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Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-11-26Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.com.tr/>Anadolu AgencyANADOLU AGENCY NEWS 26 NOVEMBER 2000 Sunday CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCANThese are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on November 26, 2000. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.HURRIYET (LIBERAL)ECEVIT EXPLAINS REASONS FOR DENKTAS' WITHDRAWAL FROMPROXIMITY TALKS Explaining the reasons why Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas decided to witdraw from the proximity talks over Cyprus, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said ''the security of the TRNC and Turkey are inseparable.'' ''After the implementation of Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline, eastern Mediterranean will become even more risky for us. After the construction of pipeline, Cyprus' strategic importance will increase even more,'' he explained. EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT WORKING ON CYPRUS PLAN MILLIYET (LIBERAL)WE CAN'T SACRIFICE CYPRUS FOR EUPrime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that the problems in Cyprus and Aegean can't be considered as issues of bargaining with the European Union (EU). Premier Ecevit stressed that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) can't change its decision of withdrawing from the proximity talks on Cyprus that easily. He stressed that Cyprus has vital importance for the security of Baku-Ceyhan pipeline. BONJOUR MONSIEUR SABAH (LIBERAL)DEATH TRAPThe paper claims that the Bulgarian intelligence service tried to kill the Assistant Consul of Turkey in Burgas city of Bulgaria. The Turkish press were earlier informed that Mehmet Koza, the Turkish Assistant Consul in Burgas and his wife, were attacked by unidentified persons near Sliven city on November 13. Interior Ministry had said that ''Mehmet Koza entered into an empty field near Sliven city on the way from Plovdiv to Burgas when his car slided. Koza phoned the Chief Consulate and asked for help when his car's engine cartel cracked. Meanwhile three persons approached them saying they could help them. However, they attacked and hit Koza with a steel oil drum. The robbers took the handbags of him and his wife and ran away.'' Koza who had a brain trauma, was hospitalized. The paper says that the Bulgarian service had a secret plan of killing Mehmet Koza, however they changed their plan when people passing by the scene saw them. CUMHURIYET (LEFT)EAST MEDITERRANEAN WARNINGThe aim of the United Nations (U.N.) by the proximity talks on Cyprus is to decrease the influence of Turkey on Cyprus. The state that will be formed in Cyprus according to the non-paper submitted to both sides by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan will also negatively affect the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline. Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will convey the decision of TRNC's withdrawing from the talks to De Soto, the U.N. envoy who will come to Ankara on December 1. EU PROCESS TO BE MORE DIFFICULT RADIKAL (LEFT)WE DRINK DIRTY WATERThe paper says that a total of 19 drinking water companies sell contaminated water to people in Istanbul. The reports about the firms have been submitted to the Provincial Health Directorate and the Ministry of Health, but no result has been taken so far. Experts say that the illnesses such as cholera and dysentery can be seen in Istanbul soon. ROTH PRAISES YILMAZ YENI BINYIL (LIBERAL)JUSTICE MINISTRY SAYS 805 INMATES ARE ON HUNGER STRIKEThe Justice Ministry announced that currently there are 805 inmates who are on hunger strike and 57 inmates on dead fast. It was stated that some inmates were protesting against only F type prisons, however there were also those who were on hunger strike due to ''pressures from their organizations.'' DEMIREL IN NEW YORK TURKIYE (RIGHT)DENKTAS' WITHDRAWAL FROM TALKS CAUSED WORRY IN WESTERN WORLDU.N Secretary General Kofi Annan repeated yesterday his call to continue the sixth round of proximity talks. The White House asked the sides to continue the talks under the supervision of the United Nations. The latest situation on the island became the most important topic of the EU Council which will be held in Nice on Dec. 4. Greek Cypriot leader Clerides sent letters to EU countries and the UN. Secretary General and asked them to take an action. SEZER PUTS ITS SIGNATURE IN PRIVATIZATION ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)PAPAPETRU CLAIMS THAT DEKTAS IS ''BLACKMAILING''The Greek Cypriot Administration's Spokesman Mihalis Papapetru claimed that TRNC President Rauf Denktas was ''blackmailing'' through his decision to withdraw from the talks. Papapetru alleged that Denktas was trying to eliminate the statement Kofi Annan made in Geneva on Nov. 8. [02] 9TH PRESIDENT DEMIREL TO PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIESOF MIDDLE EAST FACT-FINDING COMMITTEE IN NEW YORKNEW YORK - The Ninth President Suleyman Demirel who was elected as a member of the Middle East Fact-Finding Committee which was formed by the U.S. President Bill Clinton within the scope of the Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement, arrived in New York on Saturday night. Turkey's Ambassador to the U.S. Baki Ilkin; Turkey's Permanent Representative to the U.N. Umit Pamir and Turkey's Chief Consul in New York Mehmet Nuri Ezen welcomed Demirel at Kenndy Airport. The Committee headed by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell is expected to start its activities on Sunday in New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The studies of the Committee can last till next weekend. EU foreign affairs chief Javier Solana, the Norwegian Foreign Minister Thorbjoem Jagland and former U.S. Senator Warren Rudman are the other members of the Committee. The main mission of the Committee will be to find out which side started the recent violent acts in the Middle East. The members of the Committee will meet with the UN. Secretary General Kofi Annan on Monday morning and discuss with him the contributions of the U.N. to the studies of the Committee. Diplomatic sources said that Annan can propose the Committee to go to the Middle East together with a 30-40 member delegation composed of security and military experts to support the Committee members. Meanwhile the Israili Foreign Minister Schlomo Ben-Ami sent a letter to the U.S. saying that the visit of the Committee to the region won't be appropriate as the clashes continue. Yet the U.S. government thinks that the visit of the Committee to the region will decrease the tension. [03] STATE MINISTER ONAL ARRIVES IN JAPANTOKYO - The State Minister Recep Onal, who is responsible for Economic Affairs arrived in Tokyo, Japan on Sunday to participate in the 12th Joint Business Council meeting between Turkey and Japan and to hold contacts with the Japanese officials.Onal, who will start his official contacts on Monday, will firstly meet with the officials of the Japan's Sakura Bank. The delegation headed by Onal will later meet separately with the directors of Nomura Securities, Sony company and Tokyo Mitsubishi Bank. State Minister Onal will meet with the Chairman of the Japanese Parliament's Turkish Friendship Group Kanezo Muraoka, the officials of the Marubeni firm and the Japanese Business Council Chairman Takashi Imai and start the 12th Joint Business Council meeting on Tuesday. The main meeting of the Joint Business Council will be held on Wednesday. The same evening Aslan Onel, the Co-Chairman of the Turkish-Japanese Business Council will hold a reception in Turkish Embassy in Tokyo. Onal will meet with Japanese Finance Minister Keiichi Miyazawa, Industry and Foreign Trade Minister Takeo Hiranuma, Japanese Foreign Trade Organization (JETRO) Chairman Noboru Hatakeyama, Finance Minister Keiichi, Chairman of Japanese Bank for International Cooperation (JPIC) Hiroshi Yasuda on Thursday. Daiwa Securities will hold a reception in the honour of Onal on Dec. 1, Friday. Onal and the accompanying delegation will leave Japan on December 2. [04] JUSTICE MINISTER TURK SAYS PROBLEM OF PRISONS IS RESULT OFYEARS LONG NEGLIGENCETRABZON - Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said on Saturday that the problem of prisons was a result of years long negligence. Speaking at a news programme broadcast on Trabzon's local television channel, Zigana, Turk said he absolutely had no problems with Interior Minister Saadettin Tantan. ''Both ministries are responsible for prisons,'' Turk said. ''Therefore this is not a problem caused by disagreement between two ministers but it is a problem rooted by the system. Therefore we face some difficulties sometimes. The two ministries signed a protocol with the Health Ministry to improve this sitution but the problem has not yet been solved completely.'' Turk said leaders of terrorist organization are trying to control some inmates in prisons. ''There aren't many PKK supporters among those who are against F type prisons,'' he went on to say. ''DHKP-C members are the main group against F type prisons. There are circles in Turkey who support them. Some are against these prisons because they think it is against human rights. They don't want to see the real situation. These F type prisons will be better quality than the houses of most terrorists. Our goal is to terminate the dominance of terrorist organizations over inmates through these prisons.'' Denying any argument which was claimed to have taken place between him and Democratic Left Party deputy leader Rahsan Ecevit, Turk said the amnesty was not his personal proposal, but a task given to him as the Justice Minister. He said the amnesty will cover crimes that were committed before April 23, 1999 and added that this date would not be changed. ''It is very risky and difficult to pronounce a date for the amnesty. When we do that, people will have an expectation. I hope it passes very soon,'' Turk said. [05] PERFORMANCE OF TURKISH ECONOMY IN LAST DECADEANKARA - The Turkish economy which had a growth rate of 5 percent in the period of the Republic, failed to display a very good performance in 1990's. The Turkish economy suffered two big crisis in 1994 and 1999 due to domestic and foreign influences and the national income per capita increased only by 350 U.S. dollars in one decade.Turkey's gross national product which was 152,3 billion U.S. dollars in 1990 is estimated to increase to 199,8 billion U.S. dollars in 2000. The annual income per capita will increase from 2,710 U.S. dollars to 3,060 U.S. dollars. During the ten years, Turkey's population also increased from 56,204,000 to 65,293,000. Turkey's population is expected to be 66,275,000 in 2001. In 2001, gross national product and gross national product per capita are expected to be 214.9 billion U.S. dollars and 3.242 U.S. dollars, respectively. Export has increased from 13 billion U.S. dollars to 28 billion U.S. dollars between 1990 and 2000. According to the economic programme, the export will rise to 31 billion U.S. dollars in 2001. In the last ten years, import has increased from 22,3 billion U.S. dollars to 52 U.S. dollars and it is expected to reach 54,5 billion U.S. dollars in 2001. Foreign trade deficit excluding shuttle trade was 9,3 billion U.S. dollars in 1990 and the current account deficit was 2,6 billion U.S. dollars. Economists are expecting these figures to reach 18,6 and 6,6 billion U.S. dollars including the shuttle trade next year. In the last decade, the sharpest increases were observed in the budget. The consolidated budget income increased from 21,2 billion U.S. dollars to 55,9 billion U.S. dollars between 1990 and 2000. Tax incomes increased 17,4 billion U.S. dollars to 42,6 billion U.S. dollars and consolidated budget expenses rose from 25,7 billion U.S. dollars to 74,5 billion U.S. dollars. According to the programme, in 2001 Turkey will obtain 60,4 billion U.S. dollars of consolidated budget income and 44,5 billion U.S. dollars of tax income. There will be 67,7 billion U.S. dollars of budget expense. The economic programme for 2001 foresees improvements in the budget. The interest payments which was 5,3 billion U.S. dollars in 1990 will become 32, 6 billion U.S. dollars in 2000. In 2001, interest payments will drop to 23, 4 billion U.S. dollars. Non-interest surplus was 3,9 billion U.S. dollars in 1990. This figure is expected to be 14 billion U.S. dollars this year and 16,1 billion U.S. dollars next year. Turkey's public sector borrowing requirement which was 11,3 billion dollars in 1990, increased to 28,7 billion dollars in 1999. 4,7 billion dollars of that was from the State Economic Enterprises (SEEs) and 21,7 billion dollars from the consolidated budget. This number is expected to decrease to 21,8 billion dollars with a decrease of 6,9 billion dollars in 2000. According to the programme, the public sector borrowing requirement will decrease to 7,5 billion dollars with a decrease of 14,3 billion dollars in 2001. This explains why the interest rates are expected to decrease below 40 percent. No important progress was recorded in the inflation rate in the period between 1990-2000. The wholesale prices index (TEFE) which was 52,3 in 1990 is expected to be 50,6 percent in 2000, and the consumer prices index (TUFE) which was 60,3 percent in 1990 is expected to be 54 percent in 2000. The inflation rate is expected to decrease to 29 percent in wholesale prices and to 34 percent in consumer prices as of the end of this year. These figures will be the best figures of the last 20 years. The average inflation is expected to decrease to 15,2 percent in wholesale prices and to 19,5 percent in consumer prices in 2001. The macro economic figures of Turkey in 1990, 1999 and the ones foreseen for 2000 and 2001 are listed as below: . (Billion U.S. Dollars)
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