From: trh@jack.sns.com (Al Trh)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish
Subject: Excerpts from Turkish Papers
Date: 30 Dec 1992 20:41:55 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
Reply-To: Turkish Cultural Program List <TRKNWS-L%USCVM.BitNet@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU>
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

DEMIREL: BUSINESS IS NOT WELL
    12/25/92, SABAH--Prime Minister Demirel made a general
evaluation of 1992, and said "Everything is not going well,
but we are successful".
    Confirming that they could not reduce inflation to the
levels they desired, Demirel added "As a whole, [Demirel
administration's] performance on the  important problems of
Turkey is successful. It is wrong to reduce this [success of
the administration] to just inflation and privatization
[alone]."
    In his monthly press meeting yesterday, Demirel
distributed a written text to the journalists. In this text
he lists 1993's goals as follows:
    1- Foundation of the Bolu mountain [freeway] tunnel will
be laid.
    Fourth turbine has started producing [electricity] at
the Ataturk Dam. New turbines will follow this. As part of
the Southeeastern Anatolia Project, foundation of the
Birecik Dam and hydroelectric power station will be laid in
May.
    As part of "super projects" there are the following:
    - Environmental Research Complex at Alacati, Izmir at a
cost of 1 billion dollars.
    - A convention hall in Istanbul at a cost of 50 million
dollars.
    - Ankara-Istanbul speed railway.
    - Istanbul-Bursa-Izmir freeway.
    - Ankara and Istanbul metros.

    2- Taxation reform package will be in the Parliament's
agenda after the budget.
    The need for the Public Sector to borrow will be reduced
by 3.6 points to  9 percent in 1993.

    3- The following real increases are planned:
        - Tourism expenditure   : 16 percent
        - Education expenditure : 12.9 percent
        - Health expenditure    : 12.8 percent
        - Other public service expenditure : 10.8 percent

    4- Increase in the tourism revenue is expected to
continue and be around 5 billion dollars with a 25 percent
jump. Thus the increase in foreign trade deficit will be
partially offset, and the forecasts for the current
operations account  deficit is 1.2 billion.

    SNOW MISERY
    12/25/92, SABAH--Again people acted without precautions.
Istanbul surrendered to one inch of snow. When the schools
were closed late, thousands of students got stranded. Heavy
snow fall paralyzed life all around the country.
    Snowing that started two days ago around noon, hampered
daily life considerably.
    Access to many villages in the East, Southeast, and the
Black Sea Region is cut.

    KOC ALSO REACTS STRONGLY
    12/25/92, After [industrialists] Sabanci and Eczacibasi,
the giant of the business world Rahmi Koc also criticized
the government.
    Koc says: "A whole year is spent with [just] talking."
    "It is our duty to warn".
    The chairman of the board of the Turkish Industrialists
and Businessmen Rahmi Koc said that it is their duty to warn
the government if need be. He added: "This country and these
problems  can not bear  to see another year pass."
    Support for [President] Ozal: Koc said: "Tax rates
should be flattened and reduced. As our President is saying,
those evading to pay taxes should definetely be given jailed
terms."  And added:
    "The opportunity on the International Labor Organization
law that has been vetoed by [Turkish Presidential Palace at]
Cankaya should be used better."
    Labor Contracts: Stating that the demands in the new
labor contract season is much above the inflation level,
asserted that Turkey will loose its competitiveness, and the
country will not be able to earn foreign currency.

    US PROMISES TO [TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER] CETIN ON
BOSNIA
    12/25/92, HURRIYET--Foreign Minister Hikmet Cetin
dislosed that the US [administration] promised him about
submitting a bill on Bosnia-Herzegovina to the security
council.

    DIFFICULT TASK FOR TURKISH SOLDIERS
    12/25/92, SABAH--A difficult task is awaiting the
Turkish soldiers in Somalia, the land of hunger and death.
In the area where the Turkish soldiers will be stationed,
armed gangs are still fighting.
    While the US forces in Somalia are planning to leave the
area to the UN forces, they are asking the Turkish soldiers
to take positions in the area, dubbed the "green line",
where gangs are fighting.
    If the US forces are pulled back in mid January as
President Bush is planning, in the most critical area,
Somali capitol, the task to maintain peace will be given to
the Turkish unit stationed amidst the gangs that hate each
other.

    MITERAND'S MYSTERY VISIT
    12/25/92, HURRIYET--The French President Mitterand, who
chose to spend his Christmas vacation in Turkey and came to
Turkey secretly without his wife, surprised everybody.
    Looking more like a curious tourist rather than a
president, Mitterand chose the "Green House", the place that
takes one back to a dream world, as the place to stay.
    The surprise guest, who is planning to go to Antalya
[southern Turkey] today, took a long walk at Sultanahmet
[Square], which was donning a different beautiful look under
the snow.

    FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATE
              1 US DOLLAR       IS      8600 TURKISH LIRAS


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Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish