Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-01-31

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From: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.gov.tr/>

[01] AA News

31 January 2000 Monday

[02] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

HOW TIME CHANGES EVERTHING
The U.S. Sixth Fleet which was not welcomed in Istanbul in 1969, is now being welcomed by the residents of southeast Iskenderun province. Bulent Kavsak, the Chairman of the Iskenderun Branch of the Naval Commerce Chamber, said, ''the U.S. Sixth Fleet is staying in the Mediterranean. If they do not object, the fleet can settle down in the Iskenderun Gulf. If the NATO experts say the Iskenderun Gulf has strategical importance, the Gulf will be included in the U.S. list. Then, 50,000 people will come to Iskenderun and the regional economy will revive.'' Thousands of students uprose when the U.S. soldiers arrived in Istanbul on February 10, 1969. The students chanted slogans saying, ''Go home Yankee.'' The businessmen in Iskenderun said that the time and the conditions have changed since then.

POWER CUT OVER FOR SOME TIME
The Energy and Natural Resources Ministry said that the programmed electricity cut in Turkey is over as of this evening. The Ministry said that if some negative developments occur due to the weather conditions, it will re-evaluate the programmed electricty cut.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

IRTEMCELIK APPOINTED AS STATE MINISTER FOR ANADOLU AGENCY AND TRT
Mehmet Ali Irtemcelik, the State Minister responsible for human rights, was appointed as the State Minister responsible for Anadolu Agency (A.A) and the state-run TRT television channel. Premier Bulent Ecevit said that Yuksel Yalova, the State Minister responsible for the A.A and the TRT, will participate in the European Union (EU) Internal Economic and Technical Coordination Board.

QUAKE SURVIVOR ELIF IN ISRAEL TO THANK
Elif Buse Gunduz, a quake survivor who was rescued by the Israeli team 80 hours after the massive earthquake on August 17, 1999, went to Israel to undergo medical treatment. Elif, 12, said that she will not only undergo medical treatment, but also will have the opportunity to thank the Israeli team which was headed by Dr. Colonel Isaac Askenazi, the Israeli National Rescue Units Coordinator. Siran Franco, who was also rescued by the same team 102 hours after the quake, will also meet with Elif and Askenazi.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

60 PEOPLE UNDER AVALANCHE
A total of 60 people were trapped under snow when avalanche fell in Uludere county of southeastern Sirnak province. 20 houses were under snow when the avalanche fell in Uzundere hamlet of Uludere county. Two children died in the avalanche. The rescue teams have not yet arrived in the region.

AGRICULTURE IMPROVEMENT COOPERATION IN BALKANS
Husnu Yusuf Gokalp, the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister, said that Turkey aims at having an efficient role in the cooperation for agricultural improvement in the Balkans. Gokalp noted that they believe that the Balkan countries should have cooperation in the fields including animal breeding, planting, fishing, irrigation, agricultural mechanization, agricultural resources, publications, biotechnology, and foresting. Gokalp added that the Balkan Countries' Agriculture Ministers Meeting will be held in Turkey next year.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

PRESIDENT DEMIREL CRITIZES KUTAN
President Suleyman Demirel critized Recai Kutan, leader of the Virtue Party (FP), who claimed that Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) did not struggle against terrorist Hezbollah organization. Demirel said, ''such statements offend. Nobody can accuse security forces of this country of protecting a murder organization.''

RADIKAL (LEFT)

ATHENS IS INTERESTED IN THE VISIT OF CEM
Greek media is hopeful about the scheduled visit of Foreign Minister Ismail Cem to Athens next week. To Vima pointed out that Cem's visit to Athens is an important stage in improvement of the bilateral relations between the two countries.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

AGREEMENT ON 5+5
Coalition partners will change the Constitution, and an opportunity will be given to Suleyman Demirel to be elected as President for a second time. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Devlet Bahceli, Deputy Prime Minister, and Mesut Yilmaz, the leader of the Motherland Party (ANAP) gave the final decision on ''presidential elections'' which was on the agenda for a long time. The leaders reached a consensus for the realization of constitutional change related with Presidential elections.

FM CEM DUE TO ATHENS
After Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou's visit to Turkey, a Turkish Foreign Minister will pay an official visit to Greece after 40 years. The visit will take place between February 4 and 6, and five important agreements will be signed.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

[03] PRESIDENT DEMIREL SPEAKS TO PULSE OF THE POLITICS PROGRAM

Speaking at ''Pulse of the Politics'' program broadcast in TRT-1, Demirel responded to the questions about terrorist Hezbollah organization.

Pointing out that Turkey cheerfully entered the year 2000 with ''high morale and great hopes'' despite the difficulties in 1999, Demirel said unfortunately the country met a terrorism incident this year.

