TURKISH PRESS REVIEW

[kurdeng at aps.nl]

From: tabe at newsdesk.aps.nl
Subject: TURKISH PRESS REVIEW
Reply-To: kurdeng at aps.nl


                        MAY 16, 1995


Summary of the political and economic news  in  the  Turkish
press this morning.


WEU MINISTERS OUTLINE NEW SECURITY THREATS

European countries from East  and  West  met  in  Lisbon  on
Monday  to  outline  common  security threats in an unstable
post-Cold War world.   The  threats  discussed  ranged  from
organized  crime  to  chemical  gas  attacks  from terrorist
groups.  The gathering, under the auspices of the  10-member
Western  European  Union  (WEU),  brought  together  some 27
states from western, central and eastern Europe to  lay  the
foundations for a future European defense identity.

Turkey,  an  associate  member  of  the  organization,   was
represented at the meeting by Foreign Affairs Minister Erdal
Inonu and National Defense Minister Mehmet Golhan.

Turkish  Foreign  Minister   Erdal   Inonu   met   with   EU
Commissioner  for  Foreign  Affairs  Hans  Van  den Broek on
Monday, in the shadow of the Lisbon meeting.

Talking to the press after the meeting, Van den  Broek  said
that  Turkey,  by  pulling out of Iraq following its massive
cross-border operation against separatist Kurdish militants,
had  kept  its  word  that it would do so.  In response to a
question he said that the customs union accord would  be  up
for ratification in the European Parliament in September and
October and both Turkey and EU would have to work hard for a
positive result from the Parliament.

Foreign  Minister  Erdal  Inonu,  who  met  with  his  Dutch
counterpart  in  Lisbon,  failed  to  break the ice that has
formed in relations between Turkey and the Netherlands since
the   latter   failed   to  prevent  the  so-called  Kurdish
"parliament-in-exile" meeting in The Hague.

Inonu said that the meeting with Foreign Minister  Hans  van
Mierlo  had  been  positive in the sense that both sides had
had the opportunity to state their positions.

The talks between the two sides will continue,  Inonu  said,
but he did not specify at what level./All Papers/

GERMAN MINISTER CRITICIZES COE DECISION

Helmut Schafer, German minister  of  state  responsible  for
foreign affairs, criticized the Council of Europe's decision
on Turkey, saying that parliaments could not be pressured in
democracies.   He added that he felt it was unacceptable for
the Council to set a time limit for the  Turkish  Parliament
to  realize  the neccessary reforms.  Schafer concluded that
Turkey's fight against the separatist,  terrorist  Kurdistan
Workers'  Party (PKK) was a just one and that no one had the
right to criticize Turkey on this issue./All Papers/

ATATURK SOCIETY FOUNDED IN THE US

In a move to  promote  "Turkish  idealogy"  a  new  "Ataturk
Society  of  America"  (ASA) has been founded in the US.  On
May 19, both the founding of the society and the anniversary
of Ataturk's birthday will be celebrated in Washington.

President of the new society, Hudal Yalavar, said  that  the
society  will  promote  Turkey, Ataturkism and work to block
anti-Turkey currents in the US.

It is understood that US senator Robert C.  Byrd will give a
speech  during  the  ceremonies  planned  for  May 19.  /All
papers/

KURDS DETAINED BY GERMAN ANTI-TERRORISM TEAM IN MAINZ

A total of 111 Kurds were detained when agents of the German
GSG-9   Anti-Terrorism  squad  raided  a  Kurdish  "Cultural
Meeting" in the city of Mainz on  Sunday,  the  Kurd-A  news
agency  reported.  Forty-one people were still in custody on
Monday.

In  another  German  city,  Cologne,  more  than  600  Kurds
demonstrated  on  Sunday in remembrance of the people killed
in the recent disturbances in Istanbul's Gazi  district./All
Papers/


AUSTRIA:  THE PKK IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

The PKK and  its  sub-organizations,  so  far  permitted  in
Austria  on  condition  that  they  "do  not resort to brute
force" by the Austrian government has now been denounced  as
"a  terrorist  organization"  by the Austrian Supreme Court.
Deciding that the PKK was infact  "a  criminal  organization
according  to  criminal law", the Austrian Supreme Court has
stated that  also  the  activities  of  associations  having
connection  with  the  PKK  were  considered,  under "decree
number 278A of  the  criminal  law  regarding  the  struggle
against  organizated crimes" as being criminal.  The Supreme
Court took this decision while examining the  objections  of
Seyho  K.,  head  of  the  "Ararat  Cultural  Association of
Kurdish Workers" and members Ali I., Ishan B., Ishan Y.   to
the punishment handed down to them because of involvement in
"extortion  with  threats".   The  Supreme   Court   however
rejected the defense of the four PKK terrorists found guilty
of extorting money with threats claiming that "the PKK which
was  active  abroad  and the Cultural Association of Kurdish
Workers had permitted these  activities.   Claims  that  the
Cultural  Society  was  not  criminal  were  rejected by the
court./Milliyet/

ANKARA GOVERNMENT DETERMINED TO START MANEUVERS

The Turkish Armed Forces have  reversed  their  decision  to
hold the "Denizkurdu maneuvers" in the Aegean Sea despite of
warnings from the US to Turkey and Greece about not  holding
air  and naval exercises in the Aegean this summer.  Turkish
Naval vessels will begin the planned Denizkurdu maneuvers in
the international waters of the Aegean Sea in mid-June.

According  to  information  from  the   Chief-of-Staff   two
exercises will be held in the Aegean at the begining of this
summer.  Commanders of the Ground, Air and Naval Forces will
start  the  "Efes-95"  joint  maneuvers  in  early  June and
shortly after, the Denizkurdu maneuvers will be  started  in
the    Sea    of   Marmara,   the   Aegean   Sea   and   the
Mediterranean./Milliyet/

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