| TRKNWS-L Turkish Daily News (March 29, 1996) CONTENTS * [01] Turkey's national power company plans TL 48.3 trillion in investments this year * [02] Clinton winds up visit to Turkey * [03] World aviators to meet in Turkey * [04] Turkish Cypriots infuriated by EP resolution * [05] US defense secretary to meet Turkish colleague in Albania. * [06] Turkey-Switzerland agree on project for repatriation of rejected asylum seekers TURKISH DAILY NEWS / 29 March 1996 [01] Turkey's national power company plans TL 48.3 trillion in investments this year Turkish Daily News ANKARA- Turkey's national power company TEAS is planning to make TL 48.3 trillion worth of investments this year, despite serious fiscal constraints squeezing the proposed budget. Mustafa Turhan, TEAS general director, said that of the planned investments, TL 30.8 trillion would go into power generation units and another TL 13.1 trillion into building new transmission lines. He said the company's 1996 investment program, as presented to the State Planning Organization (DPT), foresees nine new power stations this year. They are the Ankara natural gas station (1,360 mw); Gebze natural gas station (780 mw); Seyitomer thermal station (150 mw); Tuncbilek thermal station (300 mw); Soma thermal station (600 mw); Can thermal station (300 mw); Gebze fuel oil station (680 mw); Tufanbeyli thermal station (600 mw); Ankara fuel oil station (680 mw). He also said TEAS would spend TL 1.1 trillion in administrative investments and TL 2.9 trillion on machinery and equipment procurement. But fiscal experts said the company's investment proposals could be subject to curbs during the budget debate in Parliament. "We are acting under extremely strict fiscal constraints this year. It is the political authority's rather forced preference to curb spending in all items, including investments," said one finance ministry source. But the TEAS general director said the investment plan has a good chance to be approved. "In the event of full approval, I would say the current year would turn into an investment drive in the energy sector," Turhan told the semi-official Anatolia news agency. Turkey's energy consumption during the first quarter of the year leapt 14 percent, up from an original program target of 10 percent. Turkey aims to generate 94 billion kilowatt hours of power in 1996. "If the current consumption trend remains unchanged throughout the year, we shall have an energy shortage of 3 billion kilowatt hours this year. We shall have to make an effort to cover that deficit through technical arrangements at the already existing stations," Turhan explained. [02] Clinton winds up visit to Turkey Turkish Daily News ISTANBUL- On Thursday, the final day of a whirlwind tour to Turkey American First Lady Hillary Clinton breakfasted at the Yenikoy home of True Path Party (DYP) Chairman Tansu Ciller, who told the press afterwards they had discussed "a number of items" of interest to Turkey and the United States. Characterizing the meeting as "warm", Ciller noted that Clinton had said she found Turkey to be much more beautiful than she had expected. As they were eating Ciller pointed out the oil tankers plying the Bosphorus and brought up the issue of the oil pipelines problem. She emphasized that the oil tanker traffic would lessen should the proposed overland Azerbaijan- Kazakhstan pipelines be constructed. The breakfast meeting was attended by Ciller's husband Ozer Ciller, Clinton's daughter Chelsea, three American officials, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Onur Oymen and his wife, DYP Istanbul Parliamentarian Gencay Gurun and businessman Jak Kamhi. During the approximately one-hour meeting a number of gifts were exchanged. Ciller presented Clinton with a book she has written and a silver mirror, and her daughter with a bracelet made of blue beads. She also gave Clinton a silver pen and pencil set to take to her husband, U.S. President Bill Clinton. In return Clinton gave Ciller a tablecloth. Clinton visits Istanbul's tourist sites Following breakfast the Clintons were taken to visit Sultanahmet Mosque, Topkapi Palace Museum and Aya Sophia Museum. She was accompanied by Prof. Filiz Ozer, a faculty member in Istanbul Technical University's Architectural Department. Ozer provided a tour of the mosque, at which Clinton was given a copy of the Qu`ran by the mosque's imam, Recai Albayrak and chief muezzin, Halit Yilmaz. Afterwards the Clintons went to Topkapi Palace for a private tour, where they posed for photos in front of the Baghdad Kosk. Later on the group went to Aya Sophia, where Ozer and the museum's director Veysel Donbaz provided a tour. Meeting with religious leaders Clinton also visited the Islamic History, Art and Culture Research Center in Yildiz Palace's Cit Kasri, where she was met by IRCICA Director Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and given a tea party. Among the guests were Istanbul Mufti Selahaddin Kaya and other religious leaders. The purpose of the meeting was to contribute to the strengthening of the dialogue among various religions and cultures, and to provide in the context of Istanbul's historic past a showcase of the rich diversity of civilizations and religions and cultures that have flourished over the centuries. [03] World aviators to meet in Turkey By Caglar Unal Turkish Daily News ANKARA- This summer the skies above the southern city of Antalya will be filled with balloons, hand-gliders, and micro-lights, all preparing for competition in the first World Air Olympics to be held between Sept. 12 and 21, 1997. The event is organized by the Turkish Aeronautical Association (THK) and will be the first such competition with 3,500 aviators from different parts of the world participating. Professor Atilla Tacoy, chairman of the THK, told the Turkish Daily News that the FAI (Federation Aeronautical Internationale), a worldwide organization for air sports and aeronautical and astronautical activities, decided to award the organization of the Olympics to the THK in 1995. The THK has been an active member of the FAI since 1929. The THK chairman said that the first World Air Olympics would