Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-10-11

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

11 OCTOBER 2000

Wednesday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[02] ELECTION OF PARLIAMENT SPEAKER

[03] LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY MINISTER OKUYAN SAYS

[04] TOURISM MINISTER MUMCU:

[05] ALTINBILEK, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF DSI:

[06] 274 TYPES OF WINES TO COMPETE AT 12TH INTERNATIONAL

[07] SAINT LUCA CHURCH TO BE RESTORATED

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

CZECH PRESIDENT HAVEL SAYS HIS COUNTRY SUPPORTS TURKEY'S EU
CANDIDACY
In a joint press conference with President Sezer, Czech President Vaclav Havel said that the Czech Republic supports Turkey's full EU membership. Havel said he believed Turkey has been excluded from the European community in the recent years and added that they want to encourage the EU to start membership negotiations with Turkey.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

SEZER PRAISES THE CZECH LEADER HAVEL
After 82 years, a President of the Czech Republic came to Turkey. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer praised the artist and politician character of Vaclav Havel, the Czech President. Sezer later decorated Vaclav Havel, the President of Czech Republic, with ''Medal of State.''

SABAH (LIBERAL)

CIVIL SERVANTS SLEEPING AT BUS STOPS AFTER CHANGE IN
WORKING HOURS
Civil servants had a hard time adjusting to leave their homes so early on the first day after the working hours have been changed for energy saving. Civil servants formed long lines at bus stops while those who live far from their work places had to leave home at dark. Those who live on the Anatolian side of Istanbul had to leave home at 5 a.m. to get to their offices on the European side. Some civil servants took short naps while waiting at the bus stops. The lunch time which was earlier an hour also was reduced to half an hour in the new energy saving programme.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

TURKEY SENTENCED TO PAY COMPENSATION FOR THREE CASES
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Tuesday sentenced Turkey to pay compensation for three separate cases opened by Nebahat Akkoc, former People's Labour Party (HEP) deputy Ibrahim Aksoy, and Murat Satik and his nine friends. Two of the cases involve violation of the European Human Rights Convention's article on torture. In the case opened by Aksoy against Turkey, the Court decided that Turkey violated the freedom of expression. Turkey has been sentenced to pay a total of 110 billion TL compensation in three cases.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

YENI BINYIL (LIBERAL)

AFTER DEFENSE AND ENERGY MINISTERS, MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE WARNS
U.S. OVER RESOLUTION ON SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
After Energy Minister Cumhur Ersumer announced that the passage of the resolution on the so-called genocide on Armenians might seriously affect the U.S. energy bids in Turkey, Agriculture Minister Husnu Yusuf Gokalp also warned this country by saying that Turkey would also reconsider its relations on agriculture with the United States. During a meeting with the U.S. Deputy Agriculture Assistant Secretary James Schroeder, Gokalp said ''I hope everybody in the U.S. House would realize the truth even when it is late.''

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

Meanwhile Turkey is sending the second airplane carrying medical equipment to Iraq. There will be five doctors on the plane which belongs to the Koc Foundation.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO DENY GENOCIDE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST TURKEY
Armenian lobby's efforts to include to word ''genocide'' in the European Parliament's (EP) Turkey report failed on Tuesday. French General Philippe Morillon's speech was effective on the decision. Morillon said the EP doesn't have to make the same mistake the United States did and asked parliamentarians to take the statement of the Armenian Patriarch in Turkey into consideration. ''The Balkan and World War I witnessed great historical developments,'' Morillon said. ''If we try to learn about these from subjective sources, we would make a mistake. The Armenian Patriarch in Turkey openly stated that they felt uneasy about the resolution. It would be a very big mistake for the United States to pass this resolution only because Armenians in this country want to do so. I am against referring to an Armenian genocide in the Turkey report.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

SOUTH EAST ANATOLIA REJOICES AFTER TURKEY PARTLY LIFTS SANCTIONS
AGAINST IRAQ
People of South East Anatolia, who suffered most by the sanctions against Iraq, rejoiced after Turkey, in a partial abrogation, lifted the sanctions against this country. Industry and trade chambers chairmen said the situation would help to revive the region's economy. Turkey's faitful implementation of the sanctions had a devestating effect on some main sectors of the South East.

[02] ELECTION OF PARLIAMENT SPEAKER

No candidate from the Democratic Left Party (DSP) applied for the candidacy.

The candidates are Mail Buyukerman (independent), Bekir Aksoy (DYP), Ertugrul Yalcınbayır (ANAP), Omer Izgi (MHP), Ismail Alptekin (FP), Yılmaz Karakoyunlu (ANAP), Turhan Guven (DYP) and Murat Basesgioglu (ANAP).

The first two rounds of the election will be held on October 12. If none of the candidates gets two thirds majority in this round, the third round will take place on October 17.

If in this third round, none of the candidates gets 276 votes which is one vote more than half of the total number of votes in the parliament, the two candidates who get the highest number of votes will compete in the fourth round on October 18. The one who gets the majority of the votes will be elected as the parliament speaker in this last round.

[03] LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY MINISTER OKUYAN SAYS

Responding to questions on the job security draft law, Okuyan said the law aimed two results; one of them is to prevent workers from being fired because they join a workers union and the second one is to make employers explain the reasons behind the firings.

Okuyan said he believed the workers, employers and the government will agree on a common solution. ''It is natural that a few employers with bad intentions would fear from this draft law but there is no reason for all employers to feel uneasy about it,'' he added.

Commenting on the resolution regarding the so-called Armenian genocide, Okuyan said ''populism and worry to get votes'' was the reason for the resolution. He noted that the U.S. administration was also uncomfortable about the resolution.

Okuyan stated that the government should publish more scientific books on this matter to inform the public about the incidents in 1915.

-HUMANITARIAN AND MEDICAL AID SENT TO IRAQ
ISTANBUL - Ram Foreign Trade Inc., one of the Koc firms sent medical and humanitarian aid to Iraq by a private plane on Wednesday. The plane carrying medical and humanitarian aid to Iraq, left for Baghdad from Ataturk Airport of Istanbul at 09.00 a.m. this morning. Director General of Ram Foreign Trade Inc. Mehmet Ali Neyzi, another director Semih Genc and doctors Ayse Kılıc and Murat Aksoy are in the plane.

Officials said that the medical and humanitarian aid sent to Iraq is composed of six packages.

Ahmet Akpınar and Behcet Ozkarakaya, the pilots of the plane which left for Iraq said that the flight took place by getting special permission and they will leave the Turkish borders over Siirt.

-HUMANITARIAN FLIGHT FROM TURKEY TO BAGHDAD, IRAQ
WASHINGTON D.C.- The U.S. Department of Defense Pentagon said on Wednesday that the plane carrying humanitarian aid from Turkey to Baghdad, Iraq took permission from the U.N. Sanctions Committee.

Staging a press briefing, Craig Quickley, the Spokesman of Pentagon said that the flights that take place by getting permission from the U.N. Sanctions Committee don't mean the violation of the sanctions.

Quickley noted that the plane flied from Turkey to Baghdad over the airspace inspected by the Northern Watch, which closely monitored the route of the flight.

-GAP'S TEXTILE EXPORTS INCREASE BY 12.2 PERCENT
GAZIANTEP - The textile exports from the Southeast Anatolian Project (GAP) region increased by 12.2 percent in the first nine months of 2000. GAP region exported textile goods worth of 234,5 million dollars in the first nine months of this year, the exports of GAP covering the same period last year was 208,9 million dolllars.

The 51,9 percent share of the textile in total exports of GAP region in the nine months of 1999 increased to 58,1 percent this year.

Britain, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Syria, Italy, Jordan, Romania, Belgium, Portugal, Kazakhstan, Kyrgzstan, Uzbekistan, Israel, Greece, Algeria, France, Azerbaijan, Germany and Russia come among the countries to which GAP region exports its textile.

-TREASURY UNDERSECRETARIAT CONTINUES NEGOTIATIONS
REGARDING FINANCING FROM KUWAIT AND SAUDI FUNDS
FOR QUAKE STRUCK MARMARA REGION
ANKARA - Activities have been intensified to partially meet the one billion U.S. dollar reconstruction cost in the earthquake stricken Marmara region from Saudi and Kuwait funds. Public Works and Housing Ministry's authorities stated on Wednesday that 140 million U.S. dollar loan from the Kuwait fund will be used in the construction of highways in Kocaeli, Sakarya, Bolu, Duzce, Yalova and Istanbul.

The 138 million U.S. dollar loan from the Saudi fund will be spent to improve the sewer system and potable water service in Bolu, Sakarya, Kaynarca, Akyazi, Yalova, Cinarcik, Bolu and Kaynasli.

The Treasury Undersecretariat continues negotiations regarding the two loans and the related agreements are expected to be signed in the coming days.

[04] TOURISM MINISTER MUMCU:

Mumcu noted that they reached their target in 2000, adding that the number of tourists coming to Turkey in September increased by 55 percent.

Speaking to A.A correspondent, Mumcu said that the number of tourists will surpass the targetted 10 million tourists next season.

Mumcu noted that their real target is to reach 12 million tourists, adding that Mumcu will host a record number of tourists in 2001.

The Tourism Ministry will promote Turkey in eight different market groups, Mumcu said adding that they allocated 40 million dollars for the promotion and marketting for next season.

''The Ministry also prepares to promote Turkey in more than 40 countries besides in former Yugoslavia republics, South African Republic and Latin American countries. For the first time the Ministry decided to carry out promotion activities in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, former Yugoslavian republics, Lithuania, Latvia, China and Taiwan this year,'' he said.

According to the Tourism Ministry data, a total of 8 million 217 thousand 525 tourists visited Turkey in the first nine months of 2000.

Germany comes again the first country which preferred Turkey in tourism this year.

-NUMBER OF RUSSIAN TOURISTS VISITING ANTALYA RISES
BY 40 PERCENT COMPARED TO LAST YEAR
ANTALYA- Ben Tour General Director Burcak Ece has said that there is a 40 percent increase in the number of Russian tourists who visited Antalya, compared to last year. Ece told A.A correspondent that 160,000 Russian tourists had come to Turkey in 1999 and this number rose to 220,000 this year. ''There is a 40 percent increase in the number of Russian tourists but due to the low prices, the foreign currency entering the country is not rising at the same level.''

In 2001, Ece said, they are expecting 350,000 tourists only from Russia. Noting that they are having promotional activities targeting to bring Russian tourists also in winter, she said Russian tourists are unaware of tourism activities during winter in Turkey. ''Russian tourists usually prefer Far East, Egypt, and Tunisia. If we have good promotion, we can draw them to Antalya region. Eighty percent of hotels in Antalya are open throughout the winter.''

Criticizing the low hotel prices, Ece said tourists are waiting until the prices drop. She said tourists would rent hotel rooms at higher prices if the hotel managers don't drop the prices so easily.

[05] ALTINBILEK, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF DSI:

Mentioning energy production, Altinbilek said construction of 114 hydraulic power plant (HES) projects has been completed and opened to operation this year, and noted that total established power of the project was 10, 820 MW, and that energy production capacity was 29, 145 GWh per year.

Altinbilek said nearly 60 billion U.S. dollars finance was required in agriculture, energy, services and environment sectors to complete the projects.

[06] 274 TYPES OF WINES TO COMPETE AT 12TH INTERNATIONAL

Turkey, France, Brazil, Chili, Germany, Spain, Greece, Italy, Australia, Georgia, Portugal, the United States, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Hungary will participate in the wine contest with 274 types of wines. Seventeen degustators will be in charge at the contest.

The wines will be categorized as white dry, red dry, semidry, pink and sweet wines.

Urgup Headman Abdullah Kalkan said similar wine contests are held only in France, Turkey and Yugoslavia, but not in some leading wine producing countries such as the United States, Argentina, and Sweden.

A hall in the Perissia Hotel has been prepared specially for degustators, the wine tasters. The room temperature was fixed at 14 degrees Celcius which is the ideal temperature to store wines. Throughout the contest, degustators will not smoke. They will also not eat garlic, onion, or spicy food. During the wine tastings, degustators will be offered cheese and bread which helps to distinguish different tastes.

Turkish Tobacco and Alcoholic Drinks Directorate (TEKEL) will give gold, silver and bronze medals to the winners. A total of 252 reporters who are members of the World Tourism Writers Association will attend the contest.

-PEACEFUL STAR-2000 MANEUVERS START
ISTANBUL- The ''Peaceful Star-2000'' maneuvers which was planned to provide joint action and exchange of information among the Partnership for Peace (PfP) countries started at the War Academies Commandership in Istanbul on Wednesday. Addressing the opening ceremony of the exercises which is being hosted by Turkey and coordinated by the Third Army Corps Commandership, General Huseyin Goksu, the Commander of the Third Army Corps and the Western Garrison, said that a new page had been opened in relations between the Eastern and Western countries and a new world order had been settled after dissolution of Warsaw Pact in 1989.

Noting that the cold war among the countries had been replaced by detente, Goksu said, ''as a result of the rapprochement between the NATO allies and the Eastern Bloc countries, the concept of Partnership for Peace has emerged with gathering of 27 participating countries 19 of which are NATO allies. This fulfils the missions like reducing the risks in the world to minimum and taking necessary steps to assist in settlement of peace in the whole world. Within this framework, the United Nations member states are undertaking missions to help removal of instability and settlements and protection of peace in the Balkans, Caucasus, the Middle East or any other region.''

''Eliminating internal and external threats that the countries may encounter due to their geographical situations and natural resources, and providing cooperation and coordination among the countries with the partnership are the tasks of the PfP activities,'' he said.

Stressing that the PfP countries had started to exercise maneuvers with tactical, technical, strategical and training purposes, General Goksu said that Peaceful Star-2000 which had planned in accordance with the PfP spirit would be exercised within scope of its scenario.

The scenario is based on signing of a peace agreement after an armed clash between rebels and the government forces in an island state that is supposed to be in the Black Sea, and the government's requesting forces from the U.N. to control implementations of the agreement rules, and the U.N.'s sending forces to the island.

According to the scenario, the island was hit by an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale.

Turkey, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Ukraine and Kazakhstan are participating in the maneuvers while Russia and Qatar are participating in the Peaceful Star-2000 as observers.

Peaceful Star-2000 will end on October 13.

-JOINT PROJECT OF GAP DIRECTORATE AND UNDP FOR THE GAP REGION YOUTH
SANLIURFA- Southeastern Anatolia Project(GAP) Region Development General Directorate, United Nations Development Project (UNDP), Habitat, and Agenda 21 Youth Association will organize a meeting in southeastern Diyarbakir province, to contribute to the economical, social, and cultural development of the youth living in GAP region. A statement from the GAP region Development General Directorate

says that their aim at organising such a meeting was to form the structure for the cooperation, to produce projects with the method of participation, and to inform the concerning parties about ''The Project For the Youth for Social Development'' which was formed within the framework of ''Development Programme in GAP Region''.

The Governors of the region, the mayors, the directors of various public service administrations, the non-governmental organizations, international institutions, and young people of the region will participate in the meeting which will be held in southeastern Diyarbakir province on October 12.

The meeting aims at giving information about the project, and providing solutions to the problems of the youth living in the region.

-DROUGHT IN GEORGIA
-TURKEY TO SEND ONE MILLION DOLLARS
OF AID IN KIND TO GEORGIA
ANKARA- Turkey will send one million dollars of humanitarian aid to Georgia which faces one of the most severe drought in the last 30 years. Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Huseyin Dirioz told a weekly press briefing on Wednesday that serious difficulties arose in the agriculture and animal husbandry sectors in Georgia as the cultivated fields started to disappear due to drought.

Georgian officials requested help from international institutions and friendly countries including Turkey, Dirioz said adding that the government decided to send one million dollars of aid in kind to this country.

The aid is composed of diesel oil and wheat seeds, needed by Georgia, Dirioz said and added that the Red Crescent will send food stuff to Georgia in the second half of October.

Dirioz noted that Turkey is sensitive about the problems of Georgia, adding that it sent humanitarian aid to this country in the past.

-BULGARIA INCREASES AMOUNT OF RUSSIAN NATURAL
GAS TRANSFERRED TO TURKEY BY 50 PERCENT
SOFIA- Bulgaria increased the amount of natural gas which is transferred from Russia to Turkey by almost 50 percent. Bulgargas Executive Board Director Kiril Gegov said on Wednesday that the capacity of the natural gas pipeline between Russia and Turkey had been increased with the supplementary facilities in Bulgaria in accordance with an agreement between the two countries.

Noting that daily 20-30 million cubic meters natural gas had been given to Turkey so far, Kiril Gegov said that this amount had been increased to 30- 40 million cubic meters a day.

The amount of natural gas that Turkey purchases from Russia will reach 11 billion cubic meters by the end of 2000 as a result of the support extended by Bulgaria and Romania.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Ivan Kostov and Romanian Prime Minister Mugur Isirescu earlier reached a principle agreement on an increase in amount of Russian natural gas transferred to Turkey and exports of electricity from Romania to Turkey.

[07] SAINT LUCA CHURCH TO BE RESTORATED

Ismail Ozelge, the Mayor of Cat said on Wednesday that, their application for the restoration of the Church dating back to the Byzantine period was approved by the Culture Ministry, and that a committee was formed by the Monuments and Museums General Directorate.

Ozelge said environmental arrangements will also be made during the restoration.

The restoration of the church will be completed by the next year, and the church will be ready for the touristical visits said Ozelge.

-IKV DELEGATION ARRIVES IN BRUSSELS
BRUSSELS- A delegation headed by Economic Development Foundation (IKV) Chairman Meral Gezgin Eris arrived in Brussels on Wednesday to hold several contacts within structure of the European Union (EU). Releasing a statement, IKV said that the IKV delegation would meet with EU Commisioner Guenter Verheugen for Enlargement and Belgian State Minister Pierre Chevalier for Foreign Trade during its three-day visit.

The delegation will also meet with officials at the EU Council and EU Commission and permanent respresentatives of some EU member candidate countries.

Recalling that the preparations of the first concrete document on which the Turkey-EU relations would be based would be finalised in forthcoming period, IKV said, ''the Accession Partnership Document which is being prepared by the EU is expected to be announced on November 8, 2000. Meanwhile, the National Program that Turkey will prepare in accordance with the full- membership target is foreseen to be finalized by the end of 2000.''

''The IKV which carries out the mission of coordination of relations with the EU on behalf of the Turkish private sector targets to reflect the opinions and evaluations of the business world into the process in these days when the Accession Partnership Document and National Program are being prepared as a result of its contacts,'' it said.

The statement added that IKV believed that the contacts and exchange of information in Brussles would be productive for both sides.

-KOC-ATA'S INTEGRATED MILK AND CATTLE
FATTENING FACILITIES IN GAP REGION INAUGURATED
SANLIURFA- The Koc-Ata Fattening and Agricultural Products Corp, a joint venture of the Koc Holding and Ata Group which was built in the Harran Plain in the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) region, was inaugurated on Wednesday. Speaking at the inauguration, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Husnu Yusuf Gokalp said that this project brought a new model in feeding up cattle into Turkey.

Noting that number of such projects should be increased and such projects should be implemented also in Diyarbakir, Mardin and Erzurum, Gokalp said, ''this facility does not supply even one percent of domestic demand. Turkey strongly feels the need for such facilities.''

Koc Holding President Rahmi Koc said in his part that Turkey was still a country rich of arable lands. ''Especially the Eastern Anatolia offers great opportunity with its natural structure which is not destroyed, its water which is not polluted and its untouched soil. And it assures our future if it is put to good use.''

Noting that the joint venture had cost 17 million U.S. dollars, Rahmi Koc said, ''we purchased 500 acres of the land and hired 200 acres. Our target is to integrate this investment with the people living in this region and make it to provide an added value here.''

-MEETING OF HIGHER PLANNING COUNCIL ENDS
ANKARA - The Higher Planning Council's (OYK) meeting which was presided by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit ended.

The meeting which started at 02:15 p.m. at the Prime Ministry building on Wednesday lasted for almost three hours.

State Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers Devlet Bahceli, Husamettin Ozkan and Mesut Yilmaz; State Ministers Recep Onal and Mehmet Kececiler; Finance Minister Sumer Oral; Public Works and Housing Minister Koray Aydin; Transportation and Communications Minister Enis Oksuz; Industry and Trade Minister Ahmet Kenan Tanrikulu; Energy and Natural Resources Minister Cumhur Ersumer, and relevant bureaucrats attended the

meeting

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