Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-01-29

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[01] AA News

29 January 2000 Saturday

[02] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

ECEVIT PROPOSES 'DOMESTIC MARKET ECONOMY' IN DAVOS
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit who attended the first session of the World Economic Forum said, ''globalization and market economy must be domesticized.'' He pointed out that people were put under a lot of pressure due to globalization and fast spreading market economy, therefore globalization and market economy should be domesticized for the benefit of people. Ecevit also spoke about the positive aspects of globalization and said it contributed to a more productive and dynamic world economy.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

CITIBANK WANTS TO PURCHASE SOME OF BANKS WHICH WERE
TRANSFERRED TO THE SAVINGS DEPOSIT INSURANCE FUND
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that the Citibank based in the U.S., wanted to purchase some of the five banks which were transferred to the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund of the Central Bank. Ecevit who is currently in Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum meetings, met with William Rhodes, the Deputy Governor of the Citibank. The Yurtbank, the Esbank, the Sumerbank, the Yasarbank and the Egebank were transferred to the Central Bank a short time ago by the decision of the Council of Ministers.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

He also plans to affect the European Court of Human Rihgts' (ECHR) decision by getting married.

RELATIVES OF MARTYRS MAKE DEMIREL CRY
A group of relatives of martyrs met President Suleyman Demirel in Manisa. They said that they would carry the Medals of Honor with pride.

Their decision made President Demirel cry. After the government's decision to postpone execution of capital punishment given to Abdullah Ocalan, the head of terrorist organization PKK, relatives of martrys decided to give back the Medals of Honor to protest government's decision.

BLAIR EULOGIZES ECEVIT
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit who is currently in Davos, Switzerland, to participate in the World Economic Forum meetings, held a 20-minute tete-a- tete meeting with his British counterpart Tony Blair. Underlining Ecevit's contributions to social democracy, Blair said that he always wanted to meet with Ecevit.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

EU TO SET UP SUB-COMMITTEES TO GET TO KNOW TURKEY
The European Union (EU) authorities keep repeating their warnings that full membership to the EU will be ''a long and thorny road'' for Turkey. EU authorities who spoke at an information meeting titled ''Operation of European Commission'' said Turkey has to meet the political and economic criteria in order to be admitted to the Union. According to Peter Tempel who participated the meeting, it is too early to tell when the official talks would begin about full membership. Tempel said a sub-committees would be formed in April to collect information about Turkey's laws, environment, agriculture and domestic market issues. The committees will prepare a report and submit it to the EU at the end of the year.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

FIVE EARTHQUAKES OCCUR
Moderate earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 3.0 to 3.7, occured in Hatay, Erzurum, Marmara Sea, Kutahya and Bulgol. Meanwhile, an aftershock measuring 3.0 on the Richter scale, shook Yigilca township of Bolu province at 20:41 local time.

CEM TO BE GIVEN ABDI IPEKCI PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP AWARD
Ismail Cem, the Foreign Minister, will pay an official visit to Greek capital Athens next week. During his visit to Athens, Cem who is one of the architects of the rapprochement between Turkey and Greece, will be given the Abdi Ipekci Peace and Friendship Award.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

PRESIDENT DENKTAS OF TRNC: ''CONFEDARATION IS THE ONLY SOLUTION''
President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said that they had put forward the road leading to a permanent solution on Cyprus with the confederation proposal. He added that there were two equal and sovereign states on Cyprus representing the two sides of the island.

PRODI:''THERE IS A POSITIVE AND OPTIMISTIC ATMOSPHERE ABOUT TURKEY''
Romano Prodi, the Chairman of the European Union (EU) Commission, said that EU countries have constructive and optimistic views about Turkey. Prodi said that the EU and Turkey had rational approaches at Helsinki summit, the EU thinks that Turkey's EU membership will be realized in long term, and all the opportunities have been mobilized to this end after this summit. Turkey's full membership will take time and the concerned sides have to launch efforts, said Prodi and added that abolishment of the death penalty in Turkey will be a very positive step.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

ECEVIT: ''WE ARE NOW EUROPEAN''
Speaking at a panel titled ''Does the West Still Exist?'', Ecevit said Turkey belonged to Europe and stressed that Europe and Turkey needed each other. ''Turkey, due to its location will play an important role to unite the two continents. Turkey belong to Asia, Caucasia, Blacksea, Middle East and Mediterranean but more than those, it belongs to Europe,'' he stressed.

(SC-UK)

[03] OPERATIONS AGAINST HEZBOLLAH ORGANIZATION - EXCAVATIONS RESUMED IN KARTAL DISTRICT

They had exhumed seven bodies in backyard of the house yesterday.

Tight security measures have been taken in and around the house.

[04] PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT MEETS WITH FOREIGN INVESTORS

The meeting which started at 08:30 local time, lasted for about one hour.

Rahsan Ecevit, the wife of Prime Minister Ecevit; Selcuk Demiralp, the Undersecretary of Treasury; Gazi Ercel, the Governor of the Central Bank;

Ugur Bayar, the Chairman of the Privatization Authority; and Sarik Tara, a leading businessman, were also in attendance at the meeting.

Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit is scheduled to meet with President Haydar

Alivey of Azerbaijan later today.

Ecevit is expected to return to Turkey late on Saturday.

[05] OPERATIONS AGAINST HEZBOLLAH ORGANIZATION - FOUR PEOPLE ARRESTED IN MURADIYE

Nurettin Yavruturk, the Chairman of Muradiye Social Solidarity and Cooperation Foundation; Ismail Yavruturk, a civil servant working in the

Muradiye Public Library; Orhan Cicek and Ahmet Gezer, merchants, were arrested on charges of aiding and abetting the terrorist Hezbollah organization.

[06] MAYORS OF AVANOS AND URGUP ASK FENER GREEK ORTHODOX PATRIARCH TO ORGANIZE OPEN AIR CEREMONIES IN CAPPADOCIA AND SEND PRIESTS TO CHURCHES

Avanos Mayor Seyhan Duru told the A.A correspondent on Saturday that he and Urgup Mayor Bekir Odemis visited Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomeos I in Istanbul.

''We are working hard for religious belief tourism in Cappadocia. We believe that we will get our biggest support from Barholomeos,'' Duru said.

Bartholomeos liked the idea of an open air ceremony and will report his final decision after discussing the matter with his counselors, Duru noted.

The Patriarch also assured that he would send priests to Cappadocia's churces for certain occasions.

[07] MILD EARTHQUAKES SHAKE AYDIN AND MANISA PROVINCES

Officials at the Bogazici University Kandilli Observatory Seismology Institute told the A.A correspondent that two earthquakes measuring 3.0 on the Richter scal,e were recorded in Germencik township of Aydin province and Kirkagac township of Manisa province at 18:08 local time and 18:38 local time.

Meanwhile, two aftershocks measuring 2.6 and 3.0 on the Richter scale, occured in Cinarcik township of Yalova province and Akcakoca township of Bolu province at 22:33 local time and 23:53 local time.

[08] BODY OF VELIOGLU, HEAD OF TERRORIST HEZBOLLAH ORGANIZATION, SENT TO BATMAN

Velioglu was killed in the shootout between security forces and members of the illegal terrorist organization in Beykoz ditrict of Istanbul on January 17.

Body of Velioglu was secretly taken from Forensic Medicine Institute, and brought to the Ataturk Airport by an ambulance. Later, the body was sent to Batman by plane.

[09] BRITISH POLICE DETAIN DHKP/C MEMBERS

After Germany outlawed DHKP/C's activities within its borders on 1998 and detained many members of the organization, DHKP/C mebers staged a protest at Goethe Institute in London.

Members hung posters in the institute building and distributed documents condemning Germany. British police ended the domonstration of the members who also manhandled an employee of the Institute.

Those who were involved in the incident were taken to London Charing Cross police station.

[10] SOLANA SUPPORTS TURKEY'S EU FULL MEMBERSHIP - ''WE WILL REMOVE BORDERS IN EUROPE''

The EU will reconcile history and geography in Europe and remove borders, Solana noted when he spoke at European Institute in Washington, D.C.

Solana, during his speech, said Turkey had a place in EU's enlargement process.

When EU completes its enlargement, it will have a population which is twice as of the U.S. and four times of Japan, he reminded. ''We will remove borders that have been separating Europe for long years. We will reconcile history and geography,'' he said.

Once Turkey becomes a full member, the EU's borders would extend to Iran and Iraq therefore the EU supports Turkey's efforts for full membership, he said.

Solana also assured that the role EU wants to play in Europe's defense would not hurt NATO. He added that they were not trying to create a formation similar to the NATO by the recently planned security system in Europe, because they didn't think this was necessary.

[11] 126.5 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS OF TEXTILE EXPORTED FROM GAP REGION IN 1999

In 1998, the region exported 146 million 453 thousand U.S. dollars of textile.

Officials at the Southeastern Anatolia Exporters' Union, told the A.A correspondent on Saturday that in 1999, they exported 62 million 421 thousand U.S. dollars in carpets; 9 million 525 thousand U.S. dollars in cotton-textiles; 7 million 280 thousand U.S. dollars in synthetic-textiles; 33 million 370 thousand U.S. dollars in knitting textiles; 1 million 100 thousand U.S. dollars in towel; and 12 million 828 thousand U.S. dollars in plastic sacks.

The majority of the goods were exported to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Uzbekistan, Italy, Belgium, Greece, France, Algeria, Russia, Israel, Azerbaijan, the U.S., Germany, Portugal, Iraq, Lebanon, Australia, Jordan and Sweden.

[12] OPERATIONS AGAINST HEZBOLLAH ORGANIZATION - ONE MORE BODY RECOVERED IN KARTAL DISTRICT

They had exhumed seven bodies in backyard of the house yesterday.

Officials told the A.A correspondent that the body belonged to a male who was believed to be tortured to death some 40 days ago.

Meanwhile, security forces have also begun to dip up another house in the same district.

Security forces seized a computer and floppy discs in the house.

It was understood that members of the Hezbollah organization had tried to annihilate the floppy discs.

Security forces concentrated their works in a pit in backyard of the house.

Mehmet Sekmen, the Mayor of Kartal, and Hasan Ozdemir, the Director of Istanbul Security Department, also came to the scene.

[13] STATE MINISTER CAY: - ''ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH TURKISH REPUBLICS ARE AT A DEADLOCK''

Responding to questions of the A.A correspondent, Cay reminded that the legal systems of the Turkish Republics were based on the former Soviet Union which creates troubles for foreign businessmen in these countries.

The Turkish Republics must make the necessary constitutional changes about bankruptcy and trade issues to give foreign businessmen legal guarantee, he said.

''We want to bring a solution to this. They will either adjust their laws to western standards or these republics can form an arbitration among themselves. Istanbul could be the headquarters,'' Cay told A.A.

When asked who would constitute the arbitration council, Cay said they were working on a draft regarding the matter which will be completed in May after 3 or 4 meetings.

Cay also pointed out that the council must absolutely have a sanction force in order to solve the existing problems.

A business council's meeting is planned in May which will be attended by various sector representatives of Turkish Republics, Cay said and also added that they would have a clear picture by that time.

[14] LABOUR MINISTER OKUYAN LEAVES FOR GERMANY

Okuyan, before his departure, told reporters at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport that Turkey and Germany have had good relations for many years.

What makes Germany an important country for Turkey is the 2,5 million Turkish citizens who have been living in this country for 40 years, Okuyan said.

Turkish citizens who work overseas have great contributions to Turkish economy and speeds up development, therefore Turkey is grateful to these people, Okuyan pointed out.

He noted that he believed they would make some progress regarding the problems of Turkish citizens in Germany during his contacts.

Okuyan will come together with the representatives of German-Turkish associations during his visit.

[15] TREASURY UNDERSECRETARY DEMIRALP: - ''FOREIGN BANKS ARE INTERESTED IN BRANCH BANKING IN TURKEY''

Demiralp told A.A that William Rhodes from Citibank was interested in Bank Ekspres and Interbank in Turkey. ''It is not only Citibank, there are other foreign banks like Midland and Chase groups. After the decisions taken in the financial system, these banks want to come to Turkey. Willliam Rhodes expressed his intention when he spoke with Prime Minister Ecevit,'' Demiralp said.

He also reminded that the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund presently covered four banks. Some foreign banks are interested in those banks, and the Midland group is trying to select one of those banks which would best fit their policy, Demiralp said.

[16] SIX CONTAINER CLASSROOMS TO BE SENT TO DUZCE

Kemal Colakoglu from Med-Union said on Saturday that they produced 6 container classrooms upon the order of Health and Education Foundation (SEV). Five of the containers will be sent to Avni Akyol Elemantary School and the other one will be used by Izzet Baysal University.

The container classrooms have a capacity of 30 students. Each classroom has two toilets and heating system. The classrooms are ready to be used as soon as they are sent to Duzce.

Colakoglu said demand for container classrooms might continue.

[17] OPERATIONS AGAINST HEZBOLLAH ORGANIZATION - NUMBER OF EXHUMED BODIES INCREASES TO 9

Security forces recovered one more body belonged to a woman who was believed to be tortured to death by Hezbollah organization.

[18] OPERATIONS AGAINST HEZBOLLAH ORGANIZATION - AN ARSENAL FOUND IN MARDIN

Security forces seized 60-mm mortar, 33 hand grenades, 12 tear-bombs, 3 flame throwers, 9 Kalashnikow rifles, 51 cartridges, 15 pistols, 3 resonant bombs, 1,310 bullets and a great deal of illegal documents in the shelter.

Officials told the A.A correspondent that members of the Hezbollah organization were using three underground rooms beneath the arsenal for intterrogation of their hostages.

Excavation works will start in coming days in and around the shelter.

[19] PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT DEPARTS DAVOS

Ecevit had came to Davos on January 27 to attend the World Economic Forum meetings.

[20] A TOTAL OF 419 PEOPLE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY IN EMERGENCY RULE REGION

Officials at the Governorship of Emergency Rule Region told the A.A correspondent on Saturday that security forces also found a shelter used by members of the illegal terrorist Hezbollah organization as an arsenal in Kiziltepe township of southeastern Batman province.

Meanwhile, two members of the terrorist organization PKK were killed in an operation launched by security forces in rural area near Hasankefy township of Batman.

[21] 35 PEOPLE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY DURING OPERATIONS AGAINST HEZBOLLAH

Mus Governor's Office told A.A that 2 of the detainees were imams, 6 of them worked at public institutions and others were self-employed.

The interrogation of the suspects continues.

[22] PRESIDENT ECEVIT DEPARTS DAVOS

After the meeting, Ecevit left Davos to go to Zurich. On the train, Ecevit told reporters that Clinton said he admired the government's reforms and activities.

Ecevit noted that he also held brief conversations with the Palestinian President Yaser Arafat and Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev.

A.A

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