Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-01-14

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

14 JANUARY

2001 Sunday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

SECURITY MEASURES AROUND PRIME MINISTRY BUILDING TIGHTENED
Security measures around the Prime Ministry building were tightened after some terrorist organizations started to stage suicide bomb attacks. Within the framework of the measures, the street between the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Prime Ministry buildings was closed to pedestrians with flowerpots and iron railings. From now on, only the Prime Ministry and Supreme Court of Appeals personnel, officials and those who earlier got an appointment will be allowed to cross the street. Also X-Ray devices will be put on the entrances to the street in coming days.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

IMF'S CONTACTS IN TURKEY
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation has begun holding contacts in Turkey since last Friday. Four banking experts have been included in the delegation this time. The delegation headed by Carlo Cottarelli, the Chief of IMF's Turkey Desk, comprises ten people. The banking experts will carry out works on the Turkish banking sector. They will hold talks with Banking Regulatory and Supervisory Authority and Central Bank officials.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

BAYKAL HARSHLY REACTS TO GOVERNMENT
Deniz Baykal of the Republican People's Party (CHP) said that Turkey was under pressure of ''poverty, corruption and partisanship'', and that those who dragged Turkey into such a sitution were now expending efforts to save Turkey from this situation. Stressing that corruption was the most important reason for poverty in Turkey, Baykal said that Turkey was not rich enough to allocate its 100 billion U.S. dollars to 100 people.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

PROF. DR. BEYAZ DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL
Marmara University (MU) Theology Faculty Dean Prof. Dr. Zekeriya Beyaz who had been stabbed in an attack by one of his students was discharged from hospital. Beyaz said, ''a dispute is tried to be created between the religion and the state. This is very wrong and baseless. This is the outcome of the attitude of hostile elements. The holy Koran calls the faithful to obey God, the Prophet, the state and statesmen.'' He refrained from responding to questions of journalists about the attacker Halil Cihan.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

CERTIFIED EXECUTION
Unal Ozdemir who was released from prison in accordance with the law on conditional release from prison, killed Nevzat Ozturk who had testified against him seven years ago, and injured four people including his ex-wife seriously was found dead the same day near Kadihanli township. It was reported that Ozdemir's ear had been cut off. Officials launched an investigation.

TERIM'S NIGHT OF PRIDE
Coach Fatih Terim's Fiorentina crushingly beat AC Milan 4-0 in a home match in Italian Serie A late on yesterday.

COMPANIES PAY TAXES
Giant companies of the automotive sector which entered 2001 with serious problems are implementing zero percent interest rate and they are even undertaking the motor-vehicle purchase tax. With their campaigns, they target to reduce their stocks.

PROTEST BY TURK-IS
The Confederation of Turkish Labor Unions (Turk-Is) sent a decree to its members asking them to launch a campaign to send letters of protest to the French parliament which is planning to debate a resolution on so-called genocide on Armenians.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

REPORT OF TERROR SUBMITTED TO PARLIAMENT
The report which was prepared by a commission led by Ahmet Tan, a deputy from the Democratic Left Party (DSP), stressed that 10-12 thousand people die in traffic accidents in Turkey every year and the economy suffered 89 billion U.S. dollars loss due to the motor-vehicles which were worn-out in accidents. The report said 30 thousand people were killed due to terrorism in last 15 years, 50 thousand people died in earthquakes in last 50 years, and the number of people killed in traffic accidents in last decade increased over to 100 thousand.

''LAWYERS ARE INCITING DEATH FASTS''
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said that it had been observed that the number of petitions to start death fasts was increased after the lawyers entered prisons to speak to their clients.

-FOREIGN MINISTRY:
-''TURKEY'S POLICY ABOUT RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA IS CLEAR''
ANKARA - Huseyin Dirioz, the Deputy Spokesman of Foreign Ministry, said on Saturday, ''we do not have any information whether or not news reports with reference to Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan reflected an official statement. Turkey's policy about relations with Armenia and about its parameters is clear.''

Responding to a question about news reports quoting Oskanyan as saying, ''the Turks understood that denying genocide did not yield any result,'' Dirioz, said, ''we do not have any information whether or not these news reports reflected an official statement. Turkey's policy about relations with Armenia and about its parameters is clear.''

-FOUR SUSPECTS OF INVESTIGATION INTO ENERGY CORRUPTIONS PUT IN PRISON
ANKARA - The Ankara State Security Court (DGM) decided on Saturday to arrest and imprison four suspects who had been detained within scope of investigation into energy corruptions.

Suspects Birsel Sonmez, a former State Minister and a member of the Turkish Electricity Production and Transmission Corp (TEAS); Muzaffer Selvi, the Director General of TEAS; Unal Peker, the Deputy Director General of TEAS; and Dogan Karadeniz, the owner of the Karadeniz Energy company, were arrested and put in Ankara prison on charges of ''forming a criminal organization to profiteer, being members of organization and aiding the organization and giving bribes'' while the other suspect Mustafa Aslan, the Chairman of Cargo Distribution, was released.

-SECURITY FORCES IMPOUND 40 KG OF HEROIN
VAN - Security forces impounded on Saturday 40 kg of heroin in an operation in Yuksekova township of eastern Hakkari province.

Acting on a tip-off, security forces stopped and searched an automobile which was on its way from Yuksekova to eastern Van province.

They confiscated twenty packages of heroin hidden in the automobile.

Driver of the automobile was taken into custody.

Officials said that market value of the drug was about 1 trillion Turkish liras.

A full investigation into the illicit drug trafficking is under way.

-BOMB EXPLODES UNDER JEEP
ISTANBUL - A bomb which had been planted under a jeep parked across a college in Istanbul went off late on Saturday.

Sources said that a hand-made pipe bomb planted under a jeep which was parked on Nilufer Street in Atakoy district of Istanbul across Kultur College exploded late on Saturday, damaging the jeep and near-by two motor vehicles.

Istanbul Police Chief Kazim Abanoz told journalists, ''these are terrorist elements. They don't have any ideological concerns. They damage any properties. Such terrorist elements stage such actions as they were cornered by the Istanbul police.''

-TRANSPORTATION MINISTER OKSUZ RETURNS TO TURKEY
ISTANBUL - Transportation Minister Enis Oksuz who had attended a ceremony at the Kourou Base in French Guiana in South America on the occasion of launching of Turkey's new communication satellite Turksat 2A, returned to Turkey late on Saturday.

Addressing journalists at the IStanbul's Ataturk Airport after his arrival, Oksuz expressed his pleasure with successfully launching of Turksat 2A.

Stressing that Turkey had launched the biggest and the most modern satellite of Europe, Oksuz, ''we have sent a bride to the space. Turkey will exist in the space forever.''

Noting that the Turksat 2A satellite would become operational as of January 21, Oksuz noted that the Turksat 2A was the first satellite which was launched without any mistake.

He told reporters that the Turksat 2A satellite would herald Turkey's voice to a huge area from British capital of London to Chinese border.

Recalling that Turksat 2A had the capacity to finance itself and two other satellites during its 16-year functioning period, Oksuz added that the Turksat 2A was the first satellite launched in the 21st century.

-RELIANT MERMAID-3 EXERCISE TO START
ANKARA - The ''Reliant Mermaid-3'' military exercise will start later on Sunday with the participation of Turkish, the U.S. and Israeli naval forces.

Releasing a written statement, the General Staff said that the Reliant Mermaid-3 exercises having humanitarian aid purposes, would be performed in international waters off Israeli shores.

Naval forces of three countries will carry out activities to develop their search and rescue capabilities.

Turkey will participate in the exercises with two frigates, a helicopter, and an underwater defense team while the U.S. and Israel will participate in the exercises with three vessels, two planes and two helicopters.

The exercise will end on January 18, 2001.

-INTERIOR MINISTRY LUANCHES OPERATION AGAINST CORRUPTIONS IN AGRICULTURE
ANKARA - Interior Ministry said on Saturday that an operation was launched in southern province of Icel after a tip-off which said that the state had been swindled by some companies which received unjust value added tax (VAT) repayment by showing that as if some agricultural products had been exported with false documents.

The Interior Ministry Public Relations and Press Center said that people invloved in swindling had been detained and their computer data, documents and record books had been seized.

''About four month ago, the Icel Security Department received a tip-off which said that some Mersin-based companies had swindled the state with receiving VAT repayment from the state illegally by showing that as if they had exported some agricultural products with false documents. Within scope of the investigation, persons involved in swindling were captured and their computer data, document and record books were seized,'' it said.

