Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
It is reported that Ankara only wants her F-16 aircrafts to be
used for air defence. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has
contradicted the claims that Turkey, in answer to NATO's request
for more aircraft, replied that Turkish war planes could also be
used `in attacks'.
Meanwhile, news about the Serbian attacks against Albanian
villages yesterday caused reactions in diplomatic and military
circles. It is reported that in case of a Serbian attack against
Albania, Turkish support will be within the guidelines of its
mission as part of NATO. Due to an agreement signed with Albania,
it is out of the question for Turkey to intervene in this
country. However, Turkey has been training Albanian soldiers, and
repairing and constructing military facilities under this
agreement. /Cumhuriyet/
The recent number of Kosovars arriving in Turkey has reached
9,128. Turkish officials announced that every step had been taken
to meet the food, clothing and medical needs of refugees in the
camp. They added that 334 primary school students and 92 high
school students had already started their education in the camp.
There are 700 empty tents to shelter 8,000 more refugees, said
the officials adding that they had given free telephone cards to
refugees to enable them to call their relatives in Kosovo.
/Turkiye/
The EU Commmissioner on Humanitarian Aid, Emma Bonino, said that
800,000 Albanians have escaped from Kosovo and 400,000 Albanians
out of 1 million who stayed in Kosovo have left their homes and
are trying to live without any help. Bonino stated that it was
better for Kosovar refugees to be hosted in Turkey rather than
being sent to other foreign countries. /Cumhuriyet/
President Suleyman Demirel in an interview with the NATO
Magazine's special issue for the 50th anniversary of the
organization said: "Turkey will play a key role in the solution
of regional and global issues. In a globalizing world, the
effective and trustworthy presence of NATO will be more essential
then ever. Turkey is not only a strong ally of NATO but she will
also play a key role in contributing to the solution of regional
and global problems." /Turkiye/
Efforts towards implementing the Baku-Ceyhan Pipeline Project,
which is very likely to become the main route conveying Caspian
oil to the West, is being expedited through the Istanbul Protocol
for the Azerbaijan Main Export Pipeline (Baku-Tiblisi-Ceyhan),
signed yesterday in Istanbul between the Turkish and Azeri
parties. According to the Protocol, both parties assured that
the maximum of initiatives will be launched in order to fulfill
their commitments due to previous agreements, namely
Intergovernmental Transit Country Agreement and the Turn-Key Job
and Government Guarantee Agreement, in three months' time. In
addition to that, the parties agreed to appoint BOTAS (the
Turkish Pipeline Transportation Company) as the contractor for
the Main Export Pipeline system. Ziya Aktas, the Turkish Minister
of Energy and Natural Resources, said that the ongoing efforts to
fulfill the Project have reached this latest stage and, by means
of the present Protocol, a very substantial step has been taken
towards the realization of the Project. Meanwhile, Ismail Cem,
the Minister of Foreign Affairs, remarked that it is likely that
more determining steps will be taken in a few days in support of
the Baku-Ceyhan Pipeline Project. The Protocol was also endorsed
by US Ambassador Richard Morningstar, Special Advisor to the
President and Secretary of State for Caspian Basin energy
diplomacy, who signed it as the `observer'. /Aksam/
President Suleyman Demirel sent a message to Georgian President
Eduard Shervardnadze due to the opening of the Baku-Supsa Early
Oil Pipeline, the Anatolia News Agency reports. "Our joint
initiatives about the energy transfer line projects, which will
contribute to peace and stability in our region and to the
strengthening of Georgia's independence and increase of her
prosperity, will be crowned in near future with the
implementation of the Baku-Ceyhan Project as the main oil
pipeline. The determined atttitude you have shown up until now to
this end deserves every kind of appreciation" Demirel said in his
message.
It is reported that the Ataturk Peace Award, granted annually to
those political figures who are active in the preservation of
world peace, will be given to Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev
this year. Aliyev will receive his award from President Demirel
on May 19. /Aksam/
Bulent Ecevit, the Prime Minister and the leader of the
Democratic Left Party (DSP), demanded that the voters should not
feel compassion for any party in the Elections. Ecevit remarked
that nobody should let his or her vote be affected by any party's
possible failure to exceed the 10% national threshold. Ecevit
said, "If this compassion is not tolerated, the DSP's votes may
easily exceed 30%. Otherwise, a new period of instability may
occur following the Elections." Repudiating the notion of a `DSP
wind in Turkish politics', Ecevit argued that his party has had
the opportunity to display their real capabilities and that they
are currently enjoying the fruits of their successful policies in
Government. /Aksam/
Cahit Bayar, the Minister of the Interior, said that they have
taken every measure for the General and Local Elections to be
held without fear of violence. Bayar held meetings with the
Governors of 14 cities, Security Chief Necati Bilican, the heads
of some departments and officials from the General Command of the
Gendarmerie to discuss the security issues in place during the
election period. /Cumhuriyet/
Turkish Armed Forces' operations against separatist terrorists
continue in Northern Iraq. Since the beginning of the operation,
camps and shelters belonging to terrorists have been damaged.
Land forces have been conducting land reconnaissance operations.
Military sources reported that terrorists have fled to the
Iranian border region which is under the control of the leader of
the Iraqi Kurdistan Patriotic Union (IKYP), Celal Talabani;
forces controlled by the leader of the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic
Party (IKDP) leader, Mesud Barzani, have given their support to
the operations. /Turkiye/
It is understood that Iran has played a role in the recent
suicide attacks in Turkey, at which both the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and the Office of the Chief of General Staff criticized
Iran. Turkey's Ambassador to Tehran, Sencar Ozsoy, presented
Ankara's criticism to the Iranian Deputy Minister of Foreign
Affairs. Meanwhile, General Staff Officials expressed their
uneasiness to their Iranian counterparts. /Sabah/
National Education Minister Metin Bostancioglu said that Kosovar
children can go to any school anywhere in Turkey. Bostancioglu on
an observation tour of Kirklareli Refugee Camp met the Kosovar
refugees and remarked that the right to education was the right
of everyone and no one could be deprived of it. /Milliyet/
One of the renowned Turkish pop music groups, Mazhar-Fuat-Ozkan,
will stage a concert in New York for Kosovar refugees. The income
to be received from the concert, to be held on May 15 at the Life
Club, will be sent to refugees living in the tent city
established by the Turkish government near the Bulgarian border.
Tickets for the concert will cost $40; a discount means students
pay $35. /Cumhuriyet/
The Justice Ministry's General Directorate of International Law
and Foreign Relations is preparing a file for the extradition of
Ibrahim Bingol, who has been captured in Brussels. Ministry
officials also pointed out that the file prepared regarding Metin
Kaplan, the son of Kemalettin Kaplan who had been captured in
Germany, has been translated. Officials said that they expected
that Alaattin Cakici, who is under arrest in France, and Kursat
Yilmaz, who is under arrest in Bulgaria, will be extradited to
Turkey in August at the latest. /Cumhuriyet/
Hikmet Sami Turk, the Minister of National Defence, said that
Turkey must be prepared against the improvement of her Southern
and Southeastern neighbours' defence systems, in particular with
regard to their increased ballistic missile capability. Turk
said, "Our short-term goal is to purchase defence systems, and
this necessity has been met by the Patriots." Yet it is reported
that Arrow and Popeye II missiles are still regarded as serious
alternatives for Turkey. /Aksam/
It has been ascertained that the Greens in France have submitted
Musa Kaval, a member of the so-called Kurdish Parliament-in-exile
supported by the PKK terrorist organization to the list of
election candidates for the European Parliament. It has also been
reported that an Albanian Kosovar has also been put forward to be
included on Greene's election list. In the Elections in 1994, the
French Greens were unable to send any representative to the
European Parliament with its 626 members. /Hurriyet/
President Suleyman Demirel received the new Dutch Ambassador to
Ankara, Sjoerd Izaak Hendrik Gosses yesterday; Ambassador Gosses
presented his letter of credentials to Demirel. The Turkish
Foreign Ministry's Undersecretary, Ambassador Korkmaz Haktanir,
was also present at the reception, the Anatolia News Agency
reports.
Germany becomes the second country which opposes to the sports
embargo imposed on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC), following Turkey, the Anatolia News Agency reports.
Germany showed that it did not impose a sports embargo on the
TRNC by participating in the First International Swimming
Tournament which was held in Lefkosa on April 2-4 with its SSF
Bonn swimming club. SSF Bonn club became the champion in the
tournament.
A Turkish delegation headed by Ambassador Numan Hazar visited the
Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa and held various contacts, the
Anatolia News Agency reports. According to a statement by the
Foreign Ministry, the visit was held on April 3-8 and the
delegation was received by Ethiopian President Negasso Gidada. At
the of the meetings, a consensus was reached for a closer
cooperation in every field between Turkey and Ethiopia. The
meetings mainly focused on the issues such as the establishment
of a friendship group between the parliaments of the two
countries, establishment of business councils, scholarships to be
extended by Turkey and technical assistance in various areas.
An official from Ege Exporters' Union said yesterday that the
Turkish foodstuff was introduced to 20,000 buyers in the
International Fancy Food and Confection Show Fair which was held
in Chicago, the US, on March 21-23, 1999. Issuing a written
statement, the official noted that the Fair had important role in
introducing the Turkish foodstuff in the US markets and that the
business contracts between the Turkish companies and the US
buyers led to successful results. The official stated that these
positive results make them prepare more willingly for the
foodstuff fair which will be held in New York, the US, on July
11-14, 1999, the Anatolia News Agency reports.
The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) opend an international
tender to purchase computers, printers, data processing and other
equipment related with computer, the Anatolia News Agency
reports. The announcement concerning the issue was published
yesterday in the Official Gazette. In accordance with the
announcement, the DIE will use one part of the loan it obtained
from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(IBRD) for the purchase of the electronic equipment in question.
Turkish authorities set up six universities and seven faculties
in many foreign countries, especially in the Turkish-Speaking
Republics, the Anatolia Nesw Agency reports. The Board of Higher
Education (YOK) said that the number of universities which were
set up in foreign countries by the various countries,
associations, foundations and persons in Turkey reached six while
the number of faculties in these countries reached seven.
German Trade and Industry establishments are seeking Turkish
partners. The Chairman of the Germano-Turkish Society and
Germano-Turkish Academic's Association, Dr.M. Ali Karademir, said
because of the high costs of production in their country, German
firms wanted to turn their investments towards Turkey. Noting
that Turco-German cooperation would bring cheap sources of
finance to Turkey, Karademir said that the German Economy
Ministry would financially support the marriage between Turkish
and German firms. The Ministry has spared 10 billion DM in order
to contribute to the Turco-German partnership. /Sabah/Turkiye/
Foreign companies have a share of 37.9 trillion TL in 111
companies in Bursa, the Anatolia News Agency reports. The
automotive industry and its sub-industry are the sectors which
are invested most frequently by the foreign companies. Germany is
on the top of the list of foreign companies with partnership with
25 Turkish companies. Germany is followed by 15 French, 12
Italian, 10 Swedish and five British partnerships.
Istanbul's Drug Squad has seized 73 kgs heroin belonging to the
PKK. Five members of the PKK who were to send the heroin to
Europe were also seized. Officials announced that the terrorists
planned to sell the drug in Germany and buy weapons with the
money theyr earned. /Turkiye/
The Adana Narcotics Department teams seized 24 kilos of heroin
and 500 grams of hashish in Adana's provincial centre yesterday,
the Anatolia News Agency reports. The drugs were prepared to be
sent to Germany. Seven people were arrested regarding the
incident.
Turkey's electricity production increased from 73.8 billion
kilowatt-hours in 1993 to 110.9 billion in 1998. While 68.7
billion kilowatt-hours of this energy came from thermal power
plants, 42.2 billion were produced in hydroelectric power plants,
according to the data the Anatolia News Agency obtained from the
Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.
EXPO Turkish Export Products Permanent Exhibition, which has been
the centre of exports to the Independent Commonwealth Countries
(CIS) since 1995, will transfer its potential to Moscow. By means
of the Turco-Russian Trade Improvement Centre to be opened at the
end of April in Moscow, Turkey aims to increase its exports to
Russia. The exhibition will be opened on an areas of six thousand
square metres and Turkish firms will have the opportunity to sell
their goods. /Sabah/
Prof. Omer Kucuk, working at Karmanos Cancer Institution in
Detroit, America, has discovered that "lycopene", the pigment in
tomatoes cures prostate cancer. Kucuk announced the results of
his study at the meeting of the American Cancer Research Union on
12 April. /Sabah/
The Eight Wonder of the World, Mount Nemrut, which was also
announced as one of the most valuable of historical heritage
items in the world by UNESCO in the "UNESCO World Culture
Heritage" list, will be repaired and maintenanced. Domestic and
foreign scientists will excavate the region on 5 June to start
the "Adiyaman- Kahta: Mount Nemrut and its Evironment" project.
As part of the project to protect the monuments on Mount Nemrut,
underground galleries will be constructed. /Turkiye/
Columnist Erol Manisali comments on the strategic location of
Turkey, bordering the Middle East, Caucasia and the Balkans. A
summary of his column is as follows:
"The Middle East, Caucasia and the Balkans are the most sensitive
regions in the world; in two of these regions wars are going on.
Turkey is located just in the centre of these three regions; it
has frontiers with all these regions and at the same time is a
part of them. The US, the EU, Russia and Turkey all have
interests in these regions. In Caucasia and the Middle East the
reasons for conflict can be clearly seen, that is, the presence
of petroleum, natural gas reserves, and the gates leading to
those Asian countries which want to be integrated into the
international economy.
In the Balkans a finer game is being played. Future gains are
being calculated. The US does not want to leave the Balkans to
the future European State. An integrated European State with the
Aegean, the Black Sea, and the Eastern Mediterranean as part of
itself would harm the long-term strategic interests of the US. In
the Balkans, the US wants to take its place as a military and
economic power. Therefore, it is insisting on bringing Bulgaria
and Romania into NATO. In the near future it may also think of
admitting Macedonia into the organization. If it does not do so,
the EU would dominate the Black Sea, the Aegean and the Eastern
Mediterranean by bringing Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia
and even Yugoslavia into the Union. These regions hold the paths
leading to the energy and trade routes of Caucasia. The Caspian
Sea and its environs are also of great importance; Petroleum and
natural gas increase this importance. If Russia does not reverse
its policy of integration with the international system, the US
will be the dominant power in the region. The EU and Russia are
also trying to enter the region. The conflict in the Middle East
is not new; it mainly stems from the presence of 56% of the world
petroleum reserves in the Middle East. At present, excepting
Iraq, Arab countries can be said to be controlled by the US.
The exclusion of Turkey by the EU makes it necessary for Turkey
to cooperate with the US in Caucasia and the Balkans. In the past
it was the "Soviet threat", today it is "exclusion from the EU".
There is complete harmony concerning Caucasia and the Balkans
between Turkey and the US. However, there are some problems in
the Middle East, regarding Iraq and Northern Iraq. Turkey's place
in Middle Eastern policy will be clarified within three to five
years.
Turkey has important trump cards to play. No one can continue
their policies in Caucasia, the Middle East and the Balkans
without Turkey. However, those ruling Turkey should be aware of
them. The voters should cast their votes bearing these questions
in mind."
Derya Sazak, a columnist in the `Milliyet' daily, criticizes the
`leader democracy' in Turkey and reflects on the repercussions of
this phenomena during the current election campaign pariod. Sazak
writes:
"Indeed, the Member of Parliament is an insignificant man in
Turkey. On those `election buses' which we are used to seeing
nowadays, our future MPs who will lead Turkey into the 21st
century are placed behind the singer who promotes the party's
election campaign, the policeman who guards the party leader, or
the wife of the leader who `assists' her husband on the bus. In
this Election there are candidates for the mayorships, for
village headmen, for municipal councillors but no MPs. However,
there are two very important tasks awaiting our future MPs: they
will vote for the new President in the year 2000 and they will
enact the approval of the possible death sentence for Ocalan.
Would our leaders not have received more support from our people
if they had presented the `intellectwith which they would
cooperate to govern Turkey in the new Millenium' rather than
lobbying on a number of TV channels on a single night and thus
becoming `rating' victims?
How will the citizen recognize his or her representative? If her
MP was also in Parliament during the previous term, there is no
problem. Whether she saw him speaking in the session or not, she
must have recognized him sleeping during a session or beating
other MPs in the midst of a fervent fight. The `disgruntled'
movement had at least such a use as far as publicity is
concerned. When those 166 MPs started a `mutiny' against the
Elections, our citizens were given an invaluable opportunity to
see their representatives for the first time since they had voted
for them.
