Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-10-19

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

19 OCTOBER 2000

Thursday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[02] PRESIDENT SEZER'S PLANE HAS TECHNICAL FAILURE IN KYRGYZSTAN

[03] RESOLUTION ON SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE EXPECTED TO

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

U.S. WARNS ITS CITIZENS IN TURKEY
Worrying about wide protests in Turkey against the resolution on the so- called Armenian genocide, the U.S. State Department issued a warning for U.S. citizens in Turkey. Noting that the resolution will be voted at the U.S. full House very soon, the statement said there might be wide protests all around the Turkey depending on the vote's result. The U.S. State Department asked U.S. citizens to avoid crowded places.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

BELGIUM:''FORGET ABOUT FEHRIYE''
Belgium legal authorities officially announced that whey would not return suspect of Sabanci assasination, Fehriye Erdal to Turkey. Erdal has been under arrest in this country for one year. As an excuse, Belgian authorities said Turkey's request to have Fehriye Erdal back was political and it also failed to guarantee that Erdal will not face death penalty if convicted.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

DUPONT LYCRA TO BRING COMPANY ETHICS TO TURKEY
If DuPont Lycra prefers Turkey over China to make its investments, Turkey will also import ''company ethics'' from them. DuPont Lycra has a principle of not receiving any ''gifts''. Work ethics is so important to DuPont Lycra that all company executives from top to bottom every year sign a declaration called ''company ethics.'' Those who violate rules are immediately fired from the company.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

SEZER AND AKAYEV AGREES TO COOPERATE AGAINST TERRORISM
Speaking at a press conference in Kyrgyz capital Bishek, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said Turkey strongly condemns any terrorist attacks against sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability of Kyrgyzstan and other Turkish speaking countries in Central Asia. Following the meetings between Turkish and Kyrgyz delegations, Sezer and Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev signed the ''Bilateral Relations Joint Declaration'' and ''Joint Declaration on Fight Against Terrorism.'' ''Turkey supports all efforts of Kyrgyzstan to protect the country's democratic and secular structure,'' Sezer said and added that the two agreements they signed are a proof of their determination to cooperate against terrorism.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

COLD WEATHER IS ON THE WAY
Temperatures all around Turkey will drop between 10 to 15 degrees Celcius starting today. State Meteorology Department announced that the Black Sea region will receive lots of rain in the coming days. Snow is expected in higher altitudes of this region. The first snow of the year fell on Wednesday on Rize's Ikizdere township and the snow thickness reached 5 centimeters. Turkey's other regions will also be partly cloudy and temperatures will drop significantly.

YENI BİNYIL (LIBERAL)

2001 DRAFT BUDGET SUGGESTS TAX INCREASE
The Finance Ministry is working to complete preparations on the additional taxes for 2001. The Ministry is expected to collect a total of 2.1 quadrillion TL of additional taxes next year. Taxes are expected to increase especially in motor vehicles, luxury items, cigarette and alcholic beverages.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

LAST AGREEMENT OF BAKU-CEHAN PIPELINE TO BE SIGNED TODAY IN ANKARA
The last agreement of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project will be signed today in Ankara after Azerbaijan and Georgia. The pipeline will transport Caspian oil to western markets. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Cumhur Ersumer will sign the Host Country agreement, Botas Director Gokhan Yardim will sign the Key Delivery agreement and Treasury Undersecretary Selcuk Demiralp will sign the Inter-governments Guarantee agreement at a ceremony that will be held at the State Guest House at 6 p.m.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

(SC)

[02] PRESIDENT SEZER'S PLANE HAS TECHNICAL FAILURE IN KYRGYZSTAN

The technicans detected a breakdown in the plane's vantilation system while they were carrying out the final tests of the plane on which Sezer was going to fly to Kazakhstan. The problem has not yet been fixed.

If the problem persists, Sezer will to go to the last stop of his Central Asian tour, Kazakhstan, on Krygyz President Askar Akayev's plane.

-U.S. AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY PEARSON SAYS PEOPLE IN U.S. AND
EUROPE TODAY KNOW MORE ABOUT TURKEY THAN A FEW YEARS AGO
SAMSUN- U.S. Ambassador in Ankara W. Robert Pearson said on Wednesday that people in the United States and Europe today more know about Turkey than they did a few years ago. Pearson who visited Samsun attended a dinner hosted by the Samsun Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Drawing attention to Samsun's significance in Turkish history, Pearson said another reason for his coming to Samsun was the city's high trade potential.