Meanwhile, sources said that five people including Hasan Seker, the owner of Hasan Seker Foodstuffs limited company; Hakan Ozbas, the former chairman of the Democratic Turkey Party's (DTP) Mersin Headquarters; Ahmet Serttas, a forwarding agent were detained in the operation.

-TURKEY'S HEALTH AND EDUCATION EXPENDITURES PER PERSON
ANKARA - Turkey's health expenditure per capita is 187.2 U.S. dollars while its education expenditure per capita is 146.4 U.S. dollars.

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) data, Turkey is ranked 73rd in education expenditures per capita among 123 countries, and it is ranked 50th in health expenditures per capita.

The purchase power parity (PPP) and gross national product (GNP) per capita and government's education and health expenditures in some countries are as follows:

. Central government expenditures

. per capita (1998)

. PPP-GNP ------------------------------
. Per capita Education Health

. (1998) expenditures expenditures

Countries (U.S. dollars) (U.S. dollars) (U.S. dollars)

--------- -------------- -------------- -------------
Norway 26,196 1,951.6 1,627.0

Denmark 23,855 1,944.2 1,625.5

Sweden 19,848 1,643.4 1,480.1

Canada 22,814 1,576.5 1,505.8

The U.S. 29,240 1,567.3 1,913.8

Finland 20,641 1,539.8 1,192.4

Switzerland 26,876 1,462.1 1,802.2

France 21,214 1,281.3 1,511.2

Israel 16,861 1,274.7 1,219.1

Austria 23,145 1,261.4 1,381.5

Australia 21,795 1,187.8 1,240.0

New Zealand 16,084 1,177.4 1,013.5

Netherlands 22,325 1,131.9 1,362.9

Britain 20,314 1,082.7 1,198.6

Ireland 17,991 1,072.3 1,045.2

Germany 22,026 1,059.4 1,830.0

Italy 20,365 993.8 1,092.7

Japan 23,592 849.3 1,362.0

Portugal 14,569 839.2 690.8

Spain 14,400 798.0 912.1

Belgium 23,622 732.3 1,577.6

Saudi Arabia 10,498 719.6 650.1

Czech Rep. 12,197 625.7 794.4

Poland 7,543 563.5 318.0

S. Korea 13,286 488.9 341.7

Namibia 5,280 479.9 195.2

Hungary 9,832 455.2 419.3

Greece 13,994 433.8 732.2

Argentina 11,728 405.8 483.6

Tunisia 5,169 397.0 162.1

Malaysia 7,699 381.1 108.0

Mexico 7,450 362.8 218.4

Brazil 6,460 327.5 222.1

Thailand 5,524 266.2 90.3

Russia 6,180 218.8 289.1

Iran 5,121 205.3 88.1

Romania 5,572 201.1 164.0

Jordan 2,615 177.3 123.9

Morocco 3,188 159.7 43.0

Egypt 3,146 150.7 54.7

Bulgaria 4,683 148.9 153.0

Turkey 6,594 146.4 187.2

China 3,051 71.1 61.2

India 2,060 65.5 13.4

-146.3 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS OF AGRICULTURAL AND ANIMAL
PRODUCTS EXPORTED FROM GAP REGION TO EU COUNTRIES
GAZIANTEP - The exports of agricultural and animal products to the European Union (EU) member countries from the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) region last year increased 4.9 percent to 146 million 383 thousand U.S. dollars.

In the same period in 1999, the region exported 139 million 432 thousand U.S. dollars of agricultural and animal products to the EU countries.

Officials at the Southeastern Anatolia Exporters' Association, told the A.A correspondent on Sunday that in the first eight months of the year, they exported 121 million 786 thousand U.S. dollars in textiles; 2 million 84 thousand U.S. dollars in grain-cereals; 21 million 70 thousand U.S. dollars in dried fruits and 1 million 443 thousand U.S. dollars in livestock.

The majority of the goods were exported to Italy, Germany and Britain, and the Turkish goods in greatest demand were synthetic thread, cotton thread, dried apricot, plastic sack, pistachio and textile.

-STOCK MARKET TRANSACTIONS REALIZED ON BEHALF AND ACCOUNT OF
FOREIGN BANKS, BROKERAGE HOUSES OR INDIVIDUALS IN DECEMBER OF 2000
ISTANBUL - The total purchases became 714 million 18 thousand 753 U.S. dollars and the total sales became 827 million 55 thousand 139 U.S. dollars at the Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) National Market transactions realized on behalf and account of foreign banks, brokerage houses or individuals in December of 2000.

According to the IMKB statistics, the Turkish lira (TL) value of the total purchase transactions realized on behalf and account of foreign banks, brokerage houses or individuals reached 484 trillion 895 billion 984 million 394 thousand TL and the TL value of the total sales transactions realized on behalf and account of foreign banks, brokerage houses or individuals reached 561 trillion 556 billion 843 million 903 thousand TL in December of 2000.

Akbank, Is Bankasi (C), Petrol Ofisi, Migros, BSH Profilo, Garanti Bankasi, Yapi ve Kredi Bankasi, Koc Holding, Dogan Holding and Arcelik became the shares mostly transacted on behalf and account of foreign banks, brokerage houses or individuals.

-STRUGGLE AGAINST CORRUPTION-OECD
ANKARA/PARIS - Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Turkey Analyst John Karlsonn said on Sunday that struggle against corruption was one of the most important issues in Turkey, and Turkey tohether with its all organizations and institutions was carrying out an effective and determined struggle.

Speaking to the A.A correspondent, Karlsonn said that struggle against all corruptions especially including money laundering was important for Turkey's clean and transparent continuing the process of economic development, and that officials were aware of this.

Noting that institutions had been formed and legal arrangements had been made in Turkey to struggle against money luandering, Karlsonn said, ''this struggle has started to yield its results. Banks and other finance institutions have started to send many reports on suspicious banking transactions especially in last one year, and a progress was recorded.''

Karlsonn said that the Banking Regulatory and Supervisory Authority (BRSA) was a very important organization for struggle against money luandering and corruptions as it could effectively and comprehensively monitor suspicious transactions at the banking system, adding that he believed the BRSA would be successful.

John Karlsonn added that they were closely following the developments in Turkey and that they were closely cooperating with the Turkish officials.

-''ARMENIAN PROBLEM'' ASSESSED ON GENERAL STAFF'S WEB-SITE
ANKARA - As allegations on so-called genocide on Armenians have been brought onto agenda in France once again, ''Armenian Problem'' was assessed in detail on General Staff's web-site: ''www.tsk.mil.tr''.

The Armenian problem was assessed under the titles of ''Introduction'', ''Armenian Identity and Turkish-Armenian Relations in History'', ''What is Armenian Problem?'', ''Armenian Uprising and Massacres'', ''Deportation Law, its Implementation and Allegations on So-called Genocide on Armenians'', ''What is Genocide? Exemplary Incidents of Genocide'', ''Armenian Terrorism'' and ''Current Situation and Conclusion''.

The assessment said, ''the so-called Armenian problem which began in the second half of 1960s with blackening campaigns launched by Armenian groups in some countries against Turkey, turned into a 'gory Armenian terrorism' after 1973. Armenian activities against Turkey had been put into practive within framework of a plan since 1973. This plan included levels of promotion of so-called Armenian problem with terrorism, recognition of so- called genocide on Armenians, receiving compensation from Turkey, and obtaining territory from Turkey.''

It said, ''it is necessary to study historical progress in order to understand that the so-called Armenian problem which is being tried to be kept on agenda intentionally, is baseless; and that it was put forward with concerns about interest.''

-ARMENIAN IDENTITY AND TURKISH-ARMENIAN RELATIONS IN HISTORY
The ''Armenian Identity and Turkish-Armenian Relations in History'' part of the assessment said, ''the Armenians were started to be ruled by the Turks in 1071. The Seljuks saved the Armenians from the brutal rule of the Byzantine Empire. The Armenians lived their golden age under the rule of the Ottoman Empire till the end of 19th century by benefiting from tolerance of the Turkish people. There was not any Armenian problem in the Ottoman Empire till the last quarter of the 19th century. Armenian people did not have any problem which they could not solve with Turkish officials. When the Ottoman State began to weaken and exposed to intervention of Europe on almost every issue, Turkish-Armenian relations started to spoil. The western countries targeted to separate the Armenians from the Turkish society in order to reach their regional interest by dividing the Ottoman State.''

