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Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-01-03

Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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


[01] AA News

03 January 2000 Monday

[02] TURKEY-ENERGY

RIZE, Jan 3 (A.A) - Energy and Natural Resources Minister Cumhur Ersumer said on Sunday that they would exert themselves to seek every opportunity excluding the state budget to obtain energy.

''We are trying to inject the domestic and foreign private sectors' power into the energy investments,'' he said.

Addressing a meeting held in Rize province in the Black Sea region, Ersumer said they were expending efforts to transform even one milimeter of water into energy.

''However, there are some circles which oppose to some of our projects. A power plant is being constructed in Camlihemsin. The Committee for Protection of Historical and Cultural Heritage raises an objection. However, there is a logic to the situation. The path of such a project, which produces clean energy and does not pollute the environment, should not be blocked in a period in which Turkey is suffering energy shortage,'' he said.

Cumhur Ersumer recalled that they had several natural gas projects for which they finalized feasibility works.

''According to these works, we have two options. One of them is the Artvin- Samsun pipeline and the other is the Artvin-Trabzon pipeline. One of these projects will cost 76 million U.S. dollars and the other will cost 22 million U.S. dollars. With these projects, we are thinking to prevent environmental pollution. Besides, we are planning to purchase natural gas from Georgia and Azerbaijan,'' he added.

[03] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on January 3, 2000. The Anadolu Ajansi does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their occuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

CHP'S REVOLUTION
The Republican People's Party (CHP) decided to soften its religion policy which it considered as one of the reasons of the defeat in general elections. The first step of the decision was taken with evening meals to break a fast in holy Ramadan month. The CHP for the first time attended the evening meals as a group including the leader, Central Management Board and Assembly members. The report, which determined the reasons for the defeat in general elections, say, ''many of the faithful did not vote for the CHP due to the policy.''

EU CANDIDACY INSPIRES TOURISM WITH HOPE
Tourism sector became one of the worst affected section from the crisis in 1999. The sector received the most serious blow from the propagandas that started in Europe following the apprehension of Abdulah Ocalan, the head of the terrorist PKK organization. The number of foreign tourists visiting Turkey in eleven morths of 1999 decreased from 9,059,644 to 7,163,510. The incomes of the sector decreased to 4.5 billion U.S. dollars. The Helsinki Summit inspired the sector with hope. The sector targets to incerase its revenues to 7 billion U.S. dollars in 2000 with the help of EU candidacy.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

BLACK SEA TO ALMOST SWALLOW TERKOS LAKE
The land which separates the Terkos Lake from the Black Sea, is being removed step by step. The length of the land separating the Terkos Lake, which is the potable water storage of Istanbul, from the Black Sea was decreased below 100 meters. If this line is removed, the salt water of the Black Sea will mix with the water of the Lake, and let Istanbul go without potable water. The coasters which extracts sand 50 meters off-shore create the danger.

TENT-CITY COVERED WITH SNOW
Turkey is suffereing from cold and rainy weather. It snowed on Ankara. The snow which started yesterday in Bolu made quake survivors wretched and distraught.

BAHCELI: ''AT FIRST, MOTHERLAND''
Devlet Bahceli of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) deployed a clear position toward Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's statement saying, ''we must not approch the Ocalan case sensitively.'' Bahceli said, ''at first, motherland and than the party and us. We always acted in this way. We won't deviate from this principle.''

SABAH (LIBERAL)

COMPENSATION FROM STATE
A gendarme soldier accidentally shot dead an eleven-year old child who put cattle out to pasture together with his grandfather in eastern Tunceli province on September 25, 1999. Turkey was informed about the incident by Kamer Genc, a deputy of the DYP. The state accepted its mistake and decided to give compensation. Interior Minister Saadettin Tantan said the state gave 10 sheep, 40 kg of storable food and 750 million Turkish Liras to the family of Unal Cila.

EUROPE WILL GIVE THE FINAL DECISION
Supreme Court Chief Judge Sami Selcuk said, ''it means a defiance to jurisprudence if we do not wait the final decision of the European Court of Human Rights about Ocalan. If we do not wait for this decision, Turkey's prestige will be destroyed. The jurisprudence will take the final decision.''

FLYING RADARS TO COME
Turkey will purchase four Awacks planes which report the places of missiles in territories of enemies and warn the pilots before the enemy attacks. The U.S. rendered ineffective the missile attacks of Iraq during the Gulf War with the help of these planes.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

PRISONS: HEAVENLY PLACES OF GANGS
After notorious mafia boss Alaattin Cakici, drug smuggler Huseyin Baybasin wanted to come to Turkey. Tekin Yildiz, the Chairman of the Jurisprudence Employers' Labour Union, said, ''why don't they want to come to Turkey? The prison wardens entered into their service. They make use of the prison guards as servants. They even bring women into the wards. They make use of every kind of technological opportunities. These are the things that can't be possible in civil life.''

