Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-03-09

Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.com.tr/>

ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

09 MARCH

2001 Friday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

banks, Yılmaz stressed that the crisis stems from the heavy burden brought by various governments' policies to the shoulders of the public banks in the last ten years.

SIX GOLDEN RULES FROM KEMAL DERVIS
State Minister Kemal Dervis who is currently in Washington D.C. said that ''we are at a very critical period. We must be resolved and brave.'' Dervis pointed out that the government has to extend full support to the new economic programme. According to Dervis, politicians and leaders should support the economic programme. ''Public banks should no longer be a burden for Turkey. An ungent and realist programme will be drawn to get international support. There won't be programme of IMF and the World Bank. Fight with corruption will continue. Civil servants will be paid more than the inflation rate,'' he said.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

LETTER OF INTENT IS READY
While State Minister Kemal Dervis continues his contacts in Washington D.C., the economy bureaucracy in Ankara prepared the draft of the new letter of intent that will be submitted to IMF. Various units of the economy will examine the draft letter.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

ORAL SAYS NO NEW TAX IS ON AGENDA
Finance Minister Sumer Oral said that they don't think of collecting new taxes, adding that the economic situation is not suitable for that. Oral stressed that they will increase the wages of civil servants just as the amount of the inflation rate.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

WOMEN WANT PEACE
Various activities were staged throughout Turkey upon the March 8, World Women's Day. Women said that they have to claim ownership on their ''labour and body.'' Emergency State Governor's Office didn't permit activities to be held in southeastern Diyarbakır province. Police took into custody 39 persons in Gebze, 28 persons in Mersin and three persons in Aydın province.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

TURKEY'S NASA ON THE WAY
Turkey will take the first concrete step related to space studies by founding the Turkish Space Institution which will work just like NASA in the U.S. The Institution will unite all the space studies under one roof.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

''ABOLISH DEATH SENTENCE, WE WILL MAKE YOU A MEMBER''
Goran Personn, the Prime Minister of Sweden, the European Union (EU) Term President said yesterday that Turkey's abolishing the death penalty is a necessity for her to join the EU as a full member.

TREMOR IN CINARCIK
A tremor shook slightly Cınarcık township of northwestern Yalova province yesterday. Bogazici University Kandilli Observatory and Seismology Centre recorded the tremor measuring 3.0 on the Richter scale at 13.32 local time.

The tremor was also felt in some districts of Istanbul.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

ACCESSION PARTNERSHIP APPROVED
EU Council approved yesterday the Accession Partnership Accord prepared by the EU Commission for Turkey. Now it is Turkey's turn to submit its national programme for the adoption of the acquis (NPAA) to the EU.

-STATE MINISTER DERVIS STAGES PRESS BRIEFING IN WASHINGTON D.C. (1)
WASHINGTON D.C. - State Minister Kemal Dervis who is charged in economy said on Thursday evening that he hoped to prepare the economic programme of Turkey less than ten days.

Staging a press briefing in Turkey's Embassy in Washington D.C. after meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, Dervis said that after preparing the economic programme, he expected to get the support of the international finance circles.

Dervis said that he also met with Stanley Fischer, the IMF First Deputy Managing Director the same day, adding that he would meet with the World Bank President James Wolfensohn and IMF Managing Director Horst Kohler.

Dervis said that he would complete the proceedings related to his resignation from the World Bank in Washington D.C.

''We are at a very critical moment. We must be very brave and strong. We must solve the problems which we couldn't solve for a long time. It is detrimental to explain certain parts of the economic programme without forming the whole programme. Economic strategy is a whole and it can be successful as a whole. We are not at the stage of announcing the programme now. Political leaders and the government have to stand behind this programme. If we can achieve that, we can get the financial support both from the banking and from the official circles. It is wrong to mention any amount now before forming the programme.''

(to be continued)

-STATE MINISTER DERVIS STAGES PRESS BRIEFING IN WASHINGTON D.C. (2)
WASHINGTON D.C. - State Minister Kemal Dervis said on Thursday evening that if a serious economic programme backed politically is formed, the necessary support to that will be taken.

Staging a press briefing in Turkey's Embassy in Washington D.C., Dervis said that he was pleased with his meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill.

''The U.S. Treasury Department closely monitors Turkey. They know that the situation in Turkey is serious. If we can form a serious programme, I believe that they will support us. It is not possible for anybody to promise to support the programme before the latter is ready,'' Dervis said.

Noting that the programme has to be supported by the coalition parties, Dervis indicated that important meetings were held in Ankara about this isuse and there was a consensus of opinion on many issues.

