<pre><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>-----------<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>
<<>><<>><<>>.....TURKISTAN NEWSLETTER...ISSN:--1386-6265....<<>><<>><<>>
<<>><<>><<>>--------------------------------------------<<>><<>><<>><<>>
<<>><<>><<>>........Editor/Manager: Mehmet Tutuncu......<<>><<>><<>><<>>
<<>><<>><<>>......Business:S.Bogut,H.Savas..............<<>><<>><<>><<>>
<<>><<>><<>>...Features: I. Noyan-Izmirli,Y. Puersuen...<<>><<>><<>><<>>
<<>><<>><<>>......Technical: T. Ates, K. Cagiltay.......<<>><<>><<>><<>>
<<>><<>>......Associate Editors: A.Baguirov, A. Eren,Z.Kadir....<<>><<>>
<<>><<>>........Editorial Board:Dr.M.Cutler, Dr.H.M.Hubey.......<<>><<>>
<<>><<>>.........Dr.T.Kocaoglu,Dr.N.Sariahmetoglu.................<<>><<>>
<<>><<>>--------------------------------------------------------<<>><<>>
<<>><<>><<>><<>>.....Volume:97-1:12---18--jun--1997.....<<>><<>><<>><<>>
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<>Uze kok tengri asra yagiz yer kilintukta ekin ara kisi ogli kilinmis<>
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_________1. Kyrgyz News Highlights -- Naryn Aiyp
Official status of Russian, Conferences in Economics,
Women Parliamentarians, National Academy of Sciences,
Lenin Avenue renamed after Deng Xiaoping, Libel suit against
Sydykova, New draft/law on journalism, international seminar
on mass media, a new magazine, protests against customs taxes,
damage from mudslides, radioactive waste site news.
________2. RFL/RL News & More --- Yanki Puersuen
2.1) Kyrgyz water no longer free to neighbors
2.2) Kazak military update
2.3) Kazak banks warned
________3. TR News -- A. Toprak
3.1) Report from Amberin Zaman (London Daily Telegraph)
3.2) D-8 meets
3.3) Demiral warns Rafsanjani
3.4) Ambassador from Libya recalled
_______4. CA/OA News (Interfax) -- A. Baguirov
Kazak and Azeri oil news
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KYRGYZ NEWS - 15 JUNE 1997
1. Parliament press service announced in Bishkek on 14 June that President
Askar Akayev will address the session of the People's Assembly of Parliament
on 23 June. Main topic of his appeal will be an issue on official status to
the Russian language in Kyrgyzstan. Akayev addressed the Legislative Assembly
(another House of Parliament) on 30 May and asked to make amendment to the
Constitution, gifting a status to the Russian until 1 July, 1997.
According to the law on state language, passed in 1989, and according to the
Constitution, adopted in 1993, Kyrgyz is a state language. Also, any
restriction of citizens' rights on the base of not speaking the state
language, Kyrgyz, is prohibited. Acting at the request of group of members of
Parliament, the Constitutinal Court ruled on 31 December, 1996, that the
constitution should be amended to make Russian an official language. To make
this decision valid, both houses of Parliament must approve it by June 30 (in
6-month period).
Kyrgyz scientists, cultural workers and politicians have criticised Akayev for
his support for the cause of the Russian language. They say there is already
enough support for any foreign languages in the Kyrgyz constitution. Some
politicians cautioned him that the government should not disturb the present
calm situation of Kyrgyz society by pressing the language issue too hard.
2. EU delegation on juridical problems came to Bishkek on 14 June, press
service of the Foreign ministry announced. They will hold a juridical seminar
in Bishkek on 16-17 June.
3. Kyrgyz parliamentarian delegation, led by speaker of the People's Assembly,
Almambet Matubraimov, left Bishkek for St.Petersburg, Russia, for
International Economical Forum. Forum is organaised by Inter-Parliamentarian
Assembly of CIS, Russian State Duma and Russian Federation Council. According
to the Kyrgyz parliament press service, representatives of 141 countries will
take part in it.
4. International conference of women-parliamentarians finished in Bishkek on
14 June. Representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Malaysia,
Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan took part in it. President Askar
Akayev attended its opening session in Bishkek on 12 June. Conference was
organised by Tokon Shailieva, chairwoman of the Women Democratic Party of
Kyrgyzstan and sponsored by UNDP.