Noting that Samsun has very good human resources and work power, Pearson said there are several U.S. companies which would be willing to participate in projects that would help the region's development.

Stating that he had contacts regarding Turkey in Washington, D.C., New York, London and Brussels before he came to Turkey, Pearson said people in his country and also in Europe know more about Turkey than they did a few years ago. The U.S. Ambassador said that his country is regarding Turkey as an international player holding a key position in security, trade, and energy matters. The U.S. Commerce Department has defined Turkey as one of the ten most important growing markets in the world, Pearson remarked. He added that government and business circles in Washington, D.C. and Europe are closely following the developments in Turkey.

Pearson also said Turkey has many friends from both Democrats and Republicans, therefore the elections' results would not seriously change U.S.- Turkey relations.

Praising Turkey's achievements after last year's earthquake disaster, Pearson said very few countries in the world could make the progress Turkey made, despite the natural disaster and economic troubles of 1999.

Noting that Turkey might face some obstacles during its EU candidacy, Pearson said he has the impression that Turkey is capable of overcoming these obstacles.

Stating that Turkey-U.S. relations were only consisted of cooperation in security matters during the Cold War, Pearson said after 1990's trade and investments also started between the two countries. He also emphasized that trade between Turkey and the United States is growing every day.

Pearson said Turkey is a reliable NATO ally, and added that Turkey-U.S. defense cooperation projects would help the Turkish defense industry to grow.

Dwelling on the congressional resolution on the so-called Armenian genocide, Pearson said that the U.S. administration is continuing to be against the resolution. ''We will do anything to convince the U.S. House of Representatives to stop the resolution's progress,'' he said and assured that the resolution would not change the way the U.S. government sees Turkey. ''We will continue to regard Turkey as a strategic partner and a growing global economy in Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. Derailing of these relations constitutes risk for both sides.''

[03] RESOLUTION ON SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE EXPECTED TO

Republican Party members who constitute the majority of the U.S. House have announced that the resolution was added to today's agenda. The resolution is expected to be debated at the end of other issues including the 2001 draft budget. Observers said the result of the vote is likely to be announced in the evening hours with U.S. local time and there is also a slight possibility of the vote's postponement to next week.

Before the full House, the resolution will be debated and voted by the Rules Committee which will last for one hour. This one hour will be equally shared between committee members who are for and against the resolution.

Following this, depending on House Speaker Dennis Hastert's decision, the debates on the basics of the matter will either start immediately, or it will be postponed to a later hour during the day or another day. Only one person from each party will be allowed to put forward an amendent proposal during these debates. The amendment, if there are any, will also be voted. The last vote which will determine the resolution's fate will be held after the debates.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert did not ''care about'' the warnings of the Turkish government and President Bill Clinton's administration. Hastert who is from the Republican Party is focused on getting the votes of U.S. Armenians in the presidential elections which will be held in November.

The resolution in question has been prepared by Republican Party California representative George Radanovich and Democrat Party Michigan Representative Danid Bonior.

The resolution which has no binding force foresees the U.S. President officially referring to the incidents which took place in Eastern Anatolia between 1915 and 1924 as ''the Armenian genocide''. According to the resolution, the United States should form its foreign policy by taking genocides into consideration. The resolution also remarks that the Turkish Republic is not responsible fore the incidents which took place during the time of the Ottoman Empire.

The resolution is only aiming to express the sensitivity of the U.S. House of Representatives over the issue. The resolution, even if it is approved, will neither be sent to the Senate nor be submitted to the President's approval. Besides, the U.S. President will not have to act in the way the resolution suggests.

However, the resolution is very offending to the Turkish Republic which descended from the Ottoman Empire. It is also feared that the Armenian lobby is expected to have further demands in the future if the resolution which is based on Armenian allegations is passed.

-YILMAZ, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER,
STARTS CONTACTS IN BRUSSELS
BRUSSELS- Mesut Yilmaz, the State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, on Thursday started his contacts within the body of the European Union (EU), and met with Loyola De Palacio, the Deputy Commission Chairman of the EU, who is responsible for transportation, energy, and relations with the European Parliament. Yilmaz is scheduled to meet with a group of European Parliament members including British liberal Adrew Duff, British socialist Richard Balfe, British liberal Baronnes Nicholson, Dutch liberal Lousewies Van Der Laan, French socialist Catherine Lalumiere, British conservative Geoffrey Van Orden, and British socialist Gary Titley.

Yilmaz will address the luncheon that will be hosted by the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE), and will meet with the private sector representatives of Europe.