be a multi-sport event featuring all the main air sports such as ballooning, gliding, aeromodelling, parachuting, aerobatics, hang-gliding, paragliding, microlights, and motorcraft. Tacoy said that the purpose of the FAI was to promote the international spirit of aeronautics and to advertise all air sports throughout the world as part of the education of pilots, parachutists and aeromodelists in skill, courage and understanding. Tacoy said that there had been tension between the FAI and the International Olympic Committee, because the committee has not yet approved the competition as an Olympics. "The members of the committee have not declared that parachuting is an olympic sport so that's why they call it the first World Air Games," added Tacoy. Listing the history of attempts to hold air games, the THK chairman said that the organization had been given to France in 1990 to organize the games for 1993 but France had backed out. "Then Greece took responsibility for the organization but later saw that they could not organize the Air Olympics, and then the organization was given to the THK by the officials of FAI which is the owner of all the rights to these games," Tacoy said. The THK was established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic, in 1925 with the basic aim of increasing awareness of aviation among people, especially the young, promoting aviation activities in Turkey. "Turkey has great potential in aviation, and FAI officials were impressed that Turkey has an extensive infrastructure of aviation. Turkey also was one of the first members of the FAI," added Tacoy. This summer there will be test competitions, and field preparation by FAI experts on the eight sites where the games are to be held. The games will host 11 disciplines at eight sites. With the helicopter competition in Istanbul's Samandira district. Air rally flying and aerobatics in Antalya, aeromodelling in the Golbasi district of Ankara, parachuting in Izmir's Ephesus district, microlights in Aydin, gliding in Eskisehir's Inonu district, hang-gliding and paragliding in Denizli's Honaz district, ballooning in Cappadocia, and there will be a long-range air race from Reykjavik in Iceland to Antalya. Tacoy said that the THK now has over 60 planes and 70 pilots, and is educating pilots in the aviation clubs in Izmir, Adana, Antalya and Istanbul. Crop spraying and forest fire fighting are among its other activities. Antalya is also set to host the 65th international Interpol general assembly in June, and the International Aviation Training Center (IATC) is expected to be established in Antalya in 1997. On the subject of the IATC, which will be established to train pilots, air traffic controllers and airport managers from the wide and rapidly expanding Middle Eastern area, Tacoy firstly expressed his displeasure that the THK had been informed about the project so late. The THK later gave its backing but called on the project owners to cooperate with the THK more fully, Tacoy concluded that the two groups are now fully in contact and have started to work together for the project. [04] Turkish Cypriots infuriated by EP resolution The European Parliament, besides calling for withdrawal of "foreign troops" on Cyprus, criticized a statement by Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas that there were no living "missing persons" on Cyprus Turkish Daily News NICOSIA- Turkish Cypriot Foreign and Defense Minister Atay Ahmet Rasit deplored a European Parliament resolution as incompatible with the realities of Cyprus and "unbinding" for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. In a written statement, Rasit stressed that the European Parliament resolution, adopted without hearing the Turkish Cypriot view on the issues, was devoid of realism and would contribute to further widening the atmosphere of unconfidence between the two sides on the island. The European Parliament, besides calling for withdrawal of "foreign troops" on Cyprus, criticized a statement by Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas that there were no living "missing persons" on Cyprus. He said the latest resolution displayed that it was awkward for the European Union and the European Parliament to ask for the demilitarization of Cyprus while remaining blind and deaf to Greek Cypriot arms procurements and hostile attitudes toward the Turkish Cypriot people. The Turkish Cypriot foreign and defense minister stressed that with such resolutions the Europeans were further encouraging Greek Cypriots to continue defying Turkish Cypriot efforts to find a settlement to the Cyprus problem. In a statement to a Greek private TV station last month, Denktas stressed that some of the Greek missing persons were killed during the internal strife between Greek Cypriots following a July 15 Athens-engineered coup against Archbishop Makarios and some of them were killed by Turkish Cypriot paramilitary forces after the Turkish intervention. Turkish envoy vows continuation of Turkish aid for TRNC Meanwhile, Turkish ambassador to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Aydan Karahan, declared in an exclusive interview with the Turkish Cypriot "Birlik" (Union) newspaper that Turkey would continue to support the TRNC by all its means. The ambassador said the international community should realize that a settlement of the Cyprus problem cannot be reached only with the constructive stand of the Turkish side and underlined that Turkey can in no way exert pressure on the Turkish Cypriots for concessions. "Turkey will continue with courage and dynamism to defend the just cause of the Turkish Cypriots. Turkey will not support any settlement that will not be approved by the Turkish Cypriot people. If Turkey comes face to face with choosing between a bad solution that has no chance to last and the criticism and reaction of certain circles, then Turkey will be ready to face the unfair reactions," the ambassador stressed. Responding to a question on continued militarization of the Greek Cypriot side and the contradictory calls for demilitarization of the island, the ambassador recalled that Turkey's military presence in Cyprus was based on the Treaty of Guarantee. He said that under which framework and when they would be reduced depends on the solution of the Cyprus problem. "After a final political settlement, Turkey's active and effective guarantorship will continue to be valid. Until a final settlement is reached, Turkey will continue to defend the security needs of the TRNC and will take the necessary measures against the military escalation conducted by Greece and the Greek Cypriots," the ambassador stressed. In another development, Gen. Hasan Kundakci, commander of the Turkish troops on Cyprus, declared that Greek and Turkish Cypriots should live in their regions in peace and that borders which were drawn with blood could not be changed. "We are firm and strong. No one should try to test us. Everybody should live in their region in peace. The lines are drawn. Whatever is drawn with blood cannot change," he said. Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot sources told the Turkish Daily News that Russia, which, after France, has become the second Security Council permanent member to sell arms to Greek Cypriots by signing last week a contract for 50 T-80 tanks, has also signed an accord with the Greek Cypriot administration and shouldered training of Greek Cypriot military personnel for the tanks. Russia will as well help Greek Cypriots to establish maintenance facilities for the T-8- tanks and the BMP-3 armored personnel carriers it hopes to sell to the Glafkos Clerides administration. In another development, Turkish Cypriot Parliament Speaker Ayhan Halit Acarkan criticized the European Union Presidency's co-ordinator for Cyprus, Italian diplomat Federico di Roberto, for refusing to meet with the leader of the Rebirth Party during his tour of meetings with Turkish Cypriot party leaders. The Rebirth party is mostly supported by mainland Turks who have settled in northern Cyprus after the 1974 Turkish intervention on the island. [05] US defense secretary to meet Turkish colleague in Albania. Greece declines to take part in meeting of Balkan defense ministers with US counterpart Turkish Daily News WASHINGTON- U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry will meet next Monday in Tirana, Albania, with Turkish Minister of Defense Mahmut Oltan Sungurlu and their counterparts from four other Balkan countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Italy, Turkey and Macedonia, the Pentagon has announced. However, Greece turned down an invitation to attend the meeting. Briefing the press Wednesday, a senior Defense Department official almost made a slip of the tongue and revealed the reason, then corrected himself: "Greece declined to participate with sorry about that, but they declined." He did say that the rejection was received "about a week ago," which means it preceded Turkish Prime Minister Yilmaz's offer to Greece to hold unconditional talks. When a journalist said Greeks had told him their relations with Turkey were "improving ... at least on the surface," the senior U.S. official responded, "I think there's a lot of potential for that ... (Greek) Prime Minister Simitis is a thoughtful and energetic man who is looking to do that. We've had some very interesting statements out of Ankara. There's a basis for things going forward." The unnamed official termed Greece's absence "a disappointment to us ... They, nonetheless, are very important actors in the region ... so that, as we develop initiatives, we will hope that the Greeks will choose to participate, also." Perry's visit to Albania will be part of a six-day tour, which will take him also to Zagreb, Sarajevo and Cairo, the Pentagon announced. The Tirana meeting will be the first in what U.S. officials said they hope will be a continuing series of activities involving the military establishments of the Balkan countries. Some of these activities, which will be of varied nature, will focus on "building bonds" through the Partnership for Peace, NATO's program for former Warsaw Pact members and ex-Soviet Republics. Others will aim, the briefer said, at reducing "mutual suspicion" among countries which are advancing from different political-economic systems, "because this is an important issue in the area ... One way to do that is to have transparency of military information, and we'll talk about exchanging information," perhaps through region-wide seminars. Another possibility is a joint exercise on disaster relief, both because the Balkans "is an area which has had some significant disasters" and also as a further basis for cooperation. And the United States hopes that the regional countries would "expand their ability to do peacekeeping ... Italy, for example, has a peacekeeping center, which is open to the nationals of other countries. We would hope that the Italians would invite the smaller countries to participate, we hope those will be accepted." Finally, the briefer said, civil-military relations, in which the United States has "lots of programs ourselves, (are) just critical as part of establishing democracy" in the former Warsaw Pact states. [06] Turkey-Switzerland agree on project for repatriation of rejected asylum seekers Turkish Daily News ANKARA- Turkey and Switzerland have arrived at an agreement on a system of jointly encouraging the repatriation of Turkish citizens whose applications for asylum have been rejected by Swiss authorities, a senior Turkish official announced on Wednesday. Deputy Foreign Ministry spokesman Nurretin Nurkan said that the repatriation would take place under a project prepared by the International Organization for Migrants (IOM). He said that once the project were implemented, 100 Turkish citizens were expected within the first year to make use of it and return to Turkey. Nurkan said the object was to encourage these people to return to Turkey voluntarily and added that according to calculations up to 95 percent of the Turkish citizens who had applied for asylum in European countries did so out of economic and not political considerations. He said that the total cost of the project was estimated at $432,000. | |
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