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

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

03 SEPTEMBER 2001 Monday

-TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on September 3, 2001. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

Turkish national team beat Spain 84-79 and qualified to quarterfinal of the 32nd European Basketball Championship. Turkey was ranked among the best eight teams of Europe.

HE IS EXPECTED TO RESIGN TILL WEEKEND

Public Works and Housing Minister Koray Aydin, who was cornered by the operation against the tenders opened by his ministry, could not persuade his party, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). He is expected to resign today or till weekend. The claims that Aydin signed a contract of construction of a housing estate in Ankara in return for flats on November 30, 1999 when he was the minister, worsened the situation. MHP leader Devlet Bahceli said that he would ask for Aydin's resignation if his name was mentioned at the State Security Court (DGM).

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

Murat Bozlak, the leader of the People's Democracy Party (HADEP), said, ''Turkish flag is our flag. We are a party of Turkey. We are not the extension of ethnic nationalist wing and terrorist organization PKK.'' Bozlak said, ''I am very sincere. HADEP is not separatist. We have never considered us as a party of the Kurds.'' HADEP leader strictly opposes to the allegation of ''political extension of the terrorist organization'': ''We are not the extension or legal party of an illegal formation.''

STROKE OF PKK AND TEHRAN

Anti-terror teams staged an operation in Umraniye, Kucukcekmece and Bagcilar districts of Istanbul. Sixteen of 21 members of the terrorist organization PKK who were captured during the operations were involved in the killing of ten policemen in the Southeastern Anatolia Region. The other five terrorists were trained in Iran and entered Turkey with an Iranian passport.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

Labour and Social Security Minister Yasar Okuyan, who could not cope with corruption, denounced his ministry to the Prime Ministry Inspection Board and State Security Court (DGM) as the final remedy. Okuyan, who said that the biggest plunder and corruption are made in his ministry, requested Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's help to carry the issue to the Prime Minister Inspection Board. Then, he denounced his ministry to DGM Prosecutor's Office by saying that there was corruption in his ministry. Upon the denounciation of Okuyan, a full operation was launched in the ministry, Social Security Agency (SSK) and Social Security Agency for the Self-Employed (Bag-Kur). Tenders, revenues and expenditures, insurance and retirement proceedings have been taken under inspection. Telephone calls of some bureaucrats, contractors and mediators have started to be tapped.

LAST SCENARIO: SOMEBODY HIDING YENER

Istanbul Police Chief Hasan Ozdemir said, ''the murderer of businessman Uzeyir Garih is known. And, we will capture the murderer.'' However, new scenarios have been developed as Yener Yermez has not been found yet: ''A person without any money cannot resist for ten days. There are people who help and hide Yener.''

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

Zeki Cakan, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, said that they would not suspend Turkey's energy policy, noting that this did not have an excuse.

Cakan visited construction of Sugozu Thermic Power Plant in Yumurtalik township in southern Adana province, and got information from the officials.

Pointing out that they were in a position to follow energy policies step by step, Cakan said they would continue to share the facts regarded with energy with the public.

TURKISH CITIZENS LIVING ABROAD ARE LIKE FOREIGN EXCHANGE STORE

Turkish citizens working abroad made a contribution of 42.208 billion U.S. dollars to economy since 1990.

According to the data of the Central Bank, Turkish people living abroad sent 4 billion 603 million U.S. dollars to Turkey last year.

The amount of foreign exchange sent to Turkey by Turkish people working abroad was 40 billion 682 million U.S. dollars between 1990 and 2000.

Turkish people working abroad sent 3 billion 325 million U.S. dollars to Turkey in 1990, 2 billion 901 million U.S. dollars in 1991, 3 billion 74 million U.S. dollars in 1992, 2 billion 963 million dollars in 1993, 2 billion 664 million dollars in 1994, 3 billion 360 million dollars in 1995, and 3 billion 590 million dollars in 1996.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

State run oil pipeline company BOTAS continues efforts for the spreading of the natural gas, which had been imported from Russia for the first time in 1987. BOTAS accelerated efforts for the transportation of the imported natural gas to the Black Sea region.

