Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Bastn Özeti
INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1997
Rï Ukraine Quits Iran Reactor Deal
to Iran, a move that has long been a bines for these Russian power reactors,
By Michael R. Gordon
major irritant in U.S.-Russian relations. an American official noted.
New York TImes Service
The cash-starved Russian nuclear es- American officials said the Ukrainians'
MOSCOW - Responding to Amer- tablishment insists the reactor will be might also have been interested in
ican and Israeli appeals, Ukraine has open to inspection and used for peaceful providing other components, like pumps.
decided against providing turbines for purposes. The sale is also part of Mo- as well as services, like welding.
the nuclear reactor that Russia isselling scow's diplomatic campaign to nurture Ukraine's involvement in the project
to Iran. closer ties with Tehran. was a major impediment to closer U.S.-
The decision is a victory for Western But American and Israeli officials Ukrainian ties. Officials said it had preefforts
to curtail nuclear cooperation said they feared that the sale of the cluded cooperation on commercial nuwith
Iran. American officials said they reactor would help Iran develop its nu- clear technology.
hoped it would delay the Russian project clear expertise and aid its drive to de- Israel was also alarmed. Mr. Scharbut
did not expect it to prevent the sale.of .velop nuclear weapons.
ansky said that the Israeli govemmen~
the reactor. While U.S.-Russian differencesover asked Mr. Kuchma to back out of the
Ukraine 's decision was discussed at a the project have been well-publicized, . deal when the Ukrainian president vis~
meeting in Kiev on Monday between the Ukraine' s involvement in the project has ited Israel several months ago. .
Ukrainian president, Leonid Kuchma, been less well known. After repeated appeals, Mr. Kuchma
and Natan Scharansky, the Israeli min- A Ukrainian company, Turboatom, si~naled during a private meeting in
ister of industry and trade. was planning to sell several turbines for Kiev on Monday that Ukraine would not
Mr. Scharansky' disclosed the de- .tJ:te power reactor, working as a sub- take part in the reactor project. Mr..
cisiol) in a telephone interview. Amer- . co~trâCtor to the Russian Ministry of Scharansky said.
kan officials said later that they had Atomic Energy, according to American American officials said that Mr.
received similar assurances. . 'officials." Scharansky's information was also con-
At the heart of the issue is il Russian "There are only a couple of compa- sistentwith private assurances that the
decision to sell a nuclea.r.power reactor nies, in th~ world that bui~d the big.tur- United States received.
.. -_
. . . .
Turkish Daily News Wednesday. April16. 1997
Turkey-EU JPC kicks otTwith angryexchanges
Ankara-
Turkisl, Daily News
• A two-day meeting of the Turkey-
European Unio(l Joint Parliamentary
Commission (JPC) kicked off in Ankara
on Tuesday with an~ry exchanges
between Foreign MInister Tansu Çiller
and the leader of the European
Parliament's Greens Group, Claudia
Roth, an outspoken critic of Ankara on
human rights issues. Querying how Çiller
could defend womens' rights yet remain
in a government where a minister supported
the right to have more than one
wife. Roth, a co-chairperson of the JPC,
was tersely rehuffed by the Turkish foreign
minister. .
Pointing out that secularism was an
issue that concerned Turkey andindicatin~
that freedom of religion and consCIence
and womens' rights were protected
in this country. Çiller said no one
shm.ikl havcany uoubts these rights
would be improved upon. .
"But to question why this or that party
has formed a coalition government is
interfering in our internal affairs. No one
has the right to do that," Çiller said.
"The point at whi~h the. freedon~ of our
friends exl:tausts Itself ISthe pomt at
which they start interfering in our
domestiç affairs." Çiller added,
244
with remarks that caused a chill
among those gathered for the JPC
meeting .
Çiller said that Roth' s comments
represented precisely such interference.
Roth made her remarks in the
"questions and answers" section
after the Turkish foreign minister
delivered her opening address to
the 40th gathenng of the JPC
which comprises deputies from the
Turkish and European Parliamencs.
In her own opening address Roth
had emphasized her belief there
was a place for Turkey in the
European Union. indicating that
she did not agree with those. who
asserted that Turkey's different
identity precluded such a possibility.
.
Roth also lambasted her native
Gennany for imposing a visa
requirement on Turkish children .
. under the age of 16, saying this was
nothing but "racism" and "institutionalized
discrimination." But further
escalating the tension with
Çiller later in the day Roth, in a
press statement outside the
UlucanllU' Prison in Ankara, insisted
she would continue to interfere
in Turkey's internal affairs so long
as there were people in prison who
had been convicted for their ideas.
Roth was speaking after a failed
attempt to meet fonner pro-Kurdish
deputy Leyla Zana who is serving a
sentence in prison after having .
been convicted by the state securtty
court of supporting the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
Roth was seen carrying a bouquet
of yellow, red and green flowers,
considered by Turkey's Kurds as
the colors of their ethnic banner but
which the authorities say lfe PKK
colors. Çiller, in her address to the
JPC, pointed out that steps had
been taken to improve the quality
of human rights in Turkey, adding
nevertheless that she did not
approve of the fact there were
authors in prison today in Turkey,
incarcerated simply for their
thoughts.
She said she was happy Europe
was following these developments
in Turkey closely and assured the
Euro-Deputies that reform in the
field of human rights would continue
unabated.