Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-02-04

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

04 FEBRUARY

2001 Sunday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

TANTAN MEETS WITH GOVERNORS AND POLICE CHIEFS IN DIYARBAKIR
Interior Minister Sadettin Tantan said, ''armed attack in southeastern Diyarbakir province in which Police Chief Gaffar Okkan and five other policemen were killed, did not target only security forces, but it also targeted whole nation. Security forces have been carrying out their works to capture the assailants confidentially.'' Tantan met in Diyarbakir with governors and police chiefs of Diyarbakir, Batman, Mardin, Siirt, Sirnak, Bingol and Sanliurfa provinces in the Emergency Rule Region. Tantan added, ''at this point, I cannot put the blame of assasination of Diyarbakir Police Chief Gaffar Okkan and five other policemen in and armed attack on January 24, 2001 on Hezbollah. But all you know how dangerous Hezbollah is. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization killing its own children. Our works to enlighten the assasination are continuing.''

TUGRAS OF OTTOMAN SULTANS IN BERLIN
''Ottoman Art of Calligraphy'' exhibition composed of prominent businessman Sakip Sabanci's private collection, was opened at the Guggenheim Museum in German capital of Berlin. The exhibition sponsored by the Deutsche Bank, will remain open till April 8, 2001.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

GURSOY DETAINED
Yavuz Gursoy, the former Deputy Director General of Energy Affairs Department of the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry, was detained within framework of an investigation into corruption in energy tenders. Upon instructions of Talat Salk, the Public Prosecutor of the Ankara State Security Court (DGM) carrying out the investigation, Gursoy was taken into custody.

JUSTICE MINISTER TURK: ''NO ONE IS FREE''
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said, ''dismissal of Talak Salk, the Public Prosecutor of the Ankara State Security Court (DGM), is out of question. The inspector carrying out investigation against Salk, either says that there was not any misuse of authority or proposes a disciplinary punishment. Then the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors will take a decision.'' Turk said, ''no one is free. Everyone is responsible within framework of the laws.''

SABAH (LIBERAL)

THY PLANE FORCED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING
The Turkish Airways (THY) plane bound from Istanbul to eastern Elazig province, was forced to make an emergency landing at Esenboga Airport in Ankara due to a technical failure.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

TANTAN PROMISES HOPE
Continuation of nation-wide operations to capture assailants of Diyarbakir Police Chief Gaffar Okkan and five policemen was ''promising''. Tantan said that security forces and governors were determined to capture the assailants.

FOOTBALL VIOLENCE: 14 PEOPLE INJURED
A group of fans attacked on the bus carrying Turkish third division club Geliboluspor's players and technical staff who came to Unkapani, Istanbul to play an away match with Kasimpasaspor. Twelve players and two trainers were injured in the attack, and taken to hospital.

LOW BUT FAR FROM TARGET
An important decrease was recorded in inflation rate compared to previous years. Inflation rate became 35.9 percent in consumer prices and 28.3 percent in wholesale prices in January of 2001 compared to rates in January of 2000. However, these rates are far away from the government's end-2000 inflation target which were 10.9 percent in consumer prices and 8.3 percent in wholesale prices.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

15 PEOPLE WHO ATTEMPTED TO HOLD DEMONSTRATION IN ISTANBUL DETAINED
Security forces detained 15 women who attempted to hold an illegal demonstration on Saturday in Beyoglu district of Istanbul to protest ''F'' type prisons in which inmates are kept in rooms instead of large wards. A group of 15 women gathered in front of the Galatasaray High School on Istiklal Avenue to make a press release in order to protest F type prisons and to support death-fasting inmates. Security forces intervened in the group, and called on demonstrators to disperse peacefully. After the demonstrators refused to disperse, security forces detained them.

PROTEST IN BELGIUM
Turkish people living in Belgium, held a march in Belgian capital of Brussels to protest approval of resolution on so-called genocide on Armenians by French parliament. Nearly 1,000 people attended the march which was organized by the Turkish associations in Belgium. Demonstrators who were carrying Turkish flags chanted slogans to protest France's decision. They dispersed peacefully after laying a black wreath in front of French Embassy in Brussels.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

VAN FLARES UP
Almost seven thousand people staged a rally in eastern province of Van to condemn France which approved a disgraceful resolution. People who attended the rally chanted slogans protesting French President Jacques Chirac and set a French flag on fire.