The assesstment said, ''the Armenians lost their privilege after Muslims and non-Muslims were granted equal status with the Imperial Decree of Reforms. At the end of the Ottoman-Russian War between 1877 and 1878, the Armenians asked Russia not to withdraw its soldiers from Eastern Anatolia, to grant the region autonomy, and to make reforms in favor of them. The Armenian problem emerged for the first time in history with these requests.''

''The Armenian problem was put forward by Britain and Russia. In fact, the problem was an extension of the imperialism's policy to destroy the Ottoman Empire, and to share its territories,'' it said.

-ARMENIAN UPRISING AND MASSACRES
The ''Armenian Uprising and Massacres'' part of the assessment gives information about committees set up by the Armenians in Anatolia.

The assessment said that 100 Turkish people were killed in Zeytun in 1914, and 3 thousand others were massacred in Van in 1915, and 20 thousand Turkish people were killed in Mus between 1914 and 1915 by the Armenian committees.

It stressed that the Armenians had caused grave losses to the Turkish nation by committing massacres during the World War I.

-DEPORTATION LAW AND ALLEGATIONS ON SO-CALLED GENOCIDE ON ARMENIANS
The ''Deportation Law, its Implementation and Allegations on So-called Genocide on Armenians'' part of the assessment said, ''despite good will of the Ottoman government, the Armenian massacres accelerated in the country, and the Armenian attacks on defenseless Turkish women and children increased while the Ottoman army was fighting in many fronts. It was necessary to provide security in the country to prevent local uprisings from turning into a general treason. With this aim, all Armenian committees were closed down on April 24, 1915 and 2,345 members of these committees were arrested on charges of 'staging activities against the State'. The Armenians mark April 24 every year as a day to commemorate so-called genocide. But April 24 is not related with the deportation of the Armenians.''

The assessment noted, ''closure of Armenians committees and arrest of their leaders and some terrorists made Armenian atrocities more violent. As a last humanitarian remedy, the Ottoman government issued the Deportation Law on May 27, 1915 to transfer those who were spying against the Ottoman State, to distant places from the battle zones.''

The assessment said, ''those who were exposed to migration, were sent to Ordu-Kastamonu, Ankara-Nigde, Malatya-Maras, Diyarbakir-Urfa-Adana and Syria-Iraq regions within borders of the Ottoman Empire. Till the end of September of 1916, 701,900 people were forced to migrate.''

''According to the Ottoman official data in 1914, the Armenian population in the Ottoman State was 1,234,671. According to the Armenian Patriarch, this number was 2.5 million. Armenian delegation attending the Lausanne Conference claimed that this number was 2.2 million. According to the French Yellow Book and Britannica it was 1.5 million. And according to the British yearbook, it was one million. It was not possible to massacre 2-3 million people in a replacement implementation in which 700 thousand people were forced to migrate, as the Armenians claimed. There were nearly 1 million 230 thousand Armenians living in the Ottoman State in those years. Moreover, if the Ottoman State had targetted to get rid of Armenian community in the country, it would have solved the problem through assimilation. On the contrary, the Armenians were living in luxury in the Ottoman Empire. They were more comfortable than the Turks.''

The assessment said, ''so the allegation about so-called genocide on Armenians is completely a baseless concocted story and a figment of the imagination which is deprived of any documents and evidence and legal basis and is based on enmity against Turks.''

The assessment which gave examples from opinions and determinations of many historians and authors some of whom can't be called ''friends of Turks'', stressed that all of those historians and authors acknowledged Turkey to be right in this issue.

The assessment which included definition of genocide and examples of genocides in the history said, ''it is true that Armenians suffered losses during the war in Eastern Anatolia and deportation. However, those losses were caused by insufficient public order due to the war and rebellions in Eastern Anatolia, lack of vehicles, fuel, food and medicine, bad weather conditions and epidemics like thyphus.''

The assessment gave examples from similar migration moves that Armenians had been exposed to many times as they had betrayed the states which had ruled them in the past.

''Armenians who were exposed to innumerable migration and exile incidents throughout the history made only their migration by the Ottoman state in 1915 a problem without bringing other migration and exile incidents that they had exposed to although the Ottoman state exiled them with very rightful reasons. This is an intentional policy, and an outcome of policies which aim to destroy Turkey's unity. Western countries' focusing on so- called genocide on Armenians while they are passively observing the current genocide movements in Africa and the Balkans is the best sign of this,'' it said.

The assessment which mentioned terrorist actions staged by Armenians against Turks said that the Armenian terrorist organizations had changed their tactics after the external reactions and cooperated with the terrorist PKK organization.

It said that the PKK had been brought onto the stage with the raids in Eruh and Semdinli in 1984 and the Asala-Armenia terrorism had been subordinated.

''The joint aim of the Armenian terrorist organizations was to drag Turkey into instability by making use of every opportunity and found an 'independent Armenia' by saving the Armenian territories which were under a so-called occupation. It is seen that Armenians who founded a state, are still continuing their ambitions under different titles,'' it said.

-CURRENT SITUATION
The Armenian Republic which declared its independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, has turned the claims of so-called genocide against Turkey into a state policy, the assessment said, adding that the Armenians try to create an image of a community which was exposed to injustice and oppression, and thus convice certain states, especially the U.S. and France, and international institutions to act in favor of Armenian case.

The text of the General Staff briefly went as follows:

''The initiatives which target the recognition of the so-called genocide were intensified especially in Belgium, France, Australia, Greece, Lebanon, Canada, Russia, the U.S., and Argentina. The monuments of genocide were erected one after another, and the so-called genocide was even taught as a lesson in the schools of some of these countries. The most significant development was that the France parliament sent a draft resolution to officially recognize the so-called Armenian genocide to the senate for approval on May 29, 1998.

Following relatively modest attitude of Ter-Petrosyan administration, Kocharian became the president, leaving extreme rightist movements free, and Armenia started to follow a harsh policy in relations with Turkey.

The Armenian problem which today seems to integrate with the name 'so- called Armenian genocide', has its dimensions of taking compensation from Turkey and then demanding territory, and covertly supporting terrorist organization PKK, and acting against Turkey by cooperating with the neighbouring countries which are unfriendly to Turkey, and assuming an intransigent attitude concerning the problem of Upper Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

As a result, the Armenian problem was created by the countries which tried to reach their interests by dividing the Ottoman Empire. And today, the same interest circles with different names, keep this artificial problem on the agenda because they still have ambitions on Turkey and they do not want a strong Turkey in the region.

-TURKEY TO SEND A 22-MEMBER SEARCH AND RESUE TEAM TO EL SALVADOR
ANKARA - Turkey will send a 22-member search and rescue team to El Salvador struck by a powerful quake on Saturday.

Releasing a statement, the Prime Ministry Crisis Management Center said on Sunday that 15 people from Directorate General of Civil Defense, and 7 people from GEA, a voluntary search and rescue organization, would take part in the team.

An earthquake of 7.6 magnitude shook Central America on Saturday, leaving more than 130 people dead and hundreds missing in El Salvador and Guatemala.

-BLUE STREAM PROJECT
ANKARA - The main welding work on the 501 kilometers of the pipeline between Samsun and Ankara was concluded within scope of the Blue Stream project for transfer of natural gas from Russia to Turkey beneath the Black Sea.

Sources said on Sunday that construction of the 501-kilometer part of the projects in the Turkish territories was planned to be finalized by April of 2001.

Meanwhile, construction of the station in Samsun by the OHS consortium is expected to continue till the end of August of 2001.

The project is expected to cost 3.4 billion U.S. dollars and to be 1,200 kilometers in length while the pipeline's 376 kilometers part will pass 2, 100 meters under the Black Sea.

Italian SAIPEM company will fulfil the passage beneath the Black Sea. SAIPEM which set up a construction site in Samsun with this objective concluded production of 30 percent of the pipes it will use.

SAIPEM-2000 vessel which has two 7 thousand-ton cranes and a computerized dynamic balance system can construct pipes up to 2,500 meters depth.

SAIPEM-2000 is expected to arrive in Balch Sea in 2001 summer.

Seven kilometers of pipes will be constructed beneath the Black Sea a day and the daily cost of this work will be almost 1 million U.S. dollars. This construction is expected to be finalized in 60 days.

The Blue Stream project came onto the agenda within framework of the agreement signed between Turkey and Russia on December 15, 1997 on transfer of Russian natural gas to Turkey under the Black Sea.

In accordance with this agreement which is valid for 25 years, transfer of natural gas will reach 16 billion cubic meters in 2007.

The project is foreseen to be finalized on September 30, 2001.

-FOUNDATION OF VESSEL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT INFORMATION AND CONTROL
SYSTEM AT STRAITS TO BE LAID ON JANUARY 27 IN ISTANBUL
ANKARA - The countdown for the ''Vessel Traffic Management and Information Systems'' which was planned to be installed at the Istanbul and Canakkale Straits to monitor, control and guide vessel traffic, started.

The works on construction and installation of the national and international vessel traffic system that the Maritime Undersecretariat foresees to install at the Istanbul and Canakkale Starits will start with a ceremony to be held on January 27, 2001 on the occasion of laying the foundation of the system in Istanbul.

American Lockheed Martin company won the international tender for construction and installation of the system of which foundation will be laid by Ramazan Mirzaoglu, the Minister of State for Maritime.

The system was foreseen to be finalized within nearly a year. After the system is put into use, the number of vessel accidents at the Straits will be reduced to minimum and safe vessel crossings will be provided.

The Maritime Undersecretariat will finance the project from its own funds and almost 20 million U.S. dollars will be spent on the project.

Nearly thrity public organizations and institutions including Environment Ministry, Customs Directorate General, relevant units of the Coast Guard Commandership and Maritime Enterprises will benefit from the system which includes also two different monitoring station and fifteen towers, nine in Istanbul and six in Canakkale Straits.

-MENDILCIOGLU, DEPUTY UNDERSECRETARY OF ENERGY
AND NATURAL RESOURCES MINISTRY, RELEASED
ANKARA - Mustafa Mendilcioglu, the Deputy Undersecretary of Energy and Natural Resources Ministry who was detained and transferred to the Ankara State Security Court (DGM) within scope of investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption at Turkish Electricity Production and Transmission Corp's (TEAS) energy tenders.

Talat Salk, the Republican Prosecutor of the Ankara DGM, interrogated Mendilcioglu.

Later, Mendilcioglu was released.

Within framework of the investigation, Birsel Sonmez, a former State Minister and a member of TEAS' Executive Board; Muzaffer Selvi, the Director General of TEAS; Unal Peker, the Deputy Director General of TEAS; and Dogan Karadeniz, the owner of the Karadeniz Energy company, were arrested while the other suspect Mustafa Aslan, the Chairman of Cargo Distribution, was released yesterday.

-AZERBAIJANI CULTURE ASSOCIATION AND TURKISH WORLD CULTURE AND HUMAN
RIGHTS ASSOCIATION LAY A BLACK WREATH TO FRENCH CONSULATE GENERAL
IZMIR - The Azerbaijani Culture Association and the Turkish World Culture and Human Rights Association laid a black wreath in front of French Consulate General building in western Izmir province on Sunday in order to protest draft resolution on so-called genocide on Armenians which was brought onto agenda of French parliament.

Namik Kemal Babaker, the Chairman of Azerbaijani Culture Association's Branch in Izmir, said, ''those who had committed massacres in Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya in the past, are now trying to adopt draft resolutions on so-called genocide on Armenians to blacken Turkey's history.''

Recalling that the French parliament would debate the draft resolution on January 18, 2001, Babaker stressed, ''we condemn any decision against Turkey. Those who accuse the Turkish nation of committing a so-called genocide on Armenians, should firstly observe gocide committed by Armenians in Anatolia in the past and the genocide they are committing in Azerbaijan today. Such decision will not affect Turkey, but it will damage Armenian people and state.''

-FOREIGN MINISTER CEM LEAVES FOR PAKISTAN
ANKARA - Foreign Minister Ismail Cem left on Sunday for Pakistan on a two- day official visit as the guest of his Pakistani counterpart Abdul Sattar.

Cem will start holding contacts with Pakistani officials on Monday.

His contacts are expected to focus on relations between Turkey and Pakistan, and regional and international issues.

Cem and Sattar are expected to sign a memorandum to set up a regular political consultation mechanism between Turkish and Pakistani foreign ministries.

Foreign Minister Cem will be received by President Refik Tarar of Pakistan and Pakistani military ruler General Pervez Musharraf.

He is also scheduled to hold a meeting with Turkish and Pakistani businessmen.

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