Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-07-12

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NEWS

12 JULY 2000 Wednesday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[02] TURKCELL SHARES CLOSE AT 17.625 POINTS IN NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE

[03] EXPORTS TO EU COUNTRIES FROM GAP REGION INCREASE BY 12,1 PERCENT

[04] PRESIDENT SEZER VISITS MARTYRS' CEMETERY IN AZERBAIJAN

[05] GREEK AVIONIC AIRLINES TO START DIRECT FLIGHTS BETWEEN IZMIR AND ATHENS

[06] WATER LEVEL IN DAMS REGRESS TO CRITICAL LEVELS DUE TO DROUGHT

[07] PRESIDENT SEZER MEETS AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENT SPEAKER ALESKEROV

[08] INCREASE IN SALARIES OF CIVIL SERVANTS -FINANCE MINISTER ORAL: ''AN APPROPRIATE RATE OF INCREASE WILL BE

[09] PRESIDENT SEZER ADDRESSES AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENT: -''OUR COUNTRIES WILL TAKE THE PLACE THEY DESERVE IN THE NEW INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM''

[10] FOREIGN MINISTER CEM TO LEAVE FOR MACEDONIA ON FRIDAY

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

DOGAN TASDELEN BECOMES CHIEF ADVISOR TO ECEVIT
Environment Ministry Undersecretary Dogan Tasdelen was appointed as Chief Advisor to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. Tasdelen, who had defected to Ecevit's Democratic Left Party shortly before the April 18 elections in 1999, and who had lost in the race for the Mayorship of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, was appointed as the Undersecretary of Environment Ministry by Ecevit.He had recently quit his post at the Environment Ministry. The decree, pertaining to his taking office as the Prime Minister's Chief Advisor, was signed yesterday by Bulent Ecevit.

BAKU-CEYHAN: THE FIRST TARGET
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer had a 1 hour 45 minute meeting yesterday with his Azerbaijani counterpart Haydar Aliyev in Baku. Speaking to reporters at the end of his talks with Sezer, Aliyev said that the primary target of Turkey and Azerbaijan was the completion of the construction of the Baku- Ceyhan pipeline. Azerbaijan is the second foreign visit that President Sezer has made since his taking office, after the one he paid recently to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Aliyev, who noted that Turkey was in need of natural gas, especially that of the region, added that the cooperation relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan would continue also in the field of energy.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

GENDARMERIES RECEIVE ENVIRONMENT AWARD
Environment Minister Fevzi Aytekin, expressed his thanks to the Gendarmery General Command for its nationwide contributions to the environment, by presenting it with a ''Contribution to the Environment Award''. Aytekin presented Gendarmery General commander General Rasim Betir with an 'environment medal' and a brevet. Officials said that the Gendarmery units planted 5 million 20 thousand trees across the country so far, and that their 'environmentalist' activities would continue.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

TURKEY WORLD'S 22ND BIGGEST ECONOMY
Turkish economy is currently the 22nd biggest economy of the world with a Gross National Product (GNP) of 200 billion U.S. dollars, according to the Humanitarian Development Report prepared by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The U.S. came first with its 7.9 trillion U.S. dollar GNP.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

FIRST STEPS TAKEN FOR AZERBAIJANI OIL
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer who is currently paying an official visit to Azerbaijan as the guest of his Azerbaijani counterpart Haydar Aliyev, said that they had decided to start negotiations to transport Azerbaijani oil to Turkey. Sezer also emphasized that occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia jeopardized regional peace.

11 IMAMS DISMISSED
The Directorate General of Religious Affairs dismissed 11 imams in southeastern Batman province due to their connections with the terrorist Hezbollah organization. The connection of the imams with the terrorist Hezbollah organization was revealed by the reports of the inspectors.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

THREE-STAGE OFFER
The proposal made by the True Path Party (DYP) for the integration of the center right consists of three stages: cooperation at the Parliament, government partnership, and election alliance. Now the DYP is waiting for a green light for the proposal from the Motherland Party (ANAP). The ''cooperation at the Parliament'' stage foresees the expression of full accord by the two parties, in times of taking important decisions, and vote in unison with their total 172 seats. DYP, which wants their cooperation with the ANAP to pave the way for a possible parnership in government, suggests an election alliance that would bring the most vote getter party to the leadership of the government in times of election.

YENI BINYIL (LIBERAL)

EXPERTS WARN CELL PHONE USERS ABOUT RADIATION
Computers and cell phones are facilitating life for many people but experts are saying that the electromagnetic radiation spreaded by these machines are threatening human health. ''Electromagnetic pollution'' has negative effects on hormones and genes and it is also causing cancer. Prof. Osman Cerezci from Sakarya University who has been studying electromagnetic pollution for six years, said radiation might cause hormonal and genetic disfunctionings and he also noted that women and children are more prone to it.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

THIRD ROUND OF CYPRUS PROXIMITY TALKS CONTINUE
The Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot delegations headed by President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Glafcos Clerides, the leader of the Greek Cypriot administration, met separately with Alvaro de Soto, the Special Representative of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan to Cyprus, within framework of the ongoing third round of proximity talks in Geneva, Switzerland. Meanwhile, Alfred Moses, the Special Representative of U.S. President Bill Clinton to Cyprus, held a meeting with de Soto to receive information about the proximity talks.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

FOREST FIRE IN SANLIURFA
Fire broke out in forested area near Karakopru hamlet in southeastern Sanliurfa province at about 06.00 p.m. on Tuesday. Fire-fighting teams succeeded in extinguishing the fire after a long struggle. 100 hectares of forested area were burnt down to ashes while another 200 hectares of forested area were badly damaged.

[02] TURKCELL SHARES CLOSE AT 17.625 POINTS IN NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE

11,092,700 shares changed hands, with one lot opening at 18 dollars. The Turkcell shares reached a peak value of 18.625, in only 30 minutes time, and plunged down to a minimum of 17.625 dollars after an hour.

In the second session, Turkcell shares started gaining value again, and towards the close, it reached 17.687, but closed at a lower value of 17.625. Turkcell shares transactions totalled to 13,327,100 in the first day.

Cuneyt Turkkan, Director General of Turkcell said his company's shares had better been considered for a long term.

[03] EXPORTS TO EU COUNTRIES FROM GAP REGION INCREASE BY 12,1 PERCENT

Last year's exports in this same period had totalled to 65 million 219 thousand U.S dollars.

The share of EU countries in the region's total exports reached 26,8 percent in 2000, from a 24,6 percent in 1999.

Exports from the GAP region to EU countries consisted of 887 thousand U.S dollars worth of animal products, 784 thousand dollars worth of cereals and grains and products, 9 million 739 thousand dollars worth of dried fruits, and 61 million 765 thousand dollars worth of textiles.

Italy is the major exporter from GAP with 21 million 976 thousand dollars, and is followed by Germany with 14 million 84 thousand dollars, and Britain with 11 million 745 thousand dollars.

Dried apricots, cotton threads, synthetic threads, cotton and synthetic textiles and plastic sacks are among the major goods that EU countries export from the GAP region.

[04] PRESIDENT SEZER VISITS MARTYRS' CEMETERY IN AZERBAIJAN

Sezer laid wreaths to monuments constructed out of respect to Turkish and Azerbaijani martyrs, and observed a minute of silence in memory of them.

Sezer also visited a monument which was constructed out of respect to 1,130 Turkish soldiers of Turkish-Caucasian Army who lost their lives as they were fighting for Azerbaijan's independence under the commandership of Nuri Pasha during the Caucasus Movement in 1918.

Sezer signed the special book of the monument saying, ''we commemorate with great respect these martyrs who had sacrificed their lives for the sake of independence of our friend Azerbaijan in that difficult period when Azerbaijan was under occupation and Turkish territories became a target of foreign forces' attacks. Your bravery became a legend, and it brought forth Azerbaijan's independence. Rest in peace with your Azerbaijani brothers in arms. Because this country for which you had sacrificed your lives, will be independent forever. We will always remember you with great gratitude.''

[05] GREEK AVIONIC AIRLINES TO START DIRECT FLIGHTS BETWEEN IZMIR AND ATHENS

Currently, planes that depart from Izmir stop at Istanbul before they fly to Athens. The distance between Izmir and Athens is 189 miles while it is 207 miles between Athens and Istanbul, and passengers waste a lot of time in Istanbul before they proceed to Athens.

Avionic airlines company of Greece will start flights between Izmir and Athens on July 14 which will be on Mondays and Fridays. Avionic will charge 210 U.S. dollars for a round trip. The company will also organize flights between Izmir and Mykonos, the world famous entertainment island on the same days. Baltazzi said the island can be a good alternative for Rhodos and might attract Turkish people who like the type of entertainment which the Aegean town Bodrum offers. A three day vacation including transportation, accomodation, breakfast, and guide services will start from 285 U.S. dollars.

''2,500 people went to Rhodos from Izmir only during the Sacrifice Holiday. All tourism agencies are responsible for using this potention. Greece will have a share of this cake if bureaucracy decreases and more alternatives are offered in transportation,'' Baltazzi said.

Besides air transportation, the two countries should also carry out works to use naval transportation for tourism by decreasng bureaucracy at customs and revising customs fees, he said.

Baltazzi also stressed that friendship between Greece and Turkey is not only valuable for the region but it is also important for Europe.

[06] WATER LEVEL IN DAMS REGRESS TO CRITICAL LEVELS DUE TO DROUGHT

The additional measures include ''importing greater amount of energy, more extensive use of natural gas, and increasing the number of floating power stations'', and if these measures happen to fall insufficient, there could be regular power cut-downs throughout the country, said Dogan Altinbilek, Director General of State Water Works (DSI).

Reiterating that the dams had produced excessive amounts of energy over the winter months to compensate the insufficiency of thermal power stations, Altinbilek said that the drought that had been prevailing across the country since the beginning of the summer season eventually pulled down the water level in the electricity producing dams to critical levels, and thus it was now more likely that the nation could suffer electricity cut downs to be made on a regular basis.

''The demand for electrical power increased by 9,4 percent in the first five months of the year, and there is a fragile balance at the moment between the production and consumption.

The ministry of Energy is considering certain measures to overcome the problem, and one of them is, unfortunately regular power cut-downs. And it is not hard to predict similar hardships for the forthcoming winter season, '' said Altinbilek.

[07] PRESIDENT SEZER MEETS AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENT SPEAKER ALESKEROV

Aleskerov expressed honor and contentment over Sezer's visit to Azerbaijan, and said there were close relations between the parliaments of Turkey and Azerbaijan, and that the Azerbaijani Parliament was making extensive use of the experience of the Turkish Parliament.

Sezer expressed gratitude for the hospitality and warm welcome he had received in Azerbaijan.

He said that the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project would soon be translated into life, and that the necessary procedures had been completed at the Turkish Parliament, after it had approved the pertaining agreement.

Touching on the natural gas issue, Sezer said that Turkey wanted to realize this project with Turkmenistan, and said that Turkmenistan had the final say over the matter.

''In the morning hours, I got together with Turkish businessmen here in Azerbaijan. They told me that the investment opportunities in this country had neared 1,5 billion dollars. But there are certain shortcomings in legal infrastructure. The lack of a Debts Law and a Trade Law has a bad effect on the investments. Turkey is ready to help Azerbaijan on these problems. If your Parliament works on these issues and issues these laws, it will be much more beneficial for the whole nation,'' Sezer said.

[08] INCREASE IN SALARIES OF CIVIL SERVANTS -FINANCE MINISTER ORAL: ''AN APPROPRIATE RATE OF INCREASE WILL BE

[09] PRESIDENT SEZER ADDRESSES AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENT: -''OUR COUNTRIES WILL TAKE THE PLACE THEY DESERVE IN THE NEW INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM''

Sezer said that Turkey and Azerbaijan have a solidarity ground which is an example for the values that the modern world share, especially peace, stability, democracy, cooperation and prosperity.

Sezer stated that he is very pleased to be in Azerbaijan upon the invitation of President Haydar Aliyev and honoured to address the Azerbaijani Parliament.

''I brought the warm fraternal feelings of Turkish nation. My visit is the natural indicator of our relations and the interest and affection that the Turkish nation has for the Azerbaijani nation,'' Sezer also said.

Sezer noted that Anatolian Turks and Azerbaijani Turks are of the same nation and that the language, culture, habits, epics, heroes and songs are the same.

''If I can address you from this rostrum in our joint language, if we can share the same destiny and happiness, if our feelings and thoughs are the same, the only thing we should do from now on is to continue this power regularly and efficently with concerted efforts,'' Sezer said.

Sezer stated that Ottoman Empire was beside Azerbaijan when it acquired its independence and declared itself as a republic in 1918 and that Republic of Turkey was beside Azerbaijani Republic when it declared its independence for the second time.

Turkey was the first country which recognized Azerbaijan, and this recognition was an example for the other countries, Sezer stressed.

Sezer emphasized that Turkey extended the first political and economic support to Azerbaijan and that Turkey was the pioneer in directing the interest and attention of other countries in this region.

Turkey will continue the same attitude from now on, Sezer said.

Sezer continued, ''Azerbaijan should know that when it searches for a helping hand, a friendly hand is and will be beside itself. This strong solidarity arises from a radical relationship which is based on deep affection and closeness and depends on strategical cooperation and common interests.''

That Azerbaijan, 20 percent territory of which is under occupation, more than one million people of which are refugees in their own lands, and which suffered much from war, chose peace and dialogue is an example behaviour, Sezer noted.

Sezer stated that the Upper Karabakh dispute continues to be the biggest obstacle which prevents the settlement of peace, stability and security in the region.

Turkey attributes vital importance to a lasting and fair solution which protects the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan through negotiations, and it exerts efforts as an active member of the Minsk Group, Sezer stressed.

''As Great Leader Ataturk said, the sorrow of Azerbaijan is our sorrow and its happiness is our happiness. To this end, Turkish nation has the same sensitivity over the solution of the Upper Karabakh dispute peacefully which can be accepted by the Azerbaijani nation, and the return of the refugees to their own lands. We respect to the efforts that Azerbaijan, which is a country that gained its independence in the end of great difficulties and which is a respected member of international community, exerted in the protection of its territorial integrity and in the solution of the disputes peacefully,'' Sezer said.

Sezer added, ''I should reiterate that we will be beside Azerbaijan in its rightful case. Turkey will not accept a solution that is not accepted by Azerbaijan. We put forward our determination not only here but also in every forum.''

President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said that cooperation, compromise and peace have taken the place of hostility and hatred in international arena, adding economic development which will bring prosperity and happiness to states and people can only be undertaken in an atmosphere of peace, stability and cooperation.

''The basic target of the efforts to form a multilateral cooperation forum in Caucasus is to bring peace to the region. This proposal which will be put into practice by the support and self-sacrifice of the participant states will play a great role in bringing happiness to these countries. Azerbaijan is at the centre of the East-West and North-South Transportation Corridors and it has rich natural resources and these make her more attractive for the world.''

''Azerbaijan's becoming a serious and respected partner of the West depends on her continuation of the reform activities. Azerbaijan has to evaluate this historical opportunity and not lose its speed, it must increase its activities in the economic field and show to the world that it is a democratic and modern world state which respects human rights and freedoms. We believe the coming general elections will be held in a serious and transparent way in Azerbaijan. Acception of its membership to the Council of Europe (COE) on June 28 also shows that the international community shares this view.''

''Our countries will get the place they deserve in the new international system in which Eurasia will be a great focus. The success of Turkey and Azerbaijan will depend on our efforts and will. Today the Western world is closer to Azerbaijan.''

''Turkey has acquired all of its successes by itself. It has the 16th biggest economy of the world and it changed from an agricultural country into an industrial country. It has a trade volume of 80 billion dollars and it realized an economic growth of 5 percent on the average in the last 30 years. Turkey has also become one of the first ten tourism countries. Turkish businessmen can make investments particularly in Europe. Turkey will become one of the ten most developed and powerful countries of the world soon.''

Sezer noted that the development of the bilateral relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan also give power to these countries' relations in the world.

''Our bilateral relations and cooperation also serve the development, prosperity and peace of our region,'' said Sezer and noted that the trade volume of Turkish enterpreneurs in Azerbaijan reached hundreds of millions dollars. The Turkish firms in Azerbaijan have created employment for 40,000 Azerbaijanis till today, said Sezer.

''There is no impediment that stands in front of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline which will carry Caspian sea's carbon hydrides to world markets and which will constitute a peace and prosperity bridge among regional countries and peoples. This project is an important part of East-West Energy Corridor and the historical Silk Road. When Trans-Caspian Natural gas pipeline is put into practice in parallel with Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan prjoect, the rich natural resources of Caspian Sea will unite the littoral states of Caspian sea. I would like to reiterate my belief that a great future is waiting for Turkey and Azerbaijan,'' said Sezer.

[10] FOREIGN MINISTER CEM TO LEAVE FOR MACEDONIA ON FRIDAY

A Foreign Ministry statement said that a delegation composed of high ranking officials of the Foreign Ministry will accompany Cem in the meeting that will be held in Ohrid city of Macedonia.

Views will be exchanged in the meeting about the stability, security and democracy in Southeastern Europe and the developments recorded in one year following the adoption of the Southeast European Stability Pact.

The meeting carries special importance as it is the first meeting following the signing of the ''Southeast Europe Good Neighbourhood Relations, Stability, Security and Cooperation Charter,'' the statement noted.

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