CHRONOLOGY*
1993
JANUARY
4 Turkey has sent urgent humanitarian aid to the autonomous Ossetia region in Georgia.
8 State Minister Orhan Kilercioğlu and a delegation flew to Bosnia-Herzegovina on a military plane carrying 6.5 tons of humanitarian aid. After making enquiries about humanitarian aid in Sarejevo, the delegation proceeded to Zagreb for talks with the Croatian officials on the Bosnian refugees in Croatia.
11 The 6th OIC Expanded Presidential Council convened in Dakar, Senegal to discuss problems that closely affect the Islamic world. Turkey vvas represented at the meeting by a delegation headed by President Turgut Özal.
13 Foreign Minister Hikmet Çetin signed a nevv convention in Paris forbidding chemical vveapons.
17 State Minister Ekrem Ceyhun vvent to Egypt to attcnd the 5th Supreme Islamic Council meeting under the supervision of the Egyptian President Hosni Mobarak. Minister Ceyhun returned home on 20 January.
19 Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel paid an official visit to Syria on January 19-20, as the guest of the Syrian Arab Republic Prime Minister Mahmoud al Zoubi. He vvas accompanied by Foreign Minister Hikmet Çetin, State Ministers Cavit Çağlar and Mehmet Batallı, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Necmettin Cevheri, high ranking bureaucrats and members of the press.
24 Author and political analyst of the daily Cumhuriyet Uğur Mumcu vvas murdered. The assassination triggered vvide public reaction throughout the country. He vvas killed vvhen a bomb exploded at the time he started his car.
Although the Islamic Liberation Organization claimed responsibility for the murder, the PKK, the Warriors of the Great Islamic Rebirth Front and the Islamic Cihad terror organizations have noticed with satisfaction that Mumcu has been silenced.
President Özal, Prime Minister Demirel and other leading political figures strongly condemned the murder.
27 Upon completion of his two-day visit to Turkey, Iranian Interior Minister Abdullah Nuri held a joint press conference vvith his Turkish counterpart ismet Sezgin. He stressed that cooperation to fight terrorism, smuggling and border security will be further d^veloped. Following the talks an agreement was signed envisaging security cooperation.
FEBRUARY
1 Bulgarian Interior Minister Viktor Mihailov visited Turkey between 1-5 February. In addition to the talks between Turkish Interior Minister ismet Sezgin and Mihailov, there were also meetings where development of bilateral cooperation was discussed. At the end of the meetings a Turco-Bulgarian agreement was signed on security cooperation.
7 The Third Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Council of Ministers meeting was held in Quetta, Pakistan between 7-8 February. Turkey was represented by a delegation headed by Foreign Minister Hikmet Çetin.
9 Sergei Sahray, Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Committee of Nationalities, paid a visit to Volkan Vural, the Turkish Ambassador in Moscow. The Russian government press spokesman diselosed that during the meetings Sergei Sahray said that he admired Turkey's understanding and handling of ethnic issues.
12 Georgian Deputy Prime Minister Roman Gotsiridze returned home after an official visit to Turkey. He said that the purpose of the visit was to discuss economic issues and that they had signed a credit agreement with Eximbank.
14 Bosnia-Herzegovian Foreign Minister Haris Sladzic arrived in Turkey for consultations.
15 Chairman of the Foreign Relations Commission of the German Federal Parliament Hans Stercken, invited by the Interior Minister ismet Sezgin, completed a tour of the Southeast Anatolia region. He was accompained by a group of German journalists. In an evaluation of his observations to the press he said: "Instead of blaming and holding Turkey responsible for the problems it is necessary to give support to solve them."
25 The meeting of the representatives of Black Sea Economic Cooperation was held in istanbul.
26 Tom Lantos, Chairman of the International Security, International Organizations and Human Rights Sub-Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives vvas received in Ankara by Prime Minister Demirel and Interior Minister Sezgin.
MARCH
I Foreign Minister Hikmet Çetin went to Moscow for negotiations with Russian Federation Foreign Minister Andrei Kosyrev. The visit vvas made vvithin the framevvork of bilateral and regional consultations between the countries, and international issues were taken up.
5 The Black Sea Cultural Cooperation Ministerial Meeting vvas held in İstanbul on 5-6 March wiıh the participation of the Culture Ministers of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, the Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine, and cndcd vvith the signing of a joint communique envisaging the establishment of cultural cooperation.