5. Official from the National Academy of Sciences told our correspondent in
Bishkek on 14 June that there would be election for the Academy membership on
19-20 June. New 6 academicians and 12 correspondent-members will be choosed.
18 scientists have been nominated for academisians (full membership) and 35
people - for correspondent-membership.
6. First 25 student graduated from the Kyrgyz-American faculty of the National
university this year. University-leaving party was held in Bishkek on 14
June. President Askar Akayev and the U.S. ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Eileen
Melloy, attended the party.
The faculty was founded in November 1993, after the visit by U.S. vice
president, Al Gore, to Bishkek. There are 230 students at it now. Dean is
Kamila Sharshekeeva.
7. Writer Tchingiz Aitmatov and composer Murat Begaliev will take part in the
World congress of the cultural workers, to be held in Paris on 16-24 June.
Aitmatov is a Kyrgyz ambassador to EU, NATO, Belgium, Luxemburg and the
Netherlands now. He lives in Brussels. Begaliev is a rector of the Kyrgyz
state conservatoir.
KYRGYZ NEWS - 16 JUNE 1997
1. Lenin avenue in Bishkek will be renamed after Deng Xiaoping soon. Chinese
defense minister, Chi Haotian, arrived to Bishkek on 16 June, and met with
Kyrgyz defense minister, Myrzakan Subanov, the same say, ministry announced
today. According to Subanov's aide, Oleg Chechel, Chinese minister will be in
Kyrgyzstan till 20 June and will visit several military units. He will meet
with high officils, too. One of the avenues in western part of Bishkek city
(Lenin avenue) will be renamed after Chinese communist leader, Deng Xiaoping,
during the visit.
2. President Askar Akayev will receive Eileen Melloy, U.S ambassador to
Kyrgyzstan, on 17 June, president press secretary, Kanybek Imanaliev says. She
will leave Kyrgyzstan early in July and a new ambassador will be appointed in
July.
3. Prime minister, Apas Joumagulov, departed to the Issyk-Kul region this
morning. During the 2-day visit, he will revise the activity of the
agricultural and tourist firms in the region.
4. Yuri Maksimov, a lawyer of Zamira Sydykova, cheif editor of the independent
Res Publica weekly, told our correspondent in Bishkek today that he could not
appeal to the Supreme Court, because had not received a decision of the
Bishkek municipal court. On 10 June, municipal court overturned the ruling
made by the district court and Sydykova's prison sentence was substituted by
an 18 month term in a colony with a more lenient regime.
Sydykova was accused of libeling and insulting president of the State gold
concern in an article, published in 1993, and sentenced to 18 months of
imprisonment by district court on 23 May.
According to Maksimov, maybe, the best way is to wait when President Akayev
will sign a Law on amnesty, passed in the Legislative Assembly of Parliament
on 11 June. There is a clause in the draft on granting an amnesty to all
journalists, being in detention.
5. President's press secretary, Kanybek Imanaliev, told our correspondent in
Bishkek today that president administration had worked out two law drafts,
concerning with journalistic activity. One of them is entitled 'On free access
to information', another one is called 'On defense of the professional
activity of journalists'. According to Imanaliev, adoption of these laws will
improve the situation in press freedom in Kyrgyzstan.
Before sending the drafts to the Parliament for consideration, they will be
discussed among journalist community and everybody is invited to express
his/her opinion on it. We have obtained the hard-copies of the drafts (2 and 4
pages, in Russian).
6. President administration, Foreign ministry and Union of journalists of
Kyrgyzstan are planning to hold an international seminar on mass media and
information on 16-18 July, president press service announced in Bishkek today.
Press secretaries of presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,
representatives of the international press agencies will be invited.
7. Presentation of the new magazine, entitled 'Central Asia and Culture of
Peace', was held in Bishkek on 16 June. It would be issued by the Kyrgyz
commission on UNESCO. Chieef editor is Adash Toktosunova, executive secretary
of the commission. According to her, magazine will publish materials on ethnic
conflicts and ethnic tolerance, especially in Central Asia.
8. 16 private firms of Kyrgyzstan have sent a protest letters to the
government and director of the State Custom Service, Dokturbek Kurmanaliev,
press service of the Custom service announced in Bishkek today. They are
protesting the decision of government, taken on 11 June, according to which,
some custom taxes are raising in accordance with weight of goods, not with
their costs.
