Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-02-10

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

10 FEBRUARY

2001 Saturday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

PROGRAM WILL NOT HAMPERED IF TELEKOM IS NOT SOLD
Treasury Undersecretary Selcuk Demiralp said that the economic program will not be hampered if the Turk Telekom is not sold. Demiralp emphasized that they foresee a privatization income of 7 billion dollars in 2001. Demiralp said, ''we think two billion dollars of this 6-7 billion dollars of privatization income will come from GSM incomes. This GSM income will be transferred to us next week. There remains four-five billion dollars and we think we can achieve this easily from the sales of shares of Turkish Telecom, Turkish Airlines, Turkish Petroleum Inc. (Tupras) and privatization of other public institutions.''

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

Her dead body could be found after hours. Gok's mother, who lost her daughter, was burst into tears.

CINAR ALSO PREFERS VEHICLE WITHOUT ARMOUR
Atilla Cinar, who was appointed as the acting Police Chief of Diyarbakir after Gaffar Okkan was killed in an assasination, also preferred vehicle which does not have armour. Cinar was welcomed by Diyarbakir Governor Cemil Serhadli, and Gokhan Aydiner, the Governor of the State of Emergency, on his arrival to the city.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

G-20 MEETING ON FEBRUARY 18
The pre-meeting of the G-20 platform, of which Turkey is a member, will be held in Istanbul between February 18 and 19. The deputy finance ministers and deputy governors of Central Bank will attend the meeting. The agenda, place and date of the annual meeting of the G-20 platform which is held in the level of ministers, will be determined in the pre-meeting.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

INTEREST INTENSIFIED ON BAKU-CEYHAN
Baku-Ceyhan-Tbilisi pipeline, which was foreseen to transport Caspian basin oil to the world markets, continue to attract the attention of the leading oil companies of the world. Chevron, one of the biggest oil companies of the U.S. sent letters to the foreign ministries of Turkey and Azerbaijan and announced its wish to attend the project.

Turkey said this was a very important step for the realization of the project. Turkey envisages the project to be completed in 2004.

A very critical meeting will take place in Astana by the end of this month regarding participation of Kazakh oil to the project. If Kazakhstan participates in the project, the pipeline will start from Aktau city of this country and will reach Ceyhan over Baku and Tbilisi.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

SUGAR FACTORIES TO BE PRIVATIZED
The Parliamentary Planning and Budget Commission adopted the draft law which foresees the privatization of the sugar factories. The draft law which will be discussed at the Agriculture Commission, foresees the establishment of legal grounds that will help adjustment of sugar production with the European Union (EU) standards and competition conditions and that will enable the privatization of the sugar production.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

FEAR FOR DROUGHT
There is only six billion cubic meters water in dams. The energy crisis is at the door. The level of water in dams gradually reduces. We will have energy shortage if there is not any snow or rain in February and March. State Water Works (DSI) officials said there is only six billion cubic meters of water in the dams.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

GIANT DEFICIT IN BALANCE OF PAYMENTS
Turkey's foreign trade deficit broadened 142.4 percent between January and November 2000 when compared with the same period in 1999 and reached 21 billion 90 million U.S. dollars. The key factors underlying this development are; ''increase of export revenues by 1.4 percent, increase of shuttle trade by 33.8 percent against increase of import (CIF) expenditures by 37 percent.''

-PUBLIC WORKS AND HOUSING MINISTER AYDIN IN U.S.
ATLANTA - Public Works and Housing Minister Koray Aydin arrived in Atlanta, the U.S., early on Saturday.

Aydin, accompanied by Prime Ministry Chief Adviser Ahmet Vefik Alp, will attend the introduction of a program for developed wood construction technologies which was prepared by the U.S. Agriculture Department and a group of U.S. companies.

The program will be introduced in a fair held in Atlanta between February 9 and 11.

Aydin, Alp and a delegation comprised of representatives of construction sector will visit the fair and see different models.

-TURKISH FILM PRESENTED WITH JURY SPECIAL AWARD
IN INTERNATIONAL IRAN FILM FESTIVAL
TEHRAN - Turkish film titled ''Mayıs Sıkıntısı'' (May Boredom) was presented with the Jury Special Award in the 19th International Iran Fecr Film Festival.

This film was presented with the jury special award on Friday night.

Nuri Bilge Ceylan, the director of the film, told A.A correspondent that he did not expect to be presented with an award because there were many good films in the festival but that he was very pleased.

Ceylan said that this award was the 11th international award presented to his film ''May Boredom.''

May Boredom had been granted Golden Bear award which was the biggest award in the Berlin Film Festival last year.

-TREMOR IN TOKAT
ISTANBUL - A slight earthquake shook Black Sea Tokat province on Saturday morning.

Bogazici University Kandilli Observatory and Seismology Institute said the quake, measuring 3.7 on the Richter scale, occurred at 09:08 local time.

The institute said the epicenter of the quake was Tokat Erbaa.

-AYDIN, MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HOUSING,
WORKS ON QUAKE-RESISTANT PROJECTS IN THE U.S.
ATLANTA - Koray Aydin, the Minister of Public Works and Housing, said on Saturday that they targeted at contructing American type wooden house project in order to bring a solution to shanty house problem and the dwelling problem in Turkey. Aydin said the purchase of the houses will be on 150 U.S. dollars installments so that it would also be appropriate for the people who have low income.

Aydin, who will attend a construction fair in Atlanta city of Georgia state of the U.S., met with the representatives of the U.S. companies who took place in ''U.S. Wood Products Construction Program,'' project, which will be promoted in the fair.

Responding to the questions of Turkish reporters in Atlanta, Aydin said they worked on various projects for the usage of Eximbank loan, worth of one billion U.S. dollars, which the U.S. government opened to Turkey following the quake.

Aydin said, ''our aim is to solve shanty towns problem in Turkey. Our financial sources are not sufficent at the moment. We could not benefit from the Eximbank loan as there was not project. We are looking for projects to use this loan. We will be able to construct approximately 100, 000 houses with this one billion U.S. dollars loan.''

Aydin said quake-resistant wooden buildings are mostly discussed among the projects that have been discussed with the U.S. companies. He said everybody, who was interested in the construction sector, understood the importance of wood, and that they wanted to bring such kinds of houses to Turkey.

Aydin said Istanbul, Kocaeli, and Adapazari are the most appropriate places to start these projects.

Ahmet Vefik Alp, the Prime Ministry Chief Consultant, who accompanied Aydin, said the American type wooden houses were resistant to fire and insects, noting that they were not demolished in quake.

Alp said there were two million shanty houses, noting that, ''the shanty houses in Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara and Adana should be cleared. We should convince those people to live in modern houses.''

The U.S. Agriculture Department also supports the wooden house project.

Aydin will meet with the officials of the U.S. Agriculture Department, and sign an agreement for a training program for the Turkish architects and engineers.

The U.S. First Renaissance Ventures, Wickes International companies and APA- The Engineered Wood Association support the project.

Aydin will proceed to California afterwards completing his contacts in Atlanta.

-DEPOSIT INTEREST RATES OF BANKS
ANKARA - Interest rates of some banks for Turkish lira deposits are as follows:

(percent)

Name of Bank 1-Month 3-Month 6-Month 12-Month

--------------- ------- ------- ------- --------
Akbank 43 43 43 43 (x)

Citibank 48 44 43 40

Demirbank 38 33 30 25

Disbank 43 45 46 47

Emlak Bankasi 46 44 37 32

Esbank 45 42 41 41

Etibank 40 40 40 40

Finansbank 46 44 35 34

Garanti Bankasi 45 45 43 43 (x)

Halkbank 44 42 37 35

Iktisat Bankasi 42 41 38 36

Is Bankasi 38 38 40 41

Kocbank 38 39 43 44

Osmanli Bankasi 42 42 40 40

Oyakbank 52 54 45 41

Pamukbank 40 40 35 35

Sumerbank 35 28 28 25

Sekerbank 40 41 36 36

TEB 45 45 42 39
Tekstilbank 46 37 34 34

Toprakbank 47 45 41 39

Vakifbank 37 36 33 30

Yapi Kredi Bankasi 32 32 37 37 (x)

Ziraat Bankasi 32 32 31 30

(x): The interest rate applied until 2 billion Turkish liras (TL)

-LOAN INTEREST RATES OF BANKS
ANKARA - Interest rates for consumer, motor vehicles and real estate purchase loans of some banks on monthly basis are as follows:

. (percent)

. Consumer Motor-Vehicles Real Estate

. ---------- -------------- -----------
Names of banks 6-MO 12-MO 12-MO 24-MO 24-MO 36-MO

-------------- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
Akbank 5.25 5.25 4.95 4.95(xx) 5.75 5.75

Demirbank 6.50 6.50 5.75 5.75(xx) 5.75

Disbank 9.50 9.50 7.50 7.50 7.50 7.50

Emlak Bankasi 6.00 6.00 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.50

Esbank 6.25 6.25 6.00 6.25(xx) 6.00(XX)

Etibank 4.50 4.50 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00

Finansbank 6.50 6.50 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00

Garanti Bankasi 5.75 5.75 5.25 5.25 5.25 D

Iktisat Bankasi 8.75 8.75 8.50 8.50 8.50 8.50

Is Bankasi 5.75 5.75 5.25 5.25 5.25 5.50

Interbank 5.25 5.25 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.25

Kocbank 6.95 6.95 5.65 5.65 5.65

Osmanli Bankasi 8.50 8.50 5.95 5.95 5.95 5.95

Pamukbank 5.60 5.60 5.25 8.25 5.25 5.25

Sekerbank 5.90 5.90 5.75 5.75 6.00

Vakifbank 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00

Yapi Kredi B. 5.25 5.25 5.00 5.00(xx) 5.25

Ziraat Bankasi 6.05 5.95 5.95 5.95 -

(x) : Interest rate for 12-month maturity loan.

(xx): Interest rate for 18-month maturity loan.

-TURKISH-GEORGIAN RELATIONS
-BORDER OFFICIALS OF TURKEY AND GEORGIA CONVENE IN ARHAVI
ARHAVI - Turkish and Georgian border officials, working in Sarp Border Gate, convened on Saturday in Arhavi township in Artvin province and discussed the border problems.

Selahattin Akyurt, the Artvin Governor, and Colonel Husmen Akdeniz headed the Turkish delegation, and Tengiz Kontzolidze, the Batumi Border official, chaired the Georgian delegation.

Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Artvin Governor Akyurt said there were border violations from time to time between the two countries.

''We have decided to prevent the border violations from now on. Turkish fishermen sometimes passed from Sarp region and entered to Georgian territories while fishing. However, there is not much violation. Our fishermen who got commercial permission are exceptional. These can not be regarded as border violation as they got official permission.''

Akyurt said Turkey will do its best in this respect, noting, ''we will fulfil our duties. Georgian delegation thinks the same. We will do our best to improve our friendship.''

Tengiz Kontzolidze, the head of the Georgian delegation, said they were pleased over discussing the border problems, noting that, Turkey and Georgia, the two neighbouring countries, would sove the border problems and work together to improve friendship.

-JAPANESE GOVERNMENT TO ESTABLISH JAPANESE LANGUAGE LABORATORY IN KAYSERI
KAYSERI - The Japanese government will establish Japanese Language Laboratory in Erciyes University of central Kayseri province.

Officials told A.A correspondent on Saturday that within the framework of the note on cultural exchange which had earlier been discussed by Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and his Japanese counterpart Yohei Kono, a Japanese Language Laboratory will be established within the scope of the Erciyes University's Japanese Language and Literature Department.

The laboratory which costed 41 million Japanese yens, will be opened by a ceremony in which Shigeo Takenaka, the Japanese Ambassador to Turkey; and Erciyes University Rector Zeki Yilmaz.

The cultural donation provided by the Japanese government for 14 projects since 1983 has reached 626 million 900 thousand Japanese yens so far.

-PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT:
''WE SHOULD RECONCILE STABILITY WITH A DYNAMIC ECONOMIC STRUCTURE''
ANKARA - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said on Saturday that Turkish society was dynamic, noting that, ''to this end, we should reconcile stability with a dynamic economic structure.''

When a journalist reminded that allegations were brought onto the agenda in Greece regarding so-called genocide on Greeks during the War of Independence and when recalled the decree regarded with announcing September 14 as the genocide day, Ecevit said, ''nobody with the slightest bit of sense could ever take these claims seriously. It is a historical fact known to all how much the Greeks have used oppression and cruelty during their occupation in Anatolia''

When asked if Turkey will have an initiative against Greece on the issue, Ecevit said, ''it is nothing to be taken seriously. Probably some sensible people in Greece will take this bizzare thing off the agenda.''

When a journalist recalled that a comprehensive meeting took place on Friday with the participation of ministers responsible for economy and with economy officials, and asked, ''what kind of concrete measures will be taken, and how this will take place without making concession from the stability program,'' Ecevit said, ''we are obliged to find a way to materialize this. As I always say, Turkish society is dynamic. Turkish entrepreneurs are also dynamic. To this end, we should reconcile stability with a dynamic economic structure. We will find a way for this.''

When a journalist said some parliamentarians from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) did not sign the decree that was opened to give back citizenship to world famous Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet, Ecevit said, ''we have talked with Devlet Bahceli. There is not a difference of opinion between us.''

-GREEK ALLEGATIONS OF SO-CALLED GENOCIDE
-FOREIGN MINISTRY SAYS ALLEGATIONS ARE NOT SERIOUS
ANKARA - Turkey does not consider the Greek allegations of so-called genocide as serious.

Referring to the statement that Foreign Minister Ismail Cem made in a private news channel, an official of the Foreign Ministry said that Turkey thinks these allegations are not serious.

The official reminded that the minutes of the Lausaunne Treaty confirmed that the behaviours of the Greeks who occupied Anatolia violated the principles of the international law and said that Turkey does not consider these allegations as serious but closely follows this issue.

Ioannis Corantis, the Greek Ambassador to Turkey, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Friday night and gave information to Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Faruk Logoglu.

Greek Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos and Deputy Interior Minister Costas Caiserlis prepared a decree on so-called genocide and submitted this decree to Greek President Costis Stephanopoulos.

-PREPARATION FOR TOURISM ACTIVITIES IN HALFETI
SANLIURFA - Lake tourism will be started with sea boats in historical Halfeti township of southeastern Sanliurfa province. Some parts of Halfeti township remained under the waters of Birecik Dam.

Muzaffer Dilek, the Governor, told A.A correspondent that Halfeti, which was one of the most important centers of the ''silk road,'' was a tourism center.

Pointing out that some parts of Halfeti township remained under the waters of Birecik Dam, Dilek said citizens who lived in regions which remained under the waters, were settled in Karaotlak region, which is seven km away from the township.

Dilek said people of Halfeti earned their living with fishing from river before, adding that new projects were underway for those people to make fishing in lake.

''We should make use of the tourism potential of the township which is full of history. To this end, we are implementing lake tourism in Birecik Dam lake. Tours will be staged to Zeugma ancient city and Rumkale with sea boats. Thus, Halfeti will be the new center of tourism,'' Dilek noted.

-TURKISH SKIING NATIONAL TEAM DUE TO FINLAND
KAYSERI - The Turkish National Skiing Team will go to Finland to attend the FIS Nordic World Championships 2001 in Lahti.

Faruk Guler, the Chairman of the Skiing Federation and Erciyes Tourism Investors Union, told A.A correspondent on Saturday that eight skiers and two trainers will go to Finland on February 13.

Guler said that the group will return to Turkey on February 25.

Their target is to increase their FIS point before the 2002 Olympic Games, Guler noted.

Guler added that the International Alpine Skiing Championships which was planned to be held in Erciyes Skiing Center between February 17 and 18 were cancelled due to inadequate amount of snow.

FIS Nordic World Ski Championships are among the biggest winter sports events in Finland.

-STATE MINISTER KECECILER:
''OUR CUSTOMS GATES ARE READY FOR THE EU''
ANTALYA - Mehmet Kececiler, the State Minister, said on Saturday that customs gates of Turkey were ready for the European Union (EU).

Addressing a ceremony staged for the opening of automation system which has been put into practice in Antalya Customs Directorate, Kececiler briefed about the automation system and position of customs in Turkey.

Kececiler said Antalya Customs was the 23rd customs gate that started automation system, noting that thus more than 80 percent of the customs in Turkey have been automated. He said proceedings were speeded up and the mistakes reduced to the minimum level with the system.

Kececiler said the longest exports procedures could be completed within 24 hours due to the system, adding that customs gates were very important in order to be ready for the EU.

-GREEK SHADOW PUPPET THEATRE PERFORMED FOR QUAKE SURVIVOR CHILDREN
IZMIT - The Iason Shadow Puppet Theatre of Greece performed a show for the quake survivor children in Izmit province.

The Greek shadow puppet theatre actors and actresses introduced the Greek shadow puppet theatre and explained the similarities between the Greek shadow puppet theatre and Karagoz shadow puppet theatre.

Mehmet Alcinkaya, the director of the Social Center which was constructed in Sirintepe district of Izmit by the aid organization Kessa Dimitra, said that the Greek aid organization continued to organize activities in the center after the center was established.

Alcinkaya noted that some other teams will perform shows in the center in the following months.

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