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 27, 1995



DEMIREL:  "TURKEY IS ALREADY A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY"

President Suleyman Demirel said yesterday that Turkey was  not
seeking  to become a democratic country, because democracy was
already  in  effect  in  Turkey,  the  Anatolia  news   agency
reported.   Receiving  foreign  journalists  in  Turkey as the
guests of the Environment Ministry, Demirel said that European
countries  misunderstood  Turkey and that the latter failed to
express herself  well.   Demirel  noted  that  Turkey  had  an
independent judiciary system, thus it would be an undemocratic
action to release the pro-Kurdish  deputies  merely  upon  the
wish  of  European countries.  Noting that the EU seemed to be
readying to accept former eastern bloc-countries  as  members,
Demirel  said  he  doubted  whether  these countries were more
democratic  than  Turkey.   Demirel,   who   also   spoke   of
environmental  issues,  said an international treaty should be
created to stop global  pollution.   Demirel  and  Environment
Minister Riza Akcali received journalists from the US, France,
Britain, Denmark, Germany, Russia and Azerbaijan.  Replying to
a  question  on  whether strengthening of the Islamic religion
would pressurize the state system, Demirel said:  "Turkey is a
secular  country.   There is religious freedom and there is no
pressure.  Secularism guarantees religious freedom.   I  think
that  the  Turkish  nation  likes  the  state  order set up by
Ataturk".  /Sabah/


PM'S OFFICE:  19,000 DEAD IN 11-YEAR PKK CONFLICT

More than 19,000 people have died, over half of  them  Kurdish
separatist   militants,  in  almost  11  years  of  government
fighting against the PKK  terrorist  organization,  the  Prime
Minister's   office   said  in  a  statement  yesterday.   The
statement said that 19,560 people  have  been  killed  in  the
fight  led  by  the  PKK since the group took up arms in 1984.
More than 11,000 PKK members have been killed since then,  and
3,825  members  of the security forces, the statement said.  A
total of 4,727 civilians  have  died,  it  added.   Meanwhile,
fourteen  PKK  militants were killed in operations in Hakkari,
Bitlis  and  Sirnak,  the  Anatolia   news   agency   reported
yesterday.    Seven   PKK  militants  surrendered  to  Turkish
security forces to  take  advantage  of  the  Repentance  Law.
Separatist  militants  killed  three  people  and wounded four
others on the Olukbasi plateau in Adana's Osmaniye district.


GREEK SUPPORT FOR KURDISH LEADER

Following the visit of the Greek parliamentarians to PKK
terrorist leader Abdullah Ocalan, the news from Athens today
is Greek support for leader of the so-called Kurdish Parliament
in-exile, Yasar Kaya.

Within the framework of the Greek "any enemy of Turkey is  our
friend"  policy,  Yasar Kaya is being given the full treatment
by the Greeks with ceremonies and visits to parliament.  Greek
government  spokesmen  however, and other officials, are still
avoiding giving a clear answer  to  just  what  they  hope  to
achieve by buttering-up to these individuals.  /All papers/


EU COUNCIL "WATCHING TURKEY CLOSELY"

According to Spanish EU parliamentarian Miguel  Martinez,  the
Council  of  EU  Parliamentarians  is watching developments in
Turkey "closely." He has noted that there have  some  positive
steps  forward,  among  them  the  quick withdrawal of Turkish
military  forces  from  northern  Iraq  following   operations
against PKK terrorists.

The Council is now waiting to see progress  on  constitutional
and  legal  system  reforms  including  human  rights  issues.
Turkey's current situation in relation to membership in the EU
is  already  being  reviewed by sub-committees attached to the
Council.  Again, according to Martinez, Turkey is  meeting  up
to  the  expectations  of  the  EU  Council.  The signals from
Europe are thus  described  as  being  "more  positive."  /All
papers/


MORE LOBBYING FOR CUSTOMS UNION

The Turkish Association of Businessmen and Industrialists will
host  ten  EU parliamentarians in Antalya at the start of next
month.  The association feels that there are a lot of gaps  in
the  present  promotion  programme,  and  wants  to  lobby for
customs union with the EU on its own terms.

Association members are attaching a lot of importance  to  the
meetings  and  lobby  plans, and add that they want to make up
the deficiences they have seen in Turkish promotion campaigns.
/Milliyet/


GROSSMAN IN DIYARBAKIR

Marc Grossman, US Ambassador to  Turkey,  went  to  Diyarbakir
yesterday  to  provide  details about the Southeast Education,
Health and Economy project.  After  being  briefed  about  the
problems  of  the  city,  Grossman  said that Turkey had taken
important steps forward in the economy and  democracy  issues.
He  added:  "Turkey is a democratic country.  I support Turkey
on every international  platform  where  I  am  present.   The
Turkish  economy  is  developing.  I will start initiatives to
ensure that US businesses invest in Turkey." /Milliyet/


POPE SUPPORTS TURKEY'S EUROPEAN UNION MEMBERSHIP

Pope Jean Paul II said that he supported the  full  membership
of  Turkey in the European Union (EU).  The Pope stressed that
Turkey which holds a special position between West  and  East,
also  has  taken  upon  itself  the important role of building
bridges between different cultures  within  the  structure  of
Europe  and  forming  positive  relations  amongst  the people
living in  critical  regions.   The  Pope  declared  during  a
meeting  with Turkish Ambassador Semih Belen, appointed to the
Vatican, that "Turkey's full membership in the EU  will  be  a
heartening  development  stemming  from  forming  economic and
political institutions which will make  contributions  to  the
material and moral prosperity of our societies." /Hurriyet/

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 * Origin: APS Amsterdam (aps.nl), bbs +31-20-6842147 (16:31/2.0)