Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader and Prime Minister Bulent
Ecevit displayed a harsh reaction against the disgruntled
deputies who are in favour of cancelling the April 18 elections,
labelling their attempt a 'civilian coup'. Ecevit said: "I hope
their efforts will have no impact on Parliament and that this
effort for a 'coup' will only cause a little unrest".
The Motherland Party (ANAP) and the True Path Party (DYP) leaders
also reacted against the deputies' attempt. ANAP leader Mesut
Yilmaz said: "Some people in Ankara are trying to cancel the
elections, but they will fail. This kind of attempt is leading
Turkey into chaos. This means the national will will be
mortgaged". DYP leader Tansu Ciller stated that it is impossible
that the deputies will succeed in postponing elections and
declared: "They are only thinking of their own interests. Turkey
has to renew its Parliament. Each effort at personal gain is a
loss for Turkey". The leader of the Republican People's Party
(CHP), Deniz Baykal, stated that this issue cannot be solved by a
group of disorganized deputies but with the support of a whole
political party. Baykal also stated that 184 MPs are needed for a
plenary session at Parliament on Saturday. "I am not sure whether
there will be a majority or not. To enact laws, a majority is
needed in Parliament" he said. /All papers/
Hikmet Cetin, the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly,
remarked that the Parliamentary session to be held on Saturday is
not concerned with the postponement of the April Elections. Cetin
said, "The plenary session on Saturday will tend to discuss the
national and international developments due to the capture of
Abdullah Ocalan, the chief of the terrorist PKK organization, and
to review the necessary legislative measures to be taken for
them." Hikmet Cetin noted that in order to hold a Parliamentary
meeting to postpone the April Elections, another application must
be submitted to his office and he has received no such demand
yet. /Turkiye/
The PKK chief, Abdullah Ocalan, has formally appointed two
lawyers to defend him against charges of treason. The Anatolia
News Agency quoting police officials reported that Ocalan named
Ahmet Zeki Okcuoglu and his brother Selim Okcuoglu as his lawyers
in the presence of a notary.
In an attempt to soothe the ongoing tension between Ankara and
Athens, US diplomat Thomas Miller had talks in Ankara yesterday
as part of a regional tour, which also included Greece and
Cyprus. Miller, the State Department's Special Coordinator for
Cyprus, met Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, State Minister
Sukru Sina Gurel and Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Faruk
Logoglu yesterday. The issue of Greek and Greek Cypriot support
for the PKK terrorist organization was high on the agenda at the
meetings. Speaking to reporters after his talks with Cem, Miller
said that Greece should end its support for the PKK. Miller added
that the US regarded the PKK as a terrorist organization. /All
papers/
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit gave a resolute reply to Thomas
Miller, the US Special Coordinator for Cyprus, who had implied
that the current strains between Greece and Turkey should be
soothed if the Cyprus Question between the two countries be
resolved. Remarking that Greece trains and shelters terrorist
militants against Turkey, Ecevit said, "This fact was being
ignored by the entire international community. However, Greek
support for the separatist PKK terrorism has become apparent now.
It would be wrong to relate this question with other problems
between Turkey and Greece, and particularly with the Cyprus
Question." /Hurriyet/
Turkey sent a reply to Strasbourg upon a demand by the European
Court of Human Rights concerning the details of the capture of
the PKK chief, Abdullah Ocalan. Ankara said in the letter that
all procedures necessary for a state of law have been carried out
by Turkey following Ocalan's capture. The letter pointed out that
Ocalan was initially rendered ineffective by Kenyan officials and
then delivered to Turkey. The letter recalled that even though
countries such as Italy and Germany were looking for Ocalan due
to his involvement in drug trafficking and international
terrorism, they did not want to try Ocalan themselves. The letter
added that Ocalan was provided with all suitable conditions in
order to continue with his daily life. /Milliyet/
The former Greek Prime Minister and the Honorary Head of the New
Democracy Party, Konstantin Mitcotakis, criticized the Simitis
government, which clearly supports the PKK terrorist
organization. Mitcotakis noted that Greece should immediately
announce that the PKK is a terrorist organization. Mitcotakis,
who participated in a programme on the Private Antenna television
two days ago, said that Athens should assume a clearer stance on
the PKK terrorist organization.
