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Turkish Press Review, 00-07-03
From: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs <http://www.mfa.gov.tr>
03.07.00
Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning
CONTENTS
[01] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
[02] ECEVIT HOSTS CHILDREN
[03] SIXTH ANATOLIA CONVENTION
[04] KUTAN: "PARTIES SHOULD NOT BE CLOSED"
[05] YILMAZ MAY ENTER GOVERNMENT
[06] PRAISE FROM WORLD BANK
[07] MEHMET NURI YILMAZ RETURNS
[08] SIVAS IS NOT FORGOTTEN
[09] RACE BOATS IN THE BOSPHORUS
[10] ENVIRONMENTALISTS HOLD DEMONSTRATION
[11] NATO MEASURES TO COUNTER MINES
[12] A NEW MODEL FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT
[13] FIVE POWER PLANTS
[14] FATIH FRIGATE SALUTES CLINTON
[15] FOUR TURKISH FAMILY IN FORBES' LIST
[16] EXPECTING % 1 INFLATION
[17] ONAL: " THE OPERATIONS ARE OVER "
[18] TWELVE TURKISH COMPANIES IN WORLD LEAGUE
[19] PRIVATIZATION IN TURKEY: 5.5 BILLION DOLLARS IN 15 YEARS
[20] CONSUMPTION IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS REACH TL 17 TRILLIONS
[21] REWARD TO RAHMI KOC
[22] "TURKEY IS AN ATTRACTIVE MARKET"
[23] 19 MEDALS AT BALKAN CHAMPIONSHIP
[24] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
[25] CAPITAL PUNISHMENT TO BE ABOLISHED BY GUNGOR MENGI (SABAH)
[01] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
[02] ECEVIT HOSTS CHILDREN
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and his wife Rahsan Ecevit yesterday hosted
the children coming from Albania. 72 Albanian children will make a
vacation in Mersin for 15 days, while 72 others arriving in Turkey on
July 15th. During his reception Ecevit said to children, "There are many
citizens in Turkey originating from Albania, so, you will feel
yourself at home. Have a nice holiday in Turkey." /Milliyet/
[03] SIXTH ANATOLIA CONVENTION
Deputy Prime Minister and the leader of the Nationalist Action Party
(MHP), Devlet Bahceli, attended the Sixth Anatolia Convention which
was organized in the Beysehir district of Konya. During his speech at
the opening of the convention, Bahceli stated that democracy was the
best administration in the modern age. Bahceli stressed, "Today, if there
was a moral crisis in politics, democracy itself is not responsible
and guilty for that." After the ceremony, visiting the citizens in
tents and talking to them, Bahceli returned to Ankara. /Turkiye/
[04] KUTAN: "PARTIES SHOULD NOT BE CLOSED"
The General Administration Council of the Virtue Party (FP) convened
in the Urgup town of Nevsehir. Before the meeting, addressing the
representatives of some non-governmental organizations the leader of the
Virtue Party (FP), Recai Kutan, critized the system in Turkey. He
said, "The name of the system is not democracy, it is an
administration of bureaucrats." Replying to questions posed by
journalists regarding the case on closing the FP, Kutan said, "If it
is necessary, closing a party must be the final sanction. Before that,
others may be applied, for example, first, it may be warned, then
monetary sanctions may be applied or even entering an election may be
banned. Closing a party should not be a sanction to be implemented in the
21st century". Recai Kutan also emphasized that he didn't believe the
Constitutional Court would close the FP. /Cumhuriyet/
[05] YILMAZ MAY ENTER GOVERNMENT
Deputy Chairman of Motherland Party (ANAP), Salih Yildirim stated that
ANAP leader Yilmaz's participation in the cabinet would increase the
credibility, function and effectiveness of the Government. In a press
conference he held at ANAP headquarters, yesterday, Yildirim said that to
avoid the formation of commissions with political considerations and
carry unnecessary issues to agenda, they would bring the required
changes to TGNA Regulations and amendments to the Constitutions.
Yildirim, noted that one of the most important problems facing
Turkey was population density and unemployment rate had reached
an unacceptable level. /Cumhuriyet/
[06] PRAISE FROM WORLD BANK
Minister of State, Recep Onal announced that the Chairman of the World
Bank, James Wolfensohn, has sent a letter to President Ahmet Necdet
Sezer, regarding the economical stability package in Turkey. Onal said
that in the letter, Wolfensohn praised Turkey for the application of the
economic programme in Turkey. /Turkiye/
[07] MEHMET NURI YILMAZ RETURNS
After attending the opening of the mosque, built in Tokyo, Director of the
Religious Affairs, Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz, and the delegation accompanied
returned to Turkey. Yilmaz said, "We have built a beautiful mosque in
Tokyo. It will also be a culture centre of Turkey in Japan." /Turkiye/
[08] SIVAS IS NOT FORGOTTEN
37 persons who were killed in Sivas in July 2th 1993 were
commemorated in a demonstration called " Independence, Democracy
and Secularism" in Ankara yesterday. CHP (Republican Peoples
Party), HADEP (Peoples Democratic Party), ODP (Freedom and
Solidarity Party), YP (Workers Party), EMEP (Labour Party), SIP
(Socialist Workers Party) participated in the demonstration in
addition to the unions, various chambers, non-governmental
organizations and Alewite associations. /Cumhuriyet/
[09] RACE BOATS IN THE BOSPHORUS
The fourth leg of the World Endurance Boat Championship was
carried out yesterday with the participation of 34 race boats in
the Bosphorus, from Fenerbahce to the Islands. Italian
Rizzardi-Cicanese team became the champion of fourth leg of the
race, originally consisting of five stages. Second and third
runner-ups were Italian Menegatto-Giraldi team and Turkish team
consisting of Nuri Hamamcioglu and Yildirim Ayvazoglu,
respectively. /Sabah/
[10] ENVIRONMENTALISTS HOLD DEMONSTRATION
Non-governmental organizations, protesting the transportation of
Caucasian oil through the Turkish Straits, demonstrated yesterday
in the Bosphorus.On behalf of the demonstrators,the deputy
president of the Tema Foundation, Nihat Gokyigit, said that they
did not want oil tankers passing through the straits as they
presented a clear danger to the coasts and that a pipeline should
be built for the transportation of oil as an alternative. During the
three hour long demonstration, oil tankers continued to pass through
the Bosphorus strait. /Sabah/
[11] NATO MEASURES TO COUNTER MINES
Warships connected to the Nato Mine Counter-Measure Permanent
Forces in Mediterranean (MCMFORMED) arrived at the port of Izmir yesterday.
The fleet consists of seven ships two from Greece, the others each from
Turkey, Germany, Italy, Holland and Belgium. The commander of the Forces,
Colonel Ioannis Grammatikakis in his press conference said that they
carried out their manoeuvres in complete harmony with all the participants
as if they were from the same state. /Star/
[12] A NEW MODEL FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Directorate General of Emergency Management is working on a new
model for the disaster management. The Head of Bogazici
University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research
Institute, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Isykara stated that the objective of
the Directorate General of Emergency Management is to develop a
model covering the processes of risk reducing, preparedness and
rescue operations. He pointed out that the Directorate General
affiliated with the Office of Prime Ministry was established two
weeks ago. He said that World Bank also has a project on the
issue and there will be an international symposium in this
context. /Turkiye/
[13] FIVE POWER PLANTS
The foundations of four thermic plants in Gebze, Adapazari,
Iskenderun and Ankara will be laid down next month. The
construction of Izmir power will begin at the end of the year.
Those power plants will cost about $ 4 billion. These plants,
offered to tender by build-operate model in 1997,will produce
about 26.6 billion kw_hours per year. Both Gebze Power Plant and
Yzmir Power Plant will have a capacity of 1400 MW and Adapazari
will have a capacity of 700 MW. Yskenderun Import Coal Plant
will have a capacity of 1000 MW and Ankara Power Plant will have
a capacity of 1000 MW. /Aksam/
[14] FATIH FRIGATE SALUTES CLINTON
The Frigate TCG Fatih which will represent Turkey in a sea parade
on the anniversary of the United States' July 4 Independence
Day, is going to arrive in New York this afternoon. Fatih Frigate
will anchor under the Verrazano Bridge and will salute Bill
Clinton who will be in a ship called Hue City. The parade is
expected to last for two hours. Fatih Frigate will be open for
public tours on July 5-7 in the afternoons. /Aksam/
[15] FOUR TURKISH FAMILY IN FORBES' LIST
There are four Turkish families in the Forbes Journal's list of
"The Most Wealthiest People of the World". While Bill Gates is at
the top of the list again, Mehmet Emin Karamehmet, Sakip Sabanci,
Rahmi Koc and Ayhan Sahenk are Turkish figures in the list.
Turkish families are included in the " Middle East Billionaires"
part of the list. /Hurriyet/
[16] EXPECTING % 1 INFLATION
It is expected that the rise in prices will be below % 1 in July
in Wholesale Price Index and Consumer Price Index. The growth
rate was announced as % 4.2 for the first three months. If the
rate of inflation which will be declared today is low, Turkey
will have achieved the objectives of its economic program based
on curbing the inflation while maintaining the development.
Bureaucrats point out that the rise in prices may be below zero
in July. /Aksam/
[17] ONAL: " THE OPERATIONS ARE OVER "
State Minister Recep Onal stated that it is not a correct policy
to hold operations frequently in banks and said, " There will be
no more operations." In a meeting with reporters dealing with
economy, he stressed that he does not approve of frequent
operations in banks. /Aksam/
[18] TWELVE TURKISH COMPANIES IN WORLD LEAGUE
Businessweek magazine announced the results of the research, "First 200
Companies of the Developing World". Accordingly, Is Bank came 11th
with its 15,487-billion-dollar market value. Following other twelve Turkish
companies were also included into the list, Yapi Kredi Bank, Sabanci, Koc,
Tupras, Akbank, Garanti Bank, THY, Petroleum Office, Petkim, Arcelik
and Eregli. /Turkiye/
[19] PRIVATIZATION IN TURKEY: 5.5 BILLION DOLLARS IN 15 YEARS
According to data issued by State Planning Organization
(DPT), the total of privatization revenues from 1985 until the
end of 1999 reached $5 billions, while the cost of the
program in general totalled about $1.6 billion.
Data points that $1.9 billion of the total revenues was
earned from block sales while $526 millions came from from the
sales made through Istanbul Stock Exchanges (IMKB), $708.2
millions from the sales through International Markets,
and $616 millions through direct transferring of the
existing facilities. Total revenues reaches $ 5.4
billions when $134 millions of stock buyings in the IMKB
is subtracted from the total.
[20] CONSUMPTION IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS REACH TL 17 TRILLIONS
According to the Data of State Institute of Statistics,
Private Consumption Expenditures in te first quarter of
2000 totalled TL 17 trillion while the total expenditures
for foodstuff and alcoholic beverages reached TL 17.45
quadrillion, which made the highest level in the category.
[21] REWARD TO RAHMI KOC
In connection with the Cabotage Fest, Chamber of Maritime
Commerce has awarded the chairman of Administrative Board of Koc
Holding Company, Rahmi Koc due to his contributions to Turkish
maritime activities. /Sabah/
[22] "TURKEY IS AN ATTRACTIVE MARKET"
The chairman of Administrative Board of Grundig AG, Herbert
Bruch announced that Turkey would be the most important market
for their electronical goods, such as televisions, DVD and music
players. The chairman of the Administrative Board of the Grundig
Mercansoy acting as the general Distributor of Grundig AG, Cem
Tanlar stated that due to the new strategies implemented in the
Turkish market, their television sales doubled, especially the
ones with big, flat screen. /Sabah/
[23] 19 MEDALS AT BALKAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Turkey won three gold, four silver and 12 bronze medals during the Balkan
Adults Athletics Championship, which was held in the city of Kavala
in Greece. Nora Guner, Oznur Dursun and Nuray Surekli came first in 200 metres,
800 metres and 10 thousand metres, respectively. With 19 medals in
total, Turkey became third in women, after Romania and Greece, and
came fourth in men. /Hurriyet/
[24] FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS
[25] CAPITAL PUNISHMENT TO BE ABOLISHED BY GUNGOR MENGI (SABAH)
Columnist Gungor Mengi, writes on the arguments concerning capital
punishment. A summary of his column is as follows:
"Turgut Okyay, the judge who presided the court which sentenced Ocalan
to death, said that capital punishment will be abolished soon. Judge
Okyay believes that Turkey will take this important step as the
commission working on the Turkish Penal Code concerning the issue will
complete its studies this week. He said that in the new Turkish Penal Code
there will be no death sentence. Okyay pointed out that important developments
needed time and capital punishment will be abolished when the
parliament begins its studies after the recess.
Okyay bases his opinions on two arguments. One of them is that a
majority of affirmative votes will be enough to accept the abolishment
of death penalty. Therefore, the support of 330 members of parliament
will not be needed as in Constitutional amendments. Secondly, the
time passed will elevate commonsense preserving the interests of the
country above the feelings of revenge. At the moment, a majority of
people prefer to see Ocalan behind bars with the guarantee that he
will not be pardoned in any way. The execution of death sentence will
be liberation for Ocalan. It will provide support for the PKK
organization which has entered a stage of disintegration. Turkey's
path to the European Union will be barred by a worthless corpse. Neither our
children nor those who have been killed in the fight against Ocalan will
wish for such a result."
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