The natural gas, which will be brought to Samsun from Russia under the sea, will be used in Gumushane, Kelkit, Bayburt, Trabzon and Rize route.

ROMANIANS ARE THE NEW HOPE

Turkish Travelling Agencies Union (TURSAB) said that Romania is among the countries which gives the most hope for Turkey in respect of bilateral relations in tourism sector.

The monthly magazine of TURSAB defined Romania as a new horizon in tourism and noted that this country, in which many Turkish enterpreneurs make investments, is not only a significant tourism market for Turkey with its population of almost 23 million but also a tourism market with reasonable prices, geographical closeness, excellent nature and cultural aspects which Turkish people can spend holidays.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

Devlet Bahceli, the State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, and the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), pointed out that Koray Aydin, the Minister of Housing and Public Works, would be dismissed if his name is mentioned in the indictment of the operation launched against the tenders of Housing and Public Works Ministry.

BLOW ON DEATH TEAM

Istanbul police captured 21 members of the terrorist PKK organization who killed 10 people from security forces and injured two others. It was determined that the terrorists had earlier raked three gendarme military post with long ranged weapons.

Police said that these terrorists planned to make a sensational action in Istanbul on World Peace Day and to kill 50 ''top members of the terrorist organization'' who left the terrorist organization PKK.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

Zeki Cakan, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, pointed out that he would submit arrangements, regarded with energy, to the Council of Ministers within 10-15 days after meeting with State Minister Kemal Dervis and Finance Minister Sumer Oral.

Cakan also noted that they were positive toward wind energy.

YERMEZ COULD NOT BE CAPTURED YET

Although murder of businessman Uzeyir Garih entered to the 10th day, the suspect of the murder, Yener Yermez, could not be captured yet. Interrogation of nine people, including Pinar Konuskan, the girl friend of Yermez, continue.

-GREEK LAWYER KOMNINAKAS SAYS TURKISH-GREEK FRIENDSHIP FOR TWO COUNTRIES' BENEFIT

ALIAGA - Lawyer Apostolos Komninakas, the Chairman of the Non-governmental Association for Communication and Living Together in the Aegean, said on Monday that Turkish-Greek friendship and peace are for the benefit of two countries and nations.

Komninakas came to Aliaga township of western Izmir province to attend the 12th Aliaga Labour and Peace Festival.

Komninakas told A.A correspondent that the devastating earthquake which hit Marmara Region brought Turkey and Greece together but they were the people who had launched the friendship initiative before that earthquake.

If friendship of two countries had been ensured before and if they had supported each other by cooperation in economy and tourism, both Greece and Turkey would have been richer than European Union (EU) countries, Komninakas said.

Komninakas noted that Greece is a member of the EU while Turkey is taking steps in this path.

They feel sad because the politicians did not support the efforts they had exerted before the massive earthquake, Komninakas stated.

Komninakas pointed out that Greece supports Turkey's EU membership because Turkey is of importance for the EU.

Turkey's EU membership will be good for not only Europe but also for Greece and Turkey, Komninakas added.

-A TOTAL OF 966 THOUSAND TOURISTS VISIT CAPPADOCIA IN EIGHT MONTHS

NEVSEHIR - A total of 966,147 Turkish and foreign people visited Cappadocia in first eight months of this year.

Officials at Nevsehir Museum told A.A correspondent on Monday that the number of tourists visiting the region increased by 35 percent when compared with the same period last year.

The officials said that the number of foreign tourists rose by 58.5 percent and that of Turkish tourists climbed by 8.3 percent.

Two trillion 178 billion Turkish liras (TL) was obtained from the museum entrance fees in the first eight month of this year, the officials added.

A total of 714,452 tourists, including 382,869 foreigners and 331,583 Turks visited the region in the same period last year.

-DENKTAS SAYS THEY TRY TO SET UP A NEW PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TWO SIDES IN CYPRUS

LEFKOSA - Rauf Denktas, the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Monday that they try to found a new partnership under equal conditions between the two equal sides in Cyprus.

Responding to questions of journalists after his two-hour meeting with Alvaro De Soto, the U.N. Secretary General's special envoy for Cyprus, Denktas said that De Soto launches efforts to found a new partnership between the two sides.

Denktas said that TRC will see with De Soto's contacts whether or not the Greek Cypriot side accepts the earlier criteria put forward by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan on September 12, 2000 accepting the fact that there were two equal sides in Cyprus and the sides couldn't dominate each other.

Upon a question about the Cyprus report of European Parliament member Jack Poos, Denktas said that that report should not be exaggerated as it is not a very important report.

When Greek Cypriot journalists told Denktas that time is getting limited, Denktas responded that ''time was not limited for 38 years, will it be limited in 38 hours?''

-87 KILOS OF HASHISH FOUND IN NARCOTICS OPERATIONS

SANLIURFA - Narcotic teams caught five people with 51 kilos of hashish in Manisa's Akhisar township in two separate operations on Monday.

In a separate operation, police detained two people in Sanliurfa on the same day when they attempted to sell 15 kilos of hashish to the police who were disguised as a buyer. The interrogation of the two suspects is continuing.

In a third operation, security teams who acted upon a tip-off, detained three people with 16 guns and 21 kilos of hashish in Diyarbakir and Sanliurfa. It was reported that the guns were smuggled into Turkey from northern Iraq.

-IDEF 2001 TO BE HELD IN ANKARA ON SEPT. 27-30

ANKARA - IDEF 2001 International Defense Industry, Aviation and Maritime Fair will be organized in Ankara on Sept. 27-30.

The fair will be participated by over 200 Turkish and foreign companies.

CNR International Fair Organization said in a written statement that about 150 foreign civilian and military representatives from 85 countries will visit the fair as the guest of National Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu.

Land-to-air missile systems, military space and communication systems, small and medium range weapons, battle tanks, destroyers, frigates, coast guard ships, electro-optic systems, field hospitals, and other security equipment used by security and gendarmerie forces will be displayed at the fair.

-ECEVIT:''BUREAUCRATIC OBSTACLES IN FRONT OF OBSTACLES

SHOULD BE REMOVED TO OPEN WAY FOR FOREIGN INVESTMENTS''

ANKARA - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has said that bureaucratic obstacles in front of investments should be removed in order to open way for foreign investments and added that the government prepared a bill to decrease the red tape.

Ecevit spoke when he received Sinan Aygun, the Executive Board Chairman of Ankara Trade Chamber (ATO) and Executive Board members. ATO has started a campaign to increase the respectibility of the Turkish Lira. Ecevit said that any entrepreneur who wants to start an investment in Turkey will get a reply to his application within a maximum of three months. He indicated that this would increase the demand for investments in the country.

The prime minister stated that Treasury's immobile assets was another domestic source and this would provide a significant amount of income to the state. Turkey's minerals and mines is another domestic source, Ecevit said adding that Turkey was one of the richest countries in silver and gold deposits although the country does not benefit from this resource as much as it should. Ecevit said the government would also cut off the red tape to benefit from mines more.

Drawing attention to Turkey's water and soil resources, Ecevit pointed out that there was a drop in the the Turkish agriculture although Turkey has very favorable soil for agriculture. ''This is a very upsetting situation, '' Ecevit said and added that modern education for farmers and growing alternative products was necessary to improve agriculture.

Ecevit stressed that protecting the Turkish Lira was as important as defending the Turkish land and state. Regarding the paid military service, Ecevit said ''Certain issues should not be decided in a rush.''

-RTUK CHAIRMAN APPLIES TO COURT FOR THE CONTINUATION OF

TURKISH BROADCAST OF VOICE OF GERMANY AND BBC RADIO STATIONS

ANKARA - The Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) Chairman Nuri Kayis applied to Ankara Alternating Administrative Coard to cancell the decision of the RTUK Higher Council to stop the Turkish broadcast of Voice of Germany and BBC radios on Monday.

RTUK said in a written statement that Kayis filed a suit to cancel the Higher Council's decision taken on Aug. 8, 2001. Kayis, in his application, indicated that the aforementioned decision was clearly against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, European Convention of Human Rights, Across Borders Television Directive, and Across Europe Television Agreement.

Kayis indicated that Article 28 of the Constitution says that the state takes the necessary meausures to assure the freedom of press and to receive news and Article 29 states that the government cannot bring conditions that would prevent the free broadcast of news and opinions. He also pointed out that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights' Article 19 says that everybody has the right to express his own views.

''Intervention to broadcast can only be justified if it is related to the country's security. Therefore I don't find it correct to stop the Turkish broadcast of Voice of Germany and BBC World Service,'' he continued.

''The Turkish media has been confronting a serious monopolization in the recent years. A majority of visual and audial braoadcast institutions have been taken under the control of a few holdings. The Turkish people will be able to receive news from alternative sources if the Voice of Germany and BBC World Service could continue their broadcast. The stopping of the broadcast of these two radio stations which are respected internationally will put Turkey in a difficult situation and present Turkey as an anti- democratic country which does not have the communication freedom. Reciprocity is a basic priciple in international law. If Turkey cuts the broadcast of foreign radio stations, European countries would also limit the broadcast of Turkish television and radio.''

-GUVEN FROM DYP:''ALL 177 ARTICLES OF CONSTITUTION SHOULD BE REVISED''

ANKARA - True Path Party (DYP) parliamentary group Acting Chairman Turhan Guven has said all 177 articles of the Constitution should be revised and claimed that changing articles at different times would damage the system.

Guven said all ministries were stirred by corruption allegations and indicated that a number of people were detained as part of the operation carried out at Public Works and Housing Ministry. He said that Ecevit called the incident as ''the problem of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)'' and asked ''If 35 ministers of the government are accused of corruption, is this still going to be MHP's problem or Turkey's problem?''

Guven also claimed that Ecevit became a completely different person than he was in 1979.

Speaking about the murder of businessman Uzeyir Garih, Guven accused the government for failing to carry out a serious investigation.

Stating that Parliament would be summoned to a meeting to discuss a constitutional change on Sept. 17, Guven said ''First the vacant seats in the Constititutional Commission should be filled. A bill should be presented to the commission. The coalition partners should have presented the bills in these days but there is no action so far. The constitutional change should be prepared within a system. All 177 articles should be revised, changing articles at different times would damage the system.''

-FOREIGN TRADE UNDERSECRETARY SAYS IRAQ AND TURKEY SIGN CONTRACTS OF 350 MILLION DOLLARS

BAGHDAD - Foreign Trade Undersecretary Kursad Tuzmen said on Monday that Turkey and Iraq signed contracts worth of 350 million dollars.

Speaking to A.A about his visit to Iraq on his last day in Baghdad, Tuzmen said that the contacts in Iraq have been very positive and they were held in a very sincere atmosphere.

''Turkish businessmen take the place they deserve in Iraq,'' said Tuzmen and noted that the Turkish businessmen signed a contract with various ministries which were worth of 350 million dollars in the meetings.

Tuzmen said that the relations with Iraq will develop also in the future, adding that he believes the exports from Turkey to Iraq will exceed 850 million dollars.

These contracts will have a positive effect on Turkey, said Tuzmen and noted that its influence will be seen from Southeast Anatolia to Cukurova.

Tuzmen remarked that the contracts have been signed in many fields like railway cars, locomotives, construction, fertilizers, and food, adding that these contracts will revive many business places in the region and will create new business opportunities.

Tuzmen and the Turkish businessmen delegation who completed their contacts in Iraq, will return to Turkey tonight.

-PROF. CELIKEL:''PROSTITUTION AMONG TURKISH WOMEN HAS INCREASED''

ISTANBUL - Turkish Woman Lawyers Association Chairman Prof. Aysel Celikel has said that prostitution had increased among Turkish women because of worsening economic troubles.

Celikel responded to reporters' questions at a meeting on human smuggling and especially smuggling of women organized by International Woman Jurists' Federation on Monday.

Celikel pointed out that a great number of women coming from Eastern Europe and Caucasia work as prostitutes in Turkey and they use Turkey as a transit to EU countries.

''Prostitution among Turkish women has also increased. Women do this because of worsening economic conditions and similar reasons. The economic crisis might lead people to even worse points,'' he said.

Celikel said the society was ignoring the fact that young girls have to continue their lives by selling their bodies and called on the relevant institutions to offer better protection to homeless children.

-YAPI AND KREDI BANK RECEIVES 350 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS LOAN

ISTANBUL - Yapi and Kredi Bank has received a syndication loan of 350 million U.S. dollars from international markets.

The bank said that the agreement regarding the loan participated by 47 international banks was signed by the representatives of related banks and Yapi and Kredi Bank General Manager Naci Sigin on Monday.

The maturity term of the loan was decided as one year and the interest rate as Libor plus 0.8 percent.

The statement stressed that the loan was an indication of confidence for the bank in international monetary and capital markets. The loan will be used to support the real sector.

-STATE MINISTER CAY RETURNS TO TURKEY FROM TATARSTAN

ANKARA - State Minister Abdulhaluk Cay completed his official visit to Tatarstan and returned to the country on Monday.

Speaking at Esenboga Airport, Cay said that he took up the educational, cultural and economic relations between the two countries during his contacts.

Cay said that Tatar officials promised him to help in opening of a Turkish International Cooperation Agency (TICA) office in Kazan, Tatarstan.

Cay said that he also had meetings in Turkish businessmen in Kazan, adding that ''I saw that Turkish businessmen have an important share in the business of Tatarstan.''

Recounting that the Turkish Literature Department of Kazan University accepted 15 students this year, Cay said that two professors will be sent to this department from Turkey.

Cay said that he had the opportunity to meet seperately with the president, deputy prime minister, deputy parliament speaker, culture minister, education minister and Kazan governor in Tatarstan during his contacts.

-SPAHHIC SAYS BOSNIAN PEOPLE OWE THEIR EXISTENCE TO TURKEY

ANTALYA - Ambassador of Bosnia Herzegovina Besim Spahhic has said ''the Bosnian people exist today due to Turkey's position during the time of the massacre.''

Spahhic whose post has ended paid a visit of courtesy to Antalya Governor Ertugrul Dokuzoglu on Monday. During his visit, Spahhic said he was very satisfied by the close relations between his country and Turkey during his post in Turkey and added that cultural relations should be increased further between the two countries.

Drawing attention to Turkey's support to Bosnia-Herzegovina during the genocide his nation experienced, Spahhic said his people owed their existence to Turkey's position during the massacre.

Spahhic also indicated that Turkey possessed many beautiful sites and had a great tourism potential.

-ATO CHAIRMAN AYGUN:''30 MILLION PEOPLE ARE SUPPORTING OUR CAMPAIGN''

ANKARA - Ankara Trade Chamber (ATO) Chairman Sinan Aygun has said that about 30 million were supporting ATO's campaign to bring respectibility to the Turkish Lira.

Aygun and ATO Executive Board members were received by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit at the Prime Ministry on Monday. During the visit, Aygun told Ecevit that the number of institutions which are supporting ATO's campaing had increased to 451 in 81 townships and this number reaches to 700 including those which support the campaing without sending faxes to ATO.

Aygun said they were fulfilling their responsibility as 451 non- governmental organizations (NGOs) and said to Ecevit ''Now, it is your turn Mr. Prime Minister.''

He asked the government to change the 50 U.S. dollars which is charged from people who go outside of Turkey to Turkish Lira, to stop charging U.S. dollars from paid military service and start charging Turkish Liras and to stop using foreign currency in purchases and sales by government organizations.

He asked Ecevit to give necessary instructions to stop universities charging foreign currency for education, to give an end to the usage of foreign currency in rents and privatization activities.

After his visit to the Prime Ministry, Aygun visited the shops in Ankara's Kizilay district and asked support to ATO's campaing from mercants.

He said ATO fulfilled its task and now it was the government's turn to take an action. He added that Ecevit also attached importance to the matter.

He indicated that many shop owners accepted to put signs on their windows and not to use foreign currency in their sales.

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