Mitcotakis stated that Greece should not intervene in the Ocalan
issue and added that the damage which this issue caused in the
Greek government was at tragic levels. On the other hand, the
Greek Government Spokesman Dimitri Reppas who held a press
conference yesterday said that the US did not want Greece to
announce the PKK as a terrorist organization, however, Athens
condemns every terrorist activity, he added. /Aksam/
The Minister of National Defence, Hikmet Sami Turk, noted that
the deployment of missiles on the Aegean island of Crete by
Greece was against both the Treaty of Lausanne and the Charter of
Paris. Turk said: "Turkey has always been against the armament of
the Greek islands". Replying to a question whether the deployment
of missiles on the Greek islands would be a reason of war, Turk
stressed that there were some stages to be overcome prior to a
war. Turk stated that Turkey had previously declared that if
Greece extends its territorial waters in the Aegean Sea to 12
miles, this would be a reason of war. /Aksam/
The Head of the Federal Supreme Administrative Court in Berlin,
Friedrich Seebass, said: "The PKK is carrying out terrorist
activities in Turkey". He added that those who support the PKK
terrorist organization should be deported. /Cumhuriyet/
Seven members of the PKK terrorist organization who were about to
carry out terrorist activities in the Turgutlu district of Manisa
were captured yesterday with molotov cocktails. The Security
Chief of the District, Nihat Oral, said that the PKK members were
going to throw molotov cocktails to various places in order to
protest the capture of the PKK chief Abdullah Ocalan by Turkey.
/Cumhuriyet/
An Italian journalist who has been allegedly involved in a bomb
attack on the office of the Turkish Airlines (THY) in Rome during
the demonstrations protesting the capture of Ocalan on February
20 in Rome has been interrogated. It is reported that the Italian
journalist, Annubi D'Avossa, has been interrogated because he was
observed in the photographs received by the police. /Cumhuriyet/
The bloody terrorist activities that have been lasting for the
last 15 years in Southeastern Anatolia region, decreased by
40-50% as a result of the successful struggle of the security
forces, the Anatolia News Agency reports. A total of 114
terrorists were killed in the operations launched by the security
forces in the region since the beginning of this year.
The government has launched initiatives to eliminate the
pernicious influence of the terrorist PKK organization, which has
been in a process of disintegration following the capture of its
chief, Abdullah Ocalan. Very recently, the Ministry of National
Education has declared that 647 schools in Eastern and
Southeastern Anatolia, which were closed due to security reasons,
will be reopened in the following school year. Accordingly, the
government will appoint a high number of teachers to those closed
schools immediately after the April Elections. /Turkiye/
German police has initiated a campaign against the terrorist
organizations of the PKK and DHKP-C and stated that providing
financial assistance for these organizations was a crime. German
police, who held raids against the associations of these
organizations, hang notices on the panels of subway stations and
city centers. In these notices, it was pointed out that the PKK,
Dev-Sol and DHKP-C organizations were illegal in Germany. /Aksam/
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has demanded a plea
from Turkey on the Welfare Party (RP), which was closed by the
Constitutional Court on January 16, 1998, due to its anti-secular
activities. The Deputy Chairman of the de-funct RP, Sevket Kazan,
had applied to the ECHR following the decision of the
Constitutional Court. Due to the ECHR demand, preparations on the
plea have begun. /Cumhuriyet/
President Suleyman Demirel sent yesterday a message to Saparmurad
Turkmenbasi, the President of Turkmenistan, wishing him a rapid
recovery from an operation he underwent in connection with an
earlier heart surgery, the Anatolia News Agency reports.
The Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA), Hikmet
Cetin and an accompanying delegation arrived in Tel Aviv
yesterday for a four-day official visit. Cetin first met the
former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres. During the meeting,
Peres noted that they view Turkey as the locomotive of the Muslim
world and pointed out the importance of the relations between
Turkey and Israel. /Cumhuriyet/
Martin Indyk, US Deputy State Secretary responsible for Middle
Eastern Affairs, who will arrive in Turkey tomorrow, will want
Turkey to change the binding rules of the Northern Watch. However
it is reported that Turkey will not accept the proposal for an
alteration to the structure of the multi-national power. The
developments following the bombing of the Kirkuk-Yumurtalik
pipeline will also be taken up during the meetings which will
start between the Turkish and US delegations tomorrow. /Milliyet/
The Chief of Security, Necati Bilican, has said that operations
against illegal organizations are on-going. Bilican went to
Jordan yesterday to hold various contacts within the framework of
'Security Cooperation Agreement' signed between Turkey and Jordan
in 1994. Bilican noted that during his contacts to last for three
days, various security issues between the two countries would be
deliberated, the Anatolia News Agency reports.