The main reason behind this pathology is the `leader democracy'
in Turkey. Given the absence of a well-operating inter-party
pre-election mechanism, the MPs remain dependent upon the leader
due to the requirements of the prevailing system. Furthermore,
those who strive for independence are `liquidated' immediately in
the next congress or elections. Inter-party democracy in Turkey
has been receding in recent years. Even during the 1983 Elections
held under the conditions of a post-coup d`etat period, the
leaders were giving more importance to their `staff'.
We will cast our votes on Sunday.Since there is no `preference'
system in these Elections as there was in 1991, one will
automatically adopt the list of MPs of the particular party one
votes for. For the leaders have already made the `best choice' on
your behalf!
If you want to know for whom you are voting while pressing the
seal, look at those people on the campaign bus carefully. Do not
take your eyes off the television. For instance, the person on
the right hand side of the folk singer Mahsun Kirmizigul may well
be your future MP. Do not miss him!"
FIRST THREE, SECOND THREE -BY ERTUGRUL OZKOK (HURRIYET)
Ertugrul Ozkok, a columnist in the daily 'Hurriyet' newspaper,
says the following in his article today: "There are four surveys
which have been conducted during the last two weeks, undertaken
by four different companies: Verso, Strateji, Mulkiyeliler
Birligi and Yonelim. According to Verso, 29,000 people
participated in their opinion poll. While evaluating the results,
the companies also have considered their oversight in the 1995
elections. For instance, Strateji made an error of only two
points in the votes of the True Path Party (DYP) in the 1995
Elections. Now, what are the results? I cannot announce the
results because unofficial public surveys on Elections are
prohibited. However these four polls have some points in common,
for instance, the first three parties: the Democratic Left Party
(DSP), the Virtue Party (FP) and the Mortherland Party (ANAP). In
all four of these polls, the DSP ranks first. There are some
differences in the second and third ranks. Another common factor
is that there are at least three points between the first three
parties and the rest of the field.
In the second group of three, there are the DYP, Republican
People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
There are also some differences on whether which of the parties
will rank fourth. However, the common factor in the four surveys
is that the CHP exceeds the 10 % threshold. Another common factor
is the upward trend of the MHP. These show that Turkey will be
governed by a bi- or tri-partite coalition following April 19".
/Hurriyet/
FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS
DIFFICULT DECISION IN ANKARA
KOSOVARS IN TURKEY
`REFUGEES SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO TURKEY'
DEMIREL, "TURKEY WILL PLAY A KEY ROLE"
`SPEED PROTOCOL' FOR BAKU-CEYHAN PIPELINE
BAKU-SUPSA EARLY OIL PIPELINE OPENED
ATATURK AWARD GRANTED TO HAYDAR ALIYEV
ECEVIT: "DO NOT FEEL COMPASSION FOR ANY PARTY"
SECURITY MEASURES STEPPED UP FOR ELECTIONS
SEPARATISTS ARE FLEEING TO IRAN
TURKEY CRITICIZES IRAN
EDUCATION MINISTER VISITS KIRKLARELI REFUGEE CAMP
CONCERT FOR KOVOSO
FILE FOR BINGOL'S EXTRADITION
TURKEY WILL BUY ANTI-BALLISTICS MISSILES
FRENCH GREENS SUPPORT PKK
DEMIREL RECEIVES NEW DUTCH AMBASSADOR TO ANKARA
GERMANY OPPOSES TO SPORTS EMBARGO IMPOSED ON TRNC
FOREIGN MINISTRY DELEGATION VISITS ETHIOPIA
TURKISH FOODSTUFF INTRODUCED TO 20,000 BUYERS
DIE OPENS INTERNATIONAL TENDER
TURKISH AUTHORITIES SET UP SIX UNIVERSITIES AND SEVEN FACULTIES
GERMAN FIRMS SEEK TURKISH PARTNERS
FOREIGN INVESMENTS IN BURSA
HEROIN SEIZED IN ISTANBUL
MORE THAN 20 KILOS OF HEROIN SEIZED IN ADANA
ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION REACHES 110.9 BILLION KILOWATT-HOURS
EXPO TO ESTABLISH A BASE IN MOSCOW
SUCCESS OF TURKISH PROFESSOR
NEW FACE TO MOUNT NEMRUT
FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS ... FROM THE COLUMNS
COUNTRY IN THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE: TURKEY - BY EROL MANISALI
(CUMHURIYET)
"LEADER TOURISM CO." - DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)