Adress: Temsa 1 Evleri No:25 Çayyolu Ankara-Turkey EDITOR-IN CHIEF: AYLIN SAGTUR MUTLU

Tel & Fax: (90) 312-235 30 21 E-Mail: amutlu@superonline.com PUBLISHER: NECDET ONUR

Liasion Office: Bestekar Sokak 62/12 Kavaklidere-Ankara-Turkey EDITOR BÜLENTKARABONCUK

This sample issue of the NTA & the Press Digest has been reposted with permission on the Eurasia Research Center Web Site. For subscription information contact the editor at: News & Translation Agency.

CONTENTS

1. HEADLINES

3. FOREIGN AFFAIRS ……………………….5

• MUBAREK-SADDAM CONTROVERSY
• GERMAN PRESIDENT HERGOZ: WE NEVER SLAMMED DOORS DO TURKEY

4. ECONOMY …………………………………6

• 1998 INFLATION: 69.7 %

V. TV NEWS CAST………………………6

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NO ALLIANCE BUT SHIFTING

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DSP (Democratic Left Party) is against an alliance with ANAP. CHP's Tasdelen is shifting to DSP. DSP leader Ecevit said they would not make an alliance with ANAP (Motherland Party). Explaining that the two parties did not negotiate to make an alliance, Ecevit said, "We have been against the idea of an alliance from the very beginning. The point on which we agree with ANAP is that the elections for mayors should be held in two rounds."

Closing the doors on alliances, CHP is getting ready to open it for Dogan Tasdelen, a prominent member of CHP. Tasdelen, a member of CHP for the last 30 years, is expected to resign from his party today. Also expected is DSP's declaration to put his name forward as a candidate for the Mayor of Ankara.

(Milliyet 1, 12)

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BUREAUCRATS BUSTLE FOR THE ELECTION

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The bureaucrats who will be candidates in the election (April 1998) must resign until the weekend. The rumors started before the bureaucrats announced their candidacy. Who will be a candidate ? From which party ? DSP released a statement and said that the bureaucrats who are planning to be the candidates of DSP must not resign without the approval of the party. Minister of Justice Hasan Denizkurdu and Minister of Transportation Denizolgun must also resign if they want to be reelected. It was reported that Minister of Interior, ANAP deputy Kutlu Aktas will be the Izmir province’s Mayoral candidate of ANAP.

(Hürriyet 1, 21)

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OPERATION IN URFA

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In an operation in Urfa, police seized an anti-aircraft, armored piercer and 37 thousand shells.

Upon a tip-off, police barriccaded the road and seized a car and a truck on the Siverek-Diyarbakir road. Inside the 5-ton diesel tank of the truck, police found 20 each 5-liter plastic oil barrels and 49 shell boxes. Three people were arrested.

The investigation into the case in underway. The weapons are expected to be bougnd to the rural area of the Mediterranean region.

These questions await answers:

• Where was tne ammunition going?
• Who was the buyer?
• How did this ammunition cross the border? Did anyone mediate?
• Is there ammunition which has not been seized?
• Is this an international gang?

The truck and private car were confiscated and driver Sinan Celik,46 and passenger Hamza Gezik and Abdulhamit Sivga,31 were detained. Officials said that the Russian-made shells were found out to be delivered from Northern Iraq.

(Zaman,1,3;Cumhuriyet,7)

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TOUGH YEAR IN ECONOMY

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Turkey has entered 1999, with talk over stagnancy, recession, hyper inflation and devaluation.

Strain of Sources: Turkey which has to repay 450 trillion TL foreign debt and 5 quadrillion 246 trillion TL domestic debt in the first quarter of the year, faces a shortage of sources. The cast shortage in the market continues even though the Central Bank is trying hard to relax the market.

In spite of the huge amount of reimbursement it faces, Turkey failed to find loans at international markets due to the crisis at international markets.

The figures and estimates as regards Turkey’s economic profile are as follows:

Debts: For the first quarter of 1999, Turkey has to repay a foreign debt of 1 billion 429 million dollars and a domestic debt of 5 quadrillion 246 trillion TL.

In this term Turkey will borrow 4.5-5.5 quadrillion TL to repay its debts. A foreign loan totaling 500 million Dollars has been planned for the same term.

Interest rates which started to fall at the end of the first half of 1998, caused optimism in the market. However, especially after the new Tax Law, the interest rates, used as a means of pressure, skyrocketed to 150 %. Businessmen and some economists say that the interest rates will maintain their high level. In its report on Turkey the IMF stated that Turkey will pay one third of its debt in the first qarter of the year and called on for a drop in interest rates.

Balance of Payments:

The State Planning Organization (DYP) predicts that as of the end of 1998, Turkey’s exports total 27 million dollar and imports 48 billion dollars. A DTP report says that the shrinking of the export markets will continue next year.

INFLATION: THE EXPECTED FALL DOES NOT OCCUR

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In December the wholesale prices rose by 2.5 % and consumer prices 3.3 over the preceding year. The 12-month average inflation thus became 71.8 % in wholesale prices and 84.6 % in consumer prices.

(Cumhuriyet,1,6,10)

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TURKEY’S REACTIONARY MAP

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Daily Cumhuriyet discloses the "Radical right and left wing activities" report of the Security.

The security directorate’s reports say that the Fethullah Gulen group has the broadest leaning and that the number of associations of the Suleymanci sect rose to 800 from 30 in the 1980s and the number of "Islamic Cultural Centers" from 200 to 400 in Europe.

The security study drew the map of the reactionary elements in Turkey in the 1980s and made a break-down of the training, media and other activities of these.

The report says that the activities of the Akincilar Association were ended after the 1980 coup but the sect started to organized not only in Turkey, but abroad. According to the report, the Nurcu sect organized in 42 places, Milli Gorus (national View) in 43 places, Naksi sect in 33 and Suleymancis in 30 places iin the 1980s.

The reports describe the sect of Fethulah Gulen as the most influential and broad-based group. The report said that the activities of the Gulen sect that started with the Akyazililar Foundation and Turkish Teachers’ Foundation, are ebing carried out nowadays, with much more variety and intensity. The homes of the sect which were initially opened to shelter students, were then replaced by hostels, university preparation courses and private universities. The group is focused on education. He group, opening private high schools has expanded to other countries and thus have activated over 200 schools, mainly in Central Asian Republics.

(Cumhuriyet,1,6)

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BARGAIN ON SEATS

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The government model including the CHP, which Yalim Erez plans to have, depends on the sharing of ministerial seats, and the acceptance by DSP leader Ecevit and ANAP leader Yilmaz, of the proposal made by CHP leader Deniz Baykal for "Equal sharing."

Baykal, who increased the hopes of Yalin Erez in their talk yesterday, said that "The duty of all of us, is to help Erez. " The talk to be held between Erez and Virtue Party leader Kutan today is described as a visit of courtesy.

After meeting Erez, CHP leader Baykal told his aides that "It seems that DSP does not want to join the government." CHP will reportedly accept equal ministerial seats to DSP and two more seats to ANAP.

(Radikal,1,5)

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TRICKS AT FRENCH VILLA

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How did Gulay Asliturk (Former woman mayor of Sisli-Istanbul) launder 2.5 trillion TL under the French skies?
The money laundering operation has been unearthed at Orhan Asliturk's villa at the French Rivera. Beginning in 1994, 43 million French Francs (2.5 trillion TL) has been laundered through a process that involved three front firms.

Serbian origin Marinkovich, connected with English real estate firm Brookes and the Yugoslav Mafia, took part in Asilturk's operation. The process began with Asliturk paying off his debt for the purchase of Fabia Villa, which was mortgaged for 17 years, in 6 months. It continued with transference of shares from firm to firm.
Asliturk bought the villa from a front firm for 9.5 million Franks. He paid 2 million Francs to begin with and took 17 years mortgage for the rest. When he paid all his debt within 6 months, the mortgage was removed. Following this the real estate firm was discarded through false bankruptcy. The hidden funds of the bankrupt firm were then transferred to two front firms.

(Milliyet 1, 10)

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PLAN TO SAVE ERBAKAN

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FP (Virtue Party) prepared a project called "Democracy and Human Rights", according to which it is hoping to cancel or change some articles of the constitution. The aim of the plan is to save ex-leader of RP (Welfare Party) Necmettin Erbakan and Istanbul Mayor Recep Tayyip Erdogan who were punished on the basis of 312^th article of the Turkish legislation. Secondary aims are to cancel DGM’s (State Security Court), to bring judicial control on the decisions of YAS (High Military Board) and to bring the General Staff under the control of Ministry of Defense. FP will propose the changes claiming that some articles of the constitution are violating human rights.

(Milliyet 13)

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GOVERNMENT IS ABOUT TO BE ESTABLISHED

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Independent deputy Yalim Erez claimed that the government will be established by Wednesday, latest at the end of this week. He said he had met with CHP (Republican People’s Party) leader Deniz Baykal and everything was positive. “I will meet with him again to discuss the details. The trend is positive " said Erez. He said he was supposed to meet with FP leader Kutan yesterday but because of Kutan’s program the meeting was postponed to Monday (today) .The government model with CHP seems possible because DSP had announced that it was against a government with FP. The options are limited and Erez, most probably will establish the government with CHP.

(Milliyet 13)

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COMMENTARY / MUHARREM SARIKAYA / HURRIYET

THE COMPLEX CALCULATIONS

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"Yalim Erez, trying to form his cabinet, said, as he went to go to meet with Hüsamettin Cindoruk, the leader of DTP (Democratic Turkey Party) :

‘I try to decide whether it will be a government with FP or not...’

