Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-03-29

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[01] AA News

29 March 2000 Wednesday

[02] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

FROM TUSIAD TO U.S: ''OUR IMAGE HAS CHANGED''
The delegation of the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) which is paying a visit to the U.S., said that the government headed by Premier Bulent Ecevit is working very well. Aldo Kaslowski, the Deputy Chairman of TUSIAD Executive Board and the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Commission, said that Turkey's image has changed. Kaslowski also said that the government is doing its best for the economy and that the government launched reform initiatives in social life and economy. Kaslowski noted that the government signed a stand-by agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and that it put into force the anti- inflation program. Kaslowski added that this government is the most stable government of the last 15 years.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

WORLD BANK DELEGATION TO EXAMINE BANKING BOARD
The World Bank delegation which will visit Turkey in the first week of April, will examine the Banking Arrangement and Audit Board. The delegation headed by Lalit Raina, the head of the Finance Sector Department of the World Bank, will stay in Turkey for a week. The delegation, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) experts, will examine the initiatives for the formation of the board.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

FEHRIYE WITH BULLET PROOF JACKET
The Belgian police, fearing the killing of criminal Fehriye Erdal, made her wear a bullet proof jacket when she was being brought to a court session yesterday. The court decided to keep Erdal in prison. Erdal, a member of the illegal extreme leftist DHKP-C organization who was involved in businessman Ozdemir Sabanci's assassination, was also made to wear the bullet proof jacket when she was returning back to the prison.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

Alaatin Cakici, the alleged leader of an organised crime network, had been extradited conditionally to Turkey last year by France, and was sent to Kartal Prison in Istanbul.

EYES ON TURKMEN GAS
President Suleyman Demirel, who went to Turkmenistan, will discuss natural gas which will be purchased from this country. Demirel said Turkmenbasi has to shed green light to implement the project. Demirel wants the agreement to be signed in Baku between April 7 and 8. Demirel said Turkey could get 30 million cubic meter natural gas from Turkmenistan from 53 U.S. dollars. Upon this, Turkmen Head of State made a gesture and wanted 45 U.S. dollars.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

FIVE TURKISH ADMINISTRATORS TO ITALY
Dilek Sabanci, Chairman of Vista Tourism Executive Board and a member of businessman Sakip Sabanci's family, and Omer Koc, Deputy Director of Koc Holding Energy Group and a member of businessman Rahmi Koc's family, were chosen as members of the Italian Chamber of Commerce which is operating in Istanbul in the structure of the Italian Chambers and Commodity Exchanges Union. A total of 11 members of the Executive Board of the chamber were chosen. The board included six Italian and five Turkish members. Zeynep Bodur Okyay, Oznur Cilingiroglu and Sehmen Tarik were also chosen as members of the Executive Board of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Istanbul.

YENI BINYIL (LIBERAL)

WORLD BANK TO VISIT TURKEY
Financial Sector Adjustment Loan (FSAL) delegation of the World Bank will visit Turkey in the first month of April. Lalit Raina, responsible for Finance Sector Department of the world Bank, will stay in Turkey for nearly a week.

U.S. INTERESTED IN TELEKOM AND ENERGY
Turkish-U.S. Trade and Investment Council First Term meeting started in Washington D.C. on Tuesday. The U.S. businessmen are mainly interested in the fields of energy and telecommunication in Turkey.

SBC, which is among the telecommunication giants, is interested in telecommunication tenders in Turkey apart from the GSM tenders. It is reported that other U.S. companies, which are acting in the field of telecommunication, will follow the SBC company.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

CAKICI TO BE TRIED AGAIN
Supreme Court Criminal General Assembly reversed Tuesday Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance no:6's decision to abate the lawsuit filed against Alaattin Cakici, a notorious mafia boss, with charges of inciting someone to injure journalist Hincal Uluc. Cakici will be tried in accordance with this verdict.

Alaattin Cakici will be tried by Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance no:6 for inciting people to injure journalist Hincal Uluc, with the request of imprisonment sentence from 2 upto 5 years.

The General Council's decision will be an example to criminals who are currently overseas and wanted by Turkey.

AKIN BIRDAL IN PRISON
Akin Birdal, former Chairman of the Human Right Association, who had earlier been sent to prison by the Ankara and Adana State Security Courts, but freed for a short period of time on health grounds, was sent on Tuesday to Ankara's Central Prison.

Birdal, who had spent 3 months and 24 days in prison until September 25th 1999, will spend another 5 months and 29 days. He had received a health report from the Ankara Numune Hospital for the postponement of his sentence by 6 months on health grounds, and was transfered to the İstanbul Forensic Medicine Center by the office of Ankara's Republican Attorney General for the confirmation of his report.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

Erdal is one of the suspects of Sabanci's murder in Turkey.

Gent Court of Appeals approved the court decision the same day regarding the trial of illegal Revolutionary People's Salvation Party-Front (DHKP-C) members Musa Agaoglu, Kaya Saz, and Fehriye Erdal without detention.

Asaoglu and Saz will be released on bail while Fehriye Erdal will remain arrested upon the extradition request of Turkey.

IBRAHIM SAHIN INJURED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT
Ibrahim Sahin, one of the suspects of Susurluk incident, had a traffic incident on the 37th kilometer of main Bursa-Istanbul Highway. Sahin, who was sent to Bursa Uludag University Medical Faculty, is reported to be in serious health condition.

[03] 250 KG HEROIN SEIZED IN ISTANBUL

Police teams in Bakirkoy district, launched an operation against Cetin in Atakoy marina, capturing and detaining him with a substantial amount of heroin.

Cetin was wanted by the Interpol and the Istanbul Security Department in connection with the 250 kilograms of heroin which he wanted to smuggle to Britain.

Cetin was transferred to the Istanbul Security Department's Narcotics section to be interrogated.

[04] PRESIDENT DEMIREL MEETS WITH TURKISH BUSINESSMEN IN TURKMENISTAN

Demirel called on Turkish businessmen to continue their interest on Turkmenistan, and wanted them to bring new projects.

On the second day of his official visit to Turkmenistan, President Demirel met with Turkish businessmen, acting in Turkmenistan, at breakfast.

Demirel said maintenance of stability and development in Turkmenistan has vital importance for Turkey.

Demirel said Turkmenistan has 30 billion U.S. dollar investment projects for future, adding that, ''our businessmen should bring new projects here. Trade should be improved futher.''

Demirel said, ''we are exerting efforts for peace. We are working on a ''Caucasus Stability Pact''. All these are to remove the bottleneck and provide transportation between Turkey and Central Asia.

Demirel said Turkmenistan should continue its stability and its ability to pay on the way of development.

President Demirel said, ''Turkmenistan has to sell natural gas and gain money. Maintenance of the investments depends on this. We want Trans- Caspian Natural Gas Pipeline Project to take effect. They have several problems with the consortium.''

Demirel said, ''If Turkmenistan begins to get 12 billion U.S. dollars from natural gas, activities will increase. If they can sell 100 billion cubic meters gas per year, this is a very important incident.''

Addressing to Turkish businessmen, Demirel admired their works in Turkmenistan, and noted, ''complete your works. We will help you overcome your problems with the state if you have. Our relations with this country and other Central Asian countries are strong. I wish you success.''

Demirel also said Eximbank should support trade between the two countries.

When asked about the latest situation of Trans-Caspian Natural Gas Project, Demirel said, ''consortium is trying to provide the finance. Consultations between the consortium and Turkmen State continue. They will be in an effort to get a result by discussing mutual offers. This issue is very important. Turkey is ready to get the gas till the end of the year 2002. Turkey's function is not to construct the pipeline, but to get the gas.''

[05] ANNUAL MEETING OF UNION OF TURKISH AND AMERICAN SCIENTISTS STARTS IN WASHINGTON

President Suleyman Demirel also sent a message to ATAS, praising the organisation for its studies and activities aimed at creating a brighter future for the youth. The message was read out by Professor Oktay Vural, President of the ATAS at the inauguration.

High level officials from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, U.S. State Department, journalists, and academic personnel, attend the meeting.

Chairman of the Institution of High Education, Professor Kemal Guruz said in his speech that there was an increasing demand for higher education in Turkey.

Professor Guruz pointed out that people were getting more and more interested in educational programs on the internet, that they were presently working on a joint educational program, for the realization of which, he said, they were to meet soon officials from the University of Cambridge.

Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Uluc Ozulker said in the speech he delivered in the session, where the participants took up Turkey-EU relations, ''Turkish foreign policy functions without discriminating between different regions of the world.'' He pointed out that Turkey had to improve her economic cooperation relations with the Far East and Latin America within this framework.

Ozulker said that although the European Union occupied an important position in Turkey's agenda, and although Turkey was in favor of the European Security and Defense Identity, she did not want to be isolated from this formation, and that this formation had to be within a similar framework to that of the NATO.

''Greece, who had been vetoing Turkey's candidacy for EU membership, has finally agreed to cooperate,'' Ozulker said, and added that the Turkish and Greek sides had important problems before them.

He pointed out that the ''confederation'' formula which the Turkish side had suggested as a solution to the Cyprus question, was a realistic and equable one.

Gunduz Aktan, a retired ambassador who also took the floor, drew attention to the threats that encircled Turkey, and stressed on the importance of the good and friendly relations that Turkey and the United States have been entertaining. Touching on Turkey-EU relations, he said that the Union was in search of an identity in the fields of economy, defense, and foreign policy in particular.

[06] ERKUT YUCAOGLU, CHAIRMAN OF TUSIAD: ''TURKEY SHOULD BENEFIT FROM THE ADVANTAGES OF THE ATMOSPHERE IT IS IN''

Addressing the conference which is staged within the framework of the annual Turkish-American Council meetings, Yucaoglu said many business sectors interrupted after quake disaster.

Recalling that Stand-By agreement was signed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) following the stability which the government provided, and that Turkey's candidacy was approved in Helsinki Summit, Yucaoglu said all these were positive developments.

Yucaoglu said positive communication should be set up, and this should be conveyed to the people.

Yucaoglu also said several European countries believed in Turkey, and several others ''act as if they believe in Turkey.''

Pointing out that coalition government prepared good program, Yucaoglu said, ''we are hopeful, we are expecting to work together.''

[07] WORLD BANK, OECD, AND IMF DELEGATIONS DUE TO TURKEY

The World Bank and IMF delegations will come to Turkey to review the measures taken within the framework of the economic program while the OECD delegation will visit Turkey to prepare ''Country Report.''

Experts of the Social Security Network Program of the World Bank will arrive in Ankara in April. These experts will discuss the unemployment insurance and private pension fund which are considered as the complementary reforms of the Social Security Reform.

The same experts will examine the number of the people who will lost their jobs in the end of privatization and within this framework, they will calculate the amount of the assistance that will be provided by the bank.

Sources said that the World Bank will financially contribute to the Unemployment Insurance Fund and that the amount of this contribution will become definite following the contacts in April.

The World Bank plans to provide 500 million U.S. dollar additional project loan to Turkey to strengthen its social security and social aid systems.

Meanwhile, another World Bank delegation including its experts on agricultural reform, will arrive in Turkey on April 18 and will evaluate the initiatives regarding the agricultural reform.

The World Bank experts on the Financial Sector Concordance Loan will visit Turkey in the beginning of April and examine the financial initiatives in Turkey.

The IMF delegation headed by Carlo Cottarelli, the Turkey Desk Chief of the IMF, will arrive in Turkey on May 15 and examine the first three-month developments regarding the performance criteria.

Meanwhile, the OECD delegation will visit Turkey in the beginning of May to hold contacts in Ankara and Istanbul.

The OECD experts will prepare ''2000 Turkey Report'' regarding the developments in Turkey within the framework of the program of 2000.

[08] PARLIAMENTARY GENERAL ASSEMBY STARTS TO DISCUSS PROPOSALS FOR THE AMENDMENT OF THE ARTICLES 69, 86, AND 101 OF THE CONSTITUTION

The Parliamentary General Assembly convened at 11:00 local time under the leadership of Ali Iliksoy, Acting Parliament Speaker.

Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Deputy Prime Minister, and Recai Kutan, leader of Virtue Party (FP), came to the General Assembly Hall before the talks started.

Speaking to reporters, Ecevit said he was ''hopeful'' that proposal for the constitutional amendment will pass from the General Assembly.

[09] CHINESE TOURISM AGENCIES DUE IN TURKEY

A written statement issued by THY said the 23-people Chinese delegation will arrive in Istanbul on Friday, and will visit historical and touristic places in Izmir, Bergama, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Cappadocia, and Kayseri.

Members of the delegation will return to their countries on April 5.

The air transportation expenses will be met by THY and other expenses will be met by Tekser Tourism Agency.

[10] PARLIAMENT SPEAKER AKBULUT RECEIVES COUNCIL OF EUROPE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY RAPPORTEURS

Journalists were allowed only to take pictures of the meeting, which took place at Akbulut's office, and no statements were made about the talks.

[11] EU PLANS TO DONATE 300 MILLION EUROS TO TURKEY

Officials told A.A correspondent on Wednesday that the EU Commission's economy experts will visit Turkey in the beginning of April and hold contacts in the Treasury Undersecretariat, the State Planning Organization (DPT), and the Finance Ministry.

The experts will receive information about the developments in Turkey's economy, the officials said.

The officials noted that the experts target at donating 300 million Euro to Turkey but that they condition this donation on the implementation of the reform program which is foreseen for Turkey by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

The experts will observe the first three-month economic developments, and they will take into consideration the evaluations of the IMF and the World Bank regarding Turkey, the officials stated.

The officials stressed that Turkey aims at ensuring the macro economic balance in the EU integration process and that from now on, the EU will grant loans or donations to Turkey in Turkey's financial concordance process with the EU.

Turkey targets at receiving 8.5 billion Euro share from the financial assistance which was adopted by the EU in the Cologne Summit for the candidate countries.

[12] ANDREAS VASILIU, GREEK CYPRIOT CHILD WHO SUFFERS FROM LEUKAEMIA, PROCEEDS TO TRNC

A total of 37 people including Andreas and his family, will visit the Apostolos Andreas Monastery in Dipkarpaz region of the TRNC to pray for the little child's health.

Andreas' father thanked all Turkish Cypriots who gave blood samples for compatibility tests.

They are expected to return to the Greek Cypriot side later today.

[13] PRESIDENT DEMIREL RETURNS TO TURKEY

The airplane carrying President Demirel landed at the Esenboga Airport at 01:40 p.m.

Nejat Arseven, the Acting Speaker of Parliament, welcomed President Demirel at the airport.

Cumhur Ersumer, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources; Abdulhaluk Cay and Mehmet Ali Irtemcelik, the State Ministers; Istemihan Talay, the Culture Minister; high-level officials and businessmen who accompanied President Demirel during his visit to Turkmenistan, also returned to Turkey.

[14] ISRAELI NAVAL FORCES COMMANDER IN GOLCUK

Admiral Yedidia Yaari, who is in Turkey as the official guest of his Turkish counterpart Admiral Ilhami Erdil, paid a visit to Fleet Commander Admiral Bulent Alpkaya.

Speaking to reporters prior to his talks with Admiral Alpkaya, Admiral Yaari said that his country had felt urged to extend a helping hand to Turkey in the wake of the earthquake, and thus had done all it could to heal the wounds opened by this disaster.

In reply to a question if other countries would participate in the search and rescue exercises conducted jointly by Turkish and Israeli units in the East Mediterranean, the visiting admiral said that the exercises had no political designs, and underlined that any country who might wish to take part in exercises of this character, were very welcome to do so.

Admiral Alpkaya said that the exchange of such visits were a great contribution to the relations between the two countries.

After their talks, Yaari visited the installations and received information in the command center. Admiral Yaari is to leave Golcuk tomorrow at 14.00 hours local time for the Naval Training Command in Yalova.

[15] SEVEN ANCIENT CHURCHES MENTIONED IN THE HOLY BIBLE IN THE AEGEAN

Cevik, who spoke to the A.A correspondent in Izmir said that seven churches, whose names were mentioned in the ''Revelation'' section of the Bible, were located in the Aegean region, and that the Christian world was ignorant of this fact.

Cevik said that Jesus Christ had had John send letters each to the towns of Izmir, Bergama, Thyatira (Akhisar), Sardes, Philadelphia (Alaşehir), and Laodikia (Denizli), in which he revealed his prophecies, and added:

''We understand that John, to whom Jesus Christ had asked to take care of his mother Mary, was his most trusted disciple. John agreed to take care of Mother Mary, and so they left for Ephesus to John's house, where they spent the rest of their lives together. That very house has been opened for faith tourism as the House of Mother Mary, also as a pilgrimage site.''

Cevik said that there were three billion Christians around the world, reading the New Testament, and understanding that the settings of many of the incidents, recited by the disciples, had been Asia Minor, and added, ''However, most Christians are unaware of the fact that the area referred to as 'Asia Minor' is in fact, Anatolia, Turkey. They have to learn where these seven churches are.''

Pointing out that the promotion of these seven churches would increase the number of tourists and Turkey's importance as a center of Faith Tourism, Cevik said, ''There are many monumental churches in Israel, each built in memory of the important events recited in the first four sections of the Bible, although Israel is not a Christian country. Christian people from around the world visit these churches every year, bringing Israel a substantial income.''

''The setting of all the incidents told in the remaining three books is Anatolia. So our country is no less important, as far as Biblical sites are concerned, than Israel. This is why, these sites have to be introduced to the Christian world.''

[16] CDU'S BERLIN HEADQUARTERS HOSTS SYMPOSIUM ON ''ISLAMIC LESSON AND ADAPTATION'' - ''WE WON'T ALLOW SOME CIRCLES TO EXPLOIT ISLAMIC LESSON''

Addressing the symposium, Berlin State Interior Minister Eckart Werthebach stressed that foreign young people living in Germany should not only learn German language, but also adopt German values.

''We won't allow exploitation of Islamic lesson by some circles,'' he added.

Noting that the family played an important role in transfer of values to the youth, Werthebach said the scope of the Islamic lesson should be in consonant with the German Constitution.

Islam Federation Representative Burhan Kesici said adaptation of Turkish people with German society was not a unilateral process so German people should help Turkish people more, adding that even the Moslems who speak German language fluently couldn't consider themselves as a part of the society.

Defending that education of Islamic lesson in German language would be beneficial, Kesici said, ''with this way, Germans can understand why the Moslems do some specific attitudes; misunderstandings will be prevented and violence among the youth will reduce.''

[17] PRESIDENT DEMIREL RETURNS TO TURKEY

Addressing journalists at the Esenboga Airport, President Demirel said, ''he have reached a consensus of opinion with President Saparmurad Turkmenbasi of Turkmenistan to further strengthen partnership relations between the two countries.''

''During my meetings with President Turkmenbasi, we discussed political, economic, commercial, military, and cultural cooperation between Turkey and Turkmenistan in detail. At the same time, we took up international and regional issues. We saw that there were necessary political will and potential to further improve bilateral relations which have already reached to a perfect level,'' Demirel told reporters.

He added, ''during my official visit to Turkmenistan, the issue of the Trans-Caspian Natural Gas Pipeline Project which will transport Turkmen natural gas to Turkey and the Western markets, was brought onto agenda. Works to finalize the project in 2002 should be accelerated.''

''We discussed necessary measures to be taken to improve mutual trade between Turkey and Turkmenistan and to increase Turkish businessmen's contribution to development of Turkmenistan. I believe that productive contacts which were held within framework of my visit to Turkmenistan would make a considerable contribution to stability and prosperity in Eurasia, and improvement of friendly cooperation between Turkey and Turkmenistan,'' President Demirel added.

[18] BULGARIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER SOKOLOV: ''WE STARTED WARM RELATIONS WITH TURKEY WHICH COULDN'T BE SET UP TILL TODAY''

After holding official contacts in Turkey, Sokolov visited Ephesus Museum, Virgin Mary House and Ephesus Ancient city together the accompanying parliament delegation.

Selcuk governor Yusuf Ziya Karacaev welcomed Sokolov, who came to Ephesus Museum. Sokolov also visited St. Jean Church and prayed there.

Speaking to reporters in Virgin Mary House, Sokolov said that he paid a beneficial visit to Turkey.

''I had important meetings with state officials in Turkey,'' he said adding there were not very warm relations between Bulgaria and Turkey before. ''We started these warm relations. We move in the same path with Turkey. Bulgaria wants to join the NATO first. Seeing Turkey's support beside us will make us happy. We move in the same direction to the EU,'' said Sokolov.

Bulgarian Parliament Speaker Sokolov pointed out that he is happy to see the sacred places in Selcuk. ''The most important thing for me is the love, solidarity, cooperation and peace among people. We hope our relations will continue to be that friendly without making any discrimination among people in respect of religion. We'll promote these sacred places and your country in Bulgaria.''

Sokolov and the accompanying delegation will return to Bulgaria this evening.

A.A

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