Kosygin inaugurates Turkish steel mill

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34037, 29 December 1975, Page 13

Kosygin inaugurates Turkish steel mill

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

ANKARA, December 28

The Soviet Prime Minister (Mr Kosygin) lias inaugurated a Russian-built steel mill in south-eastern Turkey which is to become one of Moscow’s biggest investment projects outside the Warsaw Pact countries.

Mr Kosygin’s appearance lat the ceremony in Iskende-i run-, near the Syrian border,! was regarded as a further attempt by the Kremlin to nurture confidence in Soviet intentions at a time when United States influence in Turkey has waned because of a United States embargo on arms sales. The Soviet Union began courting the Turks in the late 19605, apparently hoping that a gradual expansion of relations would loosen Turkey's ties with the North ■Atlantic alliance. But Ankara is keen to< ■ maintain a balance between, receiving much-needed economic aid and avoiding northern neighbours. ,| Moscow has accompanied; its overtures with aid i pledges of more than; 81000 m over the last eight! years, most of it on the Is- : kenderun plant and four!

other big economic projects. I The Iskenderun steel mill I is already one of the biggest! :in the Balkans and the Middle East. Expansion in. two phases will boost its annual output from 1,100,000 tonnes over the next year to four million tonnes in'l9B2. Mr Kosygin flies to Iskenderun after talks with the Turkish Prime Minister (Mr Suleyman Demirel). Sources said that the Russians appeared disappointed with Turkey’s response to their overtures for closer Ities. Discussions between exiperts on two minor accords ,had run into unspecified : problems. Mr Kosygin told his hosts, jthat Moscow did not. har-i ,'bour any bad intentions to-i : |wards Turkey. But he appar-l ilently failed to convince the’ :! vehemently anti-Communist! i coalition Government at An■kara. i