Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-12-24

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

24 December 2001

Monday

-TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on December 25, 2001. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli dismissed State Minister Abdulhaluk Mehmet Cay who caused snatching of ''leadership role'' by former President Suleyman Demirel at the Turkish Convention. Cay, a state minister from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), organized the 9th Turkish Convention under the auspices of Suleyman Demirel as MHP leader Devlet Bahceli had not allocated fund to the convention due to the economic crisis.

LEADERS FAIL TO REACH AGREEMENT ON ''ADJUSTMENT''

Leaders of political parties forming the coalition government came together to discuss the laws on adjustment with the constitutional changes, but they could not reach an agreement on the issue of granting the right of re-trial in Turkey which was included in the 10-article ''Democracy Package'' upon the request of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). MHP leader Devlet Bahceli presented a file to his partners and defended that granting of such a right in Turkey would lock the judicial system in case of a loss which cannot be met by compensation. Noting that such an implementation existed neither in the National Programme submitted to the EU nor in other EU countries, Bahceli said they were against this part of the package. Requesting for the change of expression of ''concrete danger'' in Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code into ''clear and close danger'', Bahceli warned that amendments to Anti-Terrorism Law's articles 7 and 8 which punished ''separatist propaganda'' should not weaken the fight against terrorism. However, leaders agreed to adopt the adjustment package which is one of the short term measures mentioned in the National Programme, by the end of March 2002. By taking into consideration the ECHR's decision to punish Turkey on charges of unjust detention and torture, a special commission comprising three ministers was formed to overcome this problem. At the meeting, leaders also adopted to pass eight bills on economic matters like public procurement and tobacco, through the parliament until January 15.

TURKISH OFFICERS AT AFGHAN HEADQUARTERS

Turkey will give support to the U.N. Peacekeeping Force which will be formed for rebuilding and security of Afghanistan, with a ''special brain team'' instead of sending many troops. Military and diplomatic sources said Turkey would send Turkish officers who would make direct contribution to re- building plans, to the Afghan Headquarters instead of sending many troops. Besides, it was mentioned that 15 officers from the Turkish Air Forces could go to Afghanistan during the same period in order to give logistic support to air routes. A diplomat who knows well about the region said, ''we don't have a problem about information and intelligence or existence in the region. We have always existed in the region. We attribute much more importance to re-building of this country.''

TURKEY SAVES DAMASCUS

Syria which promised not to support terrorist PKK organization in the Adana Agreement in 1998 presented this agreement as a ''document of fight against terrorism'' to the United Nations. Damascus who harbored head terrorist Abdullah Ocalan for years, showed only this agreement with Turkey as a proof for fight against terrorism, and did not face any difficult situation as a result of Turkey.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

State Minister Abdulhaluk Mehmet Cay angered his leader Devlet Bahceli who earlier insisted on not removing Transportation Minister Enis Oksuz and Public Works and Settlement Minister Koray Aydin from their offices. Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Bahceli did not forgive Cay's political mistake and he dismissed Cay who organized Turkish Convention together with former President Suleyman Demirel.

MHP'S CONCERNS TO BE REMOVED

At their yesterday's summit meeting, leaders who took up adjustment laws set a schedule for adoption of laws which can be considered key steps for the 16.5 billion U.S. dollars of IMF source. According to this, natural gas, real sector and tobacco laws will be adopted until January 15, 2002. The statement released after the meeting said that political parties forming the coalition government would launch necessary initiatives for adoption of also international agreements on terrorism. The expression of ''concrete danger threatening public order'' in the Turkish Penal Code's Article 312 on freedom of thought and expression was changed as ''clear and close danger'' upon MHP leader Devlet Bahceli's request. Leaders welcomed sensitivity of Bahceli who said, ''it won't be true to consider international laws superior than domestic laws regarding the ECHR's decisions on re-trial. This will mortgage the Turkish judicial system.''

MINIMUM WAGE: 183 MILLION LIRAS

The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) increased the new gross minimum wage which will be valid as of January 1, 2002, 50 percent to 251 million Turkish liras (TL) and presented it to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. The net minimum wage is expected to be 183 million TL (currently 122 million TL). Labor and Social Security Minister Yasar Okuyan will announce the new minimum wage on Wednesday.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

A public survey carried out by the Association of Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen (TUSIAD) revealed that people lost their confidence in politicians: ''election system is bad, all political parties are the same and politicians follow business.'' The survey gives the message that necessary reforms should be made as soon as possible because, ''80 percent of people attended the public survey thinks that election and political parties system is bad. 89 percent of them believes that parties are defending interests of their supporters and follow their business. 80 percent of them says that there is not any difference between all political parties. 86 percent of them thinks political parties do not represent people. 85 percent of them believes that casting votes to a candidate although people do not approve and like, constitutes an important reason for lack of interest in politics. 84 percent of them thinks that there is not democratic functioning in political parties. 78 percent of them are bothered of seeing same leaders. 61 percent of them thinks that leadership is dominant in political parties. 84 percent of them believes that political parties are managed with dictatorship. 80 percent of them wants publicly announcement of donations made to political parties. 80 percent of them thinks political immunity should be lifted. 86 percent of them believes that the main reason for the currently existing problems, is the election system. 63 percent of them believes that this election system would not allow a political party to come to power alone in near future. 66 percent of them thinks that Turkey would be governed by a coalition for a few years more. 72 percent of them believes that coalition governments would not be successful and 62 percent of them opposes to abolition of ten percent election threshold.''

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

Experts think that borrowing costs of emerging markets would increase in coming period. Koc Holding's head Rahmi Koc called on the government to give careful attention to expenditure of 10 billion U.S. dollars of IMF loan by taking the Argentina example into consideration. Prof. Dr. Erinc Yeldan stressed that following the latest developments, both the Turkish finance sector and Treasury would face the danger of borrowing with higher costs.

PURSE-SNATCHERS STAB A GIRL

21-year-old Ozlem Yilmaz was attacked by two unidentified people while she was walking in un underpass in Bursa. Purse-snatchers stabbed Yilmaz for four times when she resisted against them. Yilmaz who walked to a police station was hospitalized. Sources said she was not injured seriously.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

Public institutions obtain trillions Turkish liras (TL) of non-budgetary source by offering their regular services by collecting money through foundations. Health, security, justice, public registration and traffic services, procedures and transactions are the main sources of income of foundations. 412 of the 4,571 foundations belong to the state. National Education Ministry has 215, Prime Ministry has 51, Health Ministry has 43 and Interior Minstry has 31 foundations while only 65 inspectors supervise these foundations. Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz said public and state foundations should be closed down. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that tradition of foundation should continue while President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said that re-intrepretation of foundation understanding was obligatory.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

The National Lottery's good luck inspired citizens who are distressed by the economic crisis, with hope. People who buy lottery tickets madly have a burning desire for the 5 trillion Turkish liras (TL) of prize money which will be give to only one person. Citizens who form long queues in front of ticket sellers say, ''this is our only hope.'' People have spent 56 trillion TL on tickets while the total prize money will be 33 trillion 95 billion TL.

JAPANESE GIRL KUNI NOT LIKE CANDIDATES

Japanese girl Kuni Nakazono who had come to Istanbul to marry a Turkish man did not like any of the 165 Turkish bridegroom candidates. Kuni Nakazono who was selected by the Japanese Nippon TV among 600 Japanese girls who had applied to the TV's call for ''Who Want to Get Married With a Turkish Man?'' decided to return to Japan. This decision disappointed Turkish men, most of whom are unemployed, and the Japanese producers.

X-FILES SENDS LETTER TO ECEVIT

Gillian Anderson who is playing in the X-Files serial broadcast on private TGRT television channel, sent a letter to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and said, ''your government is very good. I request you to use your authority and adopt laws which protect animals.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

Social sensitivities of Turkish men are gradually being changed. Each year, 20 thousand Turkish brides ahd bridegrooms go especially to Germany, and two-thirds of this number are the bridegrooms who take offense at living with his wife's parents.

PEOPLE LIVING IN METROPOLIS TO PAY MORE TAX

The state is getting prepared to collect ''Metropolis Tax'' from people living in these large cities. Under a bill prepared by the government, the housing, field and real estate taxes to be paid by residents of metropolis will be 100 percent higher than those of resident living in small cities.

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