Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – December 22, 1996

After the prayer and a group breakfast with the children and studying the reports, I saw the news about how the trip was reflected in the foreign and domestic media. Despite the fact that the foreigners had from the beginning a policy of silence on the trip's news, the abundance and importance of the issues and the great attention of the Turkish officials to Iran, despite America's wish, which has expressed its opposition, have made the trip rich in news, and the media opposed to and in favor of the Turkish government, which are very active, are helping.

At eight-thirty in the morning, to visit the geothermal center, we went to the south of the city of Izmir. From a depth of 650 meters, they extract water by two wells in an artesian manner at a temperature of 140 degrees. In a heat exchanger, they heat the city's water to 70 degrees and give it to the city's houses. For heating and domestic hot water, they charge 600 dollars per house for the connection and ten dollars a month for consumption. They said that at another point where the temperature is higher, they also produce electricity.

With two small single-engine Russian helicopters, we flew toward Ephesus. The companions were not in favor of traveling by helicopter because of the lack of complete confidence, but I did not want to change the program. We landed in the town of Selçuk; the companions who had gone by car also arrived. We immediately went to see the ancient ruins of "Ephesus." The guide was good and gave sufficient explanations. It is truly worth seeing; what has been brought out from under the soil so far is very much. They said that what remains under the soil is much more. They said it is a city of 200 thousand people from before Islam, which later was alternately under the domination of Greece and Rome and Iran and Turkey and has seen different civilizations. The artifacts discovered are much more than the artifacts of Iran's Persepolis; but the largeness of the building pieces of Persepolis is much more important; it cannot be compared. It shows the more advanced building technique in Iran. They said the large theater of the old city had a capacity of 30 thousand people, and its architecture is in such a way that it carries the sound to all its points without loudspeakers. Part of the bazaar and the temple has been reconstructed. They have two million visitors a year and charge five dollars admission from each person.

Then we went and saw a mosque that was built 700 years ago. They said its tall columns were brought from the ruins of Ephesus. In Ephesus they said that so far 45 types of building stone used have been discovered. Then we saw a museum that displayed part of the artifacts of Ephesus. We also had lunch in the same museum and said our prayers in a small mosque adjacent to it.

The town of Selçuk has a population of 20 thousand, and from there to Izmir there is a very good highway. Along the routes, the Governor, the advisory minister of Erbakan, and the town's representative took turns riding in the car with me and giving explanations. The Governor said he had previously come to Iran five times. At the airport, a group of Iranian medical students studying in Izmir came and had a problem because of the increase in tuition, and I told the Governor to solve it. Bank Mellat is also active there. The Martyrs' Foundation also has several industrial units there. Only two representatives out of the 30 representatives of Izmir Province are from the Welfare Party.

We toured around the city and the coastal facilities and the ports; Izmir is an interesting city. It is stretched along the seashore and has also gone around the gulf. They have a good industrial zone and shipbuilding center, and recently they have begun more development behind the heights covered with dense forests overlooking the city.

It has nearly three million people and is green and lively, with about two million tourists a year, an active airport, and many hotels. In principle, the Izmir region, with strong agriculture and industry and tourism and commerce, is one of the more developed parts of Turkey. Agriculture currently relies on rain and wells, but they also have a dam under construction. Although they have a long coast on the Aegean, because of the harassment of Greece, fishing is weak. The islands belonging to Greece are seven miles off the Turkish coast and are visible from the shore with the eye.

We set off by car toward the airport. At three in the afternoon we entered Ankara. After a little rest and the sunset prayer, we went to sign the documents of the agreements. Seven agreements were signed in the presence of Mr. Demirel and me; this too is a cause of embarrassment for America and the opponents of the development of Iran–Turkey relations. Mr. Erbakan insists on strengthening relations with Iran and is dissatisfied that Turkey's exports to Iran are not commensurate with their imports from Iran, but we say that the oil account must be kept separate.

Then we had a press conference at the residence. I answered many questions. The secular journalists asked about the issue of the growth of Islam in Turkey, which I confirmed; they were showing prejudice. The Iranians and the religious were happy.

For the dinner ceremony, we went to the Prime Minister's Office. With Mr. [Necmettin] Erbakan, before dinner, we had a private conversation for an hour. Mohsen and Dr. Velayati and Mr. Rashid were present as interpreters. Their Ministry of Foreign Affairs also wanted to take part, which, at Mr. Erbakan's wish, we did not accept. There is no trust between them and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; because Mrs. [Tansu] Çiller, the Foreign Minister, is also from the rival party; although they have formed a coalition. At the ceremony too, Mrs. Çiller was not present, unlike the other foreign ministers. She was not at the dinner either, although she was at the President's dinner.

Most of the time of the private negotiations passed with Mr. Erbakan's speeches. In answer to my two questions—how they want to reduce inflation and pay the foreign and domestic debts, and how they will implement the "D-8" idea—the answers were not realistic. It seemed to me that his plans are a little idealistic. He said he wants to print a new lira at the price of one dollar per lira and gradually restore the people's confidence in the lira and remove the dollar, which has become the axis, from its centrality.

At the dinner table, he and I gave short speeches. He considered my trip to Turkey a cause of pride for Turkey, and we had many talks. After dinner we went to the embassy. I spoke to the embassy staff. The children sang a good anthem. In some secular Turkish newspapers today there have been criticisms of Faezeh's remarks; she said that the situation of Turkey today is like the last years of the Shah's life in Iran.