Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-06-12

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

12 JUNE 2001 Tuesday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[02] STATE MINISTER DERVIS LEAVES FOR GERMANY

[03] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT CHAIRMAN BUMIN SAYS VERDICT IN CLOSURE CASE OF FP MAY BE GIVEN NEXT WEEK

[04] TREASURY UNVEILS CONDITIONS OF DEBT SWAP

[05] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT CONVENES

[06] TREASURY UNVEILS CONDITIONS OF DEBT SWAP (2)

[07] STATE MINISTER TOSKAY SAYS THEY ARE PLEASED WITH IMPROVEMENT OF RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY AND IRAN

[08] PRESIDENT SEZER SENDS CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE TO PUTIN

[09] GENERAL STAFF: -''NEWS STORIES CLAIMING THAT GENERAL KIVRIKOGLU WOULD NOT ATTEND NATO AND EU GENERAL STAFF CHIEFS' MEETING AS A REACTION, DO NOT REFLECT THE TRUTH''

[10] IRANIAN COMMERCE MINISTER SHARIAT-MADARI SAYS HIS VISIT TO TURKEY IS SIGN OF IMPORTANCE IRAN ATTRIBUTES TO RELATIONS WITH TURKEY

[11] TREASURY SELLS 190.7 TRILLION TURKISH LIRAS NOMINAL-VALUED SIX-MONTH BONDS

[12] STATE MINISTER DERVIS MEETS WITH BANKERS IN FRANKFURT

[13] LORRY CARRYING WORKERS HIT A LAND-MINE, KILLING THREE PEOPLE AND INJURING FIVE OTHERS

[14] TURKEY-GEORGIA JOINT TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION CONVENES IN ISTANBUL

[15] LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY MINISTER OKUYAN LEAVES FOR SWITZERLAND

[16] ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY LAUNCHES INITIATIVES FOR SAFE PASSAGE FROM STRAITS

[17] TURKISH MILITARY UNIT LEAVES FOR BULGARIA TO TAKE PART IN SEVEN STARS- 2001 MANOEUVRE

[18] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TO CONTINUE DEBATING CLOSURE CASE AGAINST FP TOMORROW

[19] PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT SAYS SYRIAC ORIGIN CITIZENS' BENEFITTING FROM LEGAL AND DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS FREELY IS UNDER STATE'S GUARANTEE

[20] PARLIAMENTARY PLANNING AND BUDGET COMMISSION STARTS TO DISCUSS SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET BILL

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

TREASURY: ''1.5 BILLION U.S. DOLLARS ON THE WAY''
Treasury Undersecretariat said that almost 1.5 billion U.S. dollars of source would be released following approval of the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) eighth review visit. Meanwhile, a letter of intent which assesses the progress recorded in program's economic performance and in factors that were mentioned in the economic policies letter on May 3, 2001, will be submitted to the IMF for completion of the eighth review. The Treasury said that it expected the IMF Board to convene through the end of June to assess the eighth review, adding that the ninth review was expected to be held in July.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

MEANINGFUL MEETING IN GERMANY
Aydin Dogan, the chairman of the Executive Board of Dogan Holding who went to Berlin as the guest of German President Johannes Rau, met with German Interior Minister Otto Schily on the first day of this visit. Dogan will meet with Rau tomorrow.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

DERVIS GIVES SIGNAL: ''RISE IN BRIDGE AND MOTORWAY TOLLS''
The bridge and motorway tolls will be increased to find the source needed for the rise in salaries of public labourers and wheat prices. State Minister Kemal Dervis said that the rise will be made within a few days and assured that there will not be any new taxes.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

CRITICAL MEETING WITH BUSH
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, who is expected to meet with U.S. President George Bush within the framework of the NATO summit, will search for support for the European Security and Defense Identity (ESDI). Economic program and the foreign support are expected to be debated in the meeting. This is the first meeting held at the highest level between Turkey and the U.S. after Bush had become the U.S. President.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

DAY THAT CAN CHANGE DESTINY OF FP
The decision session in the closure case of the Virtue Party (FP) will start today. The decision of the Constitutional Court is closely linked with the destiny of the FP and politics. Officials said that the discussions can end this week. FP members said that they believe that their party will not be closed.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

ASSASSINATION OF A TEACHER
Murat Aslan, a teacher who took the nylon bag left in front of his house in eastern Malatya province, died as the bomb in the nylon bag exploded. Experts said that there was a pipe-bomb in the nylon bag.

TURKEY IS FAVOURITE IN TOURISM
The last edition of the Travel Agent magazine which is published in the U.S. covered Turkey and said that Turkey was like heaven.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

ADVANCE PAYMENT ERA IN TELEKOM
The Turkish Telekom will sell counter units to its subscribers to obtain cash money. Sources said that those who buy counter units from the Telekom will not be affected by the rises in communication.

KAVAKCI APPLIES TO ECHR AGAINST TURKEY
Merve Kavakcę, a former deputy from the Virtue Party (FP) who had lost Turkish citizenship upon the decision of the cabinet, applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against Turkey. Kavakcę's lawyer applied to the ECHR last week. Meanwhile, sources said that the case on banned Welfare Party (RP) administrators who also applied to the Court against Turkey, is expected to be concluded this week.

[02] STATE MINISTER DERVIS LEAVES FOR GERMANY

Dervis will explain Turkey's new economic program to high-level officials of international banking and investor organizations.

Treasury Undersecretary Faik Oztrak, Banking Regulatory and Supervisory Authority (BRSA) Deputy Chairman Teoman Kerman and adviser Oya Unlu are accompanying Dervis during his visit.

Dervis and the accompanying delegation will proceed to New York following their contacts in Germany.

[03] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT CHAIRMAN BUMIN SAYS VERDICT IN CLOSURE CASE OF FP MAY BE GIVEN NEXT WEEK

Responding to questions of reporters, Bumin said that the case may not be concluded this week.

Bumin said, ''the case may be concluded at the weekend. But, I guess that it may be concluded next week. Nothing can become definite before Thursday.''

At the beginning of the session, they will make the first examination of the applications of some local courts, Bumin noted.

To this end, they may start to debate the closure case of the FP in the afternoon, Bumin stated.

Bumin added that they will not continue to debate the closure case at the weekend if they do not give a decision till then.

[04] TREASURY UNVEILS CONDITIONS OF DEBT SWAP

The Treasury divided the paper into two groups, the maturity of which will be paid in 2001 and 2002.

A statement of the Treasury said that three different types of paper will be issued in the first group.

In return for lira debt maturing in 2001: one-third three-year foreign exchange-indexed bonds, one-third five-year foreign exchange-linked bonds, one-third one-year Turkish lira floating rate notes.

In return for lira debt maturing in 2002: one-third three-year foreign exchange-indexed bonds, one-third five-year foreign exchange-linked bonds, one-third two-year Turkish lira floating rate notes.

All repayments will start on December 19, 2001.

The Treasury set the Turkish lira (TL) exchange rate to the dollar at 1 million 160 thousand.

The minimum bid in the swap auction is determined as 100 billion TL while the total nominal bid is fixed as 3 quadrillion TL.

[05] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT CONVENES

The court which convened under the chairmanship of Mustafa Bumin will make the first examination of the application of some local courts demanding the cancellation of some articles of the law on conditional release and suspension of punishments.

The Constitutional Court will probably start to debate the closure case of the Virtue Party (FP) in the afternoon.

The lawsuit was filed on May 7, 1999, by Vural Savas, the retired Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals, with the pretext that the FP was the continuation of the outlawed Welfare Party (RP) and it became the focus of anti-secular activities.

Savas requested the Constitutional Court to lift deputyships of all FP members except for Aydin Menderes who resigned from the FP one day before the closure case.

While he was explaining his opinion on the merits of the case, Savas claimed that the second paragraph of Article 103 of the Political Parties Law was contrary to the Constitution, and requested the court to annul the paragraph.

The second paragraph of Article 103 of the Political Parties Law was annulled by the Constitutional Court.

Before his retirement, Savas sent a video footage to the Constitutional Court including words referred to Necmettin Erbakan, the former leader of the outlawed RP, during the first regular congress of the FP.

The Constitutional Court asked Sabih Kanadoglu who was replaced with Savas, to explain his opinion about the video footage.

Kanadoglu requested the Constitutional Court to accept the video footage as a supplementary evidence.

The Constitutional Court rejected Kanadoglu's request.

Later, Kanadoglu submitted a supplementary indictment to the Constitutional Court.

Kanadoglu also requested the Constitutional Court to ban founders of the FP from political activities for five years, and to lift deputyships of Ismail Alptekin and Mehmet Ozyol.

Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court rejected FP leader Recai Kutan's request for implementation of Article 104 of the Political Parties Law.

At its meeting on February 7, 2001, the Constitutional Court decided to combine Kanadoglu's supplementary indictment with the main lawsuit.

The FP submitted its pre-defense against the supplementary indictment.

Later, Kanadoglu explained his opinions on the merits of the case.

After submission of written defense by the FP, Kanadoglu made verbal statements, and FP deputy Mustafa Kamalak made his party's verbal defense.

Mehmet Turhan, the Rapporteur of the case, prepared a supplementary report.

The report was distributed to the members of the Constitutional Court.

[06] TREASURY UNVEILS CONDITIONS OF DEBT SWAP (2)

In the first group, there are bonds with zero-coupon payment. The date of maturity of these bonds are June 20 and 27, July 11,18 and 25, August 8,15 and 22, September 5 and 19, October 10, November 21, and December 5 and 12. There are also some bonds with 18 percent coupon payment dated October 3.

In the second group, there are bonds, the maturity of which are January 23, 2002, May 15, 2002, July 24, 2002, August 14, 2002, February 20, 2002, March 6, 2002, and June 26, 2002.

Meanwhile, the swap auction will be held on June 15.

[07] STATE MINISTER TOSKAY SAYS THEY ARE PLEASED WITH IMPROVEMENT OF RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY AND IRAN

The delegation headed by Iranian Commerce Minister Mohammad Shariat-Madari visited Toskay.

Toskay said that the Turkish-Iranian relations have been intensified in recent years.

They will debate the measures to be taken to promote especially the economic relations between two countries, Toskay noted.

Toskay stated that he is hopeful that they will reach good results in the end of the deliberations.

He believes that the visit that the Iranian minister and businessmen will pay to Bursa, Konya and Istanbul will contribute to the promotion of relations, Toskay added.

Shariat-Madari said that the relations between two countries have started to develop in recent two years.

Both countries express their determination and political will on this issue, Shariat-Madari noted.

Shariat-Madari expressed hope that steps to further improve the relations will be taken.

The Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meetings between Turkey and Iran are indicators of the promotion of relations, Shariat-Madari stated.

Shariat-Madari said that setting up special commissions like customs commission will contribute to the improvement of relations.

They have also marked progress in border and security issues, Shariat- Madari noted.

Shariat-Madari stressed that not only political will but also economic and commercial relations will be further improved by their contacts.

The natural gas issue contributes to the development of commercial relations between Turkey and Iran, Shariat-Madari said, adding that this issue may be a milestone in their relations with Turkey.

[08] PRESIDENT SEZER SENDS CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE TO PUTIN

A statement of the Presidential Press Center quoted Sezer as saying that they believe that they have the common will and determination to further improve the relations.

The statement also quoted Sezer as saying that cooperation between Turkey and Russia will contribute to not only the mutual interests but also the regional peace, stability and welfare.

The statement said that Sezer invited Putin to Turkey in his message and conveyed his best regards to his Russian counterpart and Russian people.

[09] GENERAL STAFF: -''NEWS STORIES CLAIMING THAT GENERAL KIVRIKOGLU WOULD NOT ATTEND NATO AND EU GENERAL STAFF CHIEFS' MEETING AS A REACTION, DO NOT REFLECT THE TRUTH''

Releasing a statement, the General Staff noted, ''there was certain news stories in today's newspapers claiming that General Kivrikoglu would not attend the meeting of General Staff Chiefs of NATO and EU countries as a reaction. In fact, meeting of the Military Committee Chiefs of Staff (MC- CS) with the participation of chiefs of staff of NATO countries on relations between NATO and the EU, is out of question. Therefore, such news stories are baseless.''

[10] IRANIAN COMMERCE MINISTER SHARIAT-MADARI SAYS HIS VISIT TO TURKEY IS SIGN OF IMPORTANCE IRAN ATTRIBUTES TO RELATIONS WITH TURKEY

''My visit to Turkey in the new period of Mr. Khatami is the sign of importance Iran attributes to further improvement of the relations with Turkey in the coming four years,'' said Shariat-Madari.

Responding to questions of journalists after his meeting with State Minister Tunca Toskay, Shariat-Madari said that ''the election of President Khatami for the second time will further improve the regional cooperation and relations with neighbouring countries.''

The Iranian minister said that the relations between the two countries will develop in the new period, adding that the realization of the natural gas project will contribute to development of bilateral relations.

The guest minister said that they discussed with State Minister Toskay about the balance of commercial relations between the two countries in details, adding that they are in Turkey with a delegation of composed of 40 persons from both private and public sector.

Shariat-Madari said that they would hold a meeting in Istanbul about commercial issues and another Iranian delgation of 100 persons will come to Turkey next month.

''Contacts will be held to set up joint chambers. This is a big step. I hope we can welcome President Ahmet Necdet Sezer in Tehran soon. We attribute great importance to the meeting of two presidents as the two presidents atribute great importance to the law.

Shariat-Madari said that the Khatami's winning the elections by getting 78 percent of the votes is great pleasure for Iranians, adding that he hoped this would contribute to regional countries.

When a journalist asked Shariat-Madari if he had a political message for President Sezer, he said that he brought good will messages of President Khatami.

When a journalist told him that if his visit to Turkey has overcome the security concerns between the two countries, the Iranian minister said that the foreign and interior ministers of the two countries had met before. Shariat-Madari stated that these meetings are important steps to develop the relations between the two countries on strong basis.

[11] TREASURY SELLS 190.7 TRILLION TURKISH LIRAS NOMINAL-VALUED SIX-MONTH BONDS

The total bid had become 335.4 trillion TL and the net sale became 143.8 trillion TL.

The annual simple interest rate became 67.85 percent and the annual composite interest rate became 79.90 percent.

The value date of these three-month bonds is June 13 and the maturity is December 5, 2001.

The bonds sold in this auction would be the re-issuance of Treasury bonds which had been sold on April 18, 2001.

Meanwhile, the Treasury will repay 9 quadrillion 316 trillion 527.9 billion TL in domestic borrowing in the second half of June.

Treasury won't make domestic borrowing repayment in the first half of June.

Treasury's total domestic debt repayments in June will be 9 quadrillion 316 trillion 527.9 billion TL.

[12] STATE MINISTER DERVIS MEETS WITH BANKERS IN FRANKFURT

Dervis came to the Deutsche Bank together with IMF former vice president Stanley Fischer. Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti, Treasury Undersecretary Faik Oztrak, Banking Regulatory and Inspectory Board (BDDK) deputy director Teoman Kerman also participated in the meeting.

The economic programme of Turkey was explained to the bankers in the meeting.

After giving information to the journalists about the meeting in the residence of Turkish consulate general, Dervis will leave for New York at German local time 5.10 p.m.

[13] LORRY CARRYING WORKERS HIT A LAND-MINE, KILLING THREE PEOPLE AND INJURING FIVE OTHERS

Sources told the A.A correspondent that the lorry hit a land-mine which was previously planted on the road by terrorists near Derebasi village in Silopi township.

Three people lost their lives while five others were injured.

The injured people were rushed to nearby hospitals for medical treatment.

[14] TURKEY-GEORGIA JOINT TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION CONVENES IN ISTANBUL

Transportation Minister Enis Oksuz and his Georgian counterpart Merab Adeishvili are presiding the two-day meeting at Istanbul's Tarabya Hotel.

Speaking at the meeting, Oksuz said, ''we should further develop our cooperation to resolve some problems between Turkey and Georgia on the issue of highway transportation.

Meanwhile, Adeishvili said in his part that joint projects between Turkey and Georgia would also be beneficial for the region.

At the meeting, issues such as Kars-Tbilisi Railway Project, modernization of Batumi Airport and improvement of highway transportation between the two countries are expected to be taken up.

[15] LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY MINISTER OKUYAN LEAVES FOR SWITZERLAND

Addressing journalists at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport prior to his departure, Okuyan said, ''the ILO is an organization carrying out works to improve basic labour rights and principles, to extend scope of the social protection to include everyone in a country, and to strengthen tripartite structure of government, workers and employers. I will deliver a speech at the conference in which I will explain developments in Turkey. Also I will hold bilateral contacts with labour ministers of candidate countries to the European Union (EU) during the conference.''

Recalling that the parliament had approved the ILO's conventions on ''Minimum Age'' and ''Prevention of Child Labour'', Okuyan said, ''the Economic and Social Council was founded. Turkey has taken important steps in line with the ILO Convention no: 144. The Parliamentary General Assembly started last week debating the draft law on public employees' labour unions. The Labour Security Draft Law was given its last shape in accordance with the ILO Convention no: 158, and opened to signatures of members of the Council of Ministers.''

''Cooperation protocol signed in September of 2000 made an important contrubition to our working atmosphere with the ILO. We can enumerate the seminar on ''Basic Labour Rights and Principles'' in Istanbul and foundation of the ILO Information Center in Ankara among concrete examples of the close cooperation between Turkey and the ILO,'' he added.

Okuyan is expected to return to Turkey on Friday.

[16] ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY LAUNCHES INITIATIVES FOR SAFE PASSAGE FROM STRAITS

Sources told the A.A correspondent on Tuesday that the Environment Ministry had taken action following yesterday's meeting of the Council of Ministers.