THOMSON EXCLUDED FROM RADAR TENDERS
The State Airports Authority excluded famous French company Thomson from radar tenders. Thomson which has joined all tenders in Turkey so far can't bid for the coming tenders.

WE HAVE CLUES
Regarding assasination of Diyarbakir Police Chief Gaffar Okkan and five policemen, Security Director General Turan Genc said, ''we have found some clues. We took into custody some people. Investigation continues.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

RALLY HELD IN VAN TO PROTEST FRANCE'S DECISION
Representatives of political parties and non-governmental organizations and residents in eastern Van province held a rally to protest approval of resolution on so-called genocide on Armenians by French parliament. Nearly seven thousand people attended the rally, and chanted slogans to protest France's decision. Meanwhile, Burhanettin Kocamaz, the Mayor of Tarsus township of southern Icel province, said, ''we have decided to erect a monument in Tarsus out of respect to Mullah Kerim who was killed by French soldiers. Mullah Kerim and his friends had resisted against French soldiers during occupation of Tarsus. He was decapitated by French soldiers on July 28, 1920 on Pac Bridge. We will erect a monument out of respect to him and his friends. This monument will also symbolize French soldiers' carnage and atrocity in the region.''

-A RALLY HELD IN ISKENDERUN TO PROTEST FRANCE'S DECISION
ISKENDERUN - A rally organized by the Grand Unity Party (BBP), was held in Iskenderun township of southern Icel province on Saturday.

A group of nearly 100 people gathered in Train Station Square, and marched to the Ataturk Monument in the city center with flags in their hands.

They observed a minute of silence out of respect to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Founder of modern and secular Republic of Turkey, and sang the National Anthem in front of the monument.

Mustafa Oguzhan, the Chairman of BBP Headquarters in Iskenderun, said, ''in fact, Armenians and French soldiers who had occupied southern Turkey during the War of Independence committed genocide against Turkish people.''

Muammer Cuhadaroglu, the Spokesman of the BBP, stressed, ''we should not remain silent to these baseless allegations. We have never committed such a shameful crime throughout our history.''

-MEN'S READY-MADE CLOTHING FAIR IN COLOGNE
-TEN TURKISH FIRMS TAKE PART IN FAIR
COLOGNE - International Men's Ready-Made Clothing Fair was opened in Cologne, Germany, on Saturday.

A total of ten Turkish firms are taking part in the fair.

Nuri Artok, the Chairman of Istanbul Ready-Made Clothing Exporters' Union (ITKIB) said that they would do their utmost to represent Turkey at the fair in the best way.

Stressing that Turkey ranked sixth in ready-made clothing sector in the world, and second in Europe, Artok added, ''we have been attending the Men's Ready-Made Clothing Fair for ten years.''

-A MARCH HELD IN BELGIUM TO PROTEST FRANCE
BRUSSELS - Turkish people living in Belgium, held a march in Belgian capital of Brussels on Saturday to protest approval of resolution on so- called genocide on Armenians by French parliament.

Nearly 1,000 people attended the march which was organized by the Turkish associations in Belgium.

Demonstrators who were carrying Turkish flags chanted slogans to protest France's decision.

They dispersed peacefully after laying a black wreath in front of French Embassy in Brussels.

-A BUREAUCRAT DETAINED IN INVESTIGATION
INTO CORRUPTION IN ENERY TENDERS
ANKARA - A bureaucrat was detained on Saturday within framework of an investigation into corruption in energy tenders.

Upon instructions of Talat Salk, the Public Prosecutor of the Ankara State Security Court (DGM) carrying out the investigation, Yavuz Gursoy, the former Deputy Director General of Energy Affairs Department of the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry, was taken into custody.

-''OTTOMAN ART OF CALLIGRAPHY'' EXHIBITION OPENED IN GERMANY
BERLIN - ''Ottoman Art of Calligraphy'' exhibition composed of prominent businessman Sakip Sabanci's private collection, was opened at the Guggenheim Museum in German capital of Berlin on Saturday.

State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel; Eberhard Diepgen, the Prime Minister of Berlin State of Germany; Osman Koruturk, the Turkish Ambassador to Germany; Asim Temizgil, the Turkish Consul General in Berlin; Joachim Vergau, the former German Ambassador to Turkey; and a number of Turkish and German guests were in attendance at the opening ceremony.

Addressing the ceremony, Sabanci said, ''earlier today, I met with 250 Turkish businessmen who came to Germany as workers and became businessmen later. They aim at founding universities, museums and social institutions.''

Sabanci thanked Guggenheim Museum and Deutsche Bank officials supporting the exhibition.

Jane De Bevoise, the Curator of Guggenheim Museum, recalled that the exhibition had been opened at Louvre Museum in French capital of Paris, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the U.S., and the State Art Museum in Los Angeles, the U.S., previously.

The exhibition will remain open till April 8, 2001.

-TUZMEN, UNDERSECRETARY OF FOREIGN TRADE, DUE TO SWITZERLAND
ANKARA - Kursad Tuzmen, the Undersecretary of Foreign Trade, will leave for Switzerland on Monday.

Releasing a statement, the Foreign Trade Undersecretariat's Directorate General of Agreements said on Sunday that Tuzmen would pay an official visit to Switzerland between February 5 and 7 as the guest of David Syz, the Swiss Secretary of State for Economy.

Tuzmen will deliever a speech at a conference in Zurich on ''Recent Developments in Turkish Economy and Commercial and Economic Relations between Turkey and Switzerland''.

Meanwhile, Tuzmen and Syz will sign a Memorandum of Understanding on High- Level Commercial and Economic Consultations between Turkey and Switzerland in Bern on February 6.

The consultation protocol negotiations will be held the same day within framework of the memorandum of understanding.

Measures to be taken to reduce Turkey's deficit in trade with Switzerland, investment opportunities, cooperation between Turkish and Swiss small and medium scale enterprises, highway transportation and health issues will be discussed at the meeting.

At the end of the meeting, consultation protocol will be signed.

Meanwhile, Turkey made 191.6 million U.S. dollars of exports to Switzerland in the January-October 2000 period while its imports from Switzerland became 708.1 million U.S. dollars.

-FINANCE MINISTER ORAL: ''THESE INFLATION RATES
SHOW THAT THE ECONOMIC PROGRAMME IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK''
IZMIR - Finance Minister Sumer Oral said on Sunday that they were pleased with the inflation rates in January of 2001, and that those inflation rates showed that the economic programme was on right track.

Speaking to the A.A correspondent, Oral said that the decreasing trend in inflation continued without any deviation from the economic program's target.

''We targeted to decrease the inflation to 25 percent at the end of the first year of the program but it became a little more than 30 percent. However, it is the fact that inflation was more than 60 percent last year. We will achieve our targets with a few months postponement. The budget deficit was 11.4 percent last year but we foresaw a 3.4 percent budget deficit this year,'' he said.

Noting that the government was showing great sensitivities to the currently existing problems, Oral said that they would try to find most appropriate solutions to these problems but they wouldn't make sacrifices from the basis of program's principles and figures.

Stating that the program was the main tool to decrease the inflation and its aim was to correct the distribution income and increase prosperity, Oral said, ''it is impossible to make these in an atmosphere of high chronic inflation.''

Noting that 88 percent of tax collection had been spent on interest expenditures in the beginning of 2000, Oral said this rate reduced to 52 percent at the end of the first year of the program. ''This rate will be decreased more and we will spend these sources on health, education and environment instead of interest.''

''State Minister Tunca Toskay, State Minister Recep Onal, Eximbank Director General, Treasury Undersecreatry, Central Bank Governor and I will hold our first meeting this week under coordination of State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan. We will repeat this meeting once in every fifteen days. We will canalize important sources to Eximbank within budgetary means. We will attach importance to exports with a special monitoring strategy,'' he added.

-PROF. DR. HALACOGLU, CHAIRMAN OF TTK:
-''438,758 ARMENIANS WERE FORCED TO MIGRATE. 382,148
OF THEM ARRIVED IN THEIR NEW SETTLEMENT UNITS''
ANKARA - Prof. Dr. Yusuf Halacoglu, the Chairman of Turkish History Institution (TTK), said on Saturday, ''438,758 Armenians were forced to migrate during the Ottoman Empire period. 382,148 of them arrived in their settlement units. It is not possible to talk about hundreds of thousands of dead people.''

Speaking at weekly routine meeting of the Rotary Club in Cankaya district of Ankara, Prof. Dr. Halacoglu gave information about Turkish-Armenian relations under the light of historical documents.

Prof. Dr. Halacoglu criticized efforts to bring France's massacre in Algeria to the forefront as a reaction to approval of resolution on so- called genocide on Armenians by French parliament.

''Turkey did not assume an attitude against France during the massacre it committed in Algeria. We could not take historical incidents into consideration in long-term,'' he said.

Noting that Armenian nationalism was brought onto agenda with opening of the Armenian Philology Department in Russia in 1816, Prof. Dr. Halacoglu said that they had purchased 290-microfilm Russian intelligence documents from black market.

He noted, ''Ottoman Empire's transfer of Armenians to other regions within borders of the country during the World War I was very normal in regard to warfare. During this period, 438,758 Armenians were forced to migrate. 382, 148 of them arrived in their new settlement units. 10 thousand of remaining 56,610 Armenians were killed by bandits. 30 thousand of them died of epidemics such as typhoid fever and dysentery. The remaining 16 thousand Armenians fled to the U.S. and European countries. Therefore, it is not possible to talk about hundreds of thousands of dead people.''

Prof. Dr. Halacoglu added that they would translate some historical documents into Turkish and publish them in coming days.

-A TOTAL OF 48 THOUSAND TURKISH AND FOREIGN
TOURISTS VISIT CAPPADOCIA REGION
NEVSEHIR - A total of 48 thousand Turkish and foreign tourists visited Cappadocia region in central Nevsehir province in January of 2001.

Sources told the A.A correspondent on Sunday that 48 thousand tourists including 31,670 foreigners visited historical and touristic places in Cappadocia region such as Goreme Open Air Museum, Zelve Ruins, Cavusin Church, Gulsehir Ruins, St. Jean Church and underground cities of Ozkonak, Mazi, Kaymakli, Tatlarin and Derinkuyu.

The region obtained an income of 96 billion 334 million Turkish liras from tourism in the first month of the year.

In the same period of last year, 16 thousand tourists including 11,429 foreigners had visited the region.

-A NEW AIRWAYS COMPANY SET UP IN TURKEY
ANKARA - A new airways company was set up in Turkey.

The ''Free Bird'' Airways Company took its name from surname of Vecihi Hurkus who produced the first plane in Turkey.

The company set up by the Gozen Aviation, will become operational in April the latest.

It will organize charter flights to European countries with three MD 83 planes having a capacity of 170 passengers.

Izzet Tukenmez, the Director General of Gozen Aviation, told the A.A correspondent on Sunday that their company was the first company in Turkey representing foreign airway companies at airports in Turkey.

Tukenmez said that they had been offering security services to many airways in the world.

-ANDICAN, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF ANAP:
-''THE BALANCE IS IN FAVOR OF TURKEY IN
TRADE WITH ONLY THE TURKISH REPUBLICS''
ISTANBUL - Ahat Andican, the Deputy Chairman of Motherland Party (ANAP), said on Saturday, ''the balance is in favor of Turkey in trade with only the Turkish Republics. Seven thousand Eurasian Turks are living in this geography.''

Speaking at a meeting on ''Turkey-Turkish Republics Relations'', Andican said that serious changes had been occurred in the 20th century in history of the world and humanity.

Describing the most important even occurred in the 20th century as the collapse of Soviet Union-centered structure, Andican said that Eurasia fact came to the world's political platform after the collapse of this structure.

Andican stressed that cold wars came to end in the two-block world since 1990.

Pointing out that the Eurasia fact made Turkey a country having regional influence, Andican said, ''during this period, Turkey had to produce projects for the future, to expend efforts in joint platforms with the new Turkish Republics and to put forward a process which would affect balances in the world.''

Noting that the new Eurasian geography brought forth new opportunities to Turkey, Andican said, ''European and other world powers have begun to assess Turkey together with the Turkish world since then. Turkish Republic which were considered as domestic colonies during the Soviet Union era, faced serious difficulties. But they became sound states in a short period of time. For instance, one fifth of Azerbaijani territories has been occupied by Armenia. Nearly 1.5 million Azerbaijani people have lost their homes and lands.''

Recalling that President Haydar Aliyev of Azerbaijan reacted to approval of resolution on so-called genocide on Armenians by French parliament during his bilateral contact with President Jacques Chirac of France, Andican said, ''if we can provide alphabetic union, solidarity between Turkey and the Turkish Republics will become very sound.''

''The balance is in favor of Turkey in trade with only the Turkish Republics. Seven thousand Eurasian Turks are living in this geography. There are nearly two thousand Turkish firms in the Turkish Republics,'' he added.

Meanwhile, Dilde Sarbagiseva, the Kyrgyz Consul General in Istanbul, said that they had recorded great progress in ten years since they acquired their independence.

Noting that they had signed more than 50 agreements with Turkey in the last decade, Sarbagiseva said, ''Turkey is our door opening to the world. Turkey has been supporting us in every field.''

Hayrettin Goca, the Azerbaijani Consul General in Istanbul, said that they aimed at further improving relations with Turkey in every field.

Noting that approval of resolution on so-called genocide on Armenians by French parliament created profound sorrow in Azerbaijan, Goca pointed out that there were some circles trying to damage Turkey-Azerbaijan relations.

Nurberdi Amanmuradov, the Turkmen Consul General in Istanbul, said that 90 percent of constructions in Turkmenistan were carried out by Turkish businessmen.

-NUMBER OF MOTOR VEHICLES EXCEEDS SEVEN MILLION
ANKARA - Number of motor vehicles exceeded seven million as of end- September of 2000.

According to the State Institute of Statistics (DIE), the number of motor vehicles is 7 million 282 thousand as of end-September of 2000.

Istanbul is ranked first among other provinces with 1 million 268 thousand 736 motor vehicles.

Automobiles account for 61.6 percent of the total motor vehicles.

According to the DIE, 36.5 percent of motor vehicles is in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.

There are 1 million 268 thousand 736 motor vehicles in Istanbul, 789,570 in Ankara and 502,088 in Izmir.

The lowest number of motor vehicles was recorded in Tunceli, Ardahan and Hakkari provinces.

There are 2,404 motor vehicles in Tunceli, 2,529 in Ardahan and 2,598 in Hakkari.

-TRADE BETWEEN TURKEY AND FRANCE
ISTANBUL - Twenty percent of the 500 biggest firms in Turkey is composed of joint ventures in which French companies have shares.

Renault, Carrefour, Promodes, Parcifim, Compagnie Fin. De Camondo, Danone, Telecom, Par Satel Mobil, Total Gas, Thomson and Lafarge are among these companies.

According to the statistics obtained from several public organization by the Foreign Economic Relations Authority (DEIK), total exports from Turkey to France was 1 billion 569 million U.S. dollars and total imports from France was 3 billion 127 million U.S. dollars in 1999.

The trade volume between the two countries which had been 4.7 billion U.S. dollars in 1999 became almost 4.2 billion U.S. dollars including 1 billion 337 million U.S. dollars exports from Turkey to France in January-October period of 2000, and France wass ranked fifth in Turkey's trade with foreign countries.

Meanwhile, France was ranked sixth in list of investments made by Turkish companies in foreign countries after Britain, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium.

According to the Treasury Undersecretariat's records in 1999, fifteen Turkish companies are operating in France. Total capital of these companies is 30 million 528 thousand U.S. dollars and they made more than half of their investments in banking sector.

Turkish companies operating in France are as follows: ''Bas Food Gida Sanayi, Vakiflar Bankasi-Emlak Bankasi, Iktisat Bankasi-Erol Aksoy, Net Turizm Tic., Zorlu Holding, Ugur Ugur-Ali Ugur, Demirci Dis Ticaret, Ozba Konfeksiyon, Ten Tour Turizm, Pasa Tur Turizm, Omsan Uluslararasi Nakliyat, Polisan Kimya Sanayi, Batur Ismail Kuruz, Ram Dis Ticaret, Soylu Endustriyel Mineraller.''

When the total foreign capital amount is taken into consideration, France was ranked fourth after the Netherlands, Germany and the United States. The number of French companies operating in Turkey had been 225 as of 1998 and it reached 281 as of November 30, 1999 (six in agriculture sector, five in mining sector 110 in manufacturing industry, 160 in services sector).

As of November of 1999, 21 percent of permitted 25 billion U.S. dollars of foreign capital investments in Turkey belonged to French companies, ranking first in the permitted foreign capital in Turkey.

Turkey exports leather and stout leather clothings, textiles, hazelnuts, color television receivers and nuts to France while France exports planes and other aircrafts, motor vehicles, ships, steel-iron cylinder pipes, vaccine and medicine.

In the January-November period of 1999, total exports from Turkey to France through free trade areas was 29.9 million U.S. dollars and total imports from France through these free areas was 211.8 million U.S. dollars.

There are still seven French companies operating in free trade areas in Turkey.

The total French capital inflow to Turkey through 21 companies had been 11 trillion 581 billion Turkish lira (TL) in 1997 while it decreased 60 percent to 4 trillion 735 billion TL in 1998. In January-November period of 1999, 20 French companies made 5 trillion 71 billion TL of investment in Turkey.

French Danone company made the biggest investment among French capital in 1997 in food sector in Turkey with 9 trillion 804 billion TL. As of 1998, biggest investments of France capital in Turkey were made by Usinor in steel-iron sector and by Weber Broutin in chemicals sector.

In January-November period of 1999, biggest investment of French capital in Turkey was made by Axa UAP with 3 trillion 468 billion TL in investment finance sector.

When sectoral breakdown of French capital inflow to Turkey so far is taken into consideration, biggest investment was made in manufacturing sector with 61.6 million U.S. dollars, and it was followed by banking sector with 17 million U.S. dollar, trade sector with 8.8 million U.S. dollar, tourism sector with 3.8 million U.S. dollar and transportation sector with 834 thousand U.S. dollar.

Specific projects which almost cost 6 billion U.S. dollars followed by French companies in fields of infrastructure, energy, defense, telecommunications are as follows:

''Hydroelectric power plant project, Turkish Telekom's privatization, third GSM phone network licence, Bodrum, Ankara, Dalaman airports project, Kars- Tbilisi railway, Istanbul-Ankara railway, Marmaray subway project, privatization of Turkish Airways (THY), Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, rehabilitation of thermic power plants, Melen project.''

-EXPORTS OF TEXTILES FROM BURSA PROVINCE INCREASE
BURSA - Exports of textiles from northwestern Bursa province increased by 12.2 percent to 37 million U.S. dollars in January of 2001.

In the same period last year, the region exported 33 million 8 thousand U.S. dollars of textiles.

Officials at the Uludag Exporters' Union told the A.A correspondent on Sunday that Bursa province exported textiles to 66 countries and autonomous regions and 5 free areas in the first month of 2001.

Meanwhile, exports of textiles to Germany increased 7.7 percent to 5 million 258 thousand U.S. dollars.

The majority of the goods were exported to Germany, Italy, the U.S., Britain and Egypt.

-BIDS FOR MASTER PLAN TENDER WHICH COVERS WATER
SUPPLY TO TRNC TO BE SUBMITTED ON FEBRUARY 7
ANKARA - The first concrete step in water supply project which will bring long-term solution to water demand in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will be taken with a tender to be held in February.

The bids for the TRNC's water master plan engineering services tender which was developed under coordination of the State Water Works (DSI) which planned to prepare a comprehensive water master plan for the island will be submitted on February 7, 2001.

The project which aims to reveal surface and subsurface water potential of the TRNC will be put into practice by the DSI Directorate General which will spend almost 500 billion Turkish lira (TL) on engineering services of the project.

The TRNC is still meeting its its potable water demand with temporary methods like transfer of water by balloons and tankers.

DSI planned to give the start for works on master plan in first quarter of 2001.

The cost and deadline for construction of the project which will bring a lasting solution to the TRNC's potable water demand will become clear after the preparation of the plan.

-PRODUCTION AND EXPORTS OF CEMENT
ANKARA - Thirty-nine private sector cement factories produced 32 million tons of cement as of end-October of 2000.

Officials at the Association of Turkish Cement Producers said on Sunday that they had exported 4 million tons of their total production in first ten months of 2000.

Officals said that total cement production in 2000 could become 34 million tons when the first ten-month figures were taken into consideration.

Total cement production in 2001 could reach 35 million tons as a result of reconstruction works in the qauke-hit region, they added.

-IDIL BIRET CHARMS ATHENIANS
ATHENS - Worldwide prominent pianist Idil Biret of Turkey gave a concert at Music Palace in Greek capital of Athens on Saturday night.

The Athens State Orchestra conducted by Viron Fidecis, accompanied Biret during the concert in which Sergei Rahmaninov's concerto no:1 was played.

Nearly two thousand Greek people watched the concert.

Biret received a standing applause from the Athenians.

Following the concert, Biret partook in a dinner hosted in her honor by Ali Tuygan, the Turkish Ambassador to Greece.

-TURKISH AND GREEK CHESS PLAYERS TIE
KUSADASI - The chess game which was organized by the Chess Federation in Kusadasi township of Aegean Aydin province between Turkish and Greek chess teams ended in a tie.

The first women's game between Yildiz Cavusoglu of Turkey and Georgia Graspa of Greece and first men's game between Umut Atakis of Turkey and Dimitrios Mastrovasilis of Greece ended in a tie.

In second games, Atakis checkmated Mastrovasilis and Graspa beat Cavusoglu, levelling the game.

Chess Federation Chairman Ali Nihat Yazici said that such games helped the two nations get more closer to each other.

Meanwhile, officials from the Greek Chess Federation said that they were pleased with attending such an activity.

-INDUSTRY AND TRADE MINISTER TANRIKULU: ''INFLATION RATES
ARE POSITIVE RESULTS OF ONGOING MACRO ECONOMIC POLICIES''
ANKARA - Industry and Trade Minister Ahmet Kenan Tanrikulu said on Sunday that inflation rates which were announced on Saturday were positive results of the ongoing macro economic policies.

Speaking to journalists, Tanrikulu said that the government had been implementing a determined economic stability program regarding the struggle against high chronic inflation.

Tanrikulu said that more positive results would be achieved in the second quarter of 2001 and that they would approach the targeted inflation rates.

-INTERNATIONAL REFEREES MEET IN ANTALYA
ANTALYA - International Referee Seminar organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) started in southern Antalya province on Saturday.

At the first day of the seminar, a total of 55 referees from European soccer divisions attended courses at the 100th Year Sports Complex.

Seven Turkish referees are also attending the seminar.

A total of 30 top and 22 first class referees will attend the first course to be held between February 4 and 6, 2001, and 41 new international referees, who appear on the FIFA List this year for the first time, will then attend the second course to be staged between February 8 and 10.

The top international referees will kick-off the proceedings with the usual fitness tests during the seminar.

-MCDONALDS INTRODUCES TURKEY IN JAPAN
TOKYO – Worldwide famous fast-food restaurants chain McDonalds informed Japanese people on historical and touristic assets of Turkey with brochures distributed in its two thousand branches in Japan.

The brochures in Japanese language were financed by the McDonalds' Representation in Japan.

The brochures give informations about history and touristic places of modern Republic of Turkey.

Public affairs official of the McDonalds' Representation in Japan told the A.A correspondent on Sunday that they distributed 400 thousand brochures to promote Turkey to Japanese people.

Describing Turkey as an important place of history of humanity, the brochures said that Turkey was a crossroad between Europe and Asia.

The brochures said that Great Founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk had fought against occupying forces, and founded modern and secular Republic of Turkey on October 29, 1923.

Photographs of historical mosques, Cappadocia region, ancient city of Ephesus and ancient city of Troy were given place in the brochures.

Recalling that yoghurt's homeland was Turkey, the brochures said that yoghurt was spread to Europe during the Ottoman Empire period.

Noting that first tulip was taken from the Ottoman Empire to the Netherlands during the 16th century, the brochures added, ''the first croissant was cooked by Vienneses who were inspired from the crescent in the Turkish flag.''

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