Ciller in problems, strike contiues

[kurdeng at aps.nl]

ANKARA, Turkey (Reuter) - Four members of parliament quit Turkish Prime
Minister Tansu Ciller's party Thursday, dealing a blow to her minority
government ahead of a confidence vote.

In separate developments Ciller was reported to have rejected a lower pay
demand proposed by leaders of 335,000 striking public sector workers, and a
key political figure warned he might not support her in Sunday's key vote.

Parliament sources said four members of Ciller's True Path Party (DYP) resigned
to follow a colleague who defected last week into the ranks of the
independents. This leaves Ciller's conservative party with 177 MPs in the
428-seat parliament. A separate group of anti-Ciller DYP deputies have also
threatened to oppose her Sunday when she needs a simple majority of those
voting to survive.

The Turkish lira dived against the dollar on the resignations while Istanbul
stocks slumped by 5.7 percent.

Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit, who has offered Ciller
support of his 10 deputies in the vote on the condition she first resolve the
public sector strike, gave her what he called a "final" warning.

A nationalist party with 17 MPs has also pledged its support for Ciller
linked to resolution of the strike, while some independents may vote with her.

The strike by public sector workers, which began on Sept. 20 over an initial
government pay rise offer of 5.4 percent for the year, has idled ports, sugar
mills, paper mills, slowed railways and threatens wheat and sugar production.

(2)

By Suna Erdem

ANKARA, Oct 12 (Reuter) - A key Turkish leader on Thursday gave a "final"
warning to Prime Minister Tansu Ciller to solve a big public workers' strike as
four MPs quit her party, stepping up pressure on her minority rule ahead of a
confidence vote.

"Until this problem is solved, direct or indirect support (in the vote of
confidence) by the DSP (Democratic Left Party) is impossible," DSP leader
Bulent Ecevit said in a statement. "This is my final call to the government and
to Turk-Is."

The DSP is one of two key parties who want the strike by 335,000 public workers
resolved before they give Prime Minister Tansu Ciller's minority government
support in a tight vote of confidence on Sunday.

The support of the DSP's 10 MPs could prove crucial. The vote is further
complicated with a group of anti-Ciller deputies within her own conservative
True Path Party (DYP) threatening to join the other main parties in opposing
the government.

Parliament sources said four DYP MPs from the anti-Ciller camp resigned from
the party on Thursday to follow a colleague who quit last week into the ranks
of the independents.

This leaves Ciller's conservative party with 177 MPs. The new DYP minority
government needs a simple majority of those voting out of parliament's 428
deputies. A nationalist party with 17 MPs also pledged its support linked to
the strike.

The labour confederation Turk-Is is lobbying MPs to oppose the government. But
a top Turk-Is official told Reuters earlier that a solution to the strike
looked stronger as the chances of Ciller winning the confidence vote
diminished. "If Ciller believes she can get a vote of confidence, then she
won't budge, but if she thinks the vote could be in the balance, then she will
approach us -- and the chances for her winning the vote do not look too good,"
said Yildirim Koc.

Anatolian news agency said DYP deputy Sadik Avundukluoglu had met with Turk-Is
officials, saying Ciller had asked for his help. Avundukluoglu, who said he
did not bring another pay offer for the unions, told Anatolian he would report
back to her.

Ecevit warned of "unforseeable" consequences for the country if Ciller failed
to solve the strike and win Sunday's vote. He said he had told Ciller from the
start, after she ended her right-left coalition by resigning on September 20,
that she had to settle the workers' pay dispute before she solved the problem
of a new government. "Instead, Ciller said she would follow the opposite
approach. She said: 'first the government must be formed and get a vote of
confidence, then the collective bargaining will have its turn'. The result is
for all to see," he said.

The strike by public sector workers, which began on September 20 over an
initial government pay rise offer of 5.4 percent for the year, has idled ports,
sugar mills, paper mills, slowed railways and threatens the production of basic
goods, including wheat and sugar production.

The strike, Turkey's biggest for decades, is losing Turkey over $10 million a
day of exports, trade officials say.