Yilmaz will later attend a seminar titled Turkish-EU relations that will be staged by German Hanns Seidel Foundation.

The EU General Secretary Volkan Vural, and Turkey's Permanent Representative to the EU, Nihal Akyol accompany Yilmaz during the contacts.

Yilmaz will meet with Javier Solana, the European Union foreign policy chief, and later will hold bilateral contacts with Anna Diamantopoulou, member of the EU Commission responsible for labor and social affairs, and Guenter Verheugen, the EU Commissioner responsible for enlargement.

He will also meet with Erkki Liikaanen, member of the EU Commission responsible for companies.

Yilmaz, who was envisaged to meet with the Turkish and foreign journalists, will depart from Brussels on Friday evening.

-ECEVIT-META MEETING ENDS (2)
-ECEVIT: ''WE MAKE COOPERATION WITH ALBANIA IN EVERY FIELD''
ANKARA- Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said on Thursday that Turkey and Albania make cooperation not only in economic field, but also in every field. ''We make cooperation in defense and military training. We believe that further improvement of relations in this respect will contribute to peace and stability in the region.''

Ecevit spoke to journalists following his meeting with Albanian Prime Minister Ilir Meta, who paid a work visit to Turkey.

Ecevit said Meta met with several business circles in Istanbul, and held meetings, adding that interest of Turkish entrepreneurs to Albania increased gradually.

''Most of the administrative deficiences of Albania were overcome during the term in office of Prime Minister Meta. Thus, the business circles began to give confidence. Albanian government appreciate the activities of Turkish companies in Albania. We have cooperation in economy as well as in defense and military training. We believe improvement of relations will contribute to peace and stability in the region.''

When asked if they exchanged views regarding the developments in the Balkans, Ecevit said, ''of course, we discussed what kind of results may occur in the recent developments in Yugoslavia.''

Responding to a question if the issue related with the rights of Turkish citizens in Kosovo was brought onto the agenda, Ecevit said, ''Albania cannot be kept responsible for this. They also have several problems.''

Meanwhile, a written statement issued following the meeting pointed out that the bilateral meeting was very productive, and noted that they had the opportunity to discuss the developments recorded in various fileds following Ecevit's visit to this country last February.

-POISONING IN DIYARBAKIR FIRE STATION
DIYARBAKIR - A total of 131 people were poisoned on Thursday in a fire station in Diyarbakir after a chlorine gas leakage next to the fire station. The gas leak occurred when workers were changing a chlorine tank connected to a water depot in the garden of the fire station. The officials of the fire station and the people living in the environs of the fire station were poisoned because of the leakage.

Those who were poisoned, were being treated in nearby hospitals, four of those were reported to be in serious condition. Twenty-five of the affected were reported to be children.

Meanwhile, two journalists from a private tv channel of southeastern Diyarbakir province, who were trying to shoot the incidents, were also poisoned, and hospitalized.

Cemil Serhadli, the Diyarbakir governor, said 98 people were currently in hospitals under treatment, and noted that three children among those poisoned were in serious condition.

Serhadli said an investigation has been launched into the incident.

-THIRD SATELLITE OF TURKEY TO BE LAUNCHED IN NOVEMBER
ANKARA - Ibrahim Hakki Alpturk, the General Director of the Turkish Telekom, said on Thursday that Turksat 2A, which would be the third satellite of Turkey, would be launched in November.

Noting that the satellite would be ready for launching on November 20, Alpturk said the date of the launching which was determined as November 28, might change for technical reasons.

Alpturk pointed out that the 90 percent capacity of the Turksat 2A was already full, adding that this rate before the launching of the satellite was a world record.

''The 28 channels of the satellite were hired, and the applications for the remaining four channels would be discussed after the launching of the satellite,'' Alpturk said.

Turksat 2A satellite will be launched to the same coordinates with the Turksat 1C, thus would be a back up for it, and will be launched from the Ariane Space installations based in French Guiana.

Noting that the Turksat 2A had two fixed and two mobile antennas to cover Europe, Turkey, and the Central Asia, Alpturk said the satellite would cover Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and the Black Sea littoral states.

''The fixed transmitters of the satellite would provide high frequency band access in Turkey, Central and East Europe, Central and West Asia, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon, and would reach 620 million people. The two mobile transmitters of the satellite will provide access in Middle East, West Russia, Ukraine, South Africa, the Indian Peninsula. If the market conditions made it necessary, then the two mobile transmitters would provide access to the regions covered by the fixed transmitters. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, the Turkish Republics in the Central Asia, and some regions in Central and Western Europe will be covered by the 42 degrees west longitude orbit of the satellite,'' said Alpturk.

