Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-10-20

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

20 OCTOBER 2000

Friday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[02] DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER BAHCELI:

[03] PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IZGI SENDS A LETTER TO HASTERT,

[04] ECHR FINDS FIRST APPLICATION OF

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

Cumhur Ersumer, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources signed the Agreement on ''Host Country,'' Botas Director General Gokhan Yardim signed the Agreement on ''Key Delivery'' and the Treasury Undersecretary Selcuk Demiralp signed the document of ''Government Guarantee'' on behalf of Turkey.

IISS: ''TERRORISM DECLINED SHARPLY IN TURKEY''
International Institute of Strategic Searches (IISS), based in London, issued ''Military Balances,'' report and examined the position in conflicted regions of the world. The report mentioned threat of international terrorism and the armament efforts of the countries. The report stressed that, ''in Turkey, however, terrorism has declined sharply.''

The report, which covered 2000 and 2001, widely mentioned the success Turkey recorded in overcoming PKK terrorism.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

POISONING IN DIYARBAKIR FIRE STATION
A total of 135 people were poisoned on Thursday in a fire station in Diyarbakir after a chlorine gas leakage next to the fire station. The gas leak occurred when workers were changing a chlorine tank connected to a water depot in the garden of the fire station. The officials of the fire station and the people living in the environs of the fire station were poisoned because of the leakage.

Those who were poisoned, were being treated in nearby hospitals, four of those were reported to be in serious condition. Twenty-five of the affected were reported to be children.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

Dennis Hastert, the House Speaker, cancelled the resolution after the message of Clinton that ''you are making a very big mistake,'' and noted that they could not endanger the interests and security of the U.S.

BULGARIAN CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR TENEV IN ISTANBUL
Tentcho Tenev, the Governor of Bulgarian Central Bank, and representatives of leading finance institutions arrived in Istanbul as the guest of Demirkbank Bulgaria. Asaf Savas Akad will brief the Bulgarian delegation about Turkish economy and banking sector. Demirbank Bulgaria, based in Sofia, has a branch in Varna.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

''MISSING TRILLION'' CASE OF RP
Trial of 79 people, including Necmettin Erbakan, the former leader of the banned Welfare Party (RP), and the former Deputy Chairmen Sevket Kazan and Ahmet Tekdal, continues on grounds that they swindled public institution and contradicted with the Political Parties Law, by showing the aid of Treasury in 1997 as if it was distributed to 71 provincial organization in return for receipt.

The indictment, regarded with the case, calls for up to eight years in jail for the defendants.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER CALLS FOR INTEREST OF TURKISH INVESTORS
Ilir Meta, the Albanian Prime Minister, who paid a working visit to Ankara, called on Turkish entrepreneurs to invest in his country. Meta also met with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and wanted support for the investments that will be made to his country.

Meta who also met with Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu, the chief of general staff, requested cooperation in military training and military equipment.

YENİ BİNYIL (LIBERAL)

Others which will be discussed are budget, economic package, Copenhagen Criteria, adjustment laws, capital punishment, Article 312 and general amnesty.

WE COMMEMORATE KISLALI
Ahmet Taner Kislali, former Culture Minister and Journalist-Author, who had been killed last year, will be commemorated on the first anniversary of his death. The commemoration activities will start in Ankara University Communication Faculty at 09:30 and will continue.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

LIFTING OF THE BURDEN ON LOW INCOME PEOPLE ISSUED FROM THE LEADERS' SUMMIT
The government on Thursday decided for the continuation of special communication and procedure tax, and contribution share to education throughout the economic program.

Prime Ministry Press Center issued a statement following the meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, where supplementary measures regarded with the new year budget were discussed. The statement said party leaders of the coalition government reviewed the budget of 2001.

The statement said other measures, which are under the authority of the Council of Ministers were also discussed within the income targets of the 2001 year budget, adding that, ''with these arrangements, we tried not to bring an additional burden on the the paid and the low income people.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

State Planning Institution issued a written statement and said Sezer will chair the meeting which will take start on October 25.