''The strategy that will come out will be the common programme of the government. It will not be the programme of one party, but the programme of the whole government. We must carry out serious studies in Turkey about the details of the programme,'' he said.

When asked when the programme would be ready, Dervis said that it would be ready less than ten days. ''Technically Turkey is very powerful, we have very distinguished staff working in Central Bank, Foreign Trade Undersecretary, State Planning Organization and Finance Ministry,'' Dervis said.

When a journalist asked the place of the stand-by agreement concluded with IMF in the new programme, Dervis said that ''we will have a new programme with IMF. We will reconstruct the existing programme. IMF works on its part, we have certain differences of opinion with them, too. Technically the programme has been suspended.''

Dervis stressed that the government particularly Premier Bulent Ecevit is very resolved to fight with inflation, adding that ''there is a policy which is also acepted by IMF that civil servants' wages won't be less than the increase in the inflation rate. This policy will continue.''

Dervis remarked that the biggest problem is the loss caused by the banking system and the loss caused by structural deficiences in Turkey.

''We must solve the problems in the banking system, we must take serious steps and we mustn't return from them. We must act in a resolved way. We are fully supported by the prime minister and deputy premiers,'' he said.

(to be continued)

-STATE MINISTER DERVIS STAGES PRESS BRIEFING IN WASHINGTON D.C. (3)
WASHINGTON D.C. - State Minister Kemal Dervis said on Thursday evening that Turkey's economic programme had to be national, adding this responsibility couldn't be transferred to any international organization.

Dervis said that the economic programme had to always be the programme of the Turkish government. ''The new programme won't be the programme of the IMF and World Bank, but we will ask them for support,'' he said upon a question.

When asked if the IMF and World Bank had a role in the emergence of the economic crisis, Dervis said ''it is not right to present this like that. The state has to take the responsibility upon itself. The responsibility belongs to Turkey. Certainly it is not right to think that the IMF's views are always true. Maybe the IMF made a mistake. The thing that matters now is to put forward an economic programme that will function in the future.''

Upon another question, Dervis said that the issue that has priority now is to improve the banking sector.

''It is very difficult to keep the foreign exchange rate stable without improving the structural deficiences in the banking sector. We must try to solve the problems in the monetary policy, financial policy and banking sector alltogether. We shouldn't neglect one of them. We must be flexible in solutions and benefit from the experiences of other countries. We must strengethen the trust in our currency. Turkey is a country whose economic potential and social structure is trusted by others. We don't think of postponing the internal debts,'' said Dervis.

When a journalist asked Dervis what the banking sector reform must include, Dervis said that ''it shouldn't mean closing or seizing the control of all the banks. It can be helping the banks. It is wrong to expect a bank, which lost its own capital, to work well. The reform means acting fast, to form a certain strategy and to give decisions fast. Public banks are burden for Turkey for years.''

Upon another question, Dervis said that ''in a transparent atmosphere, corruption ends. We must put forward a programme which will be understood by everybody.''

Dervis indicated that the U.S. Treasury Department hopes the economic programme which it will support, to be strong and to draw investors to Turkey in the future.

Stressing that Turkey has a powerful society and economy, Dervis said that ''we must stress that those who invest in Turkey will win in the end.''

Dervis said that Turkey must trust its own sources, adding it is not good to get big loans with high interest rates.

(to be continued)

-STATE MINISTER DERVIS STAGES PRESS BRIEFING IN WASHINGTON D.C. (4)
WASHINGTON D.C. - State Minister Kemal Dervis said on Thursday that he would come to the U.S. again after two weeks.

Staging a press briefing at Turkey's Embassy, Dervis said that he would participate in the meeting of the American-Turkish Council (ATC) that will be held in Washington D.C. at the end of March.

Noting that his contacts with U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and other financial circles would continue, Dervis said that O'Neill promised to act warm towards Turkey.

Turkish Ambassador to the U.S. Baki Ilkin said in his part that Dervis would talk about Turkish economy on March 26 in ATC meeting.

Dervis said that Premier Bulent Ecevit displayed a very resolved attitude and he promised to give full support to him. Upon a question, Dervis said ''I fully trust and respect Mr. Premier. Our contacts with him continue for a long time. Other coalition parties also promised to support me. I am a minister without being a member of any political party. We can achieve success only by these three parties' acting together.''

''A crisis in a country can create the opportunity of solving certain structural problems, we can do the things which we couldn't do for years. Between 1970-1980, the economy was stopped up, we even couldn't find coffee to drink. But within few years, Turkey's exports increased more than any other country. That crisis had brought an important structural change with it,'' he said. Dervis noted that the coming weeks and months had to be used well.

When a journalist asked if he wrote a letter of warning to Premier Bulent Ecevit before the economic crisis, Dervis said that was not true.

Dervis said that he didn't have any political target, adding he was not in a position to think of it.

State Minister Dervis will return to Turkey in the weekend.

(end)

-PREMIER ECEVIT SAYS HE TALKED TO STATE MINISTER
DERVIS ON PHONE LAST NIGHT, THERE IS NO NEW DEVELOPMENT
ANKARA - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said on Friday that he talked to State Minister Kemal Dervis on the phone last night, adding that there is no new development.

Upon questions of reporters, Ecevit said that he got information from Dervis, who is currently in Washington D.C. last night.

-CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TO BE VERY BUSY NEXT WEEK
ANKARA - Constitutional Court will be very busy next week after the long Bayram holiday.

The Virtue Party (FP) has to submit its preliminary defense to the Court as a response to the additional indictment included to the closure case file against FP until March 12, at the latest. The Court had given 15 days of extra time to the party to submit its defense.

Following the Court's submitting its preliminary defense, Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor Sabih Kanadoglu will present his views about the merits of the case. FP will submit its defense regarding the merits of the case within 15 days following that. FP can ask for extra time to submit its defense.

Kanadoglu will later explain his views verbally to the Constitutional Court delegation, and the FP officials will defend themselves verbally. Following the case rapporteur's preparing his/her report, the closure case will start to be discussed in merits.

The Court will continue to examine the applications of the local courts asking for abolishment of certain articles of the law on conditional release.

The Constitutional Court has to conclude the suit filed requesting the abolishment of the Authority Law No. 4616 which authorizes the government to adopt decrees having the force of law for three months to improve the administrative and personnel rights of public employees. The Authority law will be invalid after March 22.

The Court will also give its decision in the suit filed requesting the abolishment of the law that foresees privatization of Vakıfbank.

-STATE MINISTER GEMICI LEAVES FOR GERMANY
ISTANBUL - State Minister Hasan Gemici left for Germany on Friday to participate in a meeting that will be held by the Association of Helping Turkish Disabled Persons which acts in Herne city of Germany.

Gemici said at Ataturk Airport that he will receive the award that will be given to him by the association.

Noting that he will also attend a meeting to be organized by the Association of Turkish Businessmen and Industrialists in Europe, Gemici said that he will take initiatives to orient the savings of Turkish businessmen and industrialists living in Germany, to Turkey.

-SECURITY DIRECTORATE GENERAL WARNS PROVINCIAL HEADQUARTERS
ABOUT POSSIBLE ATTACKS OF TERRORIST HEZBOLLAH ORGANIZATION
ANKARA - Security Directorate General warned its provincial headquarters about possible attacks of terrorist Hezbollah organization on Friday.

The Security Directorate General called for taking tight measures against the terrorist organization, stressing that the terrorist organization could stage assassination attacks on high ranking officials.

The Security Directorate General sent a decree to security directorates in provinces about the terrorist organization, noting that assassinations like the one staged on Diyarbakır Security Director Gaffar Okkan on Jan. 24, could continue.

The decree noted that there are many unknown Hezbollah militants in Adana, Gaziantep, Mersin and Sanlıurfa

provinces, adding that attacks and assassinations could be staged by these militants in these provinces.

The decree stressed that the terrorist organization could be active in Ormanardı village and Solhan county of Bingol province and in Melekhan village of Solhan.

The decree stressed that the terrorist organization could start to act in rural areas, adding that the organization could attack those members of the terrorist organization who were arrested and who confessed the organization's activities to police.

-FLOOD KILLS ONE WOMAN IN HALFETI
-245 HOUSES AND OFFICES DAMAGED
SANLIURFA/HALFETI - A total of 245 houses and offices were inundated and one woman died in Halfeti township of southeastern Sanlıurfa province on Friday.

Around 200 houses and 45 offices were damaged in Yukarı Goklu hamlet of Halfeti in the flood caused by torrential rains which started on Thursday evening.

The dead body of Fidan Mavigok (75) who was drifted by the flood was found.

Sanlıurfa Governor Muzaffer Dilek said that certain stables collapsed in Yukarı Goklu hamlet, adding 300 animals died and 15 vehicles were drifted by the flood.

Noting that the water, electricity and telephone networks were damaged in the hamlet, Dilek said that there is no big damage in planted fields.

-TURKISH FAMILIES CONTINUE TO RETURN FROM SYRIA
CEYLANPINAR - The Turkish families who went to Syria from Ceylanpınar township of southeastern Sanlıurfa province for 48 hours to meet with their relatives upon the feast of sacrifice, continue to return to Turkey.

Officials at Ceylanpınar Border Gate told A.A that the return of Turkish families from Syria will end at 17.00 local time today. ''Today 1,705 persons (640 families) will return to Turkey,'' the officials said.

''164 persons who had to return to Turkey yesterday couldn't return as Syria closed the doors earlier. The head official's office gave extra time to them. They will return today,'' officials added.

-LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY MINISTER OKUYAN
SAYS TURKEY HAS TO REALIZE STRUCTURAL REFORMS QUICKLY
IZMIR,- Labour and Social Security Minister Yasar Okuyan said on Friday that Turkey has to realize structural reforms quickly.

Okuyan attended the same day in the opening of the social security building allocated within the scope of the project that aims at educating working children in Izmir.

Okuyan said that working children constitutes a problem for the whole world, adding that their number is quite high in Turkey. He stressed that the number of working children decreased following the adoption of the eight years of compulsary education system in Turkey.

Stressing that families which had economic difficulties make their children work, Okuyan said that nearly 1,500 children will get education by the project which will continue for three years. Okuyan indicated that this project is an example for Turkey and the world. The project aims at taking back these children from work life and send them to their families and schools again, Okuyan said adding that the project also aims at improving the economic and social conditions of families of these children.

Responding to questions of journalists, Okuyan said that the economy continues to be in difficulty, adding that the whole world has a global crisis for the moment. Okuyan asserted that Turkey needs administrative and local reforms.

-BRITISH SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO CYPRUS HANNAY
AND BRITISH MINISTER VAZ TO VISIT TRNC ON 13 MARCH
LEFKOSA- British Special Representative to Cyprus Sir David Hannay and British Foreign Office Minister Keith Vaz, who is responsible for Britain's relations with Europe, will come to Cyprus on March 13.

British High Commissioner's Office in Lefkosa said on Friday that Hannay and Vaz will hold contacts in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Greek Cypriot side for two days.

-1,851 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAPTURED IN EDIRNE IN LAST TWO MONTHS
EDIRNE - Gendarme captured 1,851 illegal immigrants in northwestern Edirne province in 88 operations along the borders with Bulgaria and Greece in the past two months.

The immigrants, hoping to sneak across the borders to make their way to European countries, were mostly from Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Palestinian-controlled areas and South Africa.

-TORRENTIAL RAINS KILL ONE PERSON IN ADIYAMAN
ADIYAMAN - Torrential rains killed one person in southeastern Adıyaman province on Friday.

Adıyaman Governor Halil Isık said that the rains also material damage.

The roof of a tobacco storehouse collapsed killing Mahmut Mezacı (43) in Ikidam village of Adıyaman, said Isık adding that certain houses partially subsided due to rain.

-FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES
ISTANBUL/ANKARA - Buying and selling prices of U.S. dollar, German mark and British pound in Istanbul and Ankara as of 16:00 p.m. on Friday are as follows:

ISTANBUL FREE MARKET Buying Selling

-------------------- ------- ------
U.S. dollar 886,000 900,000

German mark 420,000 434,000

British pound 1,220,000 1,305,000

ANKARA FREE MARKET

German mark 410,000 440,000

British pound 1,250,000 1,350,000

-TRNC PRESIDENT DENKTAS SAYS GREEK CYPRIOT CAN'T
SETTLE IN NORTHERN CYPRUS UNDER A POSSIBLE AGREEMENT
LEFKOSA - Rauf Denktas, the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Friday that Greek Cypriots can't settle in Northern Cyprus under a possible agreement.

The Turkish Cypriot martryrs who died during the Baf Resistance 37 years ago were commemorated in a ceremony held in Guzelyurt the same day.

Addressing the ceremony, Denktas said that the reason of the Cyprus question's not being solved to date is the fact that the world still considers the Greek Cypriot side as the only government of Cyprus. Denktas stressed that this mistake continues for 38 years.

Noting that the ''state'' won't be bargained, Denktas indicated that Turkish Cypriots are ready to make peace on the basis of equality and sovereignty as a founding partner on the island.

Denktas said that Greek Cypriots didn't change in 37 years, adding that the Greek Cypriots continue the attack it started on Turks in 1964, also in the world today. Greek Cypriots still consider Turkish Cypriots as minority, said Denktas.

-OVERNIGHT REPO INTEREST RATES AVERAGE IS 80.46 PERCENT
ISTANBUL - Overnight interest rates in State Debenture and Bond Market at Istanbul Stock Market Exchange (IMKB) for the last three days is 80.46 percent.

According to the information given from IMKB State Debenture and Bond Market on Friday, the lowest interest rate has been 80 percent and the highest has been 81,5 percent.

Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article