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Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-11-15Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.com.tr/>Anadolu AgencyANADOLU AGENCY NEWS 15 NOVEMBER 2000 Wednesday CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCANThese are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on November 15, 2000. The Anadolu Ajansi does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.HURRIYET (LIBERAL)PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT: ''WE CANNOT ACCEPT CYPRUS CONDITION''Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit sent letters to the prime ministers of the European Union (EU) member countries and some high ranking officials of the EU. Ecevit expressed Turkey's uneasiness over inclusion of the Cyprus issue in the Accession Partnership Accord submitted to Turkey last week by the EU Commission. TEMIZEL: ''ACTION PLAN WILL BE ANNOUNCED WITHIN NEXT FEW DAYS'' ECHR DELEGATION VISITS OCALAN MILLIYET (LIBERAL)PRESIDENT SEZER IN JORDANPresident Ahmet Necdet Sezer and his wife Semra Sezer was welcomed in Jordanian capital of Amman with a magnificent ceremony. King Abdullah II of Jordan, his wife Queen Raina, the Prime Minister, 12 ministers and the Chief of Jordanian General Staff were in attendance at the welcoming ceremony. Streets were decorated with Turkish flags for arrival of President Sezer. INVESTIGATION INTO YURTBANK SEZER MEETS WITH PRESIDENT WAHID AND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER GECO SABAH (LIBERAL)TREASURY SELLS 941.1 TRILLION NOMINAL-VALUED DEBENTURE BONDSTreasury Undersecretariat sold 941.1 trillion Turkish lira (TL) nominal valued 13-month debenture bonds in Tuesday's auction. The total bid had been 1 quadrillion 443.5 trillion TL while the net sale became 663.8 trillion TL. The annual simple interest rate became 38.9 percent and the annual composite interest rate became 38.28 percent. The minimum simple interest rate became 38.20 percent and maximum simple interest rate became 39.17 percent. The minimum composite interest rate became 37.71 percent and maximum composite interest rate became 38.65 percent. Meanwhile, Treasury will repay 1 quadrillion 277 trillion 160.4 billion TL in domestic borrowing on Wednesday. NINE SUSPECTS ARRESTED ON CHARGES OF SMUGGLING MEAT INTO TURKEY CUMHURIYET (LEFT)ECEVIT SENDS LETTER ABOUT CYPRUS TO EUPrime Minister Bulent Ecevit sent letters to the leaders of the EU countries saying that the Cyprus condition of the Accession Partnership couldn't be accepted, and that it was a document that could be implemented excluding Cyprus. AMNESTY TO BECOME CLEAR AT SUMMIT RADIKAL (LEFT)LUCKY CARETTA CARETTASA hospital for the Caretta Carettas will be set up in Aegean Denizli province. The hospital will be set up within the framework of a project launched by the Pamukkale University (PAU) to protect the caretta carettas which are gradually extincting. Yakup Kaska, a lecturer of the PAU's Zoology Department who heads the team working for the project in Fethiye, Dalyan and Patara, said that gathering information about the number and gender of the caretta carettas constitutes the first phase of the project. ''Our project also targets at setting up a hospital to protect and treat the caretta carettas which are injured. We will place transmitters on some of the caretta carettas to monitor their movement in the sea. We are looking for sponsors for our project,'' Kaska added. NEIL ARMSTRONG IN TURKEY DEMIR, LEADER OF HADEP, SENTENCED TO TEN MONTHS IN PRISON YENİ BİNYIL (LIBERAL)TENSION ON TV BROADCAST IN KURDISHDoes television broadcast divide Turkey? However, the government has already been divided. Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Motherland Party (ANAP) Mesut Yilmaz said, ''the TV broadcast in Kurdish does not weaken the state, but strengthens it. The state should think about it carefully. Otherwise, the PKK will continue brainwashing. The Accession Partnership requests Turkey to meet some citizens' need for broadcast in their mother tongue. I say that we can do this and we should do this. They are still watching the Med-Tv with satellite dishes. If we, as the state, are pleased with that, we should continue. If not, we should meet the need of unseparatist broadcasts.'' Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli said, ''neither the democratic order nor the social structure can tolerate this. We are against the cultural rights which will incite ethnic division.'' EP TO VOTE ON TURKEY TODAY GENERAL STAFF: ''WE ARE NOT AGAINST EU BUT...'' TURKIYE (RIGHT)MHP DOES HAVE OBJECTIONSDevlet Bahceli of MHP explained its party's reservations regarding amnesty, Accession Partnership and TV broadcast in Kurdish. He said, ''the limits of amnesty should be set very carefully by taking into consideration the Turkish citizens' reliance on justice.'' Bahceli said, ''It is impossible for Turkey to welcome the cultural or ethnic rights that will incite ethnic clashes and division.'' Concerning Cyprus, he said, ''accepting one party as the interlocutor by ignoring the existing bi-communal and two-state structure in Cyprus will absolutely not bring peace.'' YILMAZ THINKS DIFFERENTLY OUR CONCERN IS DIVISION DENKTAS'S REPROACH ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)BOTAS AND PLE COMPANY SIGN AGREEMENTThe Pipeline Oil Transportation Corp (Botas) and the German PLE company which will carry out basic engineering works within the framework of the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline project, signed an agreement. Botas General Director Gokhan Yardim said that Botas which was assigned as the contractor company in accordance with the ''Turn-Key Delivery Contractor Agreement'' signed on October 19, 2000 between Botas and the sponsor MEP members, signed an agreement with the PLE company on basic engineering works in Turkish territories. Recalling that the PLE company had earlier carried out feasibility etudes for the Baku-Ceyhan project, Yardim said that the basic engineering works were foreseen to be finalized in six months. Yardim said that Botas was responsible of finalizing detailed engineering works in 12 months and construction works in 32 months after the end of basic engineering works. -ALAN MAKOVSKY'S REPORT ON TURKISH-ISRAELI TIES In a report on ''Turkish-Israeli Ties'', Makovsky said, ''Turkish-Israeli relations nevertheless remain fundamentally sound. A long and bloody intifada, however, would probably incline the Turkish government, wary of regional and domestic perceptions, away from high-profile arms deals and senior-level visits with Israel.'' Referring to latest developments in relations between Turkey and Syria, Makovsky recalled that Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam had paid a visit to Turkey, and said that Foreign Minister Ismail Cem would go to Damascus soon in preparation for a visit by Syrian president Bashar al-Asad to Turkey. ''Turkey remains wary of Syria, with whom it has both water and land disputes, but Ankara no longer perceives an immediate and serious threat from Syrian-supported terrorism. The initial impetus for Ankara to build close ties with Israel was a desire to strengthen its deterrence against Syria, which borders both Turkey and Israel and long supported the separatist PKK and other anti-Turkish terrorist groups. This objective was largely achieved in October 1998, when Syria expelled PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, whom it had hosted in Damascus for nearly two decades,'' the report said. It noted, ''Turkey voted for the October 20 United Nations General Assembly resolution that condemned excessive use of force by the Israeli forces and illegal acts of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians. The following week, Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer criticized Israel in similar language in a speech to an Islamic Conference Organization commerce committee meeting in Istanbul. In fact, from the beginning of close bilateral ties in the early-to-mid 1990s, Turkish and Israeli officials seem to have ruled out public political support for one another on internationally controversial issues. For its part, Israel, hoping to avoid new enemies, rarely labeled the PKK a terrorist group and never sought to defend Turkey's policies towards its Kurds. Overall, ties remain strong. Turkey probably still views Israel as its most important relationship in the Middle East, a key source of military know-how and (presumably) intelligence, as well as its leading regional export market. The two states are likely to continue to cooperate in support of each others basic security interests. Turkey, for example, made clear its opposition to a unilateral Palestinian declaration of independence last September. Turkey also joins Israel in forthright opposition to political Islam. Last week, Ankara announced it had forced an Iranian civilian airliner heading for Syria to land first in Turkey and allow its cargo to be inspected in order to ensure that it was not carrying arms for Hizbullah in Lebanon. In reaction to Turkish measures, Iran reportedly has asked Iraq for permission to use its air-space for Hizbullah resupply flights.'' -FOREIGN VISITORS OF OCALAN, HEAD OF TERRORIST The journalists were not allowed to take photographs as the eight-member delegation departed from the Montania Hotel in Mudanya. The delegation did not make any statement about the visit. -BOMB ATTACK ON A CLEANING COMPANY There were not immediate reports of casualties in the bomb-attack. Security forces have launched an operation to capture the assailants. -HEAVY FOG IN CANAKKALE STRAITS Sources said that the ferry-boat tours between Canakkale and Eceabat and between Gelibolu and Lapseki were postponed due to heavy fog. Officials said the tours could be made in schedule when the foggy weather ended. -SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS TO HEAR APPEAL CASE OF HADEP The Ankara State Security Court (DGM) no:2 had sentenced each of eighteen members of HADEP to three years and nine months in prison on charges of ''aiding terrorist organization'' by making a press release to protest efforts for extradition of Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the terrorist PKK organization to Turkey, and going on a hunger strike. These eighteen suspects who were also banned from public services for three years by the Ankara DGM no:2 and their lawyers are expected attend the hearing. The Ankara DGM no:2 had decided to acquit 29 other detainees. -17TH ANNIVERSARY OF FOUNDATION OF TRNC Izgi sent congratulatory messages to President Rauf Denktas and Parliament Speaker Ertugrul Hasipoglu of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on the occasion of the 17th anniversary of foundation of the TRNC. In his message he sent to the TRNC President and Parliament Speaker, Izgi said, ''I share the happiness and enthusiasm of the Turkish Cypriots on the anniversary of this historical day when they used the right of determining their future and destiny and announced their independence by overcoming the painful days. I don't doubt that the Turkish Cypriot nation who protect their rights and honor with great determination will overcome all obstacles they will face in the future with the same determination.'' ''The TRNC is the Turkish Cypriots' ever-lasting achievement of their sound determination and sovereign will to determine their future and destiny. The glorious flag of the TRNC has been a means of pride not only for the Turkish Cypriot nation but also for whole Turkish world for the last seventeen years. The Turkish nation has always considered it as a mission supporting their Turkish Cypriot sisters and brothers. The Turkish Parliament will continue to be the spokesman of the will of the Turkish nation,'' he added. -SECURITY TEAMS CONFISCATE 82.5 KG OF HASHISH IN KARAMAN Sources said that security forces had acted on a tip-off and contacted with Halil Ibrahim Kaplan, 39, a drug seller. Policemen who had been disguised as buyers caught Kaplan red-handed while he was trying to sell 83.5 kg of hashish to policemen. Officials said the market price of the hashish was almost 100 billion Turkish lira. Kaplan was sent to prison, officials added. -EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO VOTE FOR MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION The regular report was prepared by French Parliamentarian Philippe Morillon from Christian Democrat Party. The report said, ''on 13 December 1999, the Helsinki European Council decided to grant Turkey the status of applicant country for accession to the European Union (EU) and to set up an accession partnership and a single financial framework in order to help Turkey's application progress in accordance with the Copenhagen Criteria. Since then, Turkey has made remarkable efforts in devising a programme to develop its judicial framework in order to meet EU demands in a more satisfactory manner, with particular regard to human rights. However, we must also note and acknowledge that an awareness of the importance of these reforms has caused considerable upheavals in the various political parties and in Turkish public opinion. Turkish citizens are realising that Turkey's accession to the EU will require not only the 'painless' revision of their institutions but also a partial renunciation of sovereignty, to which they remain jealously attached, and a radical change in habits and outlook.'' ''This is why, Parliament has proposed the setting up of a Europe-Turkey Forum involving expert representatives of the Turkish community and appointed MEPs who would consider in depth the issues involved. Turkish accession is too important a matter for the future of the Union and of Turkey itself for a decision to be taken in smoke-filled back rooms or behind closed doors. Lengthy debates will be needed, both in the European Parliament and in the national parliaments, and that is why it is generally accepted that the road will be long and difficult. The establishment of the Forum proposed by the European Parliament should allow us to overcome the initial obstacles encountered on this road,'' it said. The report claimed that Europe was prepared to help Turkey find a solution to the ''Kurdish problem''. The report defended, ''the second problem which will have to be solved as soon as possible concerns Cyprus. It is hard to understand today how it can remain divided by a wall.'' It noted, ''since the fight against terrorism may now be deemed to be over, the influence of the Turkish army in the drawing up of political decisions should be gradually reduced.'' Meanwhile, the enclosed motion for a resolution said, ''accession negotiations cannot begin until Turkey complies with the criteria drawn up at the European Council meeting in Copenhagen. Despite the progress already achieved along the path towards democratization, human rights and the situation of minorities must continue to be improved by the implementation of those conventions.'' It said, ''whereas a climate of mutual trust should be created between Turkey and the European Union so that Turkey does not perceive the Union as an 'exclusive Christian club' but as a community of shared values which embrace, in particular, tolerance for other religions and cultures, and whereas no formal cultural or religious conditions are attached to accession to the European Union.'' It stressed, ''the European Parliament welcomed the signature by Turkey on 15 August and 8 September 2000 of four important United Nations conventions, on political, civil, social and cultural rights respectively, which must be ratified as soon as possible so that human rights and democratic pluralism may be guaranteed in that country.'' ''Whereas, according to Lord Russell-Johnston, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the confirmation by Ankara of the sentence imposed on former Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan is not in conformity with the principles of democratic pluralism. The European Parliament expresses its concern about the bill seeking to make it possible to dismiss civil servants on ideological or religious grounds. Whereas the election to the Presidency of the Republic of Mr. Sezer, who has demonstrated his commitment to the rule of law, will make it easier for the necessary reforms to be successfully completed,'' it said. The motion noted, ''the European Parliament views the recent decision by the Constitutional Court on the law offering a reprieve to those who have committed press offences as a step that reinforces the rule of law; encourages the competent authorities to take this opportunity to continue their reforms in this direction, knowing that this process will logically lead them to a fundamental reconsideration of Article 312 of the Penal Code. The European Parliament looks forward to the early abolition of the State Security Courts and welcomes the adoption of the law suspending the prosecution of, and penalties imposed on, press and broadcasting offences.'' Criticising the Turkish war planes' operation in Iraq, the motion said that the death penalty to be abolished as soon as possible as part of the reform of the Penal Code. The motion said, ''the European Parliament reiterates its proposal for the setting up of discussion forums, consisting of eminent politicians from the European Union and Turkey as well as representatives of civil society, in order to promote the political dialogue and help Turkey progress along the path towards accession.'' ''The European Parliament calls on the Turkish Government and the Turkish Grand National Assembly to give fresh support to the Armenian minority, as an important part of Turkish society, because of the tragedy that befell them before the establishment of the modern state of Turkey. It also calls for a separate solution to be found for the Kurdish problem, one accompanied by the requisite political, economic and social responses,'' it said. The motion continued, ''the European Parliament welcomes the decisions taken by the European Council meeting in Helsinki to set up a single financial framework which would be based on an appropriate level of resources and an accession partnership; calls on the Council and Commission to implement those two decisions as soon as possible and to reassess the amount of the European Union's financial assistance to Turkey, which should meet the needs of the pre-accession strategy.'' It said that the European Parliament called on the Turkish Government to withdraw ''its occupation forces from northern Cyprus''. The motion noted that The European Parliament called on the Turkish Government to improve its relations with all its neighbours in the Caucasus within the framework of a Stability Pact for the region. The motion will become a non-binding recommendatory resolution after its approval by the European Parliament. Meanwhile, the European Parliament will also vote several motions regarded with the resolution. Some of these motions aim at including the allegations on so-called genocide on Armenians in the resolution. As the Morillon Report was debated at the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Commission on October 11, Armenian and Greek lobbies expended efforts to include the allegations on so-called genocide on Armenians in the report prepared by Morillon, but their efforts did not yield an outcome. Morillon had warned parliamentarians who are members of the EU Commission, and said that they did not need to follow their American friends' mistake. He stressed that they did not have the right to speak about genocide. French parliamentarian Daniel Marc Cohn-Bendit who submitted a motion to include the allegations on so-called genocide on Armenians in the report on behalf of the Greens Party, later changed his opinion and said that he would confess his sins. Noting that Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and some members of the EU Commission warned him after he had submitted the motion, Cohn-Bendit said that he made a mistake. Noting that the issue should be first discussed by the Turkish nation, Cohn- Bendit said that he was ready to withdraw the motion. He stressed that it would be right not to include phrase of ''genocide'' in the report. Parliamentarians underlined importance of being respectful to the United Nations' definition of ''concept of genocide''. Sources said that some European parliamentarians would try to bring again the allegations concerning the so-called genocide on Armenians onto agenda this week. Addressing the European Parliament yesterday, Cohn-Bendit changed his opinion once again, and called on parliamentarians to support the allegations on so-called genocide on Armenians. Meanwhile, Austrian Socialist Parliamentarian Hannes Swoboda who introduces himself as a ''friend of Turkey'', claimed that the Socialist Party had decided to support the allegations on so-called genocide on Armenians. But this claim was rejected by a number of members of the party. There is an obvious division in the Greens Party concerning the motion. Tension has escalated between parliamentarians supporting the motion and parliamentarians opposing it. Most of Greek parliamentarians have been expending efforts for inclusion of the allegations on so-called genocide on Armenians in the report. -SECURITY FORCES SHOOT DEAD TWO PEOPLE WHO VIOLATE BORDER IN DOGUBEYAZIT Agri Governor Tahsin Cumhur Ersoy said on Wednesday that security forced had warned those seventeen foreign immigrants who tried to illegally enter Turkey from the Iran border. Security forces had opened warning fire in the air when those immigrants refused to obey their verbal warnings, he said. Security forces had managed to stop those illegal immigrants by opening fire, the Governor said. Governor Ersoy said that two Bangladeshi people were killed and three illegal immigrants were injured in the fire. Stating that the injured immigrants had been taken to the Agri State Hospital, Ersoy said that security forces had captured twelve illegal immigrants. Ersoy added that sixteen of those immigrants were Bangladeshis and one immigrant was a Pakistani, and that the investigation into the incident was under way. [02] EP'S DECISION ON TURKEYSTRASBOURG - The European Parliament voted and accepted on Wednesday the draft resolution which was enclosed to a regular report titled ''The Steps taken by Turkey on the Way to EU Full Membership.''A proposal which wanted to include the claims of so-called genocide on Armenians was accepted by 234 votes against 213 votes. Totally 93 parliamentarians abstained from voting. The paragraph which has been included in the draft resolution invites the Turkish government and the parliament to increase its support to the Armenian minority in Turkey and to officially recognize the so-called genocide allegations of the Armenians. -FM'S REACTION TO EP'S RESOLUTION A Foreign Ministry statement said that the report prepared by Philippe Morillon had some correct approach, but it also included some unlucky expressions. The EP decision talks about ''withdrawal of Turkey's soldiers from Cyprus,'' ''bringing solution to the so-called Kurdish problem,'' and ''the so-called genocide claims on Armenians,'' Ministry stressed. The Ministry said that Turkey does not want the relations between Turkey and the European Union (EU) to be taken out from the framework of Copenhagen criteria. ''Although we have repeated many times that we won't accept any approach other than the Helsinki declaration, we've felt the necessity to underline the importance of this issue once again upon the recent report adopted by the EP,'' Ministry said. EP has assumed an important role in the relations between Turkey and the EU, Ministry said and noted that the Parliament has to make constructive observations based on real historical data and take objective decisions rather than taking decisions on the history and culture of countries and judging them. This will be beneficial, said Ministry. ''Some expressions in the resolution of the EP and particularly the claims of genocide stem from the complexes of some regarding history and Turkey and the longing of some others to regard Turkey from the aspect of religious opposition. The expressions were included in the report under the leadership of these people. It is apparent that such initiatives which are also supported by those who don't know both their history and also Turkey, will be manipulated by those who want to negatively affect the Turkish-EU relations,'' said the Foreign Ministry. The paragraph in the Morillon report which is related to the socalled genocide on Armenians damaged the relations that have to be improved with the EP, said Ministry, reminding another decision taken by the EP in 1987 related to the so-called genocide on Armenians. ''The Turkish nation has never committed a crime against humanity like genocide in any part of its history. In other words, there is no genocide or or an order of genocide directed at Armenians. Such claims are put forward intentionally and they are baseless,'' the Ministry stressed. The statement also referred to the part of the resolution on the socalled Kurdish problem, saying that ''there is no such problem in Turkey.'' There are no minorities in Turkey other than those recognized under the Lausanne Treaty of 1923, said the statement adding that all the Turkish citizens have equal rights, freedoms and responsibilities under the Turkish Constitution. ''The steps our country takes in the fields of human rights and democratization are not connected to our full membership issue to the EU, it is for the prosperity of our nation. It is natural that Turkey will determine the methods of the steps to be taken to this end,'' it was noted. The statement underlined the fact that the reference to the Cyprus issue in the resolution of the EP is an unlucky development not only for the relations between Turkey and the EU, but also for the proximity talks on Cyprus. The permanent peace and stability on Cyprus can only be found by the two states on the island, it was noted and added that ''we are against any connection between the Turkey's relations with the EU and the Cyprus issue. We strongly reject the expressions which describe the Turkish forces on the island as invader and the other expressions which demand the withdrawal of them from the island.'' Foreign Ministry said that Turkey is one of the guarantor states on the island and the 1974 Peace Operation was exercised in this framework by basing on the international rights and obligations. The Turkish soldiers in TRNC ensure the peace and security on the island by the approval of the TRNC, said the Ministry. The statement added that it is not Turkey, but the TRNC which is the interlocutor concerning issues such as Loizidou case or Akyar issue. These issues shouldn't have been included in a decision about Turkey-EU relations, it was stated. Foreign Ministry added that the resolution of the EP in question is recommendary, stressing that the Turkish public opinion expects the EP which claims to be the voice of European peoples, to take into consideration the voice and sensitivities of the Turkish people, too.
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