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Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-08-29Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.com.tr/>Anadolu AgencyANADOLU AGENCY NEWS 29 AUGUST 2000 Tuesday CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCANThese are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on August 29, 2000. The Anadolu Ajansi does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.HURRIYET (LIBERAL)MERVE SCANDAL IN U.N.While the United Nations (U.N.) did not invite Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz, the Head of Religious Affairs Directorate who pioneers reform in Islam, to the ''Religion and Spiritual Leaders Millenium Peace Summit'', it invited Merve Kavakci, a former deputy of the Virtue Party (FP) who attempted to enter into the parliament wearing a headscarf. The U.N. officials who did not call Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet in exile not to contradict with China, did not show the similar sensitivity for Turkey. Kavakci was invited to the summit as a U.S. delegate. ISTANBUL OFFICIAL CANDIDATE FOR 2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS MIRACLE SURVIVAL MILLIYET (LIBERAL)FIVE MORE BOMBERS CAPTUREDHaci Demir, Cumali Gul, Bilal Onder, Mustafa Onder and Orhan Okuslug, the members of illegal, extreme leftist, and terrorist DHKP-C organization, were captured in southern Adana province. These people were involved in bomb attacks on Governor's Office, Turkish Electricity Distribution Conp. (TEDAS), Turk Telekom, Tax Office and Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Gaziantep. ''STATUES OF NEMRUT SHOULD BE IMITATED'' SEZER'S U.S. AGENDA: CHILDREN AND WOMEN SABAH (LIBERAL)THEY RESCUED MOUNTAINEER AND FELL INTO RAVINEAycan Kazak, a computer engineer who was spending his holiday in southern Antalya province, climbed to Olimpus Mountain. When he was injured in his leg, he was stranded on the mountain. When Kazak did not return to the motel where he was staying, the personnel of the motel informed the security forces and called the voluntary search and rescue team AKUT. Five- member AKUT team headed by Yilmaz Sevgul, the AKUT's representative in Antalya, started rescue operation at 9.15 p.m. After the team rescued Kazak, they had a traffic accident in Olimpus-Calli highway. Five people who were in the car, were injured in the accident and taken under medical treatment in Antalya. IMF IS COMING FOR BUDGET OF 2001 TOAST TO PEACE CUMHURIYET (LEFT)''PEACE IS THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE''Israeli Prime Minister who met with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and President Ahmet Necdet Sezer sent a message to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat saying, ''alternative of peace will be bad''. Turkey which gave the start for ''shuttle diplomacy'' between Israel and Palestine in August to overcome the bottle-neck at the Camp David summit hosted Barak yesterday. During the meetings, Barak asked Ecevit why some recent defense tenders were not given to Israel. Barak proposed to give Turkey civil tenders in return for military tenders. Israel is closely interesting in six irrigation projects within scope of the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP). Through Turkey, Barak sent a message to Arafat saying, ''alternative of peace will be very bad. We want peace.'' Stressing that Turkey closely covered the regional policies, Barak said that Israel's taking a backward step in the issue of Jerusalem was impossible. CIRITICAL DAYS WITH IMF UNEASINESS ABOUT SATELLITE RADIKAL (LEFT)''MIDDLE EAST PEACE PLAN'' OF TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY TO BE ACCEPTEDForeign Minister Ismail Cem carries out the most influential and successful diplomatic efforts of the Republican history in the region. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak visited Ankara yesterday. There was something more important than the defense industry behind this visit. That was the Middle East peace. ''Turkish plan,'' which was developed with the efforts of Cem following the unsuccessful Camp David summit, gradually approaches to an end. THREE SEPARATE PROPOSALS TO TUBE TUNNEL YENİ BİNYIL (LIBERAL)NEW CONFLICT IN ENERGYEnergy Ministry ignores legal and constitutional arrangements which make Build-Operate-Transfer contracts dependent on special law. The ministry arranges draft contracts related with energy power plants according to public law, and submits to the view of Council of State. Council of State did not want the contracts to be sent to them saying the contracts were dependent on a special law. ASIAN BANKERS TO CONVENE IN ISTANBUL TURKIYE (RIGHT)BARAK ASKS FOR SUPPORTIsraeli Prime Minister Ehud barak who paid a one-day visit to Turkey asked Ankara to further improve water, economy and defense issues and especially the Middle East peace process. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that they would support peace. DEBATE ON AUTHORITY WE BECOME CANDIDATE TO OLYMPIC GAMES IMPRISONMENT TO IRRESPONSIBLE FATHER SENSITIVE APPROACH FROM BELGIUM ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)ONE DAY VISIT FROM BARAKIsraeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak paid a one-day visit to Ankara, and exchanged views on diplomacy and military strategic cooperation issues. Prime Ministers of the two countries decided to maintain Turkish-Israeli cooperation. NEW DECISION FOR GULEN Nuh Mete Yuksel, Prosecutor of the State Security Court, said he thought that was an error of judicial discretion. Yuksel said they could not oppose to the decision, adding that they would open their case. CALL FOR TRIAL TO FEHRIYE ERDAL Coveliers said the illegal DHKP-C organization of which Erdal is a member, caused uneasiness in people and government of Belgium. Coveliers said Belgium has turned into a paradise for the terrorists, adding that their country will resemble to a pirate ship if they fail to stop people like Erdal soon. [02] EARTHQUAKES SHAKE IZMIR AND CANKIRIIZMIR - Earthquakes shook Aegean Izmir province and central Cankiri province late on Monday and early on Tuesday.Officials of Bogazici University Kandilli Observatory Center and Seismology Institute said that three earthquakes were recorded in Cigli township of Izmir province and one earthquake was recorded in Orta township of Cankiri province. Below listed the hour, epicenter and magnitude of the earthquakes: Hour: Epicenter: Magnitude: ----- ---------- --------- 00.10 a.m. (Tuesday) Izmir-Cigli 2.9 00.23 a.m. (Tuesday) Izmir-Cigli 2.9 01.27 a.m. (Tuesday) Orta-Cankiri 4.2 [03] ORNEK, DIRECTOR OF DOCUMENTARY FILM ON COMMAGENE CIVILIZATION: -''THIS FILM WILL NOT ONLY INTRODUCE NEMRUT TO THE WORLD BUT ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PRESERVATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE''ADIYAMAN - Tolga Ornek, the director of documentary film which will be about the Commagene civilization, said on Tuesday that this film will not only introduce Nemrut to the world but also contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage.Ornek told A.A correspondent that they will start shooting the documentary film named ''Throne of Gods, Nemrut Mountain'' on August 18. The documentary film will include interviews with Turkish and foreign experts, Ornek noted. Ornek added that they will dramatize the first researches of Osman Hamdi Bey and German archeologist Otto Puchstein on Nemrut Mountain in their documentary film. The documentary film will be shot in Ataturk Dam, Nemrut Mountain, Arsemia, former Kahta Castle, Cendere Bridge, Karakus Tumulus, Gerger and Sincik churches, Adiyaman, Gaziantep and Ankara Anatolian Civilizations museums, and ancient Zeugma site. The documentary film will include interviews with historian Margherita Facella of Pisa University, Roman history expert Andrew Gregory of Yale University, archeologist Hans-Gert Bachmann who join excavations on Nemrut, Professor Sencer Sahin who make researches on Nemrut inscriptions, historian Jorg Wagner who deal with Commagene civilization, and archeologist Donald Sanders. [04] ITALY, SYRIA AND GERMANY BECOME EXPORT CENTERS OF SOUTHEASTGAZIANTEP - Italy, Syria and Germany has become export centers of Southeastern Anatolia Region.Animal product exports from Southeastern Anatolia Region to Italy increased 18.5 percent to 24 million 746 thousand U.S. dollars and to Germany climbed 109.5 percent to 15 million 599 thousand U.S. dollars while animal product exports to Syria decreased 54.8 percent to 19 million 532 thousand U.S. dollars in first seven months of 2000. Southeastern Anatolia Region exported 20 million 867 thousand U.S. dollars animal products to Italy, 43 million 129 thousand U.S. dollar animal products to Syria and 7 million 443 thousand U.S. dollar animal products to Germany in the same period in 1999. Textile ranked at the first place among the products exported to Italy, Syria and Germany. Dried apricot, cotton thread, synthetic thread and plastic bags were other products exported to these three countries. [05] ANKARA CINEMA ASSOCIATION AND ISRAELI EMBASSY TOORGANIZE ''ISRAELI FILMS FESTIVAL'' IN SEPTEMBERANKARA - The Ankara Cinema Association and the Israeli Embassy in Ankara will organize ''Israeli Films Festival'' between September 7 and 10. Five long and five short films which were shot between 1986 and 1999 will be shown during the festival. The festival which targets at introducing Israeli cinema to Turkey, will start by Israeli film named ''Kuzunun Gulumseyisi'' (Smile of a Lamb) in which famous Turkish actor Tuncel Kurtiz won ''Silver Bear'' award for his performance. Kurtiz acted as an old Arab who was living in a cave and who became involved in politics although he was not even interested in daily life. Other films that will be shown during the festival are ''Ask Hastasi'' (Love Sick), ''Bay Baum'un Son 92 Dakikasi'' (The Last 92 Minutes of Mr.Baum), ''Sh'hur-Beyaz Buyu'' (Sh'Hur-White Magic) and ''Sonsuz Mutluluk'' (Eternal Happiness). [06] SUDANESE DELEGATION VISITS TOBBANKARA - Sudanese Foreign Trade Minister and Turkish-Sudanese Joint Economic