KYRGYZ NEWS - 17 JUNE 1997
1. Mambetjunus Abylov, Minister of extraordinary situations; Andrey Iordan,
minister of industry and foreign trade; and Rafkhat Hasanov, deputy Finance
minister, held a meeting in the town of Kok-Jangak in the Jalal-Abad region,
today. Town and neighboring districts suffered from flood and mudslides on
11-12 June. Damage to coal mines around the town was discussed and it is being
estimated.
Kok-Jangak is one of the centers of brown coal industry in Kyrgyzstan, there
are about 5 million tones of coal. The town produces about 30,000 tones of
coal in a year.
Alexey Yermolov, spokesman for the Ministry of extraordinary situations, told
our correspondent in Bishkek on 17 June, that 3 children died in the
Jalal-Abad region on 11-12 June, but it's hard to say whether the cases were
directly linked with the flood. According to Yermolov, one 4-year-old girl was
drown in the village of Taigaraev on 11 June. Two other children (5 and 7 year
old, boy and girl) were drown in the river of Kuvasay on 12 June.
Member of Parliament, Dooronbek Sadyrbayev, told our correspondent in Bishkek
today that 80 houses were damaged in the Nooken district during the flood and
35 of them were destroyed. Also, 800 hectares of cotton and tobacco-plant in
the district were destroyed.
2. President press service announced in Bishkek today that President Askar
Akayev will meet with large group of Kyrgyz and foreign journalists on 30
June. According to the press service, economical crime, corruprion, interior
and foreign policy of Kyrgyzstan will be discussed.
3. Legislative Assembly of the Parliament passed a new Labour Code of
Kyrgyzstan today. Also, law on National Bank and Law on banking in Kyrgyzstan
were passed. Assembly began to discuss a draft law on education today.
4. Official from the President administration told our correspondent today
that President Akayev would take part in the 2-day General meeting of the
National Academy of sciences, which begins in Bishkek on 19 June. New 6
academicians and 12 correspondent-members will be choosed at the meeting.
Akayev is an academician and had been a president of the Academy till 1990,
when he was elected as President of Kyrgyzstan.
5. Official from the Ecology ministry told our correspondent in Bishkek today
that safety of the radioactive waste site near the town of Maily-Suu, the
Jalal-Abad region, is damaged. Radioactivity is 120-130 mikro-Reontgen per
hour in the town now. According to him, it needs about 10 million som (about
$600,000) for bringing the site in order.
There are 12 waste sites on the territory of Kyrgyzstan now.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
#2
>>From: YANKI PURSUN <fyp@usa.net>
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 22:15:05 -0200
2.1)
KYRGYZ WATER NO LONGER TO BE FREE FOR NEIGHBORS. The Kyrgyz parliament on 13
June formed a special commission to draw up legislation on charging
neighboring Kazakstan and Uzbekistan for water from Kyrgyz reservoirs,
RFE/RL's Kyrgyz service reported. Kyrgyzstan has informed those states of the
forthcoming change in policy, and an agreement signed by the three states in
February 1992 will be amended. Kyrgyzstan spends some $4 million annually for
maintenance of the reservoirs.
------------------------------------------
2.2)
KAZAK MILITARY UPDATE. A Kazak paratroop company and 22 U.S. military
personnel are completing today a three-day exercise on Kapchagai Lake, 70
kilometers from Almaty. The exercise is described as practicing joint rescue
operations in case of natural calamities.
The commander of Russia's border troops, Gen. Andrei Nikolaev, told the
120-strong "Russian Borders" group of Duma deputies that President Boris
Yeltsin supports the deployment of Cossack auxiliaries alongside Russian
border troops on the Russia-Kazakstan border. Kazakstan has repeatedly
protested the move.
The Foreign Ministry in Almaty "categorically denied" a U.S. press story
about alleged plans to sell Kazakstani surface-to-air missiles to Iran. The
ministry restated Almaty's "full commitment" to nonproliferation.
Kazakstan's Defense Ministry last week denied the rumor, pointing out that
the country does not produce or own the missiles.
Kazakstan has no intention to purchase Chinese arms or military equipment,
Defense Minister Col. Gen. Muhtar Altynbaev stated after meeting his Chinese
counterpart, Chi Haotian, in Almaty. However, Almaty will continue selling
Kazak-made naval torpedoes to China under a program dating back to the
Soviet period. Chi visited military plants in Kazakstan over the weekend.
