Turkish Press Review
kurdeng at aps.nl
kurdeng at aps.nl
Wed Jun 28 17:04:05 BST 1995
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)
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