Laying an ambush in Tunceli yesterday, terrorists killed one
soldier and wounded three soldiers. Operations to find out the
terrorist team in the region are being carried out by the Turkish
security forces. /Turkiye/
Among 41 people who have been taken into custody for being
members of the illegal MLKP organization, Ali Gok and Lokman Odak
were arrested by the State Security Court yesterday. /Cumhuriyet/
Security forces seized 175 kgs of dynamite and 5 thousand meters
of time fuse, illegally maintained in a quarry at the Alaca
district of the Corum province. The directors of the quarry were
taken into custody. The police investigates whether the accused
persons are interrelated with a terrorist organization. /Turkiye/
Zerrin Yeniceli, the Izmir MP for the Democratic Left Party
(DSP), declared that she had resigned from her party. Yeniceli
was one of the 116 MPs who endorsed the attempt to call
Parliament into an extraordinary session, following her exclusion
from the party list of candidates for the April Elections.
/Turkiye/
Foreign military officials at the NATO European Forces
Commandership (SHAPE) in Brussels admitted that terrorism is one
of major threats which NATO is determined to cope with. Remarking
that "among the NATO armies, there are no armed forces
specifically trained against terrorism except those of the US and
Turkey", a Belgian military official said, "This is the
fundamental reason behind the fact that NATO prefers air
operations instead of direct interventions by ground forces. We
have not been trained to fight against undisciplined and
uncontrolled armed forces." /Turkiye/
The Turkish Treasury, which invited tenders for 371-day
government bonds yesterday, received 2,583 trillion TL offering
from the financial markets, meeting 1,200 trillion TL of it on a
99.99% average annual compound interest rate. The government
bonds will be reimbursed on March 15, 2000. Meanwhile, it is
reported that the Treasury will perform the highest amount of
domestic borrowing repayment, discharging a total amount of 662.6
trillion TL, 403.7 trillion of which is principal and 258.9
trillion TL is interest. /Turkiye/
Shares in the Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) increased by 2.98 %
while the IMKB-100 Index increased by 114 points and reached
3,962. The daily transaction volume increased by 22 % and
amounted to 102.3 trillion TL. /Milliyet/
Following a package announced by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit,
the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) will
make investments especially in the fields of education and health
in the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolian Regions. The Head of
the Union, Fuat Miras, said that they continue to build schools
and health facilities in these regions. He noted that they opened
woven carpet workshops in order to provide employment for women
in these regions. /Aksam/
In a research submitted to the National Security Council by the
General Staff, it was stated that the most secure city in Turkey
was Diyarbakir. The election of the city as the safest city among
80 provinces of Turkey pleased its administrators. The city was a
frightening place in the past due to terrorism and murders whose
perpetrators were not found. National Security Council members
congratulated Emergency Rule Regional Governor Aydin Arslan
because of Diyarbakir's election as the safest city. /Milliyet/
The Sixth Administrative Court of Ankara has cancelled the
bidding for the privatization of state-run oil company Petroleum
Office Corporation (POAS). According to the Anatolia News Agency,
following an application submitted by the Petrol-Is trade union,
the privatization bidding for POAS was cancelled yesterday.
The Turkish Industrial Development Bank (TSKB) has provided a
"Capital Credit of Participation" worth 12 million Euro by
participating in the capital in the investment of the Small and
Medium-Scale Enterprises (KOBI) within the framework of an
agreement with the European Investment Bank. With this credit,
the TSKB will be able to participate in the firms, which have a
partner from the EU-member countries and are active in industry
and industrial activity based on agriculture, tourism and related
areas. /Milliyet/
A meeting of the International Black Sea Economic Cooperation
(BSEC) began yesterday in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. The
Turkish Ambassador Sevinc Dalyanoglu and Ahmet Guryuz Ketenci,
the Istanbul MP for the Republican People's Party (CHP), are
representing Turkey at the meeting. During the meetings to last
for two days, issues such as international trade, investment,
transportation, energy resources and communications are taken up,
the Anatolia News Agency reports.
A US investment bank, Salomon Smith Barney, which issued a report
on January 20, 1999, proposed 'Akbank' shares to investors. The
report noted that the administrators of Akbank were only engaged
in real banking services. The report pointed out that Akbank kept
its promises and sold industrial companies in its portfolio. The
report said that the growth rate percentage of Akbank has not
been under dual-digit numbers during the last five years. The
report added that Akbank was the company which had the highest
profit in 1998. /Aksam/
Palestinian Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade, Suleyman Ebu Karsh,
called on Turkey to cooperate in the industrial and
infrastructural projects in Palestine. Delivering a speech at the
Foreign Economic Relations Council meeting held together with
Palestinian businessmen, Karsh said that many products were
coming to Palestine through Israel and added that this increased
the prices of the products. Karsh stressed that Turkey had a
special responsibility concerning Palestine and pointed out that
a new commission for joint initiatives by Turkish and Palestinian
businessmen should be established. /Cumhuriyet/
The German press has devoted wide coverage to the Turkish Tourism
Minister Ahmet Tan, who attended the Berlin International Tourism
Bourse (IBB'99), one of the biggest tourism fairs of the world.
Statements by Tan saying that "We have no security problem" were
on the cover of the FVW International. A press conference of Tan
was also given wide coverage in the Frankfurter Allegemeine
Zeitung newspaper. Tan said in his statements that Turkey was in
a critical region from a geopolitical standpoint and added that
the Turkish tourism was further developing. Tan noted that Turkey
ranked 19th among the leading countries in tourism in the world
and obtained $8.1 billion in revenues from tourism. /Sabah/
The Soviet archives uncovered by the Slavic Sciences and Research
Institute have revealed the background of many events in Eastern
Europe between 1949-1953, clarifying the secret policy directions
once implemented against those people of Turkish origin living in
Bulgaria as well. Accordingly, during a Kremlin meeting in July
1949 between the Russian President, Joseph Stalin, and the Deputy
Prime Ministers of Bulgaria, Anton Yogov and Vilko Chervenko,
Stalin had ordered the Bulgarian officials to force the Turks
living in Bulgaria to migrate. /Turkiye/
Mehmet Zengin, the Turkey and Eurasia Director of the Europay
International, declared that Turkey is the leading country across
Europe in terms of the rate of increase in the number of Maestro
and Mastercard users. Accordingly, the number of Maestro and
Mastercard users increased by 80% whereas the volume of
transactions in terms of these credit carts reached $7.1 billion
due to an increase by 88.2%. /Turkiye/
The Ekinciler company has won the contract to build the Turkish
Trade Centre, which is to be established near Moscow's Red
Square. The trade centre is expected to cost $21.7 million and is
being built through the joint efforts of the Turkish Union of
Chambers of Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) and the Turkish Exporters'
Assembly (TIM). The announcement was made by TOBB Chairman Fuat
Miras and TIM Chairman Okan Oguz at a joint press conference
yesterday. The Moscow Trade Centre will have between 250 and 300
sales outlets and will provide Turkish businessmen a chance to
show real Turkish products. /All papers/
Megane Wagon, the new member of the Renault Megane family
produced only in Turkey, has been exhibited for the first time at
the 65th Geneve Automobile Fair. The new Megane Wagon will be
initially sold in Germany and Holland. On the other hand, another
remarkable model at the fair is Peugeot 206, which has been
developed by the Turkish designer Murat Gunak. /Hurriyet/
Portraits of the Ottoman Emperors will be exhibited abroad. The
Turkish Ministry of Culture will open exhibitions comprising 250
portraits of the emperors in Vienna and Washington, in addition
to the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. A protocol regarding the
exhibitions was signed by the Culture Minister Istemihan Talay
and the Is Bank, the sponsor of the exhibitions yesterday.
/Aksam/
The sixth European Jazz Days organized by the Izmir Culture, Art
and Education Foundation will be held on March 16-24. The Head of
the Foundation, Filiz Eczacibasi Sarper, said that in addition to
Turkey, 25 jazz musicians from Germany, Austria, Italy, Britain
and France would participate in the Jazz Days. /Aksam/
The 18th International Istanbul Film Festival will be organized
by the Istanbul Culture and Art Foundation between April 7 and
May 2, the Anatolia News Agency reports.