Noting that the satellite would also be used in the internet traffic between Europe and Asia, Alpturk said the satellite would provide rapid internet access.

Alpturk pointed out that there were two channels on the Turksat 2A satellite which would provide communication for the Turkish Armed Forces, and that Turkey would be the fifth country in NATO which had a military communication satellite.

-RED CRESCENT SENDS HUMANITARIAN AID TO PALESTINE
ANKARA - The Red Crescent on Thursday sent medicine and medical equipment to Palestine. Red Crescent General Chairmanship issued a statement and said medicine and medical equipment, which were sent from Ankara to Jordan's capital city Amman, will be delivered to Palestinian Embassy.

The aid, worth of 19,000 U.S. dollars, includes 19 types of medicine, x-ray films, bandages, and injector.

The Red Cresent has sent five-truck, two ships, and six planes load of aid to Palestine since 1990. This aid worths of 830,000 U.S. dollars.

-''MISSING TRILLION'' CASE OF RP
-TRIAL OF 79 PEOPLE FROM RP, INCLUDING ERBAKAN, KAZAN,
AND TEKDAL, CONTINUED
ANKARA - Trial of 79 people, including Necmettin Erbakan, the former leader of the banned Welfare Party (RP), and the former Deputy Chairmen Sevket Kazan and Ahmet Tekdal, continues on grounds that they swindled public institution and contradicted with the Political Parties Law, by showing the aid of Treasury in 1997 as if it was distributed to 71 provincial organization in return for receipt. The indictment, regarded with the case, calls for up to eight years in jail for the defendants.

The court accepted the request of the lawyers of the defendants to listen to the witnesses, and decided to call for information from the governorships to brief about the 1997 activities of the RP.

-SUPPLEMENTARY MEASURES PACKAGE DISCLOSED
ANKARA - The government on Thursday decided for the continuation of special communication and procedure tax, and contribution share to education throughout the economic program. Prime Ministry Press Center issued a statement following the meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, where supplementary measures regarded with the new year budget were discussed. The statement said party leaders of the coalition government reviewed the budget of 2001.

The statement stressed that draft law, related with the continuation of special communication and procedure tax and contribution share to education throughout the economic program, was adopted during the meeting. The draft law will be submitted to the Parliament.

The statement said taxes of additional income, supplementary institutions, additional motor vehicles, and additional real estate, which were put into implementation in 2000 only for once, ended.

The statement said other measures, which are under the authority of the Council of Ministers were also discussed within the income targets of the 2001 year budget, adding that, ''with these arrangements, we tried not to bring an additional burden on the the paid and the low income people.''

It said all those would be submitted to the first Council of Ministers meeting.

-COMCEC MEETING TO TAKE PLACE IN ISTANBUL IN OCTOBER 23-26
ANKARA - The 16th meeting of Commercial and Economic Cooperation Permanent Committee (COMCEC) will take place in Istanbul in October 23 and 26 under the leadership of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. State Planning Institution issued a written statement and said Sezer will chair the meeting which will take start on October 25.

High ranking experts of the attending sides will have closed sessions before the meeting.

Devlet Bahceli, the State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, will chair the closing session of the meeting on October 26.

COMCEC was set up in 1984 to improve economic and commercial relations between members of Organization for Islamic Countries (OIC). Members of the OIC are natural members of the COMCEC.

-''HUMAN RESOURCES TURKEY SUMMIT 3'' TO BE HELD ON
OCTOBER 27
ANKARA- The ''Human Resources Turkey Summit 3'' will be held in Ankara on October 27. Olcay Unver, the Director of the Southeastern Region Project Directorate, and other important personalities in this field will be speakers in the summit.

-INTERNATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGIES CONFERENCE ''ICAT 2000''
STARTS IN ISTANBUL
ISTANBUL - The new technological developments will be discussed in the International Conference on Automotive Technologies ''ICAT 2000'', which started in Istanbul, on Thursday. Addressing the inauguration of the ICAT 2000, Ali Ihsan Ilkbahar, the Chairman of the Association of the Automotive Industry (OSD), said that Turkey had took important steps to become the production center for the giant companies of the automotive industry, adding that Turkey would become a center of export and research and development.

Ilkbahar pointed out that the automotive sector would reach an export potential of 330 thousand vehicles, and that the target for 2002 was an export worth of 4.5-5 billion U.S. dollars.

