TRKNWS-L Turkish Press Review

CONTENTS

  • [01] DEMIREL VISITS BULGARIA

  • [02] CILLER TO VISIT UZBEKISTAN, AZERBAIJAN

  • [03] OYMEN ASSURES TRNC ON SECURITY

  • [04] BAVARIAN MINISTER:"KURDISH PARLIAMENT-IN-EXILE IS PKK PROPAGANDA"

  • [05] GREEK-PKK COOPERATION ANGERS EP DEPUTY

  • [06] FM INONU MEETS TURKISH-GERMAN FRIENDSHIP GROUP AT EP

  • [07] EU PARLIAMENTARIANS TOUR GAP

  • [08] US MORE CONCERNED ABOUT CYPRUS

  • [09] DEMIREL COMMENTS ON CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES

  • [10] OSCE COMMISSION GOES TO CANADA

  • [11] NO ATTEMPT FOR TURCO-GREEK MEETING

  • [12] SNEAKY ATHENS

  • [13] HEAVY CUSTOMS UNION TRAFFIC

    •

    WITH THE COMPLIMENT OF

    DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION

    TURKISH PRESS REVIEW

    JUL 4, 1995

    Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish

    press this morning

    [01] DEMIREL VISITS BULGARIA

    Turkish President Suleyman Demirel is to pay a three-day visit to Bulgaria starting tomorrow at the official invitation of his Bulgarian counterpart Jelu Jelev. Demirel visited Bulgaria in 1975 as prime minister. Demirel is to address parliament during his visit, aimed at boosting political and economic relations, a statement by the Presidency office said. Both leaders attended a meeting of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation council in Bucharest, Romania last week. In a statement to "Duma" newspaper of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, which is now in power in Bulgaria and continuation of the former Communist Party, Demirel stated that there was not even one problem that could not be solved between Turkey and Bulgaria. Noting that during the past 20 years everthing had changed, Demirel said: "We had hard times. History polarized us. However, following the collapse of the totalitarian regime, new balances began to be established especially in Europe. Now, the aim of both countries is the same: Integration with the European Union. Development of our relations in every field will speed up integration with the EU". Pointing out that some extreme nationalist groups tend to create a gap between the two nations, Demirel said: "The only capital of extreme nationalism is hatred. These groups which want to create an atmosphere of hatred creates polarization in various societies. But, I believe that the larger part of these societies does not think in the same way as these groups and excludes them". FM Erdal Inonu is accompanying Demirel on the Bulgaria visit. /Cumhuriyet/

    [02] CILLER TO VISIT UZBEKISTAN, AZERBAIJAN

    Prime Minister Tansu Ciller is due to pay official visits to Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan between July 9 and 12, diplomatic sources said yesterday. Visiting Tashkent on July 9 and 10 as the guest of Uzbek President Islam Kerimov, Ciller will mainly seek improvement of economic ties between Turkey and the Central Asian state. Ciller is then to fly to Baku for her visit as the guest of Azeri President Haydar Aliyev. Ciller and Aliyev are expected to mainly discuss a project for the transport of future Azeri oil to international markets with a pipeline routed via Turkish territory.

    [03] OYMEN ASSURES TRNC ON SECURITY

    Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Onur Oymen, who went to the island on an introductory visit, assured President Rauf Denktas on the security of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). "The life and property of all the TRNC citizens are under the guarantee of Turkey" Oymen told President Denktas yesterday. "We have reached a critical stage in the Cyprus question" Denktas said before he met with Oymen on "Sukran Gunu" or "The Day of Gratitude" which marks the Turkish side's liberation from Greek Cypriot attacks. "We will try to act in consensus on the Cyprus issue" Denktas added.

    [04] BAVARIAN MINISTER:"KURDISH PARLIAMENT-IN-EXILE IS PKK PROPAGANDA"

    Guenther Beckstein, Interior Minister of the German State of Bavaria, said that the Kurdish Parliament-in-exile was PKK terrorist organization propaganda, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. Beckstein sent a letter to deputies of the Bavarian state that the Kurdish parliament had not been formed as the result of an election and thus was not real. Beckstein added that this parliament did not even claim to talk on behalf of the Kurdish people. Beckstein also said that the parliament had been established with financial support from the PKK, the agency reported.

    [05] GREEK-PKK COOPERATION ANGERS EP DEPUTY

    The meeting of several Greek deputies with the PKK terrorist organization leader Abdullah Ocalan in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon has angered Marlene Lenz, head of the Human Rights Commission of the European Parliament, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. Lenz, who is in Antalya at present, said: "I did not know about this. I first heard about it in Turkey. We cannot interfere in Greek domestic affairs but I will ask Greek parliamentarians how they could do such a thing. It is a part of Papandreau's tactics to support such anti-Turk institutions".

    [06] FM INONU MEETS TURKISH-GERMAN FRIENDSHIP GROUP AT EP

    Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu met yesterday with members of the Turkish-German Friendship Group at the European Parliament (EP) to discuss Turkey's preparations regarding its deal to enter a customs union with the EU. Inonu briefed the deputies about Turkey's democratization efforts.

    [07] EU PARLIAMENTARIANS TOUR GAP

    The delegation of German European Union (EU) parliamentarians representing the Germany-Turkey Group presently visiting Turkey, have been on a tour of the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP).

