TURKISH PRESS REVIEW

[kurdeng at aps.nl]

From: tabe at newsdesk.aps.nl
Subject: TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
Reply-To: kurdeng at aps.nl


                        JUNE 2, 1995


Summary of the political and economic news  in  the  Turkish
press this morning.


WASHINGTON:   "TURKEY  HAS  THE  RIGHT  TO  USE  US-MILITARY
               EQUIPMENT AGAINST TERRORISM"

The Clinton administration told Congress  on  Thursday  that
military  equipment  of  US-origin  had been used in Turkish
military operations against the Kurdish Workers Party  (PKK)
separatists but it added that the Turkish government had the
right to use this equipment in its internal struggle against
the PKK, has been labelled "a ruthless terrorist group," the
semi-official Anatolian agency said.

The U.S.  State Department report  stated  that  the  Ankara
government's  military approach in combating PKK "terrorism"
had in some cases deepened political division.  It said  the
military  approach  alone  "cannot succeed" and needed to be
combined with civil means.

In announcing publication of the  report,  State  Department
spokeswoman  Christine  Shelly  said  Washington  put  great
importance on Turkish moves to expand democracy.

"Enhancement of democracy  for  all  Turkish  citizens  will
significantly improve the human rights situation in Turkey,"
she told reporters.

The report said Turkey confronted the most  serious  threats
to  its  integrity  and  well-being  of  any  Western  ally.
"Continuing  U.S.   support   for   Turkey's   security   is
essential," it said.

Its  called  the  PKK  "a  ruthless  terrorist  group  which
receives  support  from  Syria,  Iran  and  some  sources in
Europe" and said its guerrillas were  trained  in  Lebanon's
Syrian-controlled Bekaa Valley.

The report said the PKK presented a major threat to Turkey's
sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It also said  that  during  Turkish-military  operations  in
northern  Iraq  against  PKK separatists, Turkey exerted the
utmost care not to harm civilians.

45 PKK MILITANTS KILLED

In clashes between the security forces and the PKK terrorist
organization  in Kars Kagizman, Sarikamis, Tunceli Nazimiye,
Siirt Eruh, Hakkari  Cukurca,  Diyarbakir  Hani  and  Mardin
Nusaybin, a total of 45 PKK terrorists have been killed.  In
Siirt, a security personnel was martyred.  /Milliyet/

GOLHAN LEAVES FOR PARIS TODAY

Turkish Defence Minister Mehmet Golhan will travel to  Paris
today  to  attend a meeting of defence ministers from EU and
NATO countries which have deployed armed  forces  in  former
Yugoslavia,  the  Anatolia  news  agency reported yesterday.
Recent  developments  in  the  former  Yugoslavia  will   be
discused  at  the  meeting,  to  be  held tomorrow.  Defence
ministers from France, Britain, the  US,  Germany,  Belgium,
Holland,  Spain,  Norway,  Sweden, Canada, Denmark, Finland,
Italy and Turkey will participate in  the  meeting.   Golhan
will  return  to  Turkey on Sunday.  An "urgent intervention
force" is envisaged to pressurize the Serbs to release their
hostages  and to help the UN peacekeepers.  The idea was put
forward following diplomatic consultations held  in  London,
Paris  and  Washington.   French  Prime Minister Alain Juppe
made the respective annoucement.  /Milliyet/


THE WEU REPORT CAUSES REACTION

In the draft report of  the  Western  European  Union  (WEU)
which  is a EU branch of defence, suggestion of autonomy for
Kurds in Turkey and a "Turkish minority" reference regarding
Turks  in  Western  Thrace  has  caused  reaction of in both
Turkey  and  Greece.   The  100-page  report  prepared   for
considering   security   and   defence   issues  in  Eastern
Mediterranean and  accepted  by  the  WEU  Assembly  Defence
Commission  on  24  May will be voted on in the WEU Assembly
General Council on 19 June in  Paris.   Officials  from  the
Turkish  Foreign  Ministry  have  stated  that although this
report was prepared  for  clarifying  defence  and  security
issues,  it  digresses  from the subject by referring to the
Kurdish problem and this could not be accepted.   They  also
added  that  statements  regarding  the  Turkish minority in
Macedonia, Albania and  Western  Thrace  would  also  bother
Greece.  /Milliyet-Cumhuriyet/


THE CFE AGREEMENT INSPECTION IN ANKARA

Turkey  informed  the  US  that  all  the  articles  of  the
agreement  of  Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) should be
abided by  and  no  other  formula  could  be  accepted.   A
delegation  to  deal  with  the  CFE agreement has also been
added to the delegation traffic, presently on  the  increase
from  the  US  to Turkey.  A delegation including a group of
generals headed by  Susan  Koch,  the  US  deputy  assistant
defence   secretary   discussed  issues  regarding  Russia's
activities in the Caucasus, general security problems in the
Caucasus  and  the  CFE  agreement,  with officials from the
Turkish Foreign Ministry and the General Staff.  Turkey  has
expressed   her   anxiety  on  Russia's  activities  in  the
Caucasus.   The  country  had  its  intention  announced  to
establish  a  base  for  the  58th division in the Caucasus.
Meanwhile, Turkey has reiterated her stand whereby  the  CFE
Agreement  is not to be changed.  Turkey has informed the US
delegation on the necessity of all member countries  to  the
CFE  agreement limiting their weapons to the specified level
in the five conventional weapon category before 17  November
as specified in the agreement.  /Cumhuriyet/
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 * Origin: APS Amsterdam (aps.nl), bbs +31-20-6842147 (16:31/2.0)