Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-12-11

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

11 December 2001

Tuesday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

IT WILL BE RAINY IN RAMADAN HOLIDAY
Seyfullah Celik, an official from Meteorology Directorate General said that it would be rainy in Ramadan holiday. Yesterday, it was rainy in east of Marmara region, Black Sea, north of central Anatolia, north and east of East Anatolia, and the east of Southeast Anatolia. Rainy weather will also make itself felt across the country in Ramadan Holiday which will start this weekend.

''BRAVE MUFIT'' APPOINTED AS TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO AFGHANISTAN
Mufit Ozdes, who is known in Foreign Ministry as an ''experienced diplomat in regions of crisis and war'' has been appointed as Turkish Ambassador to Afghanistan. Ozdes, who is currently the Turkish Ambassador in Libya, is expected to start his office in the first half of January. Turkey ended its diplomatic relations with Afghanistan by closing its embassy in 1996 when the Taliban regime came to power in the country.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

PRESIDENT SEZER SAYS MINUMUM WAGE IS AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said that a very low minimum wage in the country is a human rights violation. Human rights violations are not only in question in cases of torture, he stressed. Sezer said that practices in regions of emergency rule should also become democratic. Parliamentary Human Rights Commission Chairman Huseyin Akgul and members of the Commission visited President Sezer yesterday upon the World Human Rights Day. Sezer said that human rights issue is an issue of economy and culture. When economy and culture develop in a country, violations of human rights will also be prevented, he stated. Sezer stressed that the state has to fulfil its obligations stemming from being a social state. People's living in dignity means human rights, Sezer said.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

''WE SHIFT GEARS!''
Mesut Yżlmaz, Deputy Prime Minister and the leader of the Motherland Party (ANAP) will explain EU membership to Turkey with a book namely ''EU Path.'' Yżlmaz said in the book that Turkey moves on the path to pass to the highway soon. Yżlmaz who says that ''we must shift gears as we are coming to the highway,'' also has a slogan saying ''I am Turk and European.'' Yżlmaz plans to send this book to deputies and officials in provinces. Yżlmaz explained the fight of Turkey to join the EU, and he drew the new profile of Turkish persons in the book.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

IRAN GAS ARRIVES IN TURKEY AT LAST
Turkey received its first delivery of natural gas through a new pipeline from Iran on Monday evening. Natural gas began to flow through the 2,577- kilometer pipeline at 20.30 local time, Energy Minister Zeki Cakan said. Under the agreement signed in 1996 between the two countries when Necmettin Erbakan was the prime minister, Turkey plans to buy an initial 165 million cubic feet this year, Cakan said.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

CAY SAYS HE WENT ABROAD FOR 44 TIMES
State Minister Abdulhaluk Cay, who is in charge of relations with Central Asian Turkish Republics, said that he went abroad to pay official visits for 44 times, not for 214 times. The paper had earlier asserted that Cay went abroad on official visits for 214 times. Cay said in his part that he spent 214 days abroad. Cay added that he would not be able to improve relations with the countries in Central Asia if he stays in his office in Ankara.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

CAKAN SAYS NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS MUST BE CONSTRUCTED
Energy and Natural Resuorces Minister Zeki Cakan said that Turkey has an energy power of 128 billion kilowatt hours annually, adding that if the country does not take measures now, it will be in bottleneck in 2006 as energy consumption increases. Noting that Turkey must construct nuclear power stations, Cakar said that Turkey can't only depend on dams to meet its energy demand.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

-TALKS START WITH IMF DELEGATION ABOUT LETTER OF INTENT
ANKARA - The talks between the government officials and the IMF delegation which is in Turkey on the draft of the letter of intent belonging to the new economic programme, started on Tuesday.

The most important part of the draft letter of intent is the calendar of the Prior Actions. The studies on the calendar of Prior Actions, which is important for Turkey's getting the tranches from IMF earlier, continue.

Turkey will get the financial aid worth of totally 14 billion dollars in tranches till 2004. If Prior Actions are undertaken, Turkey will get an important part of this aid in 2002. Officials said that Turkey will get at least 10 billion dollars of loan from IMF next year.

An important part of the talks with IMF will be completed before the Ramadan Holiday. If the talks are not completed, the studies will continue till the IMF Executive Board Directors meeting in January. Either an IMF delegation will come to Turkey again or the talks will be carried out by telephone and e-mail communication.

-WB TO WAIT FOR IMF MEETING'S RESULT TO APPROVE USD 1.3 BILLION LOAN
ANKARA - World Bank will approve nearly 1.3 billion U.S. dollars of finance sector adjustment loan (PSFSAL2) which was postponed from end-2001 to 2002, after the IMF Executive Directors Board meeting.

Sources said on Tuesday that World Bank would wait for the result of the IMF Executive Directors Board meeting expected to be held in January 2002.

Officials said that the World Bank which had delayed the loan as some structural measures could not be fulfilled completely would take the IMF meeting's result as the basis of approval of 1.3 billion U.S. dollars loan to Turkey.

IMF Board will take up Turkey's new letter of intent in its meeting in January.

Meanwhile, sources said that World Bank continued its works on composition and tranches of nearly 3 billion U.S. dollars it would give to Turkey next year within framework of country assistance strategy (CAS), and that it could give this money to Turkey within first half of 2002.

-GUREL:''THERE'S STILL HOPE FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST DESPITE NEGATIVE
CIRCUMSTANCES''
ANKARA - State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel has said that there was still hope for peace in the Middle East despite the current negative circumstances.

Speaking at Ankara's Esenboga Airport uppon his return from Qatar's capital Doha on Tuesday, Gurel pointed out that a declaration was issued at the end of the Organization for Islamic Conference (OIC) foreign ministers meeting expressing concerns about the peace of the region.

''We explained Turkey's position to the related authorities,'' Gurel said and added that both President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit spoke on the phone with the leaders from both sides.

''Despite all these negative circumstances, there is still hope for peace in the Middle East,'' Gurel said and added that the participants of the meeting called on both Israeli and Palestinian sides to start a dialogue which appears to be the only way out.

''Turkey is very concerned about the escalating violence and continuing incidents that kill people from both sides,'' he stressed, adding that Turkey would continue requesting both sides to start peace talks. ''Israel's military operations would definitely not help to the maintenance of peace. On the other hand, terrorist acts would definitely not help the rightful cause of the Palestinian nation. The only solution is to first maintain peace and then start a political dialogue,'' he concluded.

-STATE MINISTER DERVIS TO ATTEND MONACO WORLD SUMMIT
GENEVA - State Minister Kemal Dervis will attend opening session of the Monaco World Summit that would be organized by Crans Montana Forum in Monte Carlo between December 19-21.

Sources said on Tuesday that Dervis who would be one of the prominent and distinguished speakers of the summit would deliver a speech on ''Turkey: Key Actor in Mediterranean and Asia'' on December 20.

Eczacibasi Holding Director Bulent Eczacibasi, Dogus Holding Director Ferit Sahenk, Central Bank Deputy Governor Fidan Esen, Deputy Foreign Minister Mithat Balkan and journalist Tulu Gumustekin will also represent Turkey in the summit meeting.

Dervis will meet with Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, Algerian Coordination of Reforms Minister Noureddine Boukrouh and European Union representative Robert Madeline at breakfast on December 21.

Kemal Dervis had also attended the forum's annual meeting held under auspices of Prince Albert of Monaco in Crans Montana.

-FINANCE MINISTRY APPROVES MARMARAY PROJECT
ANKARA - The Finance Ministry Tuesday approved the implementation of the Marmaray tube passage on Istanbul Strait and a railroad on Gebze-Haydarpasa, Sirkeci-Halkali route.

As the next step, the Avrasya consortium which undertook contracting services of the project will do the personnel training, system running and maintenance tests of the project. Japanese international cooperation bank JBIC is financing the project. The consortium is formed by Pasiic Consult Int. Yuksel Proje, Oriental Consult Co. Ltd and Japan Railway Technical Services.

The railway system which will transport 70,000 passengers in one hour in Istanbul is estimated to cost 1.2 billion U.S. dollars. Some 650 million U.S. dollars of this amount will be used for the tube passage which will unite the two sides of the Istanbul Straait and the remaining money will be used to construct the railways. The project includes a large number of tunnels and stations. The 70-kilometer long system is expected to be completed by the end of 2005.

-IMF BELIEVES TURKEY'S ECONOMY WILL START GROWING AGAIN IN 2002
ANKARA - International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Director for Europe said on Tuesday that IMF believed that Turkey's economy would start growing again next year.

Kiekens visited Union of Turkish Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Kiekens said that they had discussed insufficient domestic demand, financial restructuring and reforms in tax system.

Noting that revival of the economy had started as a result of government's successful implementations, Kiekens said that especially restructuring of state banks was quite successfull.

Kiekens said that IMF talks were now focusing on restructuring of weak companies, and that they were also taking up how the tax system could be developed in their meetings.

Willy Kiekens said that they had also discussed what could be done to increase direct foreign investments required by the economy.

Kiekens added that they were hopeful that the ongoing talks between IMF delegation and economy officials would be finalized until next week.

-PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IZGI MEETS WITH HIS ROMANIAN COUNTERPART DORNEANU
BUCHAREST - Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi met on Tuesday with Romanian Parliament Speaker Valer Dorneanu within framework of his official contacts in Bucharest.

At their meeting with Dorneanu, Izgi and accompanying delegation said that there was not any problem between Turkey and Romania.

Stressing that relations between Turkey and Romania were being carried out within framework of friendship and cooperation, Izgi and Dorneanu said they supported both countries' EU membership process and Romania's NATO membership.

Izgi and Dorneanu stressed that multilateral relations within framework of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) should be developed, and decided to increase both interparliamentary relations and political contacts with this objective.

Within this framework, Izgi invited Dorneanu and Romanian Senate Speaker N. Vacaroiu to Turkey.

Later, Izgi met with members of Turkish-Romanian Friendship Group at the Romanian parliament and Metin Cerkez, the representative of the Turkish minority in the Romanian parliament.

-DENKTAS:''NOBODY SHOULD THINK ABOUT BRINGING THE MILITARY WING
OF THE EU TO CYPRUS''
LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said Tuesday that even if Cyprus entered the EU, nobody should think about bringing the military wing of the EU to Cyprus.

Responding to reporters' question, Denktas stressed that no military units except for Turkish, Greek and U.N. soldiers should be in a new mission in the U.N. Peace Force.

Cyprus should not become a battle field and it should not be armed, Denktas said. ''British bases already possess a sufficient amount of weapons. Apart from them, Turkish and Greek units equipped with small weapons should be controlling the island,'' he pointed out.

He underlined that all the efforts of the Greek Cypriot side were to take Cyprus out of Turkey's control by using the EU.

''I hope they would quit these efforts,'' Denktas continued. ''Because Turkey clearly announced that it would not allow this to happen. We hope that compromise replaces conflicts and Cyprus would turn to a bridge of peace between Turkey and Greece as we aimed by the 1960 agreement.''

-ANKARA EXPECTS ESDP PROBLEM WILL BE SOLVED WITHIN EU
ANKARA - Ankara closely follows the developments after Greece put reservation on the document on which Turkey, the United States and Britain had reached a compromise regarding the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP).
Sources said on Tuesday that any change for the Turkish side in the document on which a compromise had been reached among Turkey, the United States and Britain with the understanding that ''ESDP will never damage a NATO ally's interests under any condition'', was out of question. Sources said Ankara expected the problem to be solved within the European Union (EU).

Recalling that the document on which a compromise had been reached at the end of the fourth round talks in Ankara had been submitted to the EU, sources said that the ball was now in the EU's court and Ankara was waiting for the time being.

Noting that Greece was in contact with the EU officials particularly with the EU Term President Belgium within framework of overcoming the problem, sources said that Ankara had been given satisfactory assurances about security during the talks, and that they expected that Greece would be persuaded.

Greece wants revision in the document for protection of its national interests and is getting prepared to bring the matter to the Leaken summit.

Before the EU General Affairs Council meeting, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said that Greece would make a mistake if it opposed to the agreement and NATO-EU cooperation as Turkey would never want to confiscate or damage interests of Greece or any other EU member.

-FLOODS DESTROY 119 THOUSAND SQUARE AGRICULTURAL LANDS IN ICEL
ADANA - A total of 119 thousand square meters agricultural land was damaged due to heavy rainfall and floods in southern province of Icel, it was reported on Tuesday.

Some 7,000 families who earn their living from farming suffered losses in the floods.

Icel Deputy Governor Mehmet Demir said that the teams were working to estimate the damages in the region.

Salim Ongun, Chairman of Icel Chamber of Agriculture, noted that the disaster occured at the same time with the harvest time putting the farmers in a very difficult situation. He said that greenhouses were also destroyed due to the floods.

Pointing out that the farmers had already some difficulties because of their debts to Ziraat Bankasi and Agriculture Credit Cooperation, Ongun said that they asked the state to delay the debts of the farmers without interests at least three years.

Tarsus Chamber of Agriculture Chairman Ali Ergezer said that the agricultural lands in 21 villages were damaged due to heavy rainfall and the floods in Tarsus township.

Ergezer stated that the farmers in Tarsus were in a very bad condition because of the disaster, saying that they had debts to Ziraat Bankasi for 3- 4 years.

Ergezer noted that the government should help the people who suffered from the floods in Tarsus.

Ali Ergezer asked the government to freeze the debts of the farmers and said that the new credits should be opened and the financial aid should be offered to farmers in Tarsus.

-TURKEY 2001 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT RELEASED
ANKARA - United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Permanent Representative Alfredo Witschi-Cestari has said that Turkey had a good development performance during 1965-1998.

Witschi-Cestari briefed reporters about the UNDP 2001 Human Development Report for Turkey prepared by Turkish experts by the support of the UNDP Turkey Representation.

He indicated that economic growth was not enough for human development and access to information played an important role in human development.

Drawing attention to the importance of the technology in the 21st century, Witschi-Cestari said the gap between the people who have access to technology and those who don't was widening every day.

The report stated that economic criteria were not the biggest obstacle in front of Turkey's EU membership and that Turkey has to work hard to make improvements in its social and political life.

Eradication of poverty has an important place in Turkey's development program, he pointed out and said that Turkey, in the 1970s, Turkey rose from lower human development category to medium human development category.

The report also gives details about the increasing life expectancy and education expenses throughout the years in Turkey.

The report says that if Turkey, could continue its pace in human development, the country will reach to high human development categoy in 11 years.

An international comparison revealed Turkey Turkey was behind other nations in the access to information category.

There are only three countriew which have lower literacy rates than Turkey and these are Saudi Arabia, Libya and Moritania.

The report pointed out that increasing income played an important role in the fight against poverty in Turkey but unbalanced education and income levels led to sharp income increases among a certain class and widened the gap between social classes.

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