    The group of four parliamentarians have expressed massive surprise at the size of the project, and the potential for development it offers the region. One member of the delegation, Klaus Buhler, also noted that Turkey was giving more than the agreed amount of water to Syria.

    Noting that Turkey was the victim of bad press reports in Germany, the delegates said that they had been greatly impressed by what they had seen in Turkey. "We will most certainly convey what we have seen to the German public", they promised. /Cumhuriyet/

    [08] US MORE CONCERNED ABOUT CYPRUS

    The Washington administration is daily growing more uneasy about the increasing tension between Turkey and Greece, and the effect this could have on finding a solution to the Cyprus problem.

    Thoughts that annexation could surface as an answer to the dispute between the two communities on the island are looming up in the minds of US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke, and Special Representative for Cyprus Richard Beattie. A special meeting between them and Special Cyprus Coordinator James Williams has been set for 19 July.

    The feeling in diplomatic circles is that Cyprus is going to be squeezed a lot more tightly before the tension in the region subsides. Diplomatic pressure is being exerted on both President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Rauf Denktas, and leader of the Greek community Glafkos Klerides, to meet and have further talks. /Milliyet/

    [09] DEMIREL COMMENTS ON CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES

    President Suleyman Demirel yesterday offered his own thoughts on the changes to education laws as included in the proposed changes to the constitution. The changes to the constitution and other matters related to changes in the law are a matter of hot debate, but Demirel noted that in some areas there was unity of thought about the changes.

    There is evidence of a spirit of compromise among the political parties as debate speeds up in view of the short time remaining for passing the changes into law. Prime Minister Ciller has also stepped up the pressure to get parliament to move faster. /Cumhuriyet/

    [10] OSCE COMMISSION GOES TO CANADA

    A Commission including five parliamentarians chaired by ANAP (Motherland Party) Konya Deputy Mehmet Kececiler has gone to Ottawa, Canada to participate in Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentarians Assembly that will be held on 4-8 July. The commission will participate in the fourth ordinary meeting of the organization. Nihat Matkap, CHP (Republican People's Party) Hatay Deputy, Melike Tugay Hasefe, ANAP (Motherland Party) Istanbul Deputy, Uluc Gurkan, DSP (Democratic Left Party) Ankara Deputy and Ahmet Feyzi Inceoz, RP (Welfare Party) Tokat Deputy are included in the commission. /Cumhuriyet/

    [11] NO ATTEMPT FOR TURCO-GREEK MEETING

    There was no attempt on the part of President Suleyman Demirel to meet with his Greek counterpart Kostis Stefanopulos during the Black Sea Economic Cooperation summit in Romania last week, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Omer Akbel said at a press conference held yesterday in the Foreign Ministry. "Neither of the two sides expressed a desire for a bilateral meeting," Akbel noted. He added that Turkey wanted a dialogue to solve the problems between Turkey and Greece, but this was not reciprocated by the Greek side. /Cumhuriyet/

    [12] SNEAKY ATHENS

    The Greek government maintains its indifferent attitude with respect to the contacts of Greek parliamentarians with the PKK terrorist organization. Government Spokesman Evangelos Venizelos reiterated that the meeting of these "independent" parliamentarians, led by Greek Paliament Deputy Speaker Panayotus Sguridis, with PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan had in no way any binding effect upon the Greek government. At the same time, Greek newspapers evaluate the meeting of the six Greek parliamentarians with the PKK leader as a "foreign policy mistake". /Milliyet/

    [13] HEAVY CUSTOMS UNION TRAFFIC

    Sides are revising and intensifying technical preparations and relations with the European Parliament (EP) which is the decision making body with a view to completing customs union between Turkey and the EU which is agreed to be put into force on 1 January, 1996. The European Parliament will start the approval process of the customs union during a general council to be held on 10 July. The count-down for the customs union has begun at technical levels and politically. Fulfillment of the promises by the sides within the framework of the Customs Union Agreement accepted on 6 March, 1995, following negotiations between Turkey and the EU during the last two years, and the attitude of the EP about suspending relations with the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) will be made clear during the next six months. Husamettin Cindoruk, Speaker of the TGNA spoke about measures to be taken for an easy customs union transition process with Foreign Minister Erdal Inonu yesterday. Sergei Abou, chief of the EU Turkey desk will come to Turkey within the framework of relations for customs union. Tomorrow Onur Oymen, the Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry will go to Spain, which will be the EU term chairman and will confirm the date of Prime Minister Tansu Ciller's upcoming visit to Spain. A visit by deputy Prime Minister Hikmet Cetin to Strasbourg and a visit by Erdal Inonu to Brussels are on the agenda. The European Democratic Group and the heads of the European Democratic Federation will arrive in Ankara at the end of July and at the beginning of August. A decision has been made regarding meeting their commitments by the sides by the beginning of 1996, an agreement for which was made during the Partnership Council meeting between Turkey and the EU on 6 March, 1995. According to the decision, EU financial support to Turkey is being considered. In the decision regarding the customs union process, Turkey's responsibilities were given priority. The EU accelerated the dialogue process with the Greek side representing the "Republic of Cyprus" in return for an end to the Greek veto on 6 March when the customs union text with Turkey was prepared. /Cumhuriyet/

    END

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