CEM: ''CHECHNYA IS THE PROBLEM OF ALL OF US''
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem stressed that human rights and democracy are not the domectic problems of anybody. ''The children and women killed in Chechnya, the civilian settlements under bombardment are not the domestic problems of Russia. These are the problems of all of us,'' he said.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

OCALAN TRUCE
The internal jurisprudence process about Ocalan ended. Now, he is a convict of execution. Earlier, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) demanded the transfer of the decision to the Parliament as soon as possible. Sources said the MHP consented to keep the dossier at the Prime Ministry. However, this is not an ''agreement'' but a ''truce''. The MHP is not opposed to abolishment of capital punishment but it wants the execution of Ocalan.

THE NIGHT OF POWER
The Islamic World is celebrating the Night of Power, the twenty-seventh of the holy month of Ramadan when the holy Koran was revealed. Religious Affairs President Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz called people to abide by the Koran.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

FEARS OF 2000
A new period will start in struggle against 140 billion U.S. dollar borrowing, 65 percent inflation and high interest rates. According to the government's programme, the privatization will be accelerated, taxes will be collected completely, agricultural subsidies will be lifted and the budget deficits will be decreased to minimum. The inflation will be taken under control by keeping the civil servants' wage increase at 15 percent, the searches for cash sources in foreign bond markets will be accelerated and the growth rate will be five percent.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

BANKS WITH QUEUE
Banks annoy people and cause them suffer due to their long queues. The banks which became one of the most important parts of the economy, welcomed the milenium with long queues. The people, who want to receive their salaries or pay their taxes and invoices, join these long lines in front of the banks which brought various options into Turkey in the 1990s. These queues do not suit humanity and technology age.

CILLER: ''TURKEY WILL SUFFER A CHAOS''
Tansu Ciller of the True Path Party (DYP) said, ''the net 80 million Turkish Liras minimum wage means will let people go hungry and be very impoverished.'' Ciller said this decision of the government might bring the country into chaos by destroying the social peace.

KUTAN: ''THERE IS NO FREEDOM IN TURKEY''
Recai Kutan of the Virtue Party (FP) said that Turkey has gotten a reputation for being a country that imprisons politicians and journalists. ''Where are the freedoms and human rights in real meaning? Robbery and plundering are at excessive limits. There are corruptions in auctions and tenders,'' he said.

[04] WATER TRANSPORTATION TO TRNC WITH BALLOONS

ANTALYA, Jan 3 (A.A) - The water transportation from Anamur township of southern Mersin province to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) with balloons couldn't be made for two months.

Speaking to the A.A correspondent, Acar Transportation Board Chairman Ahmet Acar said that a total of 102 border gates including the Anamur were closed in accordance with a decision of the Customs Undersecretariat.

Acar said they had been exeperiencing difficulties in transportation of water to the TRNC after the closure of the Anamur border gate.

''We couldn't send water to the TRNC for two months as the border gate was closed. The State Water Works officials continue their talks to solve the problem about the Anamur border gate,'' he said.

[05] EROGLU, TRNC PRIME MINISTER: ''GREEK CYPRIOTS SHOULD ACCEPT THE FACT THAT THERE IS A STATE IN THE NORTH''

LEFKOSA, Jan 3 (A.A) - Dervis Eroglu, Prime Minister of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), said on Monday that, ''the Greek Cypriot side sits at the table as if it was negotiating, yet escaped from the negotiation table when a peace was about to be provided.'' He said from now on the Greek Cypriot side should accept the fact that there is a state in the Northern part of the Island.

Speaking to Bayrak Radio, TRNC Prime Minister Eroglu said the Greek Cypriot side should understand that they could not reach anywhere by escaping from the negotiation table. He said Turkish Cypriot side was accused from time to time, although it was the Greek Cypriot side that did not want compromise and peace.

Eroglu said, ''we want Greek Cypriot side to have the same determination, and reach peace.''

Speaking about entrance of Turkish Cypriot side to European Union (EU), Eroglu said there should be an agreement first of all for them to enter to EU, and that Turkey should approve this.

[06] ECONOMIC FIGURES IN 2000

ANKARA, Jan 3 (A.A) - A total of 130 trillion 466 billion Turkish Liras (TL) will be paid from the state cash every day in 2000.

According to the government's economic figures for the first year of the 21st century, the state's monthly budget spendings will reach three quadrillion 914 trillion TL totalling up 46 quadrillion 968 trillion TL in 2000.

The state's spendings for each Turkish individual will be about 719 million 143 thousand TL in 2000.

The state will repay monthly 1 quadrillion 761 trillion TL in foreign and domestic borrowing interests. The interest burden on each Turkish citizen will increase over to 323 million 748 thousand TL in 2000.

The deficit in Social Security Authority (SSK), Social Security Agency for Artisans and Self-Employed (Bag-Kur) and Pension Fund will be 300 trillion TL every month.

The citizens will pay 24 quadrillion TL of tax in 2000. The tax of each Turkish citizen will increase by 367 million 472 thousand TL.

The possible daily developments in some incomes and spendings in 2000 are as follows:

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS DAILY SITUATION
----------------------- -----------------------
Spendings from Budget 130 trillion 466 billion TL

State's Interest Payments 58 trillion 702 billion TL

Spendings on Social Security Deficits 10 trillion TL

Tax Paid by Citizens 66 trillion 666 billion TL

Fine Paid by Citizens 1 trillion 19 billion TL

Spendings on Products of PEEs* 41 trillion 857 billion TL

Exports 78 million 466 thousand U.S. dollars

Imports 127 million 777 thousand U.S. dollars

Privatization 14 million 444 thousand U.S. dollars

Income from Tourism 19 million 726 thousand U.S. dollars

GNP per capita 3,339 U.S. dollars

Electricity Consumption of Each Citizen 1,964 kwh

</pre>

PEEs*: Public Economic Enterprises

[07] GREEK FM DUE IN TURKEY IN JANUARY 20-21

ATHENS, Jan 3 (A.A) - George Papandreou, Greek Foreign Minister, is expected to visit Turkey between January 20 and 21.

To Vima newspaper, published in Athens, said Papandreou will visit Ankara and Istanbul, and sign the agreements prepared within the framework of Turkish-Greek dialogue.

The newspaper pointed out that half of the agreements will be signed in Ankara, and the other half will be signed in February during Foreign Minister Ismail Cem's visit to Athens. The newspaper said date of the visits was determined during a telephone conversation between Cem and Papandreou.

To Vima said the agreements that will be signed covered terrorism and issues linked with it, economy, trade, tourism, science, technological cooperation, cooperation in the fields of culture, environment, preservation of investments, maritime, and energy. It said efforts related with prevention of dual taxation agreement were underway.

To Vima said Athens acted with self confidence and optimism in Turkish- Greek relations following Helsinki summit.

The newspaper also claimed that signing of a memorandum of understanding regarding Turkey's preparation to the EU may be in question between the two countries.

[08] NEW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TERMINAL OPENED IN ISTANBUL - PRESIDENT DEMIREL: ''TURKEY IS READY FOR 21ST CENTURY, AND WILL REACH THE TARGETS OF 21ST CENTURY''

ISTANBUL, Jan 3 (A.A) - President Suleyman Demirel said on Monday that Turkey was ready for the 21st century, and that it will shoulder the burden of this century, and that it will reach the targets of the new century.

President Demirel inaugurated a new international airport that will replace Istanbul's overcrowded facility with one capable of handling 14 million passengers a year.

Addressing the ceremony Demirel said, ''we have entered to 21st century by overcoming a great shock after great pains. We should heal our wounds, solve our problems, and prepare ourselves for a better future. If you have dreams, hopes, and self confidence, you can reach your targets. This installation is a proof that Turkey may reach its goals.''

Demirel said, ''Turkey is among the 20 developed countries. Turkey is included among G-20 Group, and took a step to be a full member of the European Union (EU). Yet, we can not stop at this point. We will further improve.''

Demirel pointed out that Turkey will be among the first 10 developed countries in coming 20 years. He said the terminal is an example to countries which try to develop with its own efforts.

The 306 million U.S. dollars terminal, which is four times the size of the old one, is scheduled to go into service later this week.

The new building was built just beside the old terminal on the outskirts of Istanbul.

It was built to withstand earthquakes up to a magnitude of 8.5.

[09] TENDER FOR AKKUYU NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

ANKARA, Jan 3 (A.A) - After Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit stated that the announcement of the results of the tender for the construction of Akkuyu nuclear power plant was delayed for one month, the Turkish Electricity Production and Distribution Corp (TEAS) asked consortiums bidding for the tender to extend the bid validity period by one month.

The TEAS called the representatives of those three consortiums to its headquarters on December 31, 1999, and asked them to extend the validity period of their bids by one month.

The consortiums were requested to submit their documents about the extension till January 17. The consortiums will give their response to the TEAS after evaluating the demand for the extension.

Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit announced on December 30, 199, one day before the deadline for the validity of bid, that they decided to postpone the decision process concerning the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant tender.

Ecevit said they took the decision in question as they did not ask the opinions of some state institutions.

The three consortiums bidding for the tender are as follows:

-Westinghouse - Mitsubishi Consortium: Westinghouse (U.S.), Raytheone and Duke (U.S.), Mitsubishi Heavy Int. (Japan), Enka Construction (Turkey), MNG (Turkey).

-AECL Consortium: AECL (Canada), Hitachi (Japan), Itochu (Japan), Gama Industry (Turkey), Guris Construction (Turkey), Bayindir Construction (Turkey), Ansoldo (Italy), Daiwoo (South Korea)

-NPI Consortium: Siemens (Germany), Hochtief (Germany), Framatom (France), Gec-Alsthom (France), Campenon Bernard (France), Garanti-Koza Construction (Turkey), Tekfen Construction (Turkey).

[10] TURKEY-ECONOMY - ANNUAL INFLATION IN 1999 HITS 62.9 PERCENT IN WHOLESALE PRICES, AND 68.8 PERCENT IN CONSUMER PRICES

ANKARA, Jan 3 (A.A) - State Statistical Institute (DIE) said on Monday that annual inflation was 62.9 percent in wholesale prices and 68.8 percent in consumer prices.

In 1998, the inflation was 54.3 percent in wholesale prices, and 69.7 percent in consumer prices.

Annual inflation in November 1999, in wholesale prices was 56.3 percent, and 56.3 percent in consumer prices.

According to wholesale and consumer prices index, monthly and annual figures of the last five years are as follows:

Monthly Inflation

Wholesale Consumer

. ----------------------------- -----------------------------
Months 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----
Jan 10.3 9.8 5.6 6.5 3.6 7.1 8.3 5.9 7.2 4.8

Feb 7.1 5.8 6.2 4.6 3.4 4.9 4.5 5.7 4.4 3.2

Marc 5.5 7.0 6.0 4.0 4.0 4.5 5.6 5.4 4.3 4.1

April 5.1 8.1 5.5 4.0 5.3 5.8 6.7 6.6 4.7 4.9

May 1.9 4.1 5.2 3.3 3.2 3.3 4.5 4.7 3.5 2.9

June . 1.3 2.7 3.4 1.6 1.8 2.6 2.5 2.9 2.4 3.3

July 2.3 2.4 5.3 2.5 4.0 3.1 2.1 6.3 3.4 3.8

August 2.3 3.8 5.3 2.4 3.3 4.3 4.8 6.2 4.0 4.2

Sept 4.6 5.1 6.3 5.3 5.9 7.7 6.1 7.3 6.7 4.2

Oct 3.7 5.5 6.7 4.1 4.7 6.3 6.5 8.3 6.1 6.3

Novem 3.5 5.1 5.6 3.4 4.1 4.7 5.2 6.6 4.3 4.2

Dec 4.4 3.9 5.4 2.5 6.8 3.8 3.4 5.1 3.3 5.9

</pre>

Annual Inflation

. Wholesale Consumer

. ---------------------------- -----------------------------
Months1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----
Jan 139.9 64.9 78.0 92.5 50.0 125.9 78.1 75.7 101.6 65.9

Feb 138.4 63.0 78.6 89.6 48.3 122.4 77.5 77.7 99.3 63.9

Marc 135.0 65.3 77.0 86.0 48.2 119.7 79.3 77.3 97.2 63.5

April 92.4 69.9 72.8 83.3 50.0 88.4 80.8 77.2 93.6 63.9

May 80.6 73.7 74.6 79.9 50.0 79.8 82.9 77.5 91.4 63.0

June . 78.1 76.2 75.7 76.7 50.3 80.7 82.9 78.0 90.6 64.3

July 77.8 76.3 80.7 72.1 52.4 80.6 81.2 85.2 85.3 65.0

August 76.2 79.0 83.4 67.4 53.7 83.3 81.9 87.8 81.4 65.4

Sept 76.5 79.8 85.4 65.9 54.4 85.8 79.3 89.9 80.4 64.3

Oct 72.4 82.8 87.5 62.0 55.2 84.2 79.6 93.2 76.6 64.7

Novem 68.9 85.7 88.4 58.6 56.3 81.5 80.4 95.8 72.8 64.6

Dec 65.6 84.9 91.0 54.3 62.9 76.1 79.8 99.1 69.7 68.8

</pre>

[11] ACTIVITIES OF EVEREST BANK STOPPED IN TRNC TILL JANUARY 19

LEFKOSA, Jan 3 (A.A) - The banking activities of Everest Bank were stopped on Monday in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) till January 19, due to the reason that its financial situation worsened.

TRNC cabinet held an extraordinary meeting today and gave time to the bank to improve itself till January 19.

Mehmet Bayram, the TRNC Minister of Economy and Finance said that the inspections on banks continue, adding there is no other bank whose financial situation is bad except Everest Bank.

Bayram stressed that if Everest Bank does not improve its finance till January 19, it will be closed.

[12] A.A


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