Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
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REVUE DE PRESSE~PRESS REVIEW,BERHEVOKA ÇAPÊ~RNISTA STAMPA~DENTRO DE LA PRENSA~BASIN ÖZETÎ<br />
98<br />
II<br />
Demirel: System in<br />
Turkey will always<br />
remain secuÙlr<br />
Turkish presi<strong>de</strong>nt tells Bulgarian<br />
press that there are 10 million<br />
citizens of Kurdish origin in Turkey<br />
Turkish Daily News<br />
ANKARA- Presi<strong>de</strong>nt Süleyman Demirel hassaid that<br />
Islamic fundamentalism in Turkey will never receive more<br />
that 19 percent of the vote in any election.<br />
Demü'el, whose words were quoted by Anatolia News<br />
agency on Thursday from an interview he gave to the<br />
Bulgarian daily Trud, ad<strong>de</strong>d that the system in Turkey<br />
would always remain in the hands of parties that believed in<br />
secularism.<br />
Pointing out that fundamentalism has .been enjoying a<br />
worldwi<strong>de</strong> revival over the past 20 years, Demirel Indicated<br />
.that politics based on fundamentalism had also increased in<br />
the west. "As a secular state Turkey respects the.religious.<br />
beliefs of its citizens. Turkey's traditIOn of secularism.<br />
comes from the religious harmony maintained for centuries .<br />
by the Ottoman Empire," Demirel said.<br />
"Because of this we are very sensitive to all political ten-'<br />
déncies that obstruct the proper functioning of the <strong>de</strong>mocratic<br />
regime," he ad<strong>de</strong>d. .<br />
Answering questions about the Southeast, Presi<strong>de</strong>nt<br />
Demirel said that Turkey was faced with the problem of<br />
Kurdish terrorism.<br />
Indicating that there were around 10 million people of<br />
Kurdish origin in Turkey, Demirel said Turkey was a 'melting-pot"<br />
in which many cultures have come tog<strong>et</strong>her at different<br />
periods and lived tog<strong>et</strong>her in harmony.<br />
"The problem is the PKK, which has been conducting a<br />
bloody camp.a!gnof terror since 1984and has been.guilty of<br />
massacres without differentiating about women or children.<br />
Our security forces have taken measures to prevent the ter.<br />
ro~st activities of this organization," the presi<strong>de</strong>nt<br />
said.<br />
He ad<strong>de</strong>d that "great stri<strong>de</strong>s" had been ma<strong>de</strong> to this end;<br />
"No one can be stron~er than the state. The terrorist organi.<br />
zation willlearn this,' he ad<strong>de</strong>d.<br />
Demirel went on to say that economics measures were<br />
also, b~.i.~g~ak~~conc~r:IlI,n&:so~theastAna!olia and add~d .<br />
that the Sotitheast Anatoha pröJect; otherwIse know by Its<br />
Turkish acronym of GAP, was being implemented stage by<br />
stage.<br />
Adding that with the compl<strong>et</strong>ion of the early stages. of<br />
GAP opportunities for mo<strong>de</strong>m production projects will be<br />
.available in the region, he <strong>de</strong>clared: " l believe that you will<br />
not recognize the southeast Anatolian region in the year<br />
2000," Referring to the state of the economy in Turkey,<br />
Demirel said that the biggest problem in this case was the<br />
chronic budg<strong>et</strong> <strong>de</strong>ficit. .<br />
. "Because of this, the value of our money is constantly'<br />
.falling and inflation i.sconstantly rising. But with the Apnl<br />
5 measures a turning point has been reached," Demirel said,<br />
referring to theausterity package recently adopted by the<br />
government.<br />
H~ went on to say that Turkey is obliged to pursue the<br />
reqUIrements of a mark<strong>et</strong> economy, and that there was<br />
therefore a need to reduce the role of the state in the economy.<br />
He also claimed that "the necessary measures have<br />
been tàken to reduce the budg<strong>et</strong> <strong>de</strong>ficit."<br />
. ~IOfcourse, when radical economic measures are taken,<br />
some crises must be un<strong>de</strong>rgone.<br />
But these are not <strong>de</strong>velopments that cannot be overcome,"<br />
Demirel said.<br />
On the subject of Turkish-Bulgarian relations, Presi<strong>de</strong>nt<br />
. Demirel said that apart from the 1984-1989 period ties<br />
b<strong>et</strong>ween the two countries had always been good, adding<br />
that both countries "shared the same i<strong>de</strong>als."<br />
Un<strong>de</strong>rlining the importance of the Black Sea Economic<br />
Cooperation project, Demirel said "the only thing dividing<br />
thé two countries is a bor<strong>de</strong>r."<br />
"In the future when the free circulation of goods, labour,<br />
capital and information is secured, bor<strong>de</strong>rs WIllcease to be<br />
obstructions among Black Sea countries," he conclu<strong>de</strong>d.<br />
US Tra<strong>de</strong> and Development Agency grants for Turkey<br />
Over the past 12 years, the IDA has provi<strong>de</strong>d Turkey with over $12 millioll ill grallts<br />
Turkish Daily News<br />
ANKARA-Turkish Un<strong>de</strong>rsecr<strong>et</strong>ary<br />
of Treasury Osman Birsen and U.S.<br />
Tra<strong>de</strong> and Development Agency<br />
(TDA) Dir~ctor J. Joseph<br />
Grandmaison signed three agreements,<br />
totalling $984,000, a press<br />
release from the United States<br />
Information Service (USIS) said.<br />
''This visit and the.signing of these<br />
grants <strong>de</strong>monstrate one of the<br />
Clinton administration ' s efforts to<br />
strengthen U.S.-Turkish economic<br />
relations in the post-Cold War era,"<br />
said Grandmaison.<br />
The grants come amid tensions<br />
b<strong>et</strong>ween Washington and Ankara<br />
caused by' the U.S. Congress' efforts<br />
to tie mIlitary aid with Turkey to<br />
what Ankara calls third factors -<br />
~uman rights and the Cyprus<br />
Issue.<br />
Prime Minister Tansu Çiller signalled<br />
that she could reject military<br />
aid alto~<strong>et</strong>her if it is gIven "condItionally.<br />
' Over the past 12 years, the<br />
IDA has provi<strong>de</strong>d Turkey with over<br />
$12 million in grants for .feasibility<br />
studies, techntcalassistance and<br />
training in support of the planning<br />
and <strong>de</strong>velopment of major projects.<br />
Following the October me<strong>et</strong>ing<br />
b<strong>et</strong>ween Prime Minister Tansu Çiller<br />
and Presi<strong>de</strong>nt Bill Clinton in<br />
Washington, special joint economic<br />
committee me<strong>et</strong>ings were held in<br />
Ankara to outIlne a program to<br />
enhance economic ties b<strong>et</strong>ween the<br />
tWo countries. Since those me<strong>et</strong>ings,<br />
TDA has provi<strong>de</strong>d $2.43 million in<br />
grants to Turkey.<br />
According to. the agreement<br />
signed today, the TDA will provi<strong>de</strong><br />
$375,000 worth of financial assistance<br />
to the Transportation and<br />
Communication Ministry for the<br />
<strong>de</strong>velopment of a policy framework<br />
on privatization of Turkey's<br />
telecommunication sector.<br />
The TDA will also provi<strong>de</strong><br />
$377,000 for a geographic information<br />
system feasibility study for the<br />
GAP regional <strong>de</strong>velopment administration<br />
and another $232,000 for a<br />
similar study for the Bursa Water<br />
and Spwage Administration.<br />
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