WHO COMMIT CRIME IN AN EU COUNTRY, DON'T LOSE THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS''

According to this decision, a Turkish citizen who committed a crime in an EU country and who was tried and punished, won't lose his legal rights stemming from Article 6/1/3 of the Association Council decision No. 1/80 taken on September 19, 1980 and won't be deported.

Omer Nazlı, a Turkish citizen, who has been residing and working in Germany since 1978, was taken into custody and tried as 1,5 kilos of heroin was found on him. After serving his sentence in prison, Nazlı found another job. German officials wanted to deport him due to the ''German Law on Foreigners.'' The Turkish citizen filed a suit against Nurnberg municipality which cancelled its residence permission.

Lawyers of Nazlı defended before the Bavaria Administration Court that their client served his sentence and he shouldn't lose his rights. They also said that not the German national law, but the EU law and the agreements between the EU and Turkey should prevail in this case.

Bavaria Administration Court asked for a preliminary decision from the European Court of Justice and asked two questions:

''Does a Turkish citizen who commits a crime and sentenced in an EU country lose the legal status, residence and working rights he acquired before?'' and ''Can he be deported?''

The European Court of Justice stressed in its decision no. C-340/97 that he won't lose his rights and he can't deported.

This case is very important because it is a sample for other cases and it gave priority to the EU law.

[14] RETOUR DU PRESIDENT DENKTAŞ EN RTCN

A son retour, M. Denktaş a exprime "d'une façon generale sa satisfaction aux resultats des discussions".

"Comme durant le premier tour, lors du second tour egalement, l'ONU a demontre une fois de plus qu'elle etait une bonne auditrice", a-t-il declare.

Les entreteins ont ete menes par l'intermediaire d'Alvaro de Soto, representant special pour Chypre du secretaire general de l'ONU Kofi Annan.

Par ailleurs, le president Denktaş doit passer ce soir en Allemagne, ou il doit notamment rencontrer demain apres-midi le ministre allemand des Affaires etrangeres, Joschka Fischer a Hambourg.

Lors de son sejour, il doit egalement tenir une conference sur le poprbleme chypriote.

La RTCN et la Turquie posent comme condition prealable a une solution sur l'ile la reconnaissance de la RTCN et proposent la creation d'une confederation.

Chypre est divisee en deux secteurs, turc au nord et grec au sud, depuis l'operation de paix de la Turquie en 1974 en riposte a un coup d'Etat des nationalistes grecs qui voulaient rattacher l'ile a la Grece.

[15] TURQUIE-EXTERIEURE: - DIVERS

"Je presente a votre Excellence mes chaleureuses felicitations, mes meilleurs voeux de bonheur et de prosperite au peuple grec ami et souhaite que la reelection de M. Stephanopoulos contribue a ameliorer encore l'atmosphere entre les deux pays, sous le signe de l'amitie", a-t-il stipule dans son message.

- Le ministre des Affaires etrangeres, Ismail Cem, est rentre dans la nuit de mercredi a jeudi de son voyage officiel au Maroc, axee sur un developpement de la cooperation entre les deux pays, a-t-on indique de source officielle.

Dans ce cadre, M. Cem et le ministre marocain des Affaires etrangeres et de la Cooperation Mohamed Benaissa ont signe un document de cooperation dans les questions d'ordre internationale, selon la meme source.

- Le sommet des pays turcophones se tiendra le 8 avril prochain a Bakou, a- t-on rapporte jeudi de source officielle.

- La 8eme session de la commission economique mixte turco-indienne s'est tenue mercredi a New Delhi.

Les parties sont parvenues a un accord pour l'accroissement de la cooperation economique et du volume commercial.

- La plus grande foire internationele du tourisme et du voyage du bassin mediterraneen, "Emitt" se tiendra du 17 au 20 fevrier 2000 a Istanbul et reunira les represnetants en tourisme de 40 pays.

- Les parties turque et israelienne ont signe mercredi a Tel Aviv un memorandum a l'issue des entretiens de la commission economique mixte turco- israelienne.

L'Ojectif des deux pays: accroitre le volume du commerce de 900 millions de dollars, (en 1999), a 2 milliards de dollars cette annee.

- Le porte-parole du ministere des Affaires etrangeres, Sermet Atacanlı a declare mercredi que la Turquie avait propose la creation d'un comite militaire conjoint a la Grece.

"Nous esperons maintenant l'approbation par la partie grecque de notre proposition", a-t-il indique.

"Par le biais de ce comite une solution sera apportee aux affirmations de "violations d'espaces aeriens en Egee"", a-t-il precise.

- "La Turquie est opposee a toute sorte d'actions terroriste", a rapporte mercredi le porte-parole du ministere des Affaires etrangeres, Sermet Atacanlı, en commentant les agressions terroristes qui ont survenu le 5 fevrier en Iran.

M. Atacanlı a reaffirme le droit naturel de chaque pays a lutter contre le terrorisme ainsi que l'importance d'une cooperation sur le plan internationale dans la lutte contre ce fleau.

- Le president de l'Association des hommes d'affaires turcs et americains, Mustafa Koç a invite mercredi le vice-Premier ministre, Devlet Bahçeli a Washington pour la prochaine reunion du Conseil, qui doit notamment porter sur des questions energetiques.

[16] LA TURQUIE TESTE AVEC SUCCES DEUX MISSILES

Les missiles Toros 230-A et Toros 260-A, respectivement d'une portee de 65 et de 100 km, ont ete tires depuis des lanceurs situes dans une base militaire de la region de Şile, pres d'Istanbul, et ont atteint leur cibles, selon la meme source.

"La Turquie fabrique pour la premiere fois avec ses propres capacites des engins de ce genre afin de limiter sa dependance vis a vis de l'etranger", a rapporte un responsable de l'equipe d'ingenieurs charge du projet, Eyüp Serdar Gökpinar, qui a ajoute: "nous voulons exporter ces missiles".

Le Toros 230-A est de long de 4,1 metres pour un diametre de 230 mm et un poids de 326 kg.

Toros 260-A a une longueur de 4,8 m, un diametre de 260 mm et un poids de 483 kg.

A.A

Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article