Subject: TURKISH PRESS REVIEW (MARCH 20, 1995) From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" [01] ITALIAN PRESIDENT IN TURKEY [02] MORE ATTACKS AGAINST TURKISH PREMISES IN GERMANY [03] KINKEL: "OUR PATIENCE IS RUNNING OUT" [04] DENKTAS ASSIGNS ATUN TO FORM TRNC GOVERNMENT [05] SYRIAN DELEGATION TOURS GAP [06] ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS OF HOUSING LOANS FOR TURKISH WORKERS IN GERMANY [07] NEVRUZ CELEBRATIONS [08] PKK MISLEADS ITALIAN JOURNALISTS [09] MESUT YILMAZ IN WASHINGTON [10] INITIATIVES FOR A KURDISH PARLIAMENT IN EXILE BLOCKED [11] 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF DARDANELLES VICTORY [12] TURKEY TO TAKE PART IN UAE DEFENCE FAIR [13] HEALTH COOPERATION AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED BETWEEN TURKEY AND MACEDONIA [14] TURKEY, KAZAKHSTAN SIGN AGREEMENT OF INTENT FOR OIL PIPELINE [15] INFORMATION OFFICE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS - REPUBLIC OF TURKEY: GOVERMENT STATEMENT - MARCH 20, 1995 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WITH THE COMPLIMENT OF DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION TURKISH PRESS REVIEW MARCH 20, 1995 Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning. [01] ITALIAN PRESIDENT IN TURKEY Turkey today enters a busy week of diplomacy in terms of its relations with Europe, with a three-day visit by Italian President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro followed by a visit of the foreign ministers of the EU troika. Scalfaro, who will be the first Italian president to visit Turkey as the guest of President Suleyman Demirel since 1957, is expected to take up mostly economic matters. Italian Foreign Minister Susanna Agnelli will accompany Scalfaro. In 1957, Italian President Giovanni Gronchi visited Ankara as the guest of Turkish President Celal Bayar and in 1959 Celal Bayar visited Rome. During his visit, the two countries are expected to sign an accord on encouragement and protection of investments. Italian companies are involved in various highway projects in Turkey, and there is Turco-Italian cooperation in the construction of the north-south portion of the Trans- European motorway and Bulgaria-Albania-Italy-Turkey (West-East Corridor) project. Scalfaro will arrive in Istanbul and then journey on to Ankara where he will be welcomed by President Demirel with an official ceremony. Scalfaro will meet with Parliament Speaker Husamettin Cindoruk and Prime Minister Tansu Ciller. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ferhat Ataman said that all bilateral issues and regional and international developments that are of interest to the two countries could come up in the talks between the two presidents. The Bosnian question in particular, as well as broader Balkan issues, are expected to top the list of international issues, along with Turkey's integration with Europe. The Turkish side is expected to bring up the activities of Kurdish groups abroad, in view of the fact that ERNK, the so-called political wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), opened an office in Rome in December 1993. The EU Troika meeting, in Ankara on March 23, will be a high-level follow-up of to the Turco-EU customs union agreement on March 6. Germany's Klaus Kinkel, France's Alain Juppe and Spain's Javier Solana Madariaga will be accompanied by the EU's External Affairs Commissioner Hans van den Broek. /All papers/ [02] MORE ATTACKS AGAINST TURKISH PREMISES IN GERMANY There have been more attacks against Turkish business premises throughout Germany over the weekend. Reports note that although damage was extensive, no one has been reported killed or injured. The business premises attacked with fire bombs include grocery stores, culture centres and tourism agencies. Premises belonging to Turks were also fire bombed in the Swedish capital of Stockholm. /All papers/ [03] KINKEL: "OUR PATIENCE IS RUNNING OUT" German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel said over the weekend that German patience is running out in conn- ection with continuing PKK terrorist violence. Commenting on the spate of fire bomb attacks against Turkish-owned property and business premises through- out Germany, Kinkel said that "the attitude of the Kurds is trying our patience to the limit." He also noted that he was deeply disturbed by current trends in Kurdish violence. Speaking at a meeting of European Union (EU) officials on Sunday, Minister Kinkel noted that there was growing unease in Germany over PKK related violence against Turks living and working in Germany. /Hurriyet/ [04] DENKTAS ASSIGNS ATUN TO FORM TRNC GOVERNMENT President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) yesterday assigned Hakki Atun to form a new government to succeed the former coalition he headed. Atun, leading the Democratic Party which holds 16 seats in the 50-member Republican Assembly, or TRNC Parliament, said he would start talks immediately with other parties for the speedy formation of a new government. /All papers/ [05] SYRIAN DELEGATION TOURS GAP In what is seen as a switch away from the traditional policy of opposition to Turkey's vast Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) for harnessing the waters of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, a Syrian delegation arrived in Sanliurfa yesterday for a tour of the massive project. The 15-man delegation, headed by Muhammad Mustafa Miro, the governor of Aleppo, will tour the two giant irrigation tunnels, visit settlements and have talks with local officials on border security and trade. /All papers/ [06] ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS OF HOUSING LOANS FOR TURKISH WORKERS IN GERMANY Yigit Guloksuz, Chairman of the Mass Housing Administration (TOKI), said the housing loans of DM 50,000 granted to Turkish workers in Germany enabling them to build houses in their homeland could turn Turkey's coastal regions into piles of concrete, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. The TOKI administration estimates the loans will create a potential demand for 35,000 houses, and sees this as a real threat to both Aegean and Mediterranean coastlines. /All papers/ [07] NEVRUZ CELEBRATIONS Turkey is racing to organize events to celebrate the spring festival of Nevruz (new day) after the surprise realization that it is a major occasion for the Turkish-speaking republics of Asia with which it is trying to forge closer links. The Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) has organized an elaborate two-day series of festivities, starting today, in which officials invited from the Turkish-speaking republics inside the Russian Federation. Teams from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will perform folklore dances. About 200 scientists and artists from these countries will take part in the conferences and festivities marking the occasion. Presidency Chief Advisor Namik Kemal Zeybek (on behalf of President Suleyman Demirel), Prime Minister Tansu Ciller, ministers and ambassadors from various countries will attend the ceremonies. Meanwhile, within the framework of a circular sent by National Education Minister Nevzat Ayaz, a Nevruz programme will be organized in schools. Other activities are as follows: TURKSOY will hold a joint press conference. Culture Minister Timurcin Savas will participate in the meeting. The Ataturk Insitute of Culture, Language and History will arrange a meeting on "Nevruz in Turkish Culture" on March 20-22. President Suleyman Demirel and Prime Minister Tansu Ciller will make the opening speeches. /All papers/ [08] PKK MISLEADS ITALIAN JOURNALISTS It is clear that the main reason for news against Turkey in the Italian press is because Italian journalists have been getting their news stories through their agencies and representative offices in Greece. According to information from Italian press members nearly all of the journalists reporting news about Turkey are living in Athens. These reporters are being given wrong and biased news from PKK sources in Greece. /Hurriyet/ [09] MESUT YILMAZ IN WASHINGTON Chairman of the opposition Motherland Party, Mesut Yilmaz will hold talks with high level US officials, members of the US Congress and members of the press in Washington during his visit there. Yilmaz will also meet with US Assistant Secretary of Defence John Deutch, US Special Coordinator for Cyprus Richard Beattie, and will also come together with IMF officials to discuss economic issues. Yilmaz will attend a meeting organized by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and give a speech. Yilmaz will fly to New York on 23 March and attend a meeting of the Federation of Turco-American Associations. /Cumhuriyet/ [10] INITIATIVES FOR A KURDISH PARLIAMENT IN EXILE BLOCKED Initiatives by the PKK terrorist organization to open a Kurdish Parliament in exile in time for "Nevruz" celebrations have been blocked as a result of intensive diplomatic activity by Turkey in Europe. Belgium and other countries are not going to give permission for a Kurdish parliament in exile to be established in their respective countries. The Kurdish commission responsible for organizing elections for the Kurdish parliament in exile has stated that the Parliament cannot be opened on 21 March because the elections are still continuing. It is also reported that diplomatic initiatives will be made in Norway, Sweden, Spain and Portugal in the near future. Further, companies in Europe have agreed not to buy satellite time on MED-TV (a Kurdish TV station based in London which will broadcast to Turkey), recognizing that the TV station is backed by the PKK terrorist organization. /Hurriyet/ [11] 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF DARDANELLES VICTORY Turkey celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Dardanalles Victory on Saturday with calls for unity and solidarity. Chief of Staff General Ismail Hakki Karadayi sent a message to the governor of Canakkale on Saturday to mark the occasion and declared that the victory, 80 years ago, had once again shown to the whole world the capabilities of the Turkish nation to take on the world powers and beat them. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tansu Ciller headed the ceremonies at the Dardanelles, and in a speech said the government would always strive to preserve national unity and solidarity. /All papers/ [12] TURKEY TO TAKE PART IN UAE DEFENCE FAIR Four leading defence industry companies are due to represent Turkey at the IDEX-95 defence fair to be organized in the United Arab Emirates between March 19 and 23. /All papers/ [13] HEALTH COOPERATION AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED BETWEEN TURKEY AND MACEDONIA An agreement on cooperation in the health field between Turkey and Macedonia will be signed today in Ankara. The agreement, to be signed by Health Minister Dogan Baran and Macedonian Health Minister Iliya Filipce, will cover cooperation on issues such as hospital administration and health education. /All papers/ [14] TURKEY, KAZAKHSTAN SIGN AGREEMENT OF INTENT FOR OIL PIPELINE Turkey and Kazakhstan have signed an agreement of intent for transport via pipeline of Kazakh oil to Turkey's Ceyhan Mediterranean terminal, the Anatolia news agency reported. It said senior officials from the energy ministers of the two countries signed the agreement. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [15] INFORMATION OFFICE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS REPUBLIC OF TURKEY GOVERMENT STATEMENT MARCH 20, 1995 UPON THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE GOVERMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY, THE TURKISH ARMED FORCES TODAY LAUNCHED A MILITARY OPERATION AT THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING AGAINST A NUMBER OF PKK TERRORIST CAMPS LOCATED IN NORTHERN IRAQ, ADJACENT TO THE TURKISH BORDERS. FOLLOWING THE TOTAL CONTROL OF THE TERROR ACTIVITIES IN SOUTH EASTERN REGION OF TURKEY BY THE TURKISH SECURITY FORCES, PKK, DUE TO LACK OF AUTHORITY IN NORTHERN IRAQ, HAS INTENSIFIED ITS ACTIVITIES AGAINST TURKEY FROM THIS REGION. AIMED AT PROTECTION THE LIVES AND SECURITY OF INNOCENT PEOPLE, THE OPERATION WILL BE OF LIMITED DURATION AND THE FORCES INVOLVED WILL BE WITHDRAWN IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE ELIMINATION OF THE TARGETS. RESPECTING THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF IRAQ, THE TURKISH GOVERMENT HAS TAKEN THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO SAFEGUARD THE WELL-BEING OF THE CIVIL POPULATION IN NORTHERN IRAQ. END ------------------------------------------------------------------------------