The Environment Ministry has launched a joint work with the State Ministry for Maritime, the Foreign Ministry and the Justice Ministry for safe passage from the Straits.

Within scope of the joint work, all international agreements signed by Turkey about hazardous waste would be reviewed.

The Environment Ministry asked the Foreign Ministry to send information about Russia's decision to store nuclear waste.

The Ministry will ask international environmental organizations to support its initiative to prevent passage of vessels carrying nuclear wastes from the Straits.

Meanwhile, Environment Minister Fevzi Aytekin told the A.A correspondent, ''if vessels carrying nuclear waste have an accident in the Marmara Sea or in the Straits, leakage of radiation will also affect neighboring countries. All humans and other living creatures in the region will be endangered in that case.''

Aytekin described two of the most important agreements about transit passage of nuclear and hazardous wastes from the Straits as the BASEL Convention and the Izmir Protocol.

''Turkey approved the BASEL Convention trying to minimize the generation of hazardous wastes and control their movement in 1994. The convention aims at preventing transportation of hazardous waste to the European Union (EU) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. So, export of hazardous waste from the EU countries to Russia is banned,'' he added.

[17] TURKISH MILITARY UNIT LEAVES FOR BULGARIA TO TAKE PART IN SEVEN STARS- 2001 MANOEUVRE

General Emin Unal of the 33th Mechanized Infantryman Brigade Commander said in the ceremony that the world public opinion has learnt the fact that crises can't be prevented without well-organized organizations and multinational military forces.

Unal said that the manoeuvre aims at carrying out command-control, communication and intelligence activities and to develop cooperation between the South East European Multinational Peace Keeping Forces Brigade Headquarters and units and to try the capabilities and talent of the units.

The manoeuvre will be exercised in Bulgaria between 13-30 June and Bulgaria, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Albania will take part in the manoeuvre, while the U.S. and Slovenia will be observors.

[18] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TO CONTINUE DEBATING CLOSURE CASE AGAINST FP TOMORROW

The Constitutional Court delegation started debating the case at 02:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

Constitutional Court Deputy Chairman Hasim Kilic said that they would continue to debate the case as of 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

[19] PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT SAYS SYRIAC ORIGIN CITIZENS' BENEFITTING FROM LEGAL AND DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS FREELY IS UNDER STATE'S GUARANTEE

Ecevit issued a statement on the claims saying that citizens of Syriac origin who settled in other countries on their wish when terrorist incidents had escalated, faced with certain difficulties today when they want to return to the country.

Ecevit said it is claimed that these citizens are not allowed to return to their villages, to use their rights on their immovable properties, to visit their relatives in their villages and their religious education is not allowed.

''These claims are not true. However the government called on the concerned institutions to show utmost attention as some mis-practices could take place. Our citizens who settled in other countries due to various reasons can come to the country or their villages without facing any difficulty,'' Ecevit said.

Ecevit also published a circular on the issue and noted that there are claims saying that citizens of Syriac origin who went abroad due to various reasons including the terrorism of PKK can't return to their villages. The circular pointed out that these claims can be put forward as a new violation of human rights by international circles against Turkey.

The circular called on the Interior Ministry and other concerned public institutions to pay utmost attention in Syriac origin citizens' using their rights freely.

[20] PARLIAMENTARY PLANNING AND BUDGET COMMISSION STARTS TO DISCUSS SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET BILL

The supplementary budget bill started to be discussed in the parliamentary planning and budget commission the same day.

Giving information about the bill, Oral said that the inflation rate was decreased to its lowest level in the last 14 years in 2000, adding that the debt interest rates decreased to the level of 30 percent and the 2001 budget payments were determined due to the positive developments in 2000.

The fluctuations in the fiscal markets particularly in February this year have been reflected to the other parts of the economy and disturbed the balances in economy, hie stressed.

Oral said that a new economic programme was put into implementation due to this development, adding that ''if there weren't serious deviations from the inflation and exchange rate goals, we would not present you the supplementary budget bill today.''

An additional payment of 30 quadrillion and 80 trillion TL is requested by the bill.

''As it is known the government takes a series of rooted reforms to solve the structural problems of the fiscal sector, banking sector and particularly public banks. The payment which we requested will be used for this purpose in a considerable extent. The banking sector has to have a healthy structure to normalize the economy's operation.''

''A big part of the supplementary budget aims at making the financial structure of the banking sector healthy. Thus the duty losses will be liquidated and on the other hand the banking system will be reinforced which caused the two fluctuations in markets,'' he added.

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