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Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-12-23Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.com.tr/>Anadolu AgencyANADOLU AGENCY NEWS 23 December 2001 Sunday CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCANThese are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on December 23, 2001. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.HURRIYET (LIBERAL)ECEVIT: ''DERVIS WILL ACCOMPANY ME DURING MY VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES''Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that he hoped that there would not be any need to give messages about Iraq during his official visit to the United States in mid-January. Ecevit said, ''Iraq is not a problem for our region at the moment.'' Stressing that the main item of the agenda of his visit to the United States would be economy, Ecevit said that he would be accompanied by State Minister Kemal Dervis for economy during his official visit to the United States. MILLIYET (LIBERAL)YEAR OF REVIVALWe have taken the pulse of all the sectors from electrical house devices to tourism, from textile to automotive. The common view is that the wheels will start to turn in 2002. The electrical house devices was the sector which was affected the most by the economic crisis. In the new year, this sector will face better conditions with foreign partnerships and investments. Textile sector was the locomotive of exportation in 2001. It will also be an important sector in trade with the European Union (EU) in the new year. Tourism sector marked a surplus this year. This sector aims 14 million tourists and 9 million U.S. dollars of income in the following year. ''THERE ARE LAWS BUT NOONE IS IMPLEMENTING THEM'' SABAH (LIBERAL)BUSH-ECEVIT MEETING CAN BOOM STOCK EXCHANGEExperts who drew the attention that a very positive atmosphere would occur following the meeting between Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and U.S. President George Bush told the investors that this could be an opportunity. The eyes of foreign exchange and interest markets, particularly the stock echange, are turned on the meeting that will take place among Prime Minister Ecevit, State Minister Kemal Dervis and U.S. President Bush. Experts have already started to talk about a possible boom in economy following that meeting. ''DO NOT SHOW MHP AS AGAINST EU'' CUMHURIYET (LEFT)CRISIS IS BEING OVERCOMEPrime Minister Bulent Ecevit claimed that the government had brought the economy into a hope inspiring position with its determined and brave reforms. Ecevit defined ''painful but obligatory recipes'' as a national duty. Noting that they could not take the results they had expected from radical measures in banking and finance sectors due to internal and external developments, Ecevit said, ''but, in recent days, some hope inspiring developments have been recorded.'' SERIOUS LIMITATIONS IN SEEs The Treasury Undersecretariat presented the package which was about additional savings measures and limitation of services in the State Economic Enterprises (SEEs) to the Prime Ministry Personnel and Principles Directorate General. The package closed new employment opportunities in seven SEEs and foresaw Treasury consent to be given to SEEs to take credits from the banks. RADIKAL (LEFT)MANIFESTO OF SAVINGSPersonnel will not be recruited orappointed without the permission of the Treasury. Six airports will be closed in January while 40 train services will be cancelled. Personnel and offices of the Turkish Airlines (THY) in foreign countries will be decreased. FLOOD HITS IZMIR AGAIN TURKIYE (RIGHT)REAL SECTOR TO RELIEVEThe draft law which will relieve the industrialists will be debated at the parliament this week. If the draft law takes effect, debts of the real sector to the state banks and the banks controlled by the Savings Deposits Insurance Fund (SDIF) will be restructured. A special company will be set up to deal with the receivables of private finance organizations and other financial organizations. FULL PARTICIPATION IN EU EDUCATION PROGRAMMES IN 2003 ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)HALF OF THOSE WHO APPLY TO ECHR AGAINST TURKEY ARE GREEK CYPRIOTSJustice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said that half of people who applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against Turkey were from Greek Cypriot administration. Responding to questions of reporters, Turk said that the court gave a decision against Turkey only in one of those cases. BUDGET OF 2002 TAKES EFFECT -JUSTICE MINISTER SAYS TURKEY HAS TO MAKE REFORMS IF IT WANTS TO ENTER INTO BURSA - Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said on Saturday that Turkey had to make the reforms which are named ''homework'' to become a full member of the European Union (EU). Turk, who visited Democratic Left Party (DSP) Bursa Branch Chairman Erdem Baydaroglu, said that the changes made in the Constitution and other laws were appreciated by the EU. ''At the last EU summit held under the term presidency of Belgium, it was stated that the EU could begin full membership negotiations with Turkey soon. This is a very important development because they were not talking about the beginning the full membership negotiations a short time ago. The EU has a tendency to cancel candidacy of a country if that country cannot fulfil the criteria and become a full member in a certain period. To this end, if we want to enter into the EU, we have to make the reforms named homework and make our economy competitive with Europe,'' Turk said. Turk noted that the reforms that had to be made were not endangering the integrity and unity of the country. Unity and integrity of the country had to be protected, Turk stated, but he added, arrangements in fundamental rights and liberties had to be made. [02] NSC TO CONVENE ON DECEMBER 28ANKARA - The National Security Council (NSC) will convene under the chairmanship of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on December 28.The regular December meeting of NSC will start at 9.30 a.m. Internal and external developments will be discussed at the NSC meeting which will be the last NSC meeting in 2001. -STATE MINISTER KECECILER SAYS TURKEY AND IRAN ARE Speaking at a seminar on improvement of economic relations between Turkey and Iran, Kececiler said that they wished that the current relations between Tureky and Iran would be further improved. Kececiler noted that Turkey started to purchase natural gas from Iran on December 10 and that the natural gas pipelines coming from Russia an Iran to Turkey were interconnected. Turkey had constructed 1,200 kilometres of pipeline till Seydisehir township of central Konya province, Kececiler stated and said that the natural gas coming from Iran was started to be used in Ankara. Kececiler pointed out that the official inauguration ceremony of the pipeline would be held on January 10, 2002 and wished that Turkish-Iranian Joint Business Council which was set up last month would start to operate soon and hold its first meeting in the possible shortest time. Foreign Trade Undersecretary Kursad Tuzmen said that Turkey's economy had been opened to the world thanks to the liberalization policies which had been implemented for 20 years. Tuzmen noted that they were following the liberalization developments in Iran. Trade volume between Turkey and Iran which is around 1 billion U.S. dollars was insufficient when the potential of two countries were taken into consideration, Tuzmen stated. Tuzmen pointed out that the indicators showed that trade volume could increase to 3-5 billion u.S. dollars in a few years. Iranian Minister of Roads and Transport Ahmad Khoram; Ali Hamusi, the Chairman of Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Mines; and Abdulkadir Aksu, a deputy of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) also delivered speeches at the seminar. -TREASURY'S DOMESTIC BORROWING AMOUNTS TO 40.3 QUDRILLION TL IN 2001 The lowest gross composite interest became 57.33 percent in 2001. This interest rate was recorded in 91-day bond auction held on January 23. The highest gross composite interest rate was marked in a 98-day bond auction held on March 20 with 193.71 percent. Below listed the maturity, auction date, total bid, gross annual interest, and gross composite interest of the treasury auctions held in 2001: Maturity Auction date Total bid annual interest composite interest -------- ------------ ------------- ------------- -------------------- ''We had very good and fruitfil visit to Damascus and Aleppo. The businessmen who accompanied me during my visit to these cities had a meeting in which they evaluated their contacts in Syria after they had returned to Turkey. The businessmen decided to improve the relations and promote commercial relations in the possible shortest time,'' Gur noted. Gur stated that he expected this visit to help promote bilateral relations between Turkey and Syria. Lahham hoped that his visit would further improve bilateral relations and said that they wanted to benefit from Turkey's experiences. They would visit some chambers of commerce and exchange views, Lahham added. Lahham invited Gur to Damascus while Gur said that he would pay a visit to Syria together with a delegation of businessmen. -COALITION LEADERS TO DISCUSS ADJUSTMENT LAWS ON MONDAY Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister Husamettin Ozkan will also be in attendance at the meeting. The leaders will discuss the ''Democracy Package'' which was prepared by the Prime Ministry Secretariat General for the European Union (EU) and given the final shape by the Justice Ministry. The package foresees amendments in Turkish Penal Code (TCK) and Anti-Terror Law regarding the freedom of thought and expression, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CMUK) and Law on Establishment and Trial Procedures of the State Security Courts (DGMs) regarding detention period. The draft also gives the right to the plaintiff to ask for the re-hearing of the case if the loss of the plaintiff is so much that it cannot be compensated in case the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) gives a verdict against Turkey. Under the amendment foreseen for the Article 159 of TCK, the expressions ''Republic'' and ''spiritual personality of the government'' which are considered as crimes against the state are replaced with expressions ''Turkish Nation'', ''Turkish State'' and ''Council of Ministers.'' The punishment to be given to the crimes listed above are reduced from 6 to 3 years. Under the amendment, if a Turkish citizen living in a foreign country insults Turkish Nation or State, the punishment will be increased by one- third. The draft foresees an amendment to Article 312 of TCK. Here is the new paragraph of Article 312: ''A person who provokes people to hatred and enmity by making a social, racial, class, religious, or regional discrimination among them in a way that will cause public disorder will be sentenced to imprisonment terms between one to three years.'' A third paragraph added to this article considers making a provocation to despise people as a crime. The draft proposes the increase of the punishment of this crime by one-fold if it is committed by mass communication devices. The draft also changes seventh and eighth articles of the Anti-Terror Law. Under this amendment, people can be punished on charges of aiding and abetting the terrorist organizations if ''they make a propaganda of the terrorist organization in a way that they encourage others to stage terrorist activities and attacks.'' The amendment of eighth article about propaganda against the inseparability of the state is as follows: ''People who make written, verbal or visual propaganda or stage protests or demonstrations to harm the integrity of the Turkish Republic state and nation will be sentenced to imprisonment terms from one to three years or fined 1 billion to 3 billion Turkish liras (TL) if their actions do not require a heavier punishment. If the crime is committed in a way to encourage others to stage terrorist activities or attacks, imprisonment terms are not commuted into fine.'' Under the change in the DGM law, the detention period can be extended to 7 days under the demand of the prosecutors and the decision of the judes in emergency rule region. [03] GAP BECOMES FOCAL POINT OF FOREIGN DELEGATIONS IN 2001SANLIURFA - The Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) attracted many foreign delegations in 2001. Officials of GAP Regional Development Administration told A.A correspondent on Sunday that 34 foreign delegations visited GAP region and received information about the project.The officials said that businessmen, high-level administrators of foreign organizations and institutions, press organs,universities, vocational organizations and ambassadors of several countries visited the region. GAP Administration briefed, informed and guided the delegations. Below listed the delegations which visited GAP region to make investments and to search for cooperation possibilies with Turkey: -Dutch Agricultural Investments Adviser Company DLV Agriconsult Chairman Willem Tacken and his deputy Eren Kale, -Dutch delegation which attended the Turkish-Dutch 6th Term Joint Economic Commission (JEC) Meeting, -Francesco Guarino of the Italian Raiuna television channel, -Dr. Kennth Cushsner and Linda Robertson, who joined the seminar on communication held in Sanliurfa province as educationists. The seminar was held in cooperation of GAP Administration and Kent State University. -Gerard Terberg, the Dutch Agriculture Counsellor to Turkey, -Rolf Bruning, the chairman of the Working Group of giant German Arbeitsgemeinschaft Grosser Wohnungsunternehmen (AGW), Ayse Jerfi Hein and Elke Spohn, -World Water Council (WWC) Governors, -German deputy Josef Hollerith, -Professor Rene G. Maury from Naples Oriental University, -Alan Cook, the New Zealander Ambassador to Turkey, -Levi Morav, a reporter of Israeli economy daily Globus, -Kim Winfield, the British Defense Attache to Turkey, -A delegation comprised of almost 23 people from Stuttgart University Construction Faculty, -Manfred Bainczyk, the Turkey Representative of German television ZDF, his assistant Mujgan ARPAT, cameraman Frank Liedke and assistant cameraman Seyfi Teoman, -Members of Executive Board of Assembly of Turkish-American Associations
(ATAA), -A delegation of Danish Journalists Association, -Syrian Irrigation Minister Taha al-Atrash and accompanying delegation, -A delegation of Austrian history and geography teachers, -Le Temps reporter Aude Marcowitch, -A delegation of Royal Collage students, -A delegation of economy and foreign policy redactors of German newspapers, -Andrew Mango, the writer of biography of Ataturk, -A delegation headed by Peter Adler, the Chairman of the European Affairs Commission of Saxony State Parliament, -Australian Ambassador Jonathan Philp, -A delegation of Japanese Electricity Civil Engineers Association (JEPCEA), -Francis Degn, the Deputy United Nations Secretary General, -A delegation from Chinese Culture Ministry, -Vlasta Stepova, the General Rapporteur of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (COEPA) Culture and Education Commission and deputy chairman Christopher Grayson, -Financial Times Deutschland reporter Karin Finskenzeller, -A delagation of Azerbaijani Agriculture Ministry, -A delegation from Japanese Agriculture Ministry, -A delegation from Dutch Agricultural Unions, -U.S. Ambassador Robert Pearson. -CEREAL EXPORTS FROM GAP INCREASE BY 17.3 PERCENT IN 11 MONTHS According to the figures of the Southeastern Anatolia Exporters Union, the region raised 13 million 434 thousand U.S. dollars from legume exportation, 5 million 507 thousand U.S. dollars from flour, macaroni, bulgur and semolina exports, 11 million 405 thousand U.S. dollars from fodder exports, 5 million 5 thousand U.S. dollars from oil exportation, 50 million 264 U.S. dollars from granulated sugar, cake, biscuit, chocolate and candy exports, and 4 million 575 thousand U.S. dollars from other product exportation between January and November 2001. Iraq, Germany, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Jordan, Iran and Azerbaijan were the main export centers of the region.
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