Turkish Daily News Electronic Edition, 'Editorial' by Ilnur Cevik, March 19 1998 19 March, 1998, Copyright © Turkish Daily NewsEditorial by Ilnur Cevik British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook's trip to the Middle East seems to have antagonized the Israelis and pushed the peace process into further disarray. Did Cook do the right thing? Is the European Union (EU) poking its nose into yet another problem area, and creating a further mess? The EU does not have a very good track record in dealing with

The UN Cyprus envoy is expected to meet Denktas again on Friday, after having talks with Clerides Ankara - TDN with wire dispatches The U.N. special coordinator for Cyprus, Diego Cordovez, got together on Thursday with the president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), Rauf Denktas, who described the meeting as "sincere, profound and very fruitful." Speaking after the 3.5-hour meeting, Denktas said that Cordovez had displayed a genuine will to understand the reasons and the

Report says United States to plans to unveil ultimatum for Israeli-PLO peacemaking soon Cairo- Reuters U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan said in Cairo on Thursday he had no plans to offer an alternative to U.S. peace-broking in the Middle East. "It's not appropriate for me to put forward new proposals while the United States is mediating," Annan told reporters after meeting his Arab League counterpart Esmat Abdel-Meguid. Annan has said he plans to listen to the protagonists to the

TDN's Editorial by Ilnur CevikIs the EU creating new tensions in the Mideast? British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook's trip to the Middle East seems to have antagonized the Israelis and pushed the peace process into further disarray. Did Cook do the right thing? Is the European Union (EU) poking its nose into yet another problem area, and creating a further mess? The EU does not have a very good track record in dealing with international issues. This was proven in the Bosnia bloodbath. It took the

OIC calls on Muslim states to sever ties with Israel OIC foreign ministers urge Islamic nations to halt the normalization process with Israel until it clears the way for the advancement of the Middle East peace process Ankara - TDN with wire dispatches The meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) ended in Qatar's capital, Doha, late on Tuesday with a final communique calling on Muslim nations to sever ties with Israel until it clears the way for the

Jerusalem- Reuters A rare snowstorm on Wednesday blanketed Jewish, Christian and Moslem holy sites in Jerusalem's walled Old City and covered parts of the West Bank, Jordan and Cyprus. The snow, at the threshold of spring, caught many Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians by surprise just two days after sandstorms that blew up from Saudi Arabia had covered towns and villages in a fine yellow dust. The wintry sleet and snow paralyzed Jerusalem for hours and signalled it was too early to break out the

YASEMIN DOBRA-MANCO Istanbul - Turkish Daily News After Herbalife's grand opening celebration at swissotel the Bosphorus, which was attended by about 6,000 people from all over Turkey, a member of Herbalife's "President's Team" told the TDN that around 10,000 Turks have become distributors. The opening included numerous introductory sessions, hosted by the Chairman's Club Members and many of Herbalife's international president's team members from around the world. The hosts were surprised

The final communique is expected to call on OIC members to suspend relations with Israel Ankara-TDN with wire dispatches The foreign ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on Tuesday were putting the final touches on a communique expected to call on the organization's members to suspend relations with Israel, and welcome Iraq's latest deal with the United Nations. Delegates participating in the meeting in Qatar's capital, Doha, said the pre-prepared resolutions would form the

Israelis say the British foreign secretary might as well have stayed home Jerusalem- Reuters British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook was swamped by driving rain and raucous right-wing Israeli protesters on Tuesday when hevisited the site of a controversial Jewish settlement in Arab East Jerusalem. Shielded by a large blue and white umbrella, Cook was mobbed by journalists and by Jewish protesters yelling "Robin go home!"and "Death to Palestine!" on his arrival at the Palestinian side

The military will respond from now on From a March 17 article by Radikal's Ismet Berkan: Since the press reports written in Tbilisi and the General Staff response to them, a new assessment is being made about the March 27 meeting of the National Security Council (MGK). The military wing of the MGK will present detailed information, in particular about the financial sources of the fundamentalist movement and about the headscarf issue, at the meeting. If the government wing of the MGK contests that

'It is probable that the export rate will exceed the established goal if the stability measures are implemented without making any concession' Ankara - Turkish Daily News Foreign Trade Undersecretary Yavuz Ege said that the Asian crisis would not affect Turkey very negatively as previously supposed and necessary evaluations concerning the sectors that could be affected by the crises. Ege commented on the Asian crisis and its would-be effects on Turkey in a meeting with the members of the Economy

The British government was condemned for sticking with the United States in their relaxed policy concerning Israel's infringement of the UN resolutions while being extremely tough on IraqORYA SULTAN HALISDEMIR London--Turkish Daily News British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook will be visiting six capitals of the Middle East this week in a dual role. Cook will be visiting the area in Britain's capacity as holder of the European Union's (EU) presidency. He will be accompanied by the EU Special envoy for the

Iranian and Syrian FMs say in separate statements that new eras in their relations with Turkey are on the horizon Ankara - TDN with wire dispatches After years of tension between Turkey and its neighbors, Syria and Iran, recent signs of a rapprochement were confirmed with mutual statements of a "new era in relations" at the foreign ministers meeting during the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which opened in Qatar's capital, Doha, on Sunday. Foreign Minister Ismail Cem,

British foreign secretary determined to visit a settlement controversial in East Jerusalem Cairo- Reuters British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, putting himself on a collision course with Israel, said on Monday he was determined tovisit a controversial Jewish settlement in Arab East Jerusalem. The Israeli government earlier on Monday threatened toexclude the European Union from Middle East peacemaking if Cook went ahead with the visit to Har Homa, a hilltop known to Palestinians as Jabal Abu Ghneim on

Cairo- Reuters Sandstorms swept the Middle East on Monday, causing at least three deaths in Egypt and disrupting the schedules of several leaders criss-crossing the region. A landmark ferris wheel in Beirut and a tourist boat full of German tourists also felt the brunt of sand-laden winds which pummelled Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Cyprus on Sunday and Monday. A thick sandstorm blanketed Egypt early on Monday for a second day. Police and fire officials said two people died in car accidents related to the

'Flying Carpets' Carpets created by ten artists living in France, along with the Tulu carpets collection (from the Konya-Karapinar region) of Dr. Ayan Gulgonen, will be presented by the French Cultural Institute at the Dolmabahce Cultural Center, March 17-April 4. Artists of East Mediterranean origin -- Lebanese, Algerian, French, Egyptian, Moroccan and Turkish -- are displaying their modern-style carpets. "Tulu carpets" are found only in the Karapinar district of Konya. The nomads there make

The enhancement of relations will include not only energy issues, but also defense and security mattersSAADET ORUC Tbilisi / Ankara - Turkish Daily News While the Caucasus region has turned into a gamble because of its rich energy reserves, Turkey and Israel are going to establish close relations with two key Caucasian states, Georgia and Azerbaijan. The enhancement of relations will include not only energy issues, but also defense and security matters, diplomatic sources in the region told the Turkish

Arafat: 'The peace of the courageous which we have signed is imperilled in many ways. I might even say that it is almost gasping its last breath' Ankara - TDN with wire dispatches The impasse of the peace process in the Middle East and the disputed status of Jerusalem dominated the agenda of the foreign minsters' summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which began on Sunday in Qatar's capital city of Doha. "The peace [accord] of the courageous which we have signed is today

Netanyahu says he is worried by escalating Middle East violence Jerusalem- Reuters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he was worried by increasing violence in the West Bank touched off by the killing of three Palestinian laborers at an Israeli checkpoint last week. Scores of Palestinians have been wounded in days of clashes with Israeli troops since soldiers shot the workers at the West Bank checkpoint of Tarqumiyah. "There is a worrying escalation in the incidents in

Damascus - Reuters Syrian President Hafez al-Assad and his Lebanese counterpart Elias Hrawi have renewed their commitment to a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, officials said on Sunday after talks between the two leaders. Presidential spokesman Joubran Kourieh said the two men also affirmed during a summit meeting that ended late on Saturday, the link between the Syrian and Lebanese tracks in peace talks with Israel. "President Assad affirmed that Syria will support Lebanon in all