6 State Minister Orhan Kilercioğlu said that in 1992 Turkey had extended aid in the amount of $200 million to foreign countries, S22 million of vvhich was earmarked for Bosnia-Herzegovina.
I I A defence industry, scientific and technical cooperation agreement vvas signed betvveen Turkey and Bulgaria in Sofia. Bulgarian Defence Minister Valentin Aleksandrov, speaking at the signing ceremony, said that the 5-year agreement will include the joint production of technology, vveapons systems, repair of military vehicles as well as the promotion of sales of these products to third countries.
31 "The Turkic World Fraternity, Friendship and Cooperation Convention" convened in Antalya betvveen 21-23 March vvith the aim of developing cooperation in every field and consolidating relations amongst the Turkic states and communities.
30 Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Tevfik Kasimov came to Turkey for contacts before the Karabakh negotiations in Geneva on April 2.
APRIL
4 President Turgut özal's 11-day visit to five Central Asian Turkic Republic (Uzbekistan, Kyrgzstan, Kazakhstan, Türkmenistan and Azerbaijan) began. Özal is accompanied by Mrs. Semra Özal, Foreign Minister Hikmet Çetin, members of parliament, officials, businessmen and journalists.
8 A Turkish parliamentary delegation of six wcnt to Nevv Delhi to participate in the 89th World Parliamentarians' Union meeting. The Turkic Republics Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan participated for the first time. The Turkish delegation brought to the agenda the Bosnia-Herzegovina and Azerbaijan-Armenia issues.
17 Turgut özal, 8th President of the Turkish Republic, died following a heart attack. At an extraordinary meeting, the Cabinet declared official mourning until the evening of 22 April 1993.
25 The 21st Term Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) was opened in Karachi, Pakistan. Foreign ministers from fifty-four member countries attended the meeting at which Turkish Foreign Minister Hikmet Çetin transferred the term chairmanship to the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
26 Turkey was represented by a delegation led by State Minister Tansu Çiller at the Great Assembly of the European Bank for Development and Reconstruction (EBRD) held in London. During her stay in London, she had talks with the British Minister of Trade and Industry and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Çiller also met former Prime Minister Thatcher.
A part of the 2000 tons (TL 50 billion worth) of Turkish Red Crescent medicine and food aid to Somalia was sent to Mogadishu. Turkey also started dispatching 22,000 tons of fuel oil to contribute to the energy and heating needs of the autonomous republic of Nakhichevan.
29 President of the Republic of Croatia, Franjo Tudjman came to Turkey as the official guest of Acting President Hüsamettin Cindoruk. President Tudjman stayed in Turkey betvveen 29 April-2 May. The guest President started official talks with Prime Minister Demirel after which they issued a joint communique voicing the determination of both sides to develop bilateral relations. Another significant point stressed in this communique was the importance attached to the sovereignty, liberty, territorial integrity and unity of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
30 Tripartite talks were held in Moscow among the representatives from Turkey, the USA and the Russian Federation. They reached an agreement on a programme for stopping the ongoing elashes and resuming the peace process betvveen Armenia and Azerbaijan.
MAY
4 Chairman of the True Path Party (DYP) Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel announced his candidacy for the presideney.
14 İsparta Deputy Süleyman Demirel was eleeted the 9th President of the Turkish Republic after the third round of balloting held at the TGNA on Sunday, May 16, 1993. Süleyman Demirel won 244 votes in the third ballot securing the absolute majority required by the Constitution.
German Chancellor Helmut Kohl arrived in Ankara for an official visit. The German Chancellor was welcomcd by Acting Prime Minister Erdal inönü at the Ankara Esenboğa Airport.
21 The Turco-Greek Business Council, which aims to revive economic relations between Turkey and Greece, met in Athens. Many industrialists and businessmen attended the meeting at which opportunities in the fields of trade, maritime transportation, banking, insurance, tourism and environment were evaluated.
25 State Minister Tansu Çiller went to Paris for bilateral talks with French President François Mitterand on Turco-French relations and Turkey's full membership in the EC. Çiller vvill also attend the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) meeting in Paris.
30 The "Conference of Labour Ministers of the Central Asian Republics" jointly organized by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the International Labour Organization (ILO), vvas held in Ankara betvveen 30-31 May.
JUNE
10 North Atlantic Council (NAC) and the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC) meetings took place in Athens on the lOth and l l t h of June respectively. Turkey vvas represented at the meetings by Foreign Minister Hikmet Çetin.
The subjects discussed during the NAC meetings included the crisis in former Yugoslavia, NATO's contribution tovvards activities directed to preserving peace, and cooperation in this field vvith the UN, WEU and CSCE. On the other hand, during the NACC meetings, aside from the situation in the former Yugoslavia, subjects also discussed included relations betvveen NATO members and other cooperating partners, the preservation of international peace, arms control and disarmament.
12 U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher came to Turkey for a tvvo-day official visit. He held a joint press conference vvith his Turkish counterpart Hikmet Çetin. He said that the U.S. vievved Turkey as a regional povver capable of contributing to a peaceful solution of regional problems and to the spreading of a free market system and of a secular administration in the region.
13 Prof. Tansu Çiller is elected True Path Party (DYP) chairvvoman at the DYP extraordinary convention as the successor to Süleyman Demirel.
14 Tansu Çiller is appointed by Demirel to form the nevv government. 16 The parliamentary speakers of Black Sea countries, namely, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Greece, Moldovia, Romania and the Russian Federation attended the 2nd General Convention of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Assembly held in istanbul betvveen June 16-18 upon the invitation of Turkish Parliament Speaker Hüsamettin Cindoruk.
21 The European Community Summit vvas held in Copenhagen on June 21-22, 1993 vvith the participation of the heads of state and government of the
twelve member countries. Though not on the agenda, the Final Statement of the Chairmanship devoted a separate paragraph to relations with Turkey.
JULY
5 Prime Minister Tansu Çiller's government received a vote of confidence.
The Seventh General Assembly of the Organization of Islamic Capitals and Cities (OICC) met in Ankara between 5-8 July. Partipating in the General Assembly were 120 representatives from 57 countries.
6 The 2nd Summit meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) was held in istanbul on July 6-7. Turkey was represented by Süleyman Demirel who was also the Chairman of the meeting. Attending the meeting were the Heads of State of Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Türkmenistan, the Speaker of the Tajikistan Assembly, the Pakistan Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan. During the Summit, priority was given to the development of economic and trade relations between member countries and possibilities for cooperation in agriculture, industry, transportation, communications, banking, education and culture.
Tourism Ministry Undersecretary Korel Göymen and his Israeli counterpart Eli Gönen signed the supplementary protocol related to the tourism cooperation agreement between the two countries.
8 President Süleyman Demirel and imam Ali Rahmanov, Parliament Speaker and Vice-President of Tajikistan, signed a friendship and cooperation agreement in istanbul.
A Turco-Kazakhstan protocol aimed at developing relations in transportation was signed in Ankara by Transportation Minister Mehmet Köstepen and his Kazakhstan counterpart Nimetcan Kabatayevich. According to the protocol, joint companies will be established to build passenger trains and Turkey will help Kazakhstan in providing ships.
The third meeting of the ministers of culture of the Turkic-speaking nations in Almaata, Kazakhstan ended. An agreement for "Joint Administration for Turkish Culture and Art" (TÜRKSOY) has been activated and signed by the Council of Ministers.
16 The first foreign visit of Indian President Dr. Shanker Day al Sharma was made to Turkey. Sharma's visit between 16-20 July has special significance because it was the first time that an Indian President visited Turkey.
24 The 70th anniversary of the signing of the Lausanne Treaty which is the main document attesting to the independence of Turkey and her acceptance in the international field as a nation-state, was celebrated. President
Demirel, Prime Minister Çiller, Deputy Prime Minister İnönü, ministers, deputies and guests from countries that were party to the Treaty participated in the ceremony at the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA).
AUGUST
1 Hussein Bin Tallal, King of Jordan, together with his wife Queen Nur Al-Hussein, Foreign Minister Talal Al-Hazar and a delegation of 15 visited Turkey as official guests of President Süleyman Demirel.
3 On August 3-5, the OIC Liaison Group composed of the foreign ministers of Turkey, Pakistan, Tunisia and Senegal and the Secretary-General of the OIC, undertook initiatives in Paris, London and Geneva in connection vvith the problem of Bosnia-Herzegovina. These visits vvere made on behalf of the 51 countries vvhich are the members of the OIC. Foreign Minister Hikmet Çetin returned to Turkey on 5 August.
16 A protocol aimed at developing interparliamentary relations betvveen the TGNA and the Kyrgyz Supreme Assemby (KSA), vvas signed.
17 Turkey has announced its deep concern över the continuing Armenian attacks on the Azeri people and the current Armenian occupation of Azeri territories despite the UN Security Council decisions and peace efforts carried out within the framework of the CSCE.
18 At the request of Turkey and Azerbaijan, the UN Security Council convened urgently and once again severely condemned continuing Armenian attacks against Azerbaijan. After the meeting, a statement vvas issued demanding the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces from Kelbecer, Ağdam and Fizuli.
19 initiatives of the Foreign Ministry, vvhich applied to the UN for permission to evacuate injured Bosnians, have yielded a positive result. Seventy-six Bosnians, mostly women and children, arrived in İstanbul for medical treatment.
22 With visits to Moscovv and Beijing Foreign Minister Hikmet Çetin completed visits to the capitals of UN Security Council permanent member countries and returned to Ankara vvith the accompanying delegation of OIC foreign ministers.
SEPTEMBER
1 Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) 9th Economic and Commercial Cooperation Permanent Committee (COMCEC) meeting vvas held in istanbul between 1-4 September.
Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Tuleutay Suleymanov paid an official visit to Turkey. During his visit, agreements have been signed between Turkey and Kazakhstan regarding visa formalities, consular activities and refugees.
3 President Alija Izzetbegovic of Bosnia-Herzegovina paid a visit to Turkey. During his stay in istanbul he met President Demirel and participated in the OIC Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) meeting.
9 Arriving in Turkey for an official visit, Romanian President Ion Iliescu said the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina could spread throughout the entire Balkan region. He expressed readiness to cooperate with Turkey to solve the crisis.
16 A goodwill protocol envisaging the future signing of a four-part military agreement betvveen Turkey and Russia has been signed in Ankara.
18 The Third Turkey-EC meeting related to customs union took place in Ankara.
20 Prime Minister Tansu Çiller paid an official visit to Germany as the guest of Chancellor Helmut Kohl. During her visit to Germany, Prime Minister Çiller was received by Chancellor Kohl, by President Richard von Weizsaecker and by Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel.
25 Yaser Arafat, the Palestinian Head of State, visited Turkey on 25-26 September as the official guest of President Demirel.
OCTOBER
7 The Turkish Foreign Ministry stated the full EC membership process started for the Greek Sector of Cyprus by the EC Council does not accord with the idea of reaching agreement on the Cyprus issue through an exchange of views.
Prime Minister Tansu Çiller participated in the Council of Europe Summit Meeting which took place on October 8-9 in Vienna. Çiller made bilateral contacts with various heads of state and govemment. In the final statement of the summit meeting it was requested that the Council of Ministers take the necessary action in the struggle against grovving xenophobia, protection of minority rights and strengthening the control mechanisms for the protection of human rights.
Transport and Communications Minister Mehmet Köstepen opened the South Africa-Turkey Business Week in Johannesburg between 13-16 October.
A cultural cooperation protocol betvveen Turkey and Macedonia was signed in Ankara by Culture Minister Fikri Sağlar and his Macedonian counterpart Gtiner ismail. The protocol calls for an increase in cooperation in the fields of theatre, opera, ballet, dance, plastic arts, literatüre and music.
22 A cooperation protocol on higher education was signed betvveen Turkey and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The protocol allocates places at Turkish universities to 400 Bosnian lycee graduates who came to Turkey as refugees
from Sarajevo and Zagreb. The students will receive scholarships for the 1993-1994 academic year.
27 Talks on cooperation in the energy and petroleum sectors were held in Ankara betvveen Turkish and Ukrainian delegations. They vvere follovved by the signing of a cooperation protocol.
NOVEMBER
1 The First International Energy Congress of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation member states vvas held in Ankara betvveen 1-6 November. During the meeting subjects taken up vvere the possibilities for regional cooperation of the Black Sea littoral countries and the ravv material potential of the Central Asian Republics and existing energy problems of the member countries.
2 President Süleyman Demirel, accompanied by Foreign Minister Hikmet Çetin, representatives of political parties vvith seats in parliament, businessmen and journalists paid on official visit to Poland betvveen 2-4 November. During this first presidential-level visit betvveen Turkey and Poland a "Turkish-Polish Friendship and Cooperation Agreement" and an agreement on "Prevention of Double Taxation" vvere signed.
