Turkish Press Review

[kurdeng at aps.nl]

From: tabe at newsdesk.aps.nl
Subject: Turkish Press Review
Reply-To: kurdeng at aps.nl


                    TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
                       JUNE 20, 1995


TEST FOR CILLER

Prime Minister Tansu  Ciller  flew  to  Paris  yesterday  to
attend  the  Western  European  Union (WEU) Parliamentarians
Assembly meeting in which report calling  for  autonomy  for
the Kurds will be approved.  Ciller, who will have to pass a
difficult "examination" on customs union, will make a speech
during the meeting today and will talk with French President
Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Alain Juppe.  A delegation
of  deputies  including  Deniz  Baykal,  Engin Guner, Selcuk
Maruflu, Coskun Kirca is also attending the General  Council
meetings  under  the presidency of Sait Kemal Mimaroplu, the
Ankara deputy of  the  True  Path  Party  (TPP).   A  report
regarding  security  in  the  Eastern  Mediterranean,  which
proposes autonomy for the Kurdish people in Turkey  will  be
discussed in the meeting.  Ciller has already noted that she
will  stress  the  injustice  of  some  critics  and   their
suggestions  in  her speech.  Ciller said:  "Turkey does not
close her ears to the voices coming from Europe of which she
is  a part nor she will close her ears in the future, but it
is also our right to distinguish whether  these  voices  are
friendly  and  just  or  not." Diplomatic circles are saying
that Ciller's speech was very important for being the  first
confrontation   with  European  public  opinion  before  the
Customs Union.  It is also expected that  Ciller  will  send
out  a  message, saying that the democratization process has
begun and that the Constitutional amendments are subject  to
the approval of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

CANNES LOBBY

It has been noted that Ciller will lobby in her  talks  with
Chirac  and  Juppe  in  Paris  to have Turkey invited to the
Cannes EU summit in France at the end of this  month.   Same
sources   have   suggested   that  Ciller  will  stress  the
importance of Turkey's presence in the EU summit emphasizing
that Turkey now has a different status following the signing
of the Customs  Union  agreement  on  6  March.   Meanwhile,
making  a  surprise  gesture  to Turkey, Italy also proposed
Turkey's participation in the summit.  It has been said that
this proposal from Italy is supported by France, Britain and
Germany.  /Hurriyet-Milliyet/


TURKEY, PALESTINE DISCUSS ECONOMIC AID, PEACE PROCESS

Palestinian  President  Yasser  Arafat  arrived  in   Ankara
yesterday  to  pay  his  second official visit following the
start of the Middle East peace process.  Welcomed by Foreign
Minister  Erdal  Inonu  at  Esenboga  Airport,  Arafat first
visited  Ataturk's  mausoleum.   He  was  welcomed  with  an
official  ceremony  by  President  Demirel  at  the  Cankaya
Presidential Palace.  Arafat and  Demirel  held  a  one-hour
meeting  and  then  meetings  between delegations were held.
Arafat and Turkish officials discussed ways to  expedite  an
economic aid package Ankara had earlier pledged to extend to
the  Palestinian  state  to  support   several   development
projects in the newly autonomous areas.  Arafat also briefed
President Suleyman Demirel and other  Turkish  officials  he
met  in  Ankara  on  developments  in  the Middle East peace
process and in particular the Palestinian-Israeli talks.  At
official   talks   following   Arafat's  arrival  in  Ankara
yesterday morning, the Palestinian delegation also asked the
Ankara government to encourage the Turkish private sector to
do business in Palestine.  "The Palestinian people have  not
forgotten and will not forget Turkey's assistance.  They now
need Turkey's help more than ever" Arafat said in a  meeting
with  Demirel.  Demirel said at a dinner he gave in Arafat's
honour that Turkey would continue to do  what  it  could  to
contribute  to  the  economic  and social development of the
Palestinian people.  Explaining the political and  practical
difficulties  the  Palestine  administration  faces,  Arafat
asked for Turkey's political  support.   He  also  requested
observers from Turkey for the Gaza and Jericho elections and
Turkish soldiers to participate in the international  police
force  to  be  established.  Arafat and Prime Minister Tansu
Ciller spoke on the phone and briefly  discussed  the  peace
process  before  Ciller flew to Paris yesterday afternoon to
attend a Western European Union meeting.  Arafat  will  meet
Turkish  party  and  union  leaders  and receive an honorary
doctorate at Ankara's Gazi University today  before  leaving
Turkey later in the day.  /All papers/


A CRITICAL MEETING FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

The Turkish  Grand  National  Assembly  (TGNA)  Constitution
Commission will hold a meeting tomorrow to discuss again the
amendments in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 17th and 22nd  articles  of
the Constitution.  /Milliyet/


13 PKK MILITANTS KILLED IN SOUTHEAST

Ten militants of the PKK terrorist organization were  killed
during military operations in the Southeast.  Officials from
the state of emergency said that four militants were  killed
at  Mount  Dugun  located in the west of Sirnak, four in the
towns of Dargecit and Nusaybin in Mardin, one in the town of
Adakli  in  Bingol  and  another in the town of Ovancilar in
Elazig.  Three militants were killed by the security  forces
yesterday  morning  at  Mount  Ziyaret  in Agri.  Five other
militants, of  whom  one  is  a  woman,  who  abandoned  the
separatist  organization  to benefit from the Repentance law
turned themselves over to the security  forces.   Meanwhile,
29  members  of the PKK who were arrested during operations,
were detained by the court after interrogation by the police
was completed.  /Milliyet/

GERMAN CITIZENS OF TURKISH ORIGIN TO SET UP PARTY

A group of German citizens  of  Turkish  origin  held  their
first  meeting  in  Frankfurt  to  establish a new political
party, the Democrat Party, the Anatolia news agency reported
yesterday.   A  total  of  45  people  participated  in  the
meeting.  Sedat Sezgin, chairman of the  party's  committee,
said  their  aim  was to gain equal rights for foreigners in
the country and to enter the German Parliament in  three  or
four years time, Anatolia said.


TURKISH TOURISM GETS "TOP MARK" IN LONDON

A "Congress Tourism Fair '95"  organised  by  the  Promotion
Council  was held in London on Saturday, June 16, the aim of
which  is  to  increase  tourism  ties  between  Turkey  and
England.   Some  21 firms which came from Turkey, interacted
with  about  300  British  firms.   Representatives  of  the
British  firms said that Turkey should be thought of as more
than  just  a  "summer  holiday"  place.   They  added  that
Turkey's  potential  as  a  convention  and exhibition venue
should  not  be  overlooked.   Mustafa   Turkmen,   Turkey's
Promotion  Counsellor  in  London,  stressing  that the Fair
which was  taking  place  for  the  fifth  time  this  year,
collected  increasing  interest  every  year,  said Turkey's
success in the field of congress fairs has been proven.  "We
are  proudly  exhibiting  Turkey's facilities in London, the
world capital  for  congress  tourism",  said  he.   In  his
statement  given  to  the  Travel TV Channel broadcasting to
west Europe, he  said  that  Turkey  was  one  of  the  most
attractive  countries  for  British  tourists.   Answering a
question Turkmen said:  "A tourist is still  regarded  as  a
'guest' in Turkey and a 'a guest' is most respected visitor.
In addition, Turkey is one of the most secure countries  for
tourists."   At   a  reception  given  at  the  end  of  the
convention, Ozdem Sanberk, the  new  Turkish  ambassador  in
London,  said  that  he was pleased with the flow of British
tourists to Turkey.  Company- sponsored tourism, which began
with international organizations awarding their employees by
sending them abroad on touristic trips that are paid for  by
the company, was mentioned during the convention as one form
of tourism that is  increasingly  profitable  for  the  host
country.


RUSSIAN SUPPORT FOR TURKISH TOURISM

A TOBB Commission (Turkish Union of  Chambers  and  Exchange
Commodities)  consisting of approximately 80 businessmen and
bureaucrats, chaired by Yalim Erez completed its contacts in
Tatarstan  two  days  ago  and  went on to Moscow yesterday.
Russian Chairman of the  Trade  and  Industry,  Alexandrowid
Smirnov,  who  addressed  the  Turkish  commission said that
"Turkey will get ahead of Greece and Spain in tourism.   The
support   of   Russian  tourists  to  Turkish  tourism  will
eventually be superfluous."  The  Turkish  commission  began
meetings  with  Russian  officials  yesterday morning.  TOBB
Chairman Erez said that they wanted the Black Sea to be "sea
of  cooperation"  and  said that "consolidation of relations
between our countries  will  not  only  increase  prosperity
between   our   countries   but   in  each  country  of  the
Commonwealth  of  Independent  States   as   well.    Common
initiatives  should  be  a field where Turkey and Russia can
evaluate their comparative advantages." /Hurriyet/

END

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