Noting that the Turkish automotive industry was ready for a market of 1 million vehicles, Ilkbahar said that the 25 percent of this number would be formed by the imports, other 25 percent of it would be exported, and the remaining rate would be formed by the sale of the domestic cars.

''Our automotive industry decided to make an access to the world markets, and took important steps to be the production centres of the giant automotive companies. Renault made an export of 75-80 thousand vehicles last year. Ford Otosan would start to make export in a year's time. Toyota and Hyundai have projects. Turkey would become a center of development and research. We heard that the Mercedes would bring some of its bus designs to Turkey,'' Ilkbahar said.

The ICAT 2000 which is supported by the Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Ford Otosan Automotive Inc., ELF Selyak Inc., and Bosch Inc., will end on Friday.

-CALDENBORGH, CHAIRMAN OF ROTTERDAM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND
INDUSTRY SAYS WILLINGNESS TO MAKE TRADE WITH TURKEY INCREASES IN
THE NETHERLANDS
ANKARA- Joop Van Caldenborgh, the Chairman of the Rotterdam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said on Thursday that the willingness to make trade with Turkey, had been increasing in the Netherlands.

Addressing the ''Rotterdam Trade Seminar'', Caldenborgh reminded the audience that Turkey was a candidate of the European Union and that there would be less obstacles in trade for Turkey in the coming days.

Caldenborgh said that the trade potential of Turkey would be activated in the future, adding that the Netherlands was one of the biggest foreign investors in Turkey.

Pointing out that the amount of the goods sold to Turkey by the Netherlands, was more than the amount of the goods bought from Turkey, Caldenborgh said that the Turkish exporters would balance the trade relations between the two countries.

Caldenborgh noted that Rotterdam had the biggest harbour of the world, and that Rotterdam was an advantageous gateway to Europe.

Meanwhile, Ivo Opstelten, the Mayor of Rotterdam said that there were many Turkish people living in Rotterdam, and that many of them started to take place in the business environment recently.

Noting that the Dutch investors were looking for new cooperations, Opstelten invited the Turkish exporters to make export to the Netherlands.

-YILMAZ, STATE MINISTER AND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER,
SPEAKS TO PRIVATE SECTOR
BRUSSELS- Mesut Yilmaz, the State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, said on Thursday that Turkey gets prepared for the European Union (EU) rapidly and seriously. Addressing a lunch hosted by the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE), Yilmaz said, ''Turkey takes the EU membership seriously, is aware of its responsibilities, and gets prepared for the full membership rapidly.''

Yilmaz briefed about the efforts of Turkey regarded with the EU, and the reform process, adding that decision of the EU for enlargement was historical and will bring great benefits to the new participants.

Yilmaz stressed that Turkey perceived Helsinki messages well, and noted that it was known that there were wrong views and problems in the EU public regarding Turkey's candidacy and accession. Yilmaz also said Turkey will give priority to promotion in the near future to overcome these.

Responding to questions, Yilmaz briefed about the energy line projects, and conveyed targets of Turkey to be the energy bridge of Europe in the long term.

Monique Julien, the UNICE Director, said Europe's private sector gave an open support to Turkey on full membership to the EU, and noted this support would continue.

-PRESIDENT SEZER IN KAZAKHSTAN
-SEZER: ''RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES
SHOULD BE INSTITUTIONALIZED''
ASTANA - President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said on Thursday that relations between Turkey and Kazakhstan should be institutionalized, and called on Kazakhstan to take part in technical works of Baku-Ceyhan project. Labor and Social Security Ministries of the two countries signed Labor and Social Security Cooperation Agreement following interdelegational talks.

Fikri Sahin, the Undersecretary of Labor and Social Security, and Aliha Baymenov, the Kazakh Labour and Social Security Minister, signed the agreement.

Later, President Sezer and Kazakh President Nazarbayev signed a joint statement foreseeing cooperation in struggle against terrorism.

Addressing a news conference that was staged following the signature ceremony, Sezer said he had very beneficial contacts, adding that they focused on institutionalization of relations.

Recalling that the two countries have relations on trade, economy, education, culture and many other fields since Kazakhstan gained its independence, Sezer stressed that improvement of military relations in the recent period was pleasing.

Expressing pleasure over the support of Kazakhstan to Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline, Sezer said they wanted Kazakhstan to attend the project and take part in technical works of the project.

Meanwhile, Nursultan Nazarbayev said Turkey ranked the third in Kazakhstan's economic relations.

Sezer is expected to proceed to Turkistan on Friday to attend the celebration held for the 1500th foundation anniversary of the city Turkistan.

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