High ranking experts of the attending sides will have closed sessions before the meeting.

Devlet Bahceli, the State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, will chair the closing session of the meeting on October 26.

-LETTER OF CLINTON WHICH CANCELLED THE RESOLUTION ON
SO-CALLED GENOCIDE ON ARMENIANS
WASHINGTON D.C. - Letter of the U.S. President Bill Clinton prevented Dennis Hastert, the House Speaker, who favored passage of the resolution on so-called genocide on Armenians, from the House of Representatives. The U.S. President Clinton in his letter to Hastert warned that passage of the resolution ''at this time could have far-reaching negative consequences for the United States.''

Clinton said he already commemorates the tragic incidents which Armenians had to experience on April 24 every year.

Clinton's letter said he has deep concerns that discussion of the resolution no:596 at this time could have far-reaching negative consequences for the U.S.

''We have significant interests in this troubled region of the world: Containing the threat posed by Saddam Hussein; working for peace and stability in the Middle East and Central Asia; stabilising the Balkans and developing new sources of energy.''

''Consideration of the resolution at this sensitive time will negatively affect those interests and could undermine efforts to encourage improved relations between Armenia and Turkey.''

In his letter, Clinton said those who prepared this resolution said they aimed at positive relations between Turkey and Armenia, adding that he understood that both Turkey and Armenia have strong feelings on the issue. Clinton said this painful issue could be solved when both sides examine their past.

Clinton ended his letter saying he strongly requested the letter not to be brought onto the agenda of the House of Representatives in this critical perod.

-FOREIGN MINISTER CEM:''WE SHOULD NOT EXAGGERATE SUCH INITIATIVES''
ANKARA - Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, who evaluated cancellation of the resolution on so-called genocide on Armenians in the U.S. House of Representatives, pointed out on Friday that, ''we should not exaggerate such kind of initiatives.''

Cem, who made a brief statement to reporters, said an unjust initiative has been prevented with the cancellation of the resolution, and noted that a threat, toward the Turkish-U.S. relations, was removed.

''Let us not exaggerate such kind of initiatives. We should make our best to convey the truths. Yet, we also should not exaggerate those who don't want to understand the truths. Let us not take them into consideration very much. We should not create groundless fears for ourselves if several initiatives take place against Turkey in another place of the world. Let us continue to advance on the path which we know that is right.''

[02] DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER BAHCELI:

Responding to the questions of reporters on the issue, Bahceli said, ''this may be considered as important for the development of Turkish-U.S. relations. The U.S. administration also exerted sincere efforts.''

-SNOWFALL IN BLACK SEA SAMSUN PROVINCE
HAVZA - The first snow of the season fell on Akdag region in Ladik township in the Black Sea Samsun province. The thickness of the snow, which started on Thursday night and continued with intervals, reached three cm in Akdag Soganli plateau.

Officials of Directorate of Meteorology said precipitation was expected in high sections of the region on Friday night, and estimated the temperatures to drop to eight degrees celsius.

[03] PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IZGI SENDS A LETTER TO HASTERT,

-ATATURK BOOK PUBLISHED IN FRANCE
PARIS - The book named ''Ataturk, A Specific Thought for Turkey'', was published in France. The book is about the life story of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkish Republic, and explains the revolutions of Ataturk in a chronological order.

The book which was written by Coskun Tunctan in French, was published by the L'Harmatta publishing house.

The foreword of the book was written by Jean Lois Bacque-Grammont, the Director of the French Anatolia Researches Institute, and the Chairman of the International Ottoman Research Committee.

Coskun Tunctan noted that he wrote the events in the book in an objective way, and said:

''I know that a personality like Ataturk, who changed the destiny of a nation, and who has an important place in the history of the world, will impress the readers.''

Noting that Ataturk had the republic project in his mind when he was a very young soldier, Tunctan said Ataturk gave the Turkish women the right to elect and to be elected, before some of the western states.

''This is an answer to those who are blaming Ataturk for imitating the Western states,'' Tunctan said.