Ciller said on Wednesday there was no money to meet the strikers' demands. A
high pay rise would mean pledging money that did not exist and could entail
higher taxes, she said. She fears rises tied to inflation will ruin her 1994
economic austerity programme, backed by the International Monetary Fund, which
she is already struggling to fulfil.

Koc said the government had raised its offer slightly late on Wednesday to a 13
percent rise for the next six months, and 12 percent for the six months after
that. Turk-Is wants rises of 24 percent and 19 percent rises for the two
six-month tranches. Inflation is expected to be around 70 percent for 1995.

(3)

ANKARA, Oct 12 (Reuter) - Ankara on Thursday warned neighbour Syria to curb
cross-border attacks into Turkey and activities on Syrian soil by the rebel
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

The foreign ministry said it had summoned Syria's ambassador to Ankara on
Wednesday to deliver a warning about increasing instances of border attacks
and infiltration into Turkey from Syria of PKK guerrillas. "We asked, once
again, for the necessary precautions to be taken immediately," the ministry
said in a statement.

It said 10 PKK attacks "of a serious nature" had taken place on Turkey's border
with Syria since February and each time the attackers had escaped to Syrian
soil. Despite Turkey's contacts with Syrian authorities after each incident,
the attacks had continued unabated, it said. "The damage that such incidents do
to Turkish-Syrian relations, which should rest on the principle of friendship
and good neighbourliness, is obvious," it said.

The ministry said it had also given Damascus proof many times of the presence
of leading PKK members on Syrian soil. PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan is believed
to be based in Syria or the Syrian-controlled Bekaa Valley in Lebanon.

The PKK has only recently begun to be active in Hatay province on the border
with Syria. Hatay, whose population is predominantly of Arab origin, borders
the Turkish industrial and agricultural Adana province, which has a large and
restive Kurdish immigrant population.


ISTANBUL, Turkey (Reuter) - A Turkish security court Thursday rejected a call
to drop a case on procedural grounds against a Reuters correspondent charged
under Turkey's laws on freedom of expression.

The defense argued that the charge, relating to a Reuters story issued last
Nov. 25, was invalid under a six-month statute of limitations. Formal charges
were filed this July.

Reuters correspondent Aliza Marcus, whose byline was on the story, faces up to
three years in jail for "provoking enmity and hatred by displaying racism or
regionalism."

"We have prepared our response to the charges which we have said are without
merit. We await our next opportunity to clear Marcus' name," said a spokesman
for Reuters in London.

The story referred to forcible evacuation of Kurdish villages as part of a
military strategy against separatist Kurdish guerrillas in southeast Turkey.

Marcus, 33, is a U.S. citizen. Her trial in the Istanbul state security court
was adjourned until Nov. 9. Under Turkish procedure, no plea is submitted.

In a related case, a state prosecutor last week asked the court to drop charges
against a Turkish newspaper for publishing the Reuters story.

(6)

NEW YORK, Oct. 12 (Reuter) - A U.S.-based press freedom group on Thursday
denounced a decision by a Turkish court to pursue criminal charges against a
Reuter correspondent.

Earlier on Thursday, a Turkish security court rejected a call to drop the case,
which stemmed from a November 25, 1994, story. The story referred to forcible
evacuation of Kurdish villages as part of a military strategy against
separatist Kurdish guerrillas in southeast Turkey.

Correspondent Aliza Marcus, a U.S. citizen whose byline was on the story, faces
up to three years in jail for "provoking enmity and hatred by displaying racism
or regionalism."

"Ms. Marcus is the first American casualty of the Turkish government's
deplorable campaign of censorship and intimidation against journalists covering
the Kurdish separatist movement," Walter Cronkite, honorary chairman of the
Committee to Protect Journalists, said in a statement.

The group said Cronkite, the former CBS News television anchorman, met with
Turkish Prime Minister Tansu Ciller in Ankara in late September to protest the
charges. The organisation said it would continue its protests. The Turkish
court rejected the defence claims that the charge against Marcus was invalid
under a six-month statute of limitations. Formal charges were filed this July.

Marcus' trial in the Istanbul state security court was adjourned until Nov. 9.

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