Columnist Fikret Bila takes a look into Ecevit's reply to the
call of the disgruntled MPs. A summary of his column is as
follows:
"Prime Minister Ecevit answered the call of the disgruntled
members of the Parliament by saying that the convening of
Parliament after this attempt would result in a chaos. He added
that it would be irresponsible to think of postponing the
elections as the Government had spent great amounts on the
Elections... He is also concerned about the Southeastern Anatolia
package and the criticisms directed at it. The Prime Minister
stated that the package was an `urgent support' for the region
and had concrete measures instead of abstract promises. He
particularly stressed that the package was productive. He also
added that some of the related decisions, falling within the
scope of authority of his government, have already started to be
implemented."
In his column in "Cumhuriyet" daily, E.Tevfik Unaydın analyzes
the reaction of Western countries to the Ocalan case and the
Southeastern problem.
"In view of the stances displayed by some civilized Western
countries which are allegedly the champions of justice, rule of
law and human rights, it is surprising how they dare to lecture
us concerning the trial and punishment of the murderer. Their
words can be summarized as, 'Try the murderer fairly'. They
should rest assured that he will be tried as fairly as a person
who betrays his country, is responsible for the deaths of tens of
thousands, and who carries on drug trafficking which is a
disaster for humanity in any of these countries which claim to be
the pioneers of civilization.....As we all know, economic and
social reasons lie behind the Southeastern problem even from the
days of the Ottoman Empire...Due to different reasons various
promises given by some Governments could not be kept
resolutely...We believe that this time the Government is
determined in implementing the measures foreseen urgently,
seriously and without interruption. This stand should be
supported by all".
FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS
ECEVIT'S REACTION AGAINST DISGRUNTLED DEPUTIES
CETIN: "PARLIAMENT WILL CONVENE FOR OCALAN"
OCALAN FORMALLY APPOINTS LAWYERS
MILLER IN ANKARA
ECEVIT: "TERRORISM AND CYPRUS ARE IRRELEVANT ISSUES"
TURKEY'S REPLY TO EUROPE ON OCALAN
MITCOTAKIS: "PKK IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION"
TURK WARNS ATHENS
"PKK IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION"
PKK MEMBERS CAPTURED
ATTACK ON THY OFFICE
BLOODY TERRORIST ACTIVITIES DECREASE
647 SCHOOLS IN THE SOUHEAST WILL BE REOPENED
GERMAN POLICE WARNS AGAINST TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS
EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEMANDS A PLEA
DEMIREL SENDS A MESSAGE TO TURKMENBASI
CETIN IN ISRAEL
INDYK TO VISIT TURKEY
BILICAN IN JORDAN
TERRORISTS KILL A SOLDIER IN TUNCELI
OPERATIONS AGAINST ILLEGAL ORGANIZATIONS
175 KGS DYNAMITE SEIZED
YENICELI RESIGNS FROM DSP
"TURKISH ARMY IS FASCINATING"
SUPERB OFFERING TO THE TREASURY
IMKB INDEX RISES
TOBB INVESTS IN EAST AND SOUTHEAST
THE MOST SECURE CITY: DIYARBAKIR
POAS BIDDING CANCELLED
EURO CREDIT FROM TSKB
BSEC MEETING IN TBILISI
SALOMON SMITH BARNEY PRAISES AKBANK
PALESTINIAN MINISTER CALLS ON INVESTORS
TURKISH MINISTER IN GERMAN PRESS
STALIN HAD ORDERED BULGARIANS TO FORCE TURKS TO MIGRATE
TURKEY TO BE THE FIRST IN CREDIT CARTS
EKINCILER AWARDED CONTRACT FOR MOSCOW TRADE CENTRE
TURKISH MEGANE WAGON AT THE GENEVE AUTOMOBILE FAIR
EMPERORS' PORTRAITS TO BE EXHIBITED
JAZZ DAYS IN IZMIR
INTERNATIONAL ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL
FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS
ECEVIT'S REPLY - BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)
OUR WESTERN ALLIES - BY E. TEVFIK UNAYDIN (CUMHURIYET)