Tunctan pointed out that Ataturk set up the culture houses in Turkey, before they were established in Europe, and that Ataturk played a leading role for Europe, regarding the issue.

Tunctan noted that Ataturk didn't follow an expansionist policy and said:

''Ataturk always preferred Turkish people to live peacefully within their boundaries. Ataturk travelled throughout the country in the five years of his 15 years of presidency and searched solutions for the problems in those regions he visited. He is probably the only leader in the world who did it.''

-TURKEY-RUSSIA JEC MEETING HELD
ANKARA - State Minister Rustu Kazım Yucelen said on Friday that both Turkey and the Russian Federation are the two countries which have successfully completed the transition process to the free market economy. ''I think it will be useful to search for ways to sign a free trade agreement between the two countries in the future,'' said Yucelen.

Speaking in the opening of the meeting of the Fifth Term Joint Economic Commission (JEC) between Turkey and Russia, Yucelen gave information about the economic relations between the two countries.

Turkey carefully monitors the membership process of Russia to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its relations with the EU, said Yucelen and noted that they will continue to support Russia's joining the WTO.

''Our foreign trade volume in the first six months of 2000 increased by 62 percent compared to the previous year,'' said Yucelen and noted that the balance of the foreign trade which is 1.4 billion dollars is against Turkey and this has to be decreased. Russia has not still approved the protocol on the taxation of construction firms,'' said Yucelen.

State Minister Yucelen noted that the national gas account opened by the natural gas agreement dated 1984 with Russia should start to operate again, adding that Turkish Eximbank has an important place in improvement of the economic relations between the two countries.

Yucelen pointed out that Russia should pay back the money it owes to Turkey by giving electric energy and natural gas to Turkey.

Yucelen said that this won't bring extra burden on Russia, adding that the amount of natural gas transferred to Turkey by the implementation of Blue Stream project, will reach 30 billion cubicmeters till 2012.

''I think a Turkish-Russian joint free trade region should be founded in the Black Sea,'' said Yucelen and added that construction and energy fields are the two important sectors in the economic relations between Turkey and Russia.

[04] ECHR FINDS FIRST APPLICATION OF

After examining the individual and group complaints of party officials namely Necmettin Erbakan, Ahmet Tekdal and Sevket Kazan on May 22, 1998; ECHR decided to hold a court session on January 17, 2001.

ECHR found admissible the applications which claimed that there is a violation of Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights which is related to the right to freedom of religion, Article 10, which is related to the right to freedom of expression and Article 11 which is related to the right to freedom of organization. ECHR didn't find admissible the application claiming that Article 6, which is related to the right to freedom of fair trial was violated.

-PREMIER ECEVIT SENDS THANK-YOU LETTER TO U.S. PRESIDENT CLINTON
ANKARA - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit sent a thank-you letter to the U.S. President Bill Clinton for his contributions to the withdrawal of the resolution on the socalled genocide on Armenians. Speaking to reporters, Ecevit said that this incident shows the power of Turkey and the importance the U.S. attributes to Turkey.

Ecevit noted that the withdrawal of the resolution is a very important incident, adding that particularly the U.S. President Bill Clinton has been very influential in the result taken.

Ecevit stressed that U.S. President Clinton struggled from the beginning for the withdrawal of the resolution by great determination.

Ecevit pointed out that the new and former Defense and State Secretaries of the U.S., the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, certain high ranking politicians of the U.S., the new and former U.S. Ambassadors to Turkey and the Armenian Patriarch in Turkey Mesrob Mutafyan have contributed to the process.

All the parties in the Turkish parliament, the President, the government, the Chief of General Staff, Foreign Ministry, the Turkish Ambassador in Washington D.C. and the Turkish lobby firms in the U.S. had also great contributions, said Ecevit.

''I would like to thank all of them on behalf of my government. But our most important success has been our national solidarity,'' said Ecevit.

Ecevit also read out the letter he sent to the U.S. President Bill Clinton. Ecevit thanked the U.S. President and the administration and noted in the letter that the Turkish-American strategic partnership, friendship and solidarity will gain a new speed as a result of this success.

-PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT:''THERE ARE TWO CONDITIONS OF HAVING
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA''
ANKARA - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said on Friday that there are two conditions of founding diplomatic relations with Armenia. Responding to questions of journalists, Ecevit said that the withdrawal of the resolution on the socalled genocide on Armenians from the U.S. House of Representatives has showed that such kind of injustice against Turkey won't be put forward from now on.

''Turkey launched extraordinary efforts in a resolved way to prove her righfulness. This has played an important role in the result that has been taken,'' said Ecevit.

When asked how the withdrawal of the resolution would affect the relations between Turkey and Armenia, Ecevit said that there have been no great changes in the relations between the two countries.

The first condition of setting up diplomatic relations with Armenia is removing the historical mistake against Turkey and the other condition is the duty of Armenia to reach a consensus with Azerbaijan.

Stressing that 20 percent of the Azerbaijani territory is under occupation and ten thousands of Azeris continue to live in tents, Ecevit said that ''if these problems are solved, there won't be any reason left not to set up diplomatic relations with Armenia, which will benefit from that at most, because Turkey will be a door for Armenia opening to the world and it can contribute to the Armenian economy.''

''In fact certain radical groups in the U.S. live in prosperity, but the Armenian people live in very difficult conditions. If healthy relations are set up between us, the Armenian people will benefit from that at most,'' Ecevit said.

Ecevit said that similar manipulations are seen not only in the U.S. but also in other countries; adding that Turkey is a very powerful and peaceful country.

''No genocide has been committed in the history of Turkey, on the contrary Turkey has always opened its doors to the victims,'' added Ecevit.

-VICTORY OF TURKEY ON RESOLUTION ON SO-CALLED GENOCIDE ON ARMENIANS
-STRONG MESSAGE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THIRD SIDES THAT TURKEY
IS A COUNTRY THAT CAN NOT BE IGNORED EASILY
WASHINGTON D.C - The resolution on so-called genocide on Armenians, which was withdrawn from the agenda of the full House at the last minute by the House Speaker Dennis Hastert, gave a strong message to the third sides that Turkey was not a country that can be ignored easily.

Diplomatic sources in Washington D.C., who spoke to A.A correspondent, said cancellation of the resolution was a product of the foreign policy with Turkey developed with the U.S. in the recent five years.

A letter, sent by the U.S. President Bill Clinton to the House Speaker Dennis Hastert, played a role in cancellation of the resolution.

Clinton pointed out that importance of relations between Turkey and the U.S. due to threats of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, developments in the Middle East, peace and stability in Central Asia, Balkans, and new energy sources, and requested the resolution to be withdrawn.

It was reported that the House Speaker Dennis Hastert, took the resolution onto the agenda despite all the pressures of the U.S. administration. Upon his meetings with the White House, Pentagon, and CIA officials in his office, Hastert said he was persuaded to withdraw the resolution due to national security concerns of the U.S., yet noted that he did not want to undertake this only as the Republican Party, and wanted an appropriate way to be found.

Upon this, the U.S. President Clinton warned that passage of the resolution would create serious results for Turkish-U.S. relations. Thus, Hastert found place to step back, and said he cancelled the the resolution saying, ''every patriot should listen to the President.''

Diplomatic sources in Washington said, ''strategic importance and existence of Turkey prevented this irresponsible resolution. It was revealed that Turkey was not a country that can not be ignored easily. An important message has been given to third countries after this injustice was overcome.''

A diplomatic source, who spoke to A.A correspondent, said ''the U.S. administration was sincere from the very beginning while opposing to this resolution. The administration understood very well what Turkey wanted to say, and the consequences of it.''

The same source said it was revealed that Turkey has real friends in the Congress.

-FOREIGN MINISTER CEM: ''INITIATIVE, WHICH IS FULL
OF INJUSTICE AGAINST TURKEY, PREVENTED''
ANKARA - Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said on Thursday that resolution on so- called genocide on Armenians was canceled in the U.S. House of Representatives with a warning from the U.S. President Bill Clinton, and noted that, ''thus, an initative, full of injustice against Turkey, has been prevented.'' Speaking after the resolution was withdrawn from the agenda by Dennis Hastert, the U.S. House Speaker, Cem said, ''I thank to the U.S. administration, the U.S. President Bill Clinton, the State Secretary Madeleine Abright, the Defense Secretary William Cohen, the Chief of General Staff Henry Shelton, members of the U.S. House of Representatives who have defended the truths, and the U.S. Ambassador to Ankara who contributed to this result. They have evaluated our calls and the facts we have conveyed to them, and saved Turkish-U.S. relations from a serious threat.''

''Coordination of all state units of Turkey was a factor to reach this point,'' said Cem, and noted that, ''I sincerely congratulate Foreign Ministry officials who worked very much to obtain this result, Ambassador Baki Ilkin, and the Embassy officials.''

Cem said, ''Turkey is a big and strong state. Turkey overcomes every kind of difficulty being aware of its greatness, and as long as it implements its own power with right and moderate methods. This recent incident is an evidence of it.''

Cem said, ''Turkey should continue to tell the truths. It should not consider important those who are insistent on not understanding the truths.''

-ERTUGRULOGLU, TRNC FOREIGN MINISTER:
''THERE IS GREEK CYPRIOT OCCUPATION ON CYPRUS''
NEW YORK - Tahsin Ertugruloglu, the Foreign Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Friday said, ''the only occupation on Cyprus was the occupation of Greek Cypriot administration which claims that it is the government of whole Cyprus.''

Ertugruloglu sent a letter to the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, and responded to the speech of Ioannis Cassoulides, the Foreign Minister of Greek Cypriot administration which he made in the U.N. General Assembly.

In his letter, Ertugruloglu stressed that target of the Greek Cypriots was to turn Cyprus into a Greek Cypriot island, and also to turn Turkish Cypriots into a minority.

Pointing out that Turkey did not have any chance but the operation in 1974 to save Turkish Cypriot people from annihilation and annexation of the Island to Greece, Ertugruloglu stressed that allegations of Cassoulides that, ''Turks revolved and withdrew their representatives from the government organs,'' were misleading and not true.

Ertugruloglu said, ''it was in fact Glafcos Clerides, the current leader of Greek Cypriots, who usurped the constitutional rights of Turkish parliamentarians and who said the Turkish parliamentarians had no legal rights left in the House of Representatives.''

Recalling that the ethnic cleansing, which Greek Cypriots alleged that was made, was in fact made by the Greek Cypriots against the Turkish Cypriots between 1963 and 1974, Ertugruloglu said ''Greek Cypriots massacred hundreds of innocent babies, elderly people and women.''

Ertugruloglu said allegation of Casoulides that, ''Turks advanced in Akyar region,'' was ''a product of unacceptable sovereignty allegations of the Greek Cypriots.'' He said Akyar region was within the borders of TRNC, and that the Greek Cypriot administration did not have the right to interfere here.

TRNC Foreign Ministry said he has the view that a peaceful future in the Island could only be provided by a partnership that will be set up under the roof of a confederation between the two sovereign states, and noted that it is now time for the international community to tell these facts to the Greek Cypriot administration clearly.''

The letter of Ertugruloglu to General Secretary Annan is issued as a U.N. document.

-MANY TOURISTS CONTINUE TO COME TO ANTALYA
ANTALYA - The three millionth tourist is expected to arrive in Antalya on Saturday. Ertugrul Dokuzoglu, the Governor of Antalya said that 2 million 978 thousand 506 tourists arrived in Antalya till October 19, and that the three millionth tourist would arrive in Antalya at 12.00 p.m. on Saturday.

Noting that the tree millionth tourist would be welcomed at the Antalya airport with a ceremony, Dokuzoglu said the figures of the 1997 which was considered as the best tourism season, had already been exceeded.

A total of 2 million 862 thousand 719 tourists arrived in Antalya in 1997.

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