While satisfied with the implementation of the 1996 border security
agreement among China, its Central Asian neighbors, and Russia, Altynbaev
and Chi discussed a dispute over demarcation of the Kazak-Chinese border in
Semipalatinsk and East Kazakstan regions. President Nursultan Nazarbaev,
receiving Chi, was quoted as assuring him of Almaty's full support for
China's territorial integrity and its opposition to any activities directed
against Chinese sovereignty. The communique was alluding to Kazakstan's
refusal to support Uighur irredentism. (Russian agencies, Xinhua, IRNA, June
13-14)
----------------------------------------------------------
2.3)
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 22:15:14 -0200
ALMATY, June 13 (Reuter) - Kazakhstan's government and the
National Bank said on Friday they would take tough measures
against those local banks which refuse to grant loans for the
the country's small business.
Economy and Commerce Minister Umirzak Shukeyev told a
government meeting that commercial banks have not met the
National Bank's quota to spend 10 percent of their credit
portfolios on loans to small businesses,
``The problem is that a number of large banks do not invest
in the development of small business, preferring to put money in
Treasury bills, despite their low yields,'' Shukeyev said.
``If by October 1, banks do not fulfil this quota, tough
sanctions envisaged by the banking legislation will be applied
to them,'' he stresed.
President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who presided over the
meeting, told National Bank Governor Uraz Dzhandosov to report
every month over how local banks finance the economy.
Dzhandosov told Reuters after the meeting measures applied
to restive banks could include withdrawal of their licences.
``But I still hope that we will not be driven to extreme,''
Dzhandosov said.
Investing heavily in Kazakh T-bills, local banks complain
that their current yields of some 10-15 percent annual are lower
than inflation expected to be 15-17 percent this year.
But bankers say that investment in steeply falling yields on
government securities is far more secure than loans to the
still-shaky economy with its big percentage of overdue debts to
banks.
The reluctance of most banks to invest in the national
economy runs counter to government plans of creating a whole
class of proprietors running small businesses of their own.
The economy Kazakhstan inherited from the former Soviet
Union is dominated by heavy industries -- mostly those
extracting and processing its rich natural reserves -- while
services remain underdeveloped and food and consumer good
industries are still stagnant.
The government hopes that besides developing new branches of
the economy, small business could help ease growing social
tension.
Officials said on Friday that the Central Asian state's
gross domestic product was expected to grow by 1.5 percent in
the first half of this year but stressed that unemployment was
also on the rise.
The number of those officially registered as unemployed is
four percent, while latent unemployment if another 4.4 percent,
and five people contend for each vacant job in the economy.
Nazarbayev said that new businesses could provide new jobs.
But he said that last year only 5.2 percent of Kazakhstan's
workforce was engaged in small business.
Shukeyev said the government was planning to invest a total
of $350 million to support entrepreneurs in 1997-1998. ``They
will be able to draw loans of up to $200,000,'' he said.
He said that Kazakh commercial banks were expected to grant
small businesses loans worth $100 million.
Another $80 million is expected to come from a loan agreed
with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The
formal agreement is to be signed in September.
The Asian Developing Bank is expected to grant two loans --
worth $60-70 million and $50 million. Another $40 million will
be transferred from the budget.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
#3
>Subject: TRKNWS-L TURKEY'S PREMIER LEADS ISLAM GROUP
>Date: 16 Jun 1997 00:35:22 -0400
3.1)
London Daily Telegraph Monday 16 June 1997
TURKEY'S PREMIER LEADS ISLAM GROUP
By Amberin Zaman in Istanbul
TURKEY'S embattled Islamist prime minister, Necmettin Erbakan, came a
step closer to his vision of Islamic brotherhood yesterday, after
presiding over the establishment of an Islamic grouping in Istanbul.
President Hashemi Rafsanjani of Iran, President Suharto of Indonesia,
and Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the Prime minister of Malaysia, were among
leaders at the inaugural ceremony of the Developing Eight (D-8) held in
an Ottoman palace on the shores of the Bosporus.
Mr Erbakan's brainchild, whose members include Pakistan, Egypt,
Bangladesh and Nigeria, is being touted as an Islamic "counter-weight"
to the G-7 group of most developed countries. "Our aim is to gain the place
that we deserve in world trade and economic platforms," Mr Erbakan
declared, adding that D-8 was open to non-Muslim developing countries
too.
In speeches peppered with Third World rhetoric and references to the
Koran, the other D-8 leaders aired their grievances against the West. Mr
Rafsanjani urged members to react against the call by the United States
Congress for Jerusalem to be recognised as Israel's capital, while Dr
Mahathir railed against criticism of his country's human rights record.
Mr Erbakan's pet projects within the framework of the D-8 have included
building an "Islamic Aircraft" and forming an Islamic currency.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
3.2) D-8 ORGANIZATION OFFICIALLY SET UP IN ISTANBUL
The leaders of eight Muslem nations gathered in Istanbul for a
summit meeting yesterday and officially inaugurated the Developing-8
(D-8) group of Islamic countries, calling for increasing economic and
political cooperation among their states. The D-8 states are Turkey,
Egypt, Nigeria, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia.
The declaration signed by the leaders outlines the six principles
to be followed by the D-8 countries: peace, dialogue, cooperation,
justice, equality and democracy. The declaration stresses the
importance of cooperation in trade, industry, communications, finance,
banking and privatization. Joint business councils will be
established in each country to allow the private sectors to play a
pivotal role in the D-8 group./All papers/
3.2) DEMIREL WARNS RAFSANJANI
Following contacts at the D-8 summit yesterday, President Demirel
openly conveyed to Iranian President Rafsanjani his anxiety over
reports about Iranian support for the PKK terrorist organization.
Demirel asked Rafsanjan=FD for the extradiction to Turkey of PKK
terrorists in detention in Iran and stressed that "some developments
could have a negative impact on bilateral relations". Rafsanjan=FD in
turn denied claims that Iran was extending support to the PKK.
/Milliyet/
3.4) TURKEY RECALLS ENVOY FROM LIBYA
The Turkish Foreign Ministry has decided to recall its ambassador
to Libya to Ankara, over insulting remarks by Libyan leader Muammer
Gaddafi about Turkey and the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF). The decision
to recall the ambassador was reportedly taken after the military told
the Foreign Ministry that it expected more firm action in the matter.
The Foreign Ministry said in a written statement on Friday that the
Libyan leader was becoming increasingly insulting towards Turkey./All
papers/
<><><><><>><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>><><><>
#4
>>From: Adil <baguirov@scf.usc.edu>
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 20:44:49 -0700 (PDT)
The Kazakh government signed an agreement Monday granting Belgium's
Tractebel a 15-year concession on the republic's western and southern
natural gas transport systems in return for a one-off payment of $30
million as soon as formal transfer of the system is completed and another
$600 million in investment. Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Dyusenbai
Duisenov said at a press conference in Almaty that the agreement could be
extended for a further five years.
The government of Kazakhstan has named 12 companies and one bank whose
shares it will float on the Kazakh Stock Exchange in early September.
Galina Shalgimbayeva, a member of the National Securities Commission, said
packages for sale included 5% for Zhezkazgantsvetmet, 5% for
Mangistaumunaigaz, 4.5% for Kazakhtelekom, 5% for Aktyubinskmunaigaz, 5%
of Aluminum of Kazakhstan and 2% for Kazkhrom.
The Azerbaijan parliament ratified an agreement Friday on the
exploration and development of two promising fields in Azerbaijan's
Caspian waters - Lenkoran-Deniz and Talysh-Deniz. Azerbaijan state oil
concern SOKAR, which will have a 25% share of production, signed the
contract with the project operator - France's Elf Aquitaine (40%) and
Total (10%) on January 13, 1997, in Paris. The remaining unallocated 25%
was formally assigned to Aquitaine, although SOKAR retained the right to
freely dispose of the oil. Later Iran's OIEC Overseas Ltd. joined the
contract receiving a 10% share. Belgium's Petrofina got 5%, and Germany's
Deminex, 10%. The offshore fields are estimated to hold 50 million-80
million tonnes of oil. Investment in the project could total as much as $2
billion.
>From InterFax News Headlines for 6/17/97
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Mark Hubey ---------------------------------------------------------
http://www.csam.montclair.edu/Faculty/Hubey.html
hubey@pegasus.montclair.edu hubeyh@alpha.montclair.edu
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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