''I wish Turkey had not met such an incident. In fact, this terrorist Hezbollah organization is not new. It is an organization which appeared at the beginning of 1990's against the terrorist actions of PKK. Terrorist PKK organization was killing innocent civilians in the region, including women and children. It was staging attacks on the forces of the state. Hezbollah organization appeared spontaneously in the region saying that PKK is an organization which does not believe in religion. It is different from the Hezbollah organizations of Iran and Lebanon.''

President Demirel said the word ''Hezbollah'' meant ''goodness, honesty, and salvation of people'' in Koran, adding that, ''however, Hezbollah gave this name to a murder organization.''

Demirel said this terrorist organization dared to exploit Islam, which is the religion of brotherhood and unity. He said security organs of the state followed the actions of the terrorist organization after 1990. ''A total of 400 operations have been launched, 2500 terrorists were interrogated and sent to prisons.''

Demirel said the shallow graveyards were found during operations to find the businessmen who were earlier kidnapped in Istanbul. Huseyin Velioglu, the head of the terrorist Hezbollah organization, was killed in a house after clashing with police.

President Demirel said, ''there are suspicions if the state used or tolerated terrorist Hezbollah organization while struggling against terrorist PKK organization as they were also against PKK organization.''

Pointing out that such suspicions turned into offending statements after a while, Demirel said, ''because it was the state which they accused. If people began to have doubt about their state that it commits murders, then the state will go bankrupt.''

Responding to a question, Demirel said discussing single incidents is misleading, and noted that he approached the problem in general.

Demirel said nobody, including security forces of the state, did not have the right to commit murder, and noted that, ''security forces or some other forces of the state will not commit murder whatever its reason is.''

Demirel stressed that General Staff was extraordinarily careful in this respect, adding that it always refrained from discussions which can be political. Demirel said he warned people not to make military to feel obliged to defend itself.

President Demirel pointed out that, ''in the geography we are situated, it is normal that there is uneasiness and turbulances because of historical, geographical, ethnic, and religious problems.''

[04] FOREIGN MINISTRY: ''PUTTING AN END TO INHUMANE IMPLEMENTATIONS CARRIED OUT AGAINST TRNC, IS AN INDISPENSABLE STARTING POINT TO FORM THE NECESSARY BASIS FOR NEGOTIATIONS''

A written statement issued by Foreign Ministry expressed Turkey's hope that steps to this end will be taken in proximity talks which started in Geneva on Monday.

The statement said, Turkey also hoped that a compromise will take shape in the new period, in a confederal framework, which guarantee legal rights and interests of both sides.

Pointing out that intense preparation efforts of the TRNC authorities were underway with the contribution of Turkey, the statement said, ''TRNC authorities brought the proposal for a confederation formed by two states, which is the most realistic and permanent solution model, by considering the EU dimension of the issue.''

The statement stressed that Turkey, as the guarantor country, fully supported the views of TRNC, and noted that, ''we appreciate the constructive leadership of TRNC President Rauf Denktas in efforts to find a secure and permanent compromise between the two states on Cyprus.''

Mustafa Akinci, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of TRNC; Tahsin Ertugruloglu, Foreign and Defense Minister; Ergun Olgun, Presidency Undersecretary; Mustafa Evran, Presidency Political Affairs Director; Osman Ertug, Foreign and Defense Ministry Undersecretary; and Mumtaz Soysal and Taner Etkin, the consultants, will accompany TRNC President Denktas in proximity talks expended to last for 10 days.

Serdar Denktas, leader of main opposition Democrat Party, and Mehmet Ali Talat, leader of Republican Turk Party, will watch Geneva proximity talks in ''observer status''.

Geneva talks started on Monday under the supervision of the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. The U.N. Secretary General will later hand over his mission to Alvaro De Soto, Cyprus Special Representative. The first round of Cyprus proximity talks was held last December in New York.

[05] AGRICULTURE MINISTER GOKALP RETURNS HOME AFTER ATTENDING BALKAN COUNTRIES AGRICULTURE MINISTERS MEETING

Gokalp told reporters at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport that he read out a decleration about development of agricultural cooperation at the meeting where agricultural development in south eastern European countries was discussed.

Gokalp noted that agricultural cooperation would also strengthen peace and friendly relations between the countries in the region. ''At the meeting, I stressed that south eastern countries should cooperate in cattle breading, irrigation, fishing, forestry, and marketing fields,'' Gokalp told reporters.

He also noted that the next agriculture ministers meeting will be held in Istanbul next year.

Gokalp had bilateral meetings with Greek, Bulgarian, Albanian, and Macedonian agriculture ministers in Salonica. He also invited his Greek counterpart to Turkey who esteemed cooperation with Turkey very important.

Currently, there is no agricultural cooperation between Turkey and Greece and an agreement is expected to be signed when the Greek Agriculture Minister visits Turkey.

Several Greek businessmen will accompany the Greek Agriculture Minister, Gokalp said and also added that the Greek businessmen expressed support to Turkey in its membership process to the EU.

[06] INTERIOR MINISTRY: - ''A TOTAL OF 938 PEOPLE WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY IN 44 PROVINCES DURING OPERATIONS AGAINST ILLEGAL TERRORIST HEZBOLLAH ORGANIZATION''

Issusing a written statement, the Interior Ministry said, ''a total of 47 bodies belonged to those who were kidnapped, interrogated, and tortured to death by the Hezbollah organization, were exhumed so far. 22 of them were identified by their relatives.''

The Interior Ministry noted, ''operations against the Hezbollah organization have been intensified since the shootout between security forces and members of the illegal terrorist organization in Beykoz ditrict of Istanbul on January 17. Huseyin Velioglu, the head of illegal terrorist organization, was killed while Edip Gumus and Cemal Tutar, two leading names of the organization, were captured in the shootout. A total of 938 people were taken into custody in 44 provinces as of January 30, 2000. 437 of detainees were sent to courts and 221 of them were arrested. There were 505 members of Hezbollah organization in 15 separate prisons as of January 17, 2000.''
The statement added, ''security forces seized 44 long-barrel weapons, 300 pistols, 11 rifles, a number of cartridges, 4,296 bullets, 72 hand grenades, 100 dynamites, explosives, 3 flame throwers, one mortar, and several devices used in production of bombs during the operations.''

The statement said that operations against terrorist organizations targeting security of country and nation, were underway throughout Turkey.

[07] ANNAN, SECRETARY GENERAL OF UNITED NATIONS: - ''WE EXPECT A RESOLUTION WITHIN THE YEAR''

Annan briefed journalists on his meetings with Clafcos Clerides, the leader of Greek Cypriot administration, and President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

He said, ''we are working towards a comprehensive settlement in the course of the year. I think we can achieve it if we all work hard enough and come into the discussions with a spirit of give and take and the right mood.''

Responding to a question, Annan told reporters, ''all issues are on the table. We are encouraging the two sides to come to the table to discuss these issues without any preconditions and work with us until we find a solution.''

''I hope that after this round we will come back early summer to continue the process. I hope from there on we will make a sustained and determined effort to achieve a comprehensive settlement,'' he said.

Alvaro De Soto, the Special Representative of Annan to Cyprus, will continue the second round of proximity talks on Saturday.

[08] TURKEY TARGETS TO HOST 10 MILLION TOURISTS THIS YEAR

Mumcu, after speaking with tour operators and reporters in Austria, said he was targeting to host 10 million tourists in Turkey this year, at a press briefing on Monday.

Noting that Turkey has extremely good tourism products, Mumcu said ''Turkey broke a record by a 20 percent increase in tourism sector since 1983. Our target should be 50 million tourists annually.''

Mumcu said only Istanbul should host 10 million tourists every year. ''It should be an obligation for everyone to see Istanbul,'' he added.

''They say that they were expecting 15 million tourists who will visit Turkey through religious belief tourism. Nowhere in the world, including Haj, draws that many tourists. The year 2000 is only a good opportunity to promote Turkey. We are getting ready for this through our contacts with various religious groups,'' he explained.

Mumcu repeated his views regarding obsolescence of the Tourism Ministry also in Vienna. He said tourism should be dealt by the private sector and the state should only be in charge of documentation and inspection in this field.

''I am not saying that tourism bureaucracy is unnecessary. But a general directorate or undersecretariat with 300-400 employees can very well replace the ministry,'' he commented.

Mumcu, after wrapping up his contacts in Vienna, proceeded to Monaco. Later Mumcu will also visit Germany.

-<B>U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ANKARA PARRIS: ''I THINK THERE</B> WILL BE CONSIDERABLE TOURIST RUSH INTO TURKEY THIS YEAR''
AYDIN - U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Mark R. Parris said on Monday that he hoped there would be considerable tourist rush this year into Turkey which is a real tourism paradise.

Parris who visited Aydin Acting Gocernor Halit Gungor, said that Turkey had a perfect position to evaluate the religious belief tourism potential, stressing that the Aegean Region should make use of the advantage concerning Christianity.

Parris said the Aegean Region had a very important situation in the early Christianity period so he hoped there would be considerable tourist rush into Turkey in 2000.

Parris added that the tourist rush would continue also in coming years.

A.A

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