Erez had not shut the door to FP.

Furthermore he stressed that, he rather has a government with FP. (...)

At the same moments, on the backstage of Ankara, complex calculations were being made.

The bargaining with FP, was being continued in two channels: Balgat and Maltepe (Maltepe is a district of Ankara, in which the party center of FP is located; Balgat, another district, in which the residence of Necmettin Erbakan, the ex-leader of closed RP /Welfare Party/ is located –nta)

That is, with Necmettin Erbakan and with the chairman of FP Recai Kutan...

The go-betweens are...

The black box of Necmettin Erbakan: Fehim Adak...

And Abdullah Gül from FP, a deputy who have a liberal tendency.

Gül, during his contact, informed Balgat (That is Erbakan –nta)

But the same thing can not be said for Adak...

At the end of the bargaining, two tendencies emerged in FP:

1. To enter the cabinet and to break the links off with Çiller and her party, DYP (True Path Party).
2. To be ready to form a government with DYP, after the elections.

(At this moment ) FP seems lukewarm to enter the cabinet of Erez.

As to the CHP (Republican People’s Party)...

CHP tries to determine the margins of the bargaining, looking at the attitude of DSP (Democratic Left Party) towards FP.

Two views are clashing in CHP:

1. To enter the government, avoiding to stir up trouble of the number and the institutional identity of the ministers.
2. To try to take the maximum concessions (from Erez –nta).

The defenders of the latter view believe that the bloc of ANAP-DSP (Motherland Party- Democratic Left Party) will not admit to form a government with FP; so, Erez will be compelled to accept the conditions of CHP.

At that moment, Baykal is seeming to be on the side of this view.

The bloc of ANAP-DSP is getting more and more support from the people because of its conciliatory attitudes. The aim of this bloc is to form a government together with CHP and DTP. (...)

The top officials from the two parties (ANAP and DSP) ask CHP leader (which defends the equal representation of all the parties partaking to government –nta) :

‘Will you accept the equal representation for DTP too, in the cabinet?’ (DTP is the little partner of the Yilmaz government. At that moment it has 12 deputies in the parliament. To form a group in the parliament, this number must be minimum 20 deputies –nta)

(In this front) the numbers of those who want to exclude CHP from the future government is increasing.

They think that non-conciliatory attitudes of CHP constitute a good reason to invite FP to participate in the government.

After the meetings of Erez, which will be done today with Baykal and Kutan, it will be clear which possibility will be realized. (...)

( January 3, p.20)

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MOBAREK-SADDAM CONTROVERSY

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Egyptian President Hosni Mobarek claimed that Iraqi leader Saddam Hüseyin is reponsible for the death of 6.000 Egyptians in 1988. In an article published in Ekber el- Yom daily it was said that Saddam must be judged in an international court. Mubarek had also blamed Saddam for forcing US and England for a military operation. Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tarik Aziz had said that no one shares Mubarek’s ideas on the issue. Babil daily of Iraq said Egyptian leader Mubarek is afraid of the rage of the Arab people.

(Milliyet 15)

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GERMAN PRESIDENT HERZOG: WE HAVE NEVER SLAMMED

DOORS TO TURKEY

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German President Roman Herzog said that the doors of the European Union have never been closed to Turkey.

Interviewed by Bild newspaper, Herzog said that the EU should not be open only to Christian societies . However, he said, certain conditions are required to be met, to enter the community. "Turkey fulfilled two of these" he said.

Herzog stressed that in Turkey, the State affairs and religion have been separated and economic development has been achieved and "To enter EU, you should have a real state of law and show this with your practices."

He added that EU can not admit any country that is bound to bring additionalproblems.

(Cumhuriyet,8)

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1998 INFLATION: 69.7 %

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The numbers announced by the government showed that the inflation in 1998 was 69.7 %. DIE (State Statistics Institute ) announced that the consumer products prices increased 2.5 % in December compared to November 1998. The inflation rates of 1998 was higher that the governments expectations. Yilmaz government was planning to close 1998 with 50 % inflation.

With the rising inflation, the kitchen expenses of a household rose by 6 % last month.

(Milliyet 7,Cumhuriyet,10 and all dailies)

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CENTRAL BANK FOREIGN CURRENCY RATES

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SECTION TWO

NEWS ON THE AIR January 3, 1998

Here are the highlights of the prime-time news of Atv on Sunday evening;

• Yalim Erez met with CHP (Republican People’s Party) leader Deniz Baykal. It was reported that Erez came to a conclusion and agreed on the government model. Deniz Baykal said they are going to help Erez in his efforts to establish the 56^th government.

* Today temperatures will be as follows: