Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-11-04

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

4 NOVEMBER 2000 Saturday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[02] KORUSEV TO HOLD FESTIVAL AT FIVE STAR HOTEL

[03] INTERIOR MINISTER TANTAN APPOINTS TWO INSPECTORS REGARDING

[04] TURKISH COMMUNITY IN NEW YORK SUPPORT HILLARY AGAINST

[05] FM SAYS UNPARTICIPATION OF MAJORITY OF CERTAIN COMMUNITIES IN ELECTIONS OF KOSOVO

[06] YAHYA MURAT DEMIREL'S TRIAL TO START ON NOVEMBER 6

[07] NUMBER OF HIV INFECTED PATIENTS INCREASING IN TURKEY

[08] NORWEGIAN OIL AND ENERGY MINISTER TO VISIT TURKEY

[09] USAK CHIEF PROSECUTOR KAYRAL:

[10] NARCOTIC TEAMS SEIZE 150 KILOS OF HEROIN IN ISTANBUL

[11] 10 PEOPLE DETAINED IN ISTANBUL AFTER PROTESTING AGAINST F TYPE PRISONS

[12] STATE MINISTER YUCELEN:''TURKEY HAS ALSO CONTRIBUTED

[13] JUSTICE MINISTER TURK SAYS ERGIN BROTHERS AND 15

[14] JUSTICE MINISTER TURK SAYS CROWDED WARDS AND PHYSICAL

[15] TRNC FOREIGN AND DEFENSE MINISTER ERTUGRULOGLU

[16] BAN TO LEAVE INCIRLIK BASE PARTLY LIFTED

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION DUE IN CUBA
A group of deputies who are members of the Turkish-Cuban Interparliamentary Friendship Group will go to Cuba soon. The deputies will give a Tekirdag Turkish raki to Fidel Castro, the Cuban leader as a gift.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

CHILDREN WATCH THE KILLINGS
A driver of the school bus of Erenkoy primary school killed three of his friends and later killed himself. The students watched the killings just like watching a horror movie.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

HERE IS THE TURKISH HOLY MOTHER
Hatice Guney, who was declared as a holy mother by the Dutch Church, told the paper that ''I took this title on behalf of the Anatolian women.'' Guney has been living in the Netherlands for 20 years, and she is a faithful person. She has been chosen as the holy mother as she is hospitable and benevolent. She says that these characterists are found in every Turkish mother.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

Jess Baily, Spokesman of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara indicated that the security situation at the base has not changed in the recent weeks, therefore there is still risk for the families of U.S. soldiers.

DIE ANNOUNCES INFLATION IN OCTOBER AS 3.1 PERCENT
State Statistics Institute (DIE) announced that consumer prices increased by 3.1 percent and wholesale prices increased by 2.8 percent last month. Although this is lower than last October's inflation figure, the government has diverted from its targeted inlation rate 2.1 percent in wholesale prices and 5.8 percent in consumer prices.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

YILMAZ:''GREECE WON'T BE AN IMPEDIMENT''
Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yılmaz who is currently in Greece said that ''I got the impression that Greece won't bring any difficulty regarding the Accession Partnership Accord of Turkey for the European Union (EU).''

YENI BINYIL (LIBERAL)

AUTO SHOW IN ISTANBUL DRAWS MANY VISITORS
The Eight International Automobile Fair Auto Show 2000 opened in CNR Istanbul Insternational Fair Hall. New car makes produced by 110 companies drew many visitors to the fair. Company representatives who were very pleased about the visitors' attention said they took many orders for 2001 model cars.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

MHP TO HOLD ITS CONGRESS
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) will hold its Congress meeting on Sunday. The leader of the party will be elected and a total of 383 delegates will use votes.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

[02] KORUSEV TO HOLD FESTIVAL AT FIVE STAR HOTEL

Korusev Association Director Muammer Cavdar said on Saturday that they have about 450 stray dogs in their shelter and their cost varies between 80 and 100 million TL every day.

Noting that they receive financial support only from the Cankaya Municipality, Cavdar said they are holding this festival to raise funds for their shelter.

Second hand clothes, food, paintings and souvenirs will be sold in the stands at the festival which will last from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tickets are 500.000 TL and they can be obtained at the entrance.

[03] INTERIOR MINISTER TANTAN APPOINTS TWO INSPECTORS REGARDING

[04] TURKISH COMMUNITY IN NEW YORK SUPPORT HILLARY AGAINST

The decision was announced as a written statement as well as on the internet by community leaders Egemen Baris, Ahmet Ertegun and Dr. Ata Erim.

Community leaders said that Republican Rick Lazio did not know Turkey at all. On the other hand, they said, Hillary Clinton was a friend of Turkey.

''Ms. Clinton has visited Turkey twice as the President's wife. She has many Turkish friends. Her husband has always been friendly towards Turkey during his presidency. He is also the U.S. President who spent the longest vacation in Turkey. Therefore, we have decided to request you to vote for Hillary and encourage your friends to vote for her,'' the statement said.

Around 150,000 Turks live in New York state borders. 30-40,000 of these Turks are U.S. citizens and they are expected to vote on Nov. 7.

[05] FM SAYS UNPARTICIPATION OF MAJORITY OF CERTAIN COMMUNITIES IN ELECTIONS OF KOSOVO

A Foreign Ministry statement said that the Democratic League of Kosovo headed by Ibrahim Rugova won 60 percent of the votes according to the unofficial results of the local elections held in Kosovo.

The local elections were held in a calm atmosphere, noted the Foreign Ministry and added that Albanians who form the majority of the Kosovar people cast votes for the first time after a long time and used their democratic right.

''The members of the national Turkish minority in Kosovo and the majority of Serbs, Romanians and other communities couldn't vote in the elections due to different reasons. This is an important deficiency both in respect of the pluralist and democratic order tried to be set up in Kosovo and in respect of the representative character of the election results,'' noted the Foreign Ministry.

The Ministry said that the Kosovar Turks reacted to the forms of population and registry proceedings, which didn't use Turkish language as an equal language with Albanian and Serbian languages and which were carried out under the coordination of the U.N. Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

UNMIK representatives promised to solve this problem, however Kosovar Turks didn't participate in the elections as the necessary steps were not taken in time, it was added.

The statement pointed out that the unparticipation of Turks in the elections should be compensated in a degree, adding that ''we hope the U.N. Secretary General's Special Envoy for Kosovo to use his authority regarding this issue and appoint the candidates of the Turkish Democratic Union, which is the legitimate political party of our kinsmen, to the municipality assemblies. If this demand of Kosovar Turks is met, an important step will be taken regarding the participation of the Turks in the political life of Kosova. Turkey which extends support to the U.N. Security Council Resolution No. 1244, wants both the installation of a permanent peace in Kosovo and also the installation of a democratic order which is egalitarian, tolerant, which is based on cooperation and solidarity and which protects the rights of all communities including the national Turkish minority living in the region. Turkey hopes that the final status of Kosovo, which closely interests the peace and stability of the region can be determined by negotiations that will be held on the basis of common interests and the acquired rights.''

[06] YAHYA MURAT DEMIREL'S TRIAL TO START ON NOVEMBER 6

Yahya Murat Demirel who is currently under arrest at the Ankara Maximum Security Prison is not expected to be brought to the first hearing.

The court is asking prison sentence of 12 years for the suspects according to Article 4389 of the Banks Law for embezzling money of a private bank.

[07] NUMBER OF HIV INFECTED PATIENTS INCREASING IN TURKEY

According to the figures of the Health Ministry, 763 of the HIV-positive Turkish people were men and the remaining 304 were women.

AIDS was first seen in a man in Turkey in 1985. One year later, five Turkish men were infected with the disease. In 1987, there were 29 men and five women infected with HIV.

The disease kept spreading and in 1997, a total of 143 people were diagnosed with HIV.

In Turkey, AIDS is most common among heterosexuals. So far, 523 heterosexual men and women were infected with HIV. 90 male patients were involved in homosexual and bisexual relationship. 93 of them were drug addicts, five of them were homosexual men who were also drug addicts, 38 of them had blood transfusions, nine of them were hemophilia patients. The cause of disease in 298 patients is not clear.

AIDS is most common in crowded cities. Istanbul tops the list with 551 HIV- positive people. There are 177 AIDS patients in Ankara and 131 in Izmir.

Men within the age group of 30-34 is the highest risk group. Below is a table showing AIDS cases in Turkey according to age groups and sex:

Age groups Men Women Total

------------- ------- -------- -----------
0 5 1 6
1-4 2 3 5
5-9 2 4 6
10-12 3 0 3
13-14 1 1 2
15-19 12 17 29
20-24 83 71 154
25-29 133 50 183
30-34 168 45 213
35-39 99 26 125
40-49 102 28 130
50-59 51 22 73
60+ 26 12 38

Not known 76 24 100

[08] NORWEGIAN OIL AND ENERGY MINISTER TO VISIT TURKEY

Akselsen who is coming with a delegation will attend the opening of a seminar titled ''Turkish-Norwegian Relations in Globalizing World'' in Istanbul which is organized by the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) and the Norwegian Industrialists Confederation.