Committee Co-Chairman Makki Ali Balail invited Turkish businessmen and entrepreneurs to Sudan.Guest Sudanese Minister Balail who is currently in Ankara visited on Tuesday tha Union of Turkish Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB). TOBB's Board Deputy Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu said that the Sudanese Foreign Trade Minister and he would discuss the business that the Turkish private sector could make in Sudan. Expressing his pleasure with the visit of the Sudanese delegation to TOBB, Hisarciklioglu said, ''we will exchange opinion on the business that the Turkish private sector can make in Sudan which is the door to Africa.'' Sudanese Minister Balail said that there were historical ties between Turkey and Sudan but the relations between the two countries couldn't reach the desired level. Guest Minister Balail said that both Turkey and Sudan expended efforts to develop and increase the economic relations. Balail added that he invited Turkish businessmen and entreprenuers to the Africa's door, Sudan. [07] REPRESENTATIVES OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN TRNC AND GREEK CYPRIOT ADMINISTRATION COME TOGETHER IN LEDRA PALACELEFKOSA - Representatives of the political parties in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cypriot administration came together on Tuesday in Ledra Palace.The political parties which have met with each other for some time by the initiatives of Dusan Rozbora, the Slovakian Ambassador in Greek Cypriot administration, discuss the ways of cooperation between two sides on the island. Gungor Gurkan of Communal Liberation Party (TKP), Mehmet Ali Talat and Vasfi Candan of Republican Turkish Party (CTP), and Ozker Ozgur and Murat Kanatli of Patriotic Unity Movement (YBH) joined the meeting on behalf of TRNC. Keti Clerides and Panagiotis Dimitriou of Democratic Rally (DISY), Dimitris Hristofyas, Eleni Movra, Vera Polikarbaou of Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL), Koulis Mavronicolas of Social Democrats Movement (KISOS) and George Vasiliu of United Democrats (EDE) represented the Greek Cypriot administration in the meeting. A statement is expected to be released following the meeting. The political parties in TRNC and Greek Cypriot administration had agreed to organize a joint festival in Ledra Palace in the last meeting they held on June 6. [08] UZBEK OPERA SINGER AZIZOVA IN TURKEYANKARA - Gulsen Azizova, the Uzbek opera singer, came on Tuesday to Turkey to sing ''Agri Mountain Legend'' within framework of ''Turkish Countries First Agri Mountain Culture and Art Festival.''Azizova will take the stage in Dogu Bayazit Izhak Pasha Palace as a soloist on September 3. Gulsen Azizova, who also sang the ''Agri Mountain Legend'' in July 1999, was given ''Distinguished Artist'' title by Uzbekistan in 1997. She has been presented with several international awards. [09] FOREIGN TRADE STATISTICS -13.35 BILLION U.S. DOLLARS GOODS EXPORTED AND 25.02 BILLION U.S. DOLLARS GOODS IMPORTED IN FIRST HALF OF 2000ANKARA - Turkey exported 13 billion 353.4 million U.S. dollars goods and imported 25 billion 24.2 million U.S. dollars products in January-June 2000 period.The exports increased by 4.5 percent compared to same period last year while the increase in imports reached 36 percent. The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) said that in parallel to the six- month increase in imports, the foreign trade deficit rose 107.5 percent to 11 billion 670.8 million U.S. dollars, and the rate of exports meeting imports decreased to 53.4 percent. In the same peroid last year, the total exports were 12 billion 780.9 million U.S. dollars, the total imports were 18 billion 405.1 million U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, Turkey exported 2 billion 108.7 million U.S. dollars goods and imported 4 billion 609.3 million U.S. dollars products in June 2000. In the same period last year, the total exports were 2 billion 122.3 million U.S. dollars and the total imports were 3 billion 601.9 million U.S. dollars. The exports decreased by 0.6 percent compared to same period last year while the increase in imports reached 28 percent. The foreign trade deficit increased 69 percent to 2 billion 500.6 million U.S. dollars in June. The realizations in foreign trade figures as of June 1999 and 2000 according to the DIE data are as follows: (million U.S. dollars) . JUNE Diff JANUARY-JUNE Diff . 1999 2000 (%) 1999 2000 (&) . ------- -------- ---- -------- -------- ---- Imports 3.601.9 4.609.3 28.0 18.405.1 25.024.2 36.0 Deficit -1.479.6 -2.500.6 69.0 -5.624.2 -11.670.8 107.5 Rate of Meeting (%) 58.9 45.7 69.4 53.4 [10] CARGO SHIP LIES ON ONE SIDE OFFSHORE SINOP -SEVEN MEMBERS OF CREW RESCUEDSINOP - A cargo ship lay one side due to strong waves offshore Sinop province on Tuesday.The crew of the ship was rescued by the Coast Guard Commandership. The 1700 gross tons of ship namely Hacı Salim Dadaylı, which disloads ores to Samsun port, had the danger of sinking on the way to Russia around 08.30 a.m. offshore Boztepeburnu in international waters due to strong waves. The alist ship started to take in water and the seven crew members were rescued. Meanwhile two captains of the ship said that they would wait in the ship till a rescue ship comes to them. [11] EARTHQUAKES CONTINUE TO JOLT DENIZLIIZMIR - Mild earthquakes continue to jolt Aegean Denizli province.Officials at Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory Seismology Institute told the A.A correspondent on Wednesday that three earthquakes ranging from 2.9 to 3.1 on the Richter scale were recorded in Denizli between 01:37 a.m. and 10:39 p.m. on Tuesday. Meanwhile, three earthquakes ranging from 2.9 to 3.2 jolted Aegean Izmir province between 11:32 p.m. on Tuesday and 00:23 a.m. on Wednesday. [12] PRESIDENT SEZER ISSUES MESSAGE DUE TO AUGUST 30 VICTORY DAYANKARA - President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said on Tuesday that Turkish nation resisted against the attacks directed to its country and independence, adding that it won great victories even in the most difficult situations. Sezer said Turkish nation maintained its determination to live free and independent.President Sezer issued a message due to August 30 Victory Day. According to a statement issued by Presidential Press Center, Sezer said struggle for independence, which was carried out under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Founder of the Modern Turkish Republic, was a historic bravery legend. ''Turkish nation refused to accept the grave conditions which were tried to be imposed by Moudhros Armistice and Sevres. The struggle for liberation, which started after Mustafa Kemal came to Samsun, resulted in victory on August 30.'' ''Today, Turkish republic, by basing on democracy, and secular and social legal state, continues on its path with its dynamic structure that is open to the developments in the world,'' the message noted. In the message Sezer said, ''we will put our signature to the new economic and political victories in peace era, and become one of the most developed countries by overcoming our deficiences in every field with the understanding of an administration respecting to laws and human rights.'' [13] IMF DELEGATION TO COME TO TURKEY ON WEDNESDAYWASHINGTON D.C./ANKARA - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation will come to Turkey on Wednesday to review the economic programme of the government within the framework of Stand-By agreement for the third time.The IMF delegation headed by Carlo Cottarelli, the IMF Turkey Desk Chief, will start its official contacts on August 31 Thursday by visiting State Minister Recep Onal and the Treasury Undersecretary Selcuk Demiralp. The IMF delegation which will separate into groups on Thursday, will start technical studies at Finance Ministry, State Planning Organization (DPT), Treasury Undersecretariat and Central Bank. Cottarelli told A.A correspondent that Odd Per Brekk, the Turkey representative completed his preliminary studies about the economic data, adding the visit will be more effective. Cottarelli stressed that this third visit of the IMF is important to see the whole picture in 2000 and to determine the macro economic targets of 2001 and the budget. Meanwhile the IMF delegation will also focus on the ''Transparency in Public Expenditures and Debt Administration Principles,'' during its contacts till September 12 and this principle will be valid in formation of the 2001 budget. Privatization, privatization of public banks, State Economic Enterprises (KITs), Saving Deposits and the banks in Insurance Fund are the other issues that will be taken up by the IMF delegation. The sustainability of the current accounts and the distortions in inflation rate at the end of the year will be discussed at the meetings and the additional measures will also be taken up. Carlo Cottarelli will stage a joint press briefing on September 12 and he is expected to leave Turkey for London for a meeting together with Treasury Undersecretary Selcuk Demiralp and Central Bank Governor Gazi Ercel. Economy officials will send the Additional Letter of Intent they will prepare to Washington D.C. after the visit of the IMF delegation. Following the approval of the letter by the IMF Executive Directors, nearly 300 million dollars of Stand-By credit will be released. [14] ALIST SHIP SINKSSINOP - The alist cargo ship sank offshore Sinop in spite of the salvaging efforts on Tuesday.The captain and his assistant who didn't leave the ship to the last minute, was rescued by being taken to the Coast Security Guard boat. The 1700 gross tons of ship sank as the bad wheather conditions continued. Mehmet Ozkan, Ali Keskin, Ismail Sahin, Suleyman Muluk, Mahmut Turkyılmaz, Recep Aslan and Murat Turkyılmaz, the ship crew had earlier been taken from the ship. Later the two captains were also taken from the ship as the ship couldn't be salvaged. Meanwhile Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit called Ayhan Nasuhbeyoglu, the governor of Sinop and got information from him.
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