Anadolu Agency: News in English, 02-02-10

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From: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.com.tr/>

ANADOLU AJANSI

HABERLER

10 February

2002 Sunday

Türkiye

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Ekonomi

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Türkiye

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[02] IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER NACI SABRI TO ATTEND EU-OIC MEETING IN TURKEY

[03] PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IZGI RETURNS FROM AZERBAIJAN

[04] PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IZGI SPEAKS TO A.A: ''AZERBAIJAN IS A BRIDGE FOR TURKEY OPENING

[05] STATE MINISTER BAL:''THE INVESTMENTS' BEING LEGAL IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHERE THEY ARE MADE''

[06] ISTANBUL IDEALISTS PROTEST SWEDEN

[07] TAI TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PRODUCTION OF GIANT TRANSPORTATION

[08] JAPANESE LAND FORCES COMMANDER TO VISIT TURKEY

[09] TURKEY'S EXPORT TO GERMANY HIGHEST AMONG OTHER COUNTRIES

[10] FM CEM SAYS TURKEY ATTRIBUTES GREAT IMPORTANCE TO OIC-EU MEETING

[11] EU-OIC JOINT FORUM TO BE HELD IN ISTANBUL BETWEEN 12-13 FEBRUARY

[12] CEM:''TURKEY ISN'T ONLY A BRIDGE BUT IT'S ALSO A MEETING POINT''

[13] TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO IRAN ALPAR MEETS WITH FIRST SECRETARY OF IRANIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER

[14] FM CEM:''FOREIGN MINISTERS WILL HOLD MANY BILATERAL CONTACTS DURING OIC-EU FORUM''

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

TOBB:''TURKEY IS AT A CRITICAL CROSSROADS''
Turkey Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu has said that Turkey was at a very critical crossroads and it had no time to waste by hesitating. Hisarciklioglu said that Turkey's basic policies must be decided by politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen. The TOBB Chairman also said that Turkey's integration with the Western world was inevitable.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

GENERAL DIRECTORS AND THEIR DEPUTIES OF FUND BANKS
RECEIVE 7 BILLION TL SALARIES
State Minister Kemal Dervis annoucned that general directors and deputy general directors of fund banks were given salaries ranging between 2.8 and 6.8 billion TL. Responding to the question of Felicity Party (SP) Ankara deputy Zeki Celik, Dervis said that most of the general directors and their deputies were also given cars and some of them were given cell phones. Dervis said these people were not offered free housing.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

ET BALIK TRANSFERRED TO SUMER HOLDING
State Minister Yılmaz Karakoyunlu who is responsible of privatization took a serious of decisions about merger and liquidation of firms which are within the scope of privatization. The Meat and Fish Authority (ET BALIK) was liquidated and transferred to Sumerbank. The Agricultural Equipment Institution was united with State Monopolies (TEKEL) and Ship Industry Board was transferred to Maritime Enterprises.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

OCALAN GIVES MESSAGES
The terrorist organization PKK announced that it stopped its political, organizational and practical activities in Turkey and Europe. The terrorist organization PKK had told in a statement that it withdrew its armed militans from Turkey on August 2, 1999. Now it issued a statement telling that it decided not to carry out activities within the borders of the EU and Turkey. However it does not state if the militants in Turkey will give up their weapons. Meanwhile Abdullah Ocalan, the head terrorist told a daily ''Yedinci Gundem'' telling that his being captured on February 15, 1999 was an international plot.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

THE REST IS UP TO SADDAM
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit who warned Baghdad after speaking with the Bush administration, says he has done everything he could.

During his visit to the United States, Ecevit was told by U.S. President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney that the United States was definitely ready for a military operation against Iraq.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

ALARM IN INCIRLIK BASE
The probability of an operation in Iraq showed its effect in Incirlik base in southeastern Adana province. There have been brought limitations to the period in which the foreign personnel and their families stay outside the base. The personnel who could earlier be outside until 20.00 local time have been asked to return to the base at 17.00 local time.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

[02] IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER NACI SABRI TO ATTEND EU-OIC MEETING IN TURKEY

Foreign Minister Spokesman Huseyin Dirioz told the A.A that there was no scheduled meetings between Sabri and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem yet.

[03] PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IZGI RETURNS FROM AZERBAIJAN

Izgi also indicated that he listened to the problems of Turkish businessmen in Azerbaijan.

The parliament speaker said he stressed that Turkey would always support Azerbaijan also in the future.

Izgi said he also visited the refugees who escaped from the Armenian occupation and added that he would try to increase the amount of aid sent by the Turkish Red Crescent for these people.

Izgi said the Upper Karabakh problem was the biggest obstacle in front of peace and cooperation in the Caucasia.

''I repeated that Turkey supports a solution that doesn't violate Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and international law and said that Armenia should stop its occupation in the Azerbaijani land,'' he said.

''We expressed our satisfaction with the stage reached in Baku-Tbilisi- Ceyhan and Sahdeniz projects and the recently held Azerbaijan-Turkey Joint Economic Commission meeting. I proposed once again to form a Parliamentary Association of Brother Countries between our governments. I was greatly honoured by the honourary doctorate I was given by the Baku State University,'' he said.

Izgi said his visit was an important step to strengthen friendly relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Before leaving for Turkey, Izgi also held a news conference in Bine Airport of Baku.

Izgi said that studies were underway regarding the genocide and massacre attempts of the Armenians against Azerbaijanis particularly Hocalı massacre, adding that the necessary things would be done about the issue.

When asked about the possibility of the U.S.'s starting an operation in Iran and Iraq, Omer Izgi said that the region where these two countries were situated was an important region for Turkey. ''Turkey will be definitely informed about an intervention in this region,'' Izgi said.

[04] PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IZGI SPEAKS TO A.A: ''AZERBAIJAN IS A BRIDGE FOR TURKEY OPENING

Both countries want to further improve the relations, Izgi said and indicated that Azerbaijan was very important for Turkey, which must help the former.

Referring to the commercial and economic relations, Izgi said that very important steps were taken to prepare a long term economic cooperation programme between Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Recalling that the protocol of the Joint Economic Commission second term meeting was signed during the visit of State Minister Resat Dogru to Baku last week, Izgi said that the protocol would contribute to the improvement of economic relations.

Meanwhile a joint statement was issued about Izgi's visit noting that the visit showed that Turkey was always besides Azerbaijan.

Noting that the developments in the bilateral relations, regional issues, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Shahdeniz projects were discussed in details in the meeting, the joint statement said that the project of ''Friendly Parliaments Union'' between Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Georgia was also taken up.

It was also stated that honourary doctorate award was presented to Izgi by Baku State University, adding that ''the visit constituted a step in further improvement of the friendship and brotherhood bridge between the two countries based on multidimensional cooperation and historical, cultural and social relations.''

[05] STATE MINISTER BAL:''THE INVESTMENTS' BEING LEGAL IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHERE THEY ARE MADE''

Speaking at the meeting, Bal said that investments made in European countries would also benefit Turks and Turkey in the long run, but they prefer these investments to be made in Turkey since Turkey offers them much better opportunities in the short term.

Capital Market Board (SPK) Dogan Cansizlar said that despite all warnings, in European countries some institutions are collecting money and they call it ''partnership share'' by using documents which have no legal value. He said that these institutions were not legal therefore people have very low chances of getting their money back. He asked Turks to ask companies who ask money from them if they were members of the SPK.

The sixth of the meetings will be held in Brussels on Monday.

[06] ISTANBUL IDEALISTS PROTEST SWEDEN

The group carrying banners in their hands went to the Swedish Consul General in Istiklal Street of Beyoglu and shouted slogans.

Releasing a public statement on behalf of the group, Istanbul Idealists Union Chairman Levent Demir said that the games played on Turkey still continued. Later the group dispersed.

[07] TAI TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PRODUCTION OF GIANT TRANSPORTATION

TAI will participate in all stages of design development, production and support after sales.

According to the production program announced to the countries by OCCAR a short time ago, Turkey will be given ten airplanes with a 5.10 percent participation share.

The first of the 196 A400s will fly in 2006 and the first delivery will be made in 2008.

[08] JAPANESE LAND FORCES COMMANDER TO VISIT TURKEY

Nakatani will be the first Japanese Land Forces Commander visiting Turkey. He will leave Turkey on Feb. 15.

Nakatani originally scheduled his visit to Turkey on Feb.13-16 last year but the visit was postponed due to Sept.11 attacks.

[09] TURKEY'S EXPORT TO GERMANY HIGHEST AMONG OTHER COUNTRIES

The United States and Italy followed Germany last year with 2.9 billion USD and 2.1 billion USD.

During the same period, Turkey's export to Britain increased seven percent compared to the previous year and reached 1.9 billion USD. Turkey's export to France increased 6.1 percent and reached 1.7 billion USD.

Germany also topped the list of countries which sold the highest amount of goods to Turkey. Turkey's import from Germany increased 13.3 percent and reached 4.9 billion USD.

Italy and Russia followed Germany by 3.2 billion USD and 3.1 USD.

[10] FM CEM SAYS TURKEY ATTRIBUTES GREAT IMPORTANCE TO OIC-EU MEETING

Cem explained in the news conference that he got great support from the EU and OIC for the meeting.

Cem said that 71 countries would participate in the Forum, adding that 51 of them would attend the meeting with their foreign ministers, which is very important.

Stressing that the eyes of the world are on Turkey due to the Forum, Cem said that 618 press members applied to cover the Forum and 190 of them were from foreign tv, radio and press organs.

[11] EU-OIC JOINT FORUM TO BE HELD IN ISTANBUL BETWEEN 12-13 FEBRUARY

The Forum is important as Turkey will host a historical meeting, and as foreign ministers of OIC and EU countries will come together for the first time in a foreign ministers meeting. As Foreign Minister Ismail Cem also stressed, the Forum will give peace, cooperation and harmony message to the whole world and the humanity.

Foreign Minister Ismail Cem had proposed holding a conference between the EU and OIC countries to discuss the issue of ''harmony of civilizations'' following the terrorist attacks in the U.S. on September 11, 2001.

Foreign Minister Ismail Cem's proposal of holding a conference in Istanbul was supported by OIC and EU countries and Turkey prepared itself for this meeting in a short time.

Turkey will assume the role of crossroads of cultures, which is beyond its traditional role of bridge during the Forum. A Welcome Reception will be held in Cıragan Palace at 19.00 local time.

The Forum will start on Feb 12 morning by the opening speech of Foreign Minister Ismail Cem. President Sezer and Prime Minister Ecevit will also address the Forum.

A luncheon will be held on the first day in which ''Prevention of Political and Cultural Fault Lines'' will be taken up.

There will be two panels entitled ''Confronting Common Challanges in Today's Environment'' and ''Politics and Media''.

At the end of the forum's first day, Sultans of the Dance will perform a show at Mydonose Showland after dinner.

On Feb.13, there will be another panel entitled ''Who is 'the other? Does it really exist?''. The panel will be followed by a press conference and a dinner.

Cem will also have several bilateral meetings with the participants of the forum.

TRT and Anadolu Agency (A.A) teams will be allowed to watch the sessions. Other press members will follow the meetings from monitors set up in the press center.

A total of 44 foreign ministers from 71 countries will attend the EU-OIC Forum.

Council of Europe Secretary General Walter Schwimmer, Arab Union Secretary General Amr Musa, OIC Secretary General Abdulvahid Belkeziz, Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Secretary General Jan Kubis and Gulf Cooperation Council (KIK) Secretary General Abdurrahman Bin Hamad Elt Atiya and EU Joint Defense and Foreign Policy Higher Representative Javier Solana will be among the participants of the meeting.

A number of academicians and intellectuals including Bernard Lewis, Dr. M'hammed Fantar, Thierry de Montbrial, Prof. Hassan Hanafi Hassanien, Prince Hassan bin Talal, and Prof. Ilber Ortayli will also attend the meeting.

[12] CEM:''TURKEY ISN'T ONLY A BRIDGE BUT IT'S ALSO A MEETING POINT''

A total of 618 press members from 190 foreign institutions applied to watch the meeting and 85 journalists and authors were coming to monitor the forum.

The foreign minister indicated that the TRT would broadcast the opening and all sessions of the meeting and the European Broadcast Association would broadcast it to the whole world.

''Turkey is the only country which belongs both to the OIC and EU communities,'' he continued. ''Turkey has a very important function not only as a bridge but as a meeting point and a point of unity. I think this is one of the reasons why the meeting has received great attention from all these countries.''

Cem thanked EU and OIC administrations, governments and private organizations in Qatar, the Netherlands, Kuwait, Malasia and Turkey for their contributions to the forum.

''We believe that this meeting would be very beneficial to make us understand each other, creating a dialogue between us and to make us understand that we'll have a better future if we act in unity and cooperation,'' he said.

Cem later answered the questions of reporters about the forum.

[13] TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO IRAN ALPAR MEETS WITH FIRST SECRETARY OF IRANIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER

Riza Khatami, who is the brother of Iranian President Mohammad Khatami told in the meeting which took place on Saturday that the impediments in front of improvement of bilateral relations were lifted by the resolution of Iranian and Turkish officials and added that Turkey and Iran were the biggest powers of the region. No effort launched to strengthen the peace and stability in the Middle East without the participation of Turkey and Iran would be successful, he stated.

Riza Khatami indicated that every effort launched to improve the relations between Turkey and Iran would serve the reciprocal interests and regional peace and stability.

Turkish Ambassador Alpar said in his part that Turkey and Iran had similar attitude about the regional developments.

Noting that Turkish industrialists and businessmen wanted to invest in Iran, Alpar asked for support from the Iranian parliament. He stressed that the Turkish-Iranian common natural gas project was a symbol of the good economic relations.

Alpar also stated that Turkey appreciated Iran's contributions to Bonn Conference held on Afghanistan, its support to the new Afghan government and the efforts it launched to solve the regional tensions.

Turkey supported the idea of intercivilizational dialogue voiced for the first time by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, Alpar said and noted that Turkey would hold a conference on this issue in which foreign ministers of 40 countries would participate.

Alpar also conveyed the invitation of Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mahdavi Karubi for a visit to Turkey.

Karubi is expected to visit Turkey in March.

[14] FM CEM:''FOREIGN MINISTERS WILL HOLD MANY BILATERAL CONTACTS DURING OIC-EU FORUM''

Responding to questions of journalists at the end of the news conference he held in Cıragan Palace, Cem said that ''there are many ministres who want to hold contact with us. I will try to meet with them. But what is important than that is the bilateral contacts among foreign ministers who will come to Istanbul to join the Forum. Their demand for holding bilateral contacts went beyond our estimations. They ask us for help and to fix date and place for their meetings. Almost 30 ministers demanded to meet with me bilaterally.''

When asked if Iraqi foreign minister also demanded to meet with him, Cem said that ''I don't know if there is such a demand now. We are the hosting country, if there is a demand, I will certainly meet with him.''

Cem said that an important meeting will also be held between foreign ministers of Turkey, Greece, which are two Balkan countries and Romania and Bulgaria, which are NATO candidates during the Forum. Cem stated that he proposed Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou to hold such a meeting and he also contacted with Romanian and Bulgarian foreign ministers after that, adding that ''I suppose we will hold this meeting on Feb. 13. We will discuss how can we (Turkey and Greece) can help them. If necessary, we can hold a second meeting in Athens.''

Responding to a question regarding the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' (TRNC) invitation to the meeting in the observer status, Cem said that Turkey was in contact with the EU and OIC and these two big organizations invited the countries which they think should participate in the meeting.

Cem also indicated that the United States welcomed Turkey's initiative to organize such a meeting and it instructed U.S. embassies in the world to support this organization.

''We didn't consider the meetings held previously while organizing this meeting. We had an original approach and we focused on politics. Themes like religions and dialogue between civilizations were dealt successfully in the previous meetings and they are still being discussed. This is a different meeting. It's held on the foreign ministers level,'' he said.

Cem said that besides ministers, a number of famous academicians would also contribute with their thoughts to the meeting.

He said that Eduard Said who was expected to attend the meeting was hospitalized in the United States therefore he could not come.

Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Sencar Ozsoy and Forum Coordinator Ambassador Murat Ersavci also briefed reporters about the program and participants of the meeting.

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