The Norwegian minister will be given a briefing about naval security. Later he will come to Ankara.

On Nov. 7, Tuesday, Akselsen will be given another briefing by the State Water Works (DSI) in Ankara which will be followed by inter-delegationary meetings. The delegations will discuss the developments and cooperation matters between the two countries as a part of the memorandum of understanding Turkey signed with Norway.

Akselsen will be received by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit in Ankara. During his stay in the capital, he will also have contacts with Turkey Petroleum Coorp (TPAO) and BOTAS authorities.

Akselsen will leave Turkey on Nov. 8.

[09] USAK CHIEF PROSECUTOR KAYRAL:

''There are partial damages on the other buildings. We found four guns, four toy guns, tens of spits, sticks and eight knives in the prison,'' told Kayral to A.A correspondent of Izmir on the phone.

The investigation into the incidents in Usak prison has been started and the prosecutors have been charged, Kayral said.

The prisoners who extended support to Ergin brothers have been determined and they would be sent to other prisoners soon, he added and noted that the damage-assessment teams will come to the prison in the afternoon.

Chief Prosecutor Kayral noted that the hostages released are in shock for the moment and they will start to be questioned later.

Kayral noted that the examinations in the prison continues and a detailed report will be prepared.

Five prisoners were killed and 12 others were wounded in Usak Prison in the incidents caused by Ergin brothers.

[10] NARCOTIC TEAMS SEIZE 150 KILOS OF HEROIN IN ISTANBUL

The first operation was carried out in Aksaray. Police detained 10 people and more than 16 kilograms of heroin.

In another operation in Bahcelievler, 67 kilograms of heroin was caught while it was loaded to a truck. It was stated that the drug was brought in Turkey from a neighbouring country. The plan was to smuggle it to Western European countries and market it there. Seven people including the man who owned the drug were arrested.

Acting on a tip-off narcotic teams raided a house and found more than 66 kilograms of heroin in a third operation. It was stated that the person who owned the drug had escaped from a prison and he was still missing.

Narcotic officials announced that the total market value of the heroin found in the three operations was 1 trillion TL. The market value of the same heroin outside Turkey is three times of this figure.

[11] 10 PEOPLE DETAINED IN ISTANBUL AFTER PROTESTING AGAINST F TYPE PRISONS

The group of protestors wanted to read out a press statement in front of the Galatasaray High School on Istiklal Avenue at noon hours.

The protestors started shouting slogans when the security forces did not allow them to read the statement. Later the police detained the protestors and took them to the security department.

[12] STATE MINISTER YUCELEN:''TURKEY HAS ALSO CONTRIBUTED

Yucelen, who participated in the conference held by the Council of Europe (COE) upon the 50th anniversary of the adoptation of the European Convention on Human Rights, told the A.A correspondent that the basic human rights problems in the whole world, not only in Europe were taken up in the meeting.

''The member countries of the COE expressed their uneasiness over the human rights violations in their countries and hoped their countries to make regulations in their legal system,'' said Yucelen.

Turkey has to carry out the necessary reforms in its domestic law, said Yucelen and added that the death penalty should be abolished first to take part in Europe. Reminding that Turkey is the only country in Europe where there is death penalty, Yucelen said that ''we are the only country which didn't sign the additoinal protocol No. 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The other member countries said that the death penalty should be abolished in Europe upon the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention.''

Yucelen added that he conveyed the uneasiness of Turkey to his Italian counterpart over the draft law on the socalled genocide on Armenians brought to the agenda of the Italian parliament.

The conference ended the same day and a decision was taken at the end of the conference calling for the member countries to sign Additional Protocol No. 6.

[13] JUSTICE MINISTER TURK SAYS ERGIN BROTHERS AND 15

Turk pointed out that the officials had negligence regarding the one gun and three mobile phones that were found on Ergin brothers after the transfer of them from the Usak prison.

The resistance of Vedat Ergin in Bilecik prison ended at 10.00 local time this morning, he added.

Hikmet Sami Turk said that 17 prisoners including Nuri and Vedat Ergin brothers were transferred to various prisons from Bilecik prison as it is understood that it will be difficult to keep them in Bilecik prison. ''These prisons are Isparta, Burdur, Nazilli, Alasehir, Manisa, Mugla, Odemis and Bergama prisons. The two brothers were sent to different prisons. Besides the proceedings related to the transfer of eight prisoners who joined the protests in Usak prison, to other prisons started. These prisons are Elbistan, Burdur, Isparta, Mugla, Kahramanmaras, Kutahya, Ermenek, Canakkale, Erzurum and Yozgat prisons,'' said Turk.

Turk said that they appreciated the Interior Ministry's sending two inspectors to Usak prison to find if their officials had also negligence in the incidents, adding that the investigation of both the Justice Ministry and the Interior Ministry will complement each other.

Four guns, four toy guns, 13 mobile phones, nine knives, 50-60 spits made in the prison were found in the Usak prison apart from the four guns delivered by the Ergin brothers, Turk said.

The administrative part of the prison was damaged more than its wards during the incidents, said Turk and noted that ''the local officials requested us to send the prisoners the Ergin brothers wanted from other prisons to Usak prison four days before the incident broke out. But we didn't accept that and the operation started.''

Turk said that the security and justice officials should cooperate in such incidents, adding that declaration of secret documents to newspapers is a crime under Article 229 of the Turkish Penal Code and Article 125 of the Civil Servants Law. Turk denied the claims written in some newspapers saying that the Justice Ministry didn't take action in spite of the warnings about the Usak prison.

[14] JUSTICE MINISTER TURK SAYS CROWDED WARDS AND PHYSICAL

Regarding the stories which appeared on Saturday's newspapers about Nail Saruhan, Turk said Nail Saruhan who was sentenced to 15 years in prison because of attempting to kill someone was given another one year jail term because of his acts in the prison. Saruhan was put in a cell because of lack of discipline and keeping a gun in the prison. Later he was sent to the Usak Prison, Turk elaborated.

''However his father contacted our ministry and asked us to send his son to another prison claiming that his son's life was at risk. His written request was submitted to the Justice Ministry on Aug. 21, 2000. On the same day, his request was conveyed to the Usak Prison. Usak Prisoner Director Ahmet Caliskan spoke to Saruhan who told him that he has no problems with anyone in the prison, therefore he had to intention to be sent to another prison. Saruhan was later interrogated by Republic Head Prosecutor and he told the same things to him.''

Noting that such incidents are mostly caused by crowded wards and unfavourable physical conditions of prisons, Turk said the prison personnel are also poorly educated and their number is unsufficient.

Turk stressed that they are working hard to overcome this problem at prisons and added that punishment training centers started giving service in Ankara last week. There are also ongoing activities to correct the flaws in the current prison regulations.

''The problem of prisons would not be solved very easily considering our limited sources,'' Turk said. ''The solution is to switch from ward system to room system. The solution is to educate prison personnel and increase the number of wardens. We want prisons to stop being headquarters of terrorist organizations and mafia and become places where criminals are trained and receive rehabilitation and become good citizens for the society. We need the support of Parliament and our people to achieve this.''

Turk also stated that the amnesty law, although not related to these incidents, would help to ease tension at prisons and it would also constitute an important step in prisons reform.

[15] TRNC FOREIGN AND DEFENSE MINISTER ERTUGRULOGLU

Vasiliu was invited to the TRNC by the Patriotic Unity Movement and spoke at a conference on October 31.

Ertugruloglu said former Greek Cypriot leader Vasiliu intentionally avoided expressing Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides' goals during his speech.

He elaborated that Vasiliu who is the head of the delegation which runs membership negotiations with the EU, tried to avoid subjects such as removing Turkey's guarantee over the TRNC, giving minority status to Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus, enabling Greek Cypriots to enter the northern Cyprus, and to erase the idea of two separate states, which constitute the reason why the Greek Cypriot administration wants to join the EU.

Ertugruloglu stated that the TRNC has no objections to apply for EU membership together with the Greek Cypriot administrations legally after the two sides agree on confederation or after Turkey joins the Union. ''Even before these conditions are fulfilled, the TRNC does not object to enter the EU as a separate and sovereign state,'' he indicated.

[16] BAN TO LEAVE INCIRLIK BASE PARTLY LIFTED

The ban had been brought on Oct. 13 after receiving foreign threats against U.S. facilities. The threats were related to the Middle East crisis.

About 3,500 military personnel employed at the airbase left the base and did shopping from the shops around. Some Americans preferred to pass time in entertainment places at the entrance of the airbase.

Shop owners around the military base who were complaining about not making any sales all day long were pleased on Saturday and they asked authorities to totally lift the ban and stressed that no terrorist acts took place in Incirlik so far.

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