Turkey, Israel and Egypt agreed to establish an East Mediterranean Tourism Union. Tourism Minister Abdülkadir Ateş vvent to Israel to attend the Turkish vveek that started in Tel-Aviv on November 2.
5 A message from Prime Minister Tansu Çiller regarding security and cooperation issues vvas conveyed to Syrian Head of State Hafiz Al-Assad. A Turkish delegation headed by Ambassador Volkan Vural vvent to Damascus on November 4. The delegation met Syrian Foreign Minister Faruk Al-Sara on November 5 and, the same day, vvas received by Hafız Al-Assad.
9 The first cultural agreement betvveen Turkey and the People's Republic of China vvas signed in Ankara.
11 Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ala'eddin Bourujerdi arrived in Ankara and met Ambassador Bilgin Unan, Assistant Counsellor of Bilateral Political Affairs at the Turkish Foreign Ministry. Bourujardi also met vvith FM Hikmet Çetin. Borujardi said that during his meeting vvith Çetin matters of importance for both countries, in particular security problems, vvere taken up.
12 FM Çetin paid a two-day visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina as the guest of the Bosnian Prime Minister Haris Sladzic and Croatian FM Mate Granic. Upon his return home on 13 November, Çetin said an important draft agreement, the "Sarejevo Joint Communique", had been issued after tripartite negotiations.
FM Çetin vvent to Israel for an official visit as the guest of Israeli FM Shimon Peres. Çetin, the first Turkish FM to visit Israel, vvas vvelcomed by Shimon Peres at the Tel Aviv Airport. Çetin vvas received by Israeli President Ezer Weizman. After the meetings, Çetin and Peres signed a political,
economic, commercial and cultural framevvork agreement and a Cultural Cooperation Agreement.
18 Turkish and Syrian delegations met in Ankara betvveen 18-20 November to negotiate joint cooperation on security issues in the fight against the separatist terrorist organization PKK. After the negotiations a draft accord was signed.
22 in the Western European Union (WEU) Council of Ministers meeting held in Luxembourg Turkey was represented by FM Hikmet Çetin and National Defence Minister Mehmet Gölhan. The joint communique issued after the meeting recorded that after the Maastricht Treaty took effect on 1 November the possibility of increasing relations with central and eastern European countries was discussed in addition to the desire of the WEU to strengthen security ties in Europe and relations with NATO.
Turkey and representatives of EFTA met in Geneva to review the latest economic developments and relations with the EC and Central and Eastern Europe.
25 During a meeting held in Bonn, German FM Klaus Kinkel and his British counterpart Douglas Hurd agreed to initiate a tripartite mechanism to make detailed evaluatıons of developments concerning Turkey. Corning together for the 23rd UK-Germany Consultations Meeting, Hurd and Kinkel suggested to Turkey that Germany, UK and Turkey hold a tripartite meeting at foreign ministerial level early next year.
26 Germany declared the PKK a terrorist organization and clamped down on its associations in Germany. in a special announcement, Federal Minister of the Interior Kanther stated that the PKK threatened Germany's internal security and perpetrated acts of violence.
DECEMBER
8 At the first meeting of the Turco-US Joint Economic Commission (JEC) held in Ankara between 8-9 December agreement was reached to boost trade and investments between the two countries. A protocol and a joint communique were signed by Turkish Acting Treasury and Foreign Trade Undersecretary Osman Unsal and Assistant Secretary of State Stephen Oxman.
10 Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto paid an official visit to Turkey as the guest of Prime Minister Tansu Çiller betvveen 10-12 December.
11 Çağlar Yücel, Administrative Attache of the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad was killed in his car by an armed gunman. Hüseyin Kerimoğlu, communitications technician of the Embassy who was also in the car, was injured and taken to hospital. A statement by the Mujahedeen-e Khalq admitted responsibility for the assassination but claimed that Yücel was killed by mistake because the car he was in and the plate number were Iranian and had been used in actions against the Mujahedeen-e Khalq in the past.
20 Turkey's proposal to designate 1995 as the "World Tolerance Year" passed by the United Nations General Assembly Third Committee.
Iranian Vice President Hassan Habibi paid an official visit to Turkey on December 20-22. Prime Minister Tansu Çiller, during the vvelcoming ceremony said that the development of relations between Turkey and Iran was an assurance of regional peace and stability. Habibi disclosed that Iranian security forces vvould not allow separatist terrorists to operate on their side of the border.
