Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-12-05

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

05 DECEMBER 2000

Tuesday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[02] GAP REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION:

[03] EXCAVATIONS CARRIED OUT FOR 13 ROMAN TOMBS FOUND DURING A

[04] ERDENGIZ, TRNC'S REPRESENTATIVE IN U.S:

[05] RTUK CHAIRMAN KAYIS:

[06] FINANCE MINISTER ORAL:''EVERYTHING GOES WELL,

[07] TREASURY OFFICIALS:

[08] TURKEY-IMF

[09] PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT (1):

[10] PRESIDENT SEZER SAYS TURKISH WOMEN ARE STILL BELOW

[11] TREASURY UNDERSECRETARY DEMIRALP: ''THE IMF AND

[12] CHILDREN FROM 56 COUNTRIES VