Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-07-22

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

23 JULY 2000

Sunday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[02] CYPRUS TALKS TO RESTART ON MONDAY

[03] TENDER FOR ATTACK HELICOPTERS -BELL COMPANY OFFICIALS EXPRESS EXCITEMENT OVER WINNING TENDER

[04] OGER TOUR AIMS TO BRING 100,000 GERMAN TOURISTS TO ANTALYA COMING WINTER

[05] TENDER FOR ATTACK HELICOPTERS -U.S STATE DEPARTMENT; ''WE WELCOME TURKEY'S DECISION''

[06] TRNC PRESIDENT DENKTAS: ''THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TRNC IS ADMITTED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF ANY AGREEMENT''

[07] FISKOBIRLIK CHAIRMAN:''TURKEY NEEDS AGRICULTURAL PLANNING TO DEAL WITH HAZELNUT PRODUCTION SURPLUS''

[08] HISTORICAL CITIES ASSOCIATION INAUGURAL MEETING HELD IN BURSA

[09] COASTING VESSEL SINKS OFF GELIBOLU

[10] CHAMBER OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS: -''NUCLEAR POWER THREATENS LIFE''

[11] TURKISH SOLDIERS BUILD SCHOOL IN MAMUSHA

[12] TURKISH WARSHIPS TO PARTICIPATE IN ''BRIZ 2000'' MANOEUVRES, ARRIVE AT VARNA PORT

[13] IKK AND KSO ORGANIZE TRAINING PROGRAMME TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON NATURAL DISASTERS

[14] TRNC DELEGATION DUE TO GENEVA

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

TURKISH ARCHITECT TO ERECT TWIN-SCRAPERS IN NEW YORK
The latest twin sky-scrapers of New York were designed by a Turkish architect, namely Mustafa K. Abadan. The 'Columcus Center' in Manhattan, whose construction will have been completed in 2.5 years' time, will host Time Warner, America On Line (AOL), and CNN. The jazz hall of the center will be named after Ahmet Ertegun, owner of Atlantic Records Co.

ARSONIST SHEPHERDS PUT IN JAIL
Four shepherds, who had set a forest fire in the Buldan township of Denizli, causing 1050 hectares of forest land to burn ito ashes, were arrested and put in jail. Ali Dogru (37), Mehmet Aydogan (35), Irfan Aydogdu (33), and Osman Aydogdu (38) had set a picnic fire in the forest area, and had not put it out, causing 1050 hectares to burn into ashes. After being tried by the court, all four were sent to prison.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

TURKEY PREFERS COBRA
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that the contract negotiations for production of 145 strike helicopters would be held firstly with American Bell company-the producer of 'King-Cobra' helicopters, and secondly with Russian-Israeli consortium Kamov-IAI in accordance with priority list. In the press conference he held following the Defense Industry Executive Committee meeting, Ecevit said that they had received detailed information on the helicopter tender at the meeting. He said that the contract negotiations for production of 145 strike helicopters would be held firstly with American Bell company, and secondly with Russian-Israeli consortium Kamov-IAI in accordance with priority list. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said a third bidding firm, Italy's Agusta, would be approached if talks with the first two groups proved unsuccessful.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

NEW TRAFFIC LAW
The new traffic law, prepared with the initiatives of the Democratic Left Party, foresees stricter orders and harsher punishments. Drivers without driving licences, for instance, will have to face 3-6 months in prison, while drunk drivers will be fined 250 million Turkish liras, and will be deprived of their licenses for 2 years.

FLOATING CITY
Costa Atlantica, one of the five biggest cruisers of the world, arrived in Istanbul, its first route ever, with its 2,600 passengers. Setting sail from Venice on July 16, on a route called ''Scenes from the Orient''- covering Turkey and Greece- the cruiser arrived in Salipazari port of Istanbul on Thursday. The 20-storey cruiser has a total of 1,677 cabins, with a capacity of accommodating 2,680 passengers. Among its facilities are one observatory, 2-storey taverns, 4 swimming pools, 4 hydromassage pools, video hall, 1000-person theatre, gymnasium, 2 discos, 1 casino, 12 bars, a conference hall, shopping centers, restaurants, and buffets.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

PRIORITY GIVEN TO BELL TEXTRON'S KING COBRA
Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has finalized the project to meet Turkey's need of attack helicopters. It was decided that talks will be first held with the U.S. firm Bell Textron. If Ankara fails to reach an agreement with Bell Textron, Turkey will start talks with Russian-Israeli consortium. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said the project would not affect the disinflation programme.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

NEW REGULATIONS FOR PEDDLARS
The Istanbul Chamber of Trade (ITO) is preparing a darft law to regulate peddling on the streets of Istanbul. Mehmet Yildirim, Chairman of ITO, said there were about 500 thousand peddlars selling goods on the streets of Istanbul, that the income they were obtaining was unregistered, and that the new regulations they were working on, would help prevent unregistered income.

YENI BINYIL (LIBERAL)

KAREN FOGG:''OUR UNDERSTANDING OF MINORITIES IS DIFFERENT''
EU Turkey Representative Karen Fogg said the minority issue varies among different countries. ''We are not calling everybody minority. When we talk about minorities, we are talking about groups which have some rights and privileges. People should be able to express themselves regardless of their origin,'' she said and added that the bans preventing people from expressing themselves should be lifted. Noting that the EU has a different view of minorities, Fogg said they are trying to find a middle point with Turkey on this matter. She said the EU is trying to help Turkey reach the Copenhagen criteria and stressed that they need a constructive dialogue to achieve this.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

TECHNOLOGY CENTER TO BE SET UP IN SOUTH EAST
Alarko Holding is constructing a techno-city in the area covered by the South East Anatolia Project (GAP). The techno-city which will cost 4.5 billion U.S. dollars aims to carry out land research, educate farmers and provide them with loans and technology assistance. The techno-city project which will be supported by the Agriculture Ministry will also promote the agriclture potential of the GAP region to the world.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

SCIENCE THIEVES CAPTURED
The thieves, who stole the formulas on which genius Kemal Karadag, the person who had extinguished the fire at TUPRAS oil refinery in the wake of last year's quake, were arrested. The thieves, namely Ali Seydi Calar, Vahdi Calar, and Serdar Halici were tried on the charge of stealing a case containing chemical formulas, 5 thousand marks, and one camera. Vahdi Calar and Serdar Halici were arrested and put in jail.

[02] CYPRUS TALKS TO RESTART ON MONDAY

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Dentkas and his delegation will leave for Geneva on Sunday.

The first stage of the talks which aimed to prepare grounds for face-to- face talks had begun under the supervision of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on July 5 in Geneva. During the talks which lasted for ten days, Denktas proposed a comprehensive proposal package foreseeing a confederation solution on the island.

Alvaro de Soto, Annan's Cyprus Special Representative, conferred with both sides separately and had some suggestions for them. He asked both sides to express their views regarding these suggestions at the talks which will start on Monday.

Upon his return from Geneva, Denktas had stated that De Soto formed a framework for the talks to which they are willing to contribute. He noted that the real ''give-and-take'' process would begin either at the end of the second stage of the third round or at the fourth round of talks in New York.

The third round of Cyprus talks will last until August 4. The fourth round is expected to start in New York on September 12 and last until October.

During the talks Denktas will be accompanied by Foreign and Defense Minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu, Presidency Undersecretary Ergun Olgun, Foreign and Defense Ministry Undersecretary Osman Ertug, Department of Foreign Affairs General Director Resat Caglar, President's advisor on Political Affairs Munir Ertekun, President's advisor on Law and Constitution Prof. Mumtaz Soysal, and Presidency Counseling and Political Affairs Director Mustafa Evran.

[03] TENDER FOR ATTACK HELICOPTERS -BELL COMPANY OFFICIALS EXPRESS EXCITEMENT OVER WINNING TENDER

The Bell Helicopter Textron officials, in the statement they made to the A.A, said that AH-1Z type King-Cobra, the newest member of the Cobra family, was a special type of craft developed also for the U.S Navy Infantry Command.

The statement said that King Cobra was the most modern, and most cost- beneficial craft of the world, and expressed hope that the Cobras would be produced jointly by Bell Helicopter Textron and the Turkish Aviation and Space Industries (TAI).

The statement said that the cost of the fifty helicopters, the first party of a total of 145 crafts, would be produced at an estimated cost of around 1.5 billion U.S dollars, that the main producer would be the TAI, and that many other Turkish companies would be taking part in the production process.

Campbell said in his statement, that the Bell Helicopter Textron would cooperate with Turkey in the production process by means of technology transfer, and by providing technical services.

Any contract to be signed between Turkey and Bell Helicopter Textron Company, will require the approval of the Pentagon, the State Department, and the Congress.

[04] OGER TOUR AIMS TO BRING 100,000 GERMAN TOURISTS TO ANTALYA COMING WINTER

Oger Tour's head advisor Huseyin Baraner said they made an agreement with an airline company which cost them 34 million U.S. dollars and they will bring 100,000 German tourists from 16 cities in Germany to Antalya between November 1, 2000 and April 1, 2001. Baraner said they are mostly focusing on ski, religion and health fields to draw tourists.

''It is time to spread tourism to 12 months in Turkey,'' he said. ''We are having promotion campaigns to draw German people to Antalya. We will offer long accomodation options to retired people and they will have the chance to choose between spending six weeks or the whole winter in Antalya. It will be a very colourful winter.''

Noting that tourism in the Aegean is weaker compared to the Mediterranean region of Turkey, Baraner said they will also work to revitalize tourism in the Aegean. ''German tourists will rediscover the Aegean in 2001,'' he said.

Baraner said this weekend, starting from Friday, they will send 340 planes carrying 34,342 German tourists to Antalya, Istanbul, Izmir, Dalaman, and Bodrum in three days. ''Nobody so far has organized 340 flights to one country in only three days. Oger Tour is breaking a record. 25,000 of these tourists are coming to Antalya.''

Noting that Turkey is an indispensible vacation country just like Spain or Greece, Baraner said their hard work has started yielding fruits.

[05] TENDER FOR ATTACK HELICOPTERS -U.S STATE DEPARTMENT; ''WE WELCOME TURKEY'S DECISION''

A high level State Department official told the A.A correspondent on Saturday, that Turkey was a country with important responsibilities emerging from her membership in NATO.

Noting that the U.S wanted to contribute to Turkey in her efforts to fulfill these responsibilities and at the same time, meet her defense needs within a legitimate framework, the U.S official said that the Bell Helicopter Textron Company would have to apply to the State Department for approval of any contract it might sign with Turkey, that the State Department would give its decision in line with the pertaining laws and regulations in force, and that it would also consider human rights in giving the decision.

[06] TRNC PRESIDENT DENKTAS: ''THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TRNC IS ADMITTED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF ANY AGREEMENT''

Prior to the second stage of the third round of proximity talks in Geneva, which are to take start on Monday, Denktas held a meeting with the political party leaders. Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mustafa Akinci, Foreign and Defense Minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu, and the leaders and representatives of Turkish Cypriot political parties attended the meeting.

Denktas said in a statement he made before the meeting, that they would be discussing on the stance of the Turkish side, which it is to display in the Geneva talks, and added:

''The Greek Cypriot side does not have the right to represent our government, nor does it have the right to govern us. Their intransigent attitude has eventually led to this situation, in which two communities sharing one island stand at loggerheads. Our condition of a re-union is our recognition as the TRNC. The Greek Cypriots should not attempt to put the Turkish guarantorship at risk.''

[07] FISKOBIRLIK CHAIRMAN:''TURKEY NEEDS AGRICULTURAL PLANNING TO DEAL WITH HAZELNUT PRODUCTION SURPLUS''

''For years people are talking about production surplus, but nobody says that hazelnuts should be better promoted and exported,'' he said at a FISKOBIRLIK meeting in Giresun.

''The promotion campaign which we started in 1996 had lead to more consumption both in domestic and foreign markets. We will continue such campaigns,'' he noted.

Pointing out that the biggest obstacle in the hazelnut business is the production surplus, FISKOBIRLIK General Director Cevat Aydin said ''FISKOBIRLIK will buy hazelnuts and make its payments without any delays.''

''Although world hazelnut production varies from one year to another, it is an average of 675,000 tons of hazelnuts. The consumption of the world is about 550,000 tons. Hazel production surplus stays at Turkey's stocks,'' he complained.

''A law should be passed to limit hazelnut production fields. Turkey needs agricultural planning. While we have a surplus of hazelnuts in Turkey, we have to import sunflowers because sunflower fields were converted to hazelnut fields.''

''During 1999-2000 period, FISKOBIRLIK purchased 142,000 tons of hazelnuts and paid the hazelnut producers a total fo 153,8 trillion TL. All the payments were made by March 13, 2000 which is the earliest date of the last 25 years,'' Aydin explained.

''Producers should not worry. FISKOBIRLIK has completed all its preparations for purchases in 2000. We have no storage problem. FISKOBIRLIK will buy hazelnuts and pay for it,'' Aydin concluded.

[08] HISTORICAL CITIES ASSOCIATION INAUGURAL MEETING HELD IN BURSA

The meeting which was supported by the Culture and Interior Ministries was attended by governors of 12 provinces and mayors of 72 townships as well as State Minister Recep Onal and Interior Minister Sadettin Tantan.

CEKUL Foundation Chairman Prof. Metin Sozen delivered an opening speech at the meeting which focused on preservation of historic and cultural heritage. Sozen said it would be wrong to regard Turkey Historical Cities Association only as a part of a campaign run by the Council of Europe and stressed the need Turkey had for such an organization.

Architects Chamber Chairman Oktay Ekinci who also spoke at the meeting said Turkey Historical Cities Association will be a privileged assocition and it will be a step for Turkey to join the European Historical Cities Association.

''Saying 'we have a history of 5000 years' is not enough. We have to deserve it,'' Ekinci said.

[09] COASTING VESSEL SINKS OFF GELIBOLU

The 493 gross-ton coasting vessel sank into the sea as it stood idle, anchored at the port, due to an unknown reason.

All seven crew members on board jumped off the vessel for their lives.

Officials said investigations into the cause of the incident were underway.

[10] CHAMBER OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS: -''NUCLEAR POWER THREATENS LIFE''

In the statement issued on Saturday, it was said that Turkey had to be prevented from turning into a nuclear base, insensitive towards nature and all forms of life.

It said further that Turkey was not a country that could be turned into a nuclear dump, and that members of the chamber would make a press release in front of the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry headquarters on July 24, demanding the immediate abolishment of the tender for the Akkuyu nuclear power station.

The statement drew attention to the fact that the cost of nuclear energy was much higher as compared to other sources.

The validity of bids for Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant tender which was opened by the Turkish Electricity Production and Distribution Corp (TEAS) will end on July 24.

[11] TURKISH SOLDIERS BUILD SCHOOL IN MAMUSHA

The school was inaugurated by General Necat Bek, the Commander of the 28th Mechanised Infantry Brigade. The ceremony was attended by the Turkish troopers and Turkish Police force functioning in the region, and the villagers.

[12] TURKISH WARSHIPS TO PARTICIPATE IN ''BRIZ 2000'' MANOEUVRES, ARRIVE AT VARNA PORT

In the exercises, which are to take place under the command of Naval Forces Staff Chief of Bulgaria, General Petar Petrov between July 26 and 30, the participating staff will practice a scenario on the functions of international naval forces in times of natural disasters, and humanitarian, and search and rescue operations.

The Karadeniz Frigate, along with ''Saros'' and ''Sariyer'' minesweepers, and a speed boat attached to the Turkish naval forces will participate in the manoeuvres, which will take place with the participation of naval elements from the United States, Greece, France, Ukraine, and Bulgaria.

[13] IKK AND KSO ORGANIZE TRAINING PROGRAMME TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON NATURAL DISASTERS

IKK Coordination Council Chairman Mehmet Toker told A.A correspondent that they will train 60 local educators in the three-day programme which makes people better prepared for natural disasters. The training programme is supported by United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Ankara office and the EU.

The 60 educators people will later train groups of 120. The project aims to train 36,000 people using this method.

[14] TRNC DELEGATION DUE TO GENEVA

Denktas and the delegation accompanying him, will fly to Istanbul at 06.00 hours local time on Sunday, and from there, they will proceed to Geneva.

At the talks, President Denktas will be accompanied by a delegation consisting of Foreign and Defense Minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu, Presidential Consultant Ergun Olgun, Foreign and Defense Ministry Undersecretary Osman Ertug, Director General of Foreign Affairs Bureau Resat Caglar, Presidential Political Affairs Special Consultant Ambassador Necati Munir Ertekun, Consultant for Judicial and Constitutional Issues Professor Mumtaz Soysal, and Presidential Consultancy and Political Affairs Director Mistafa Evran.

The proximity talks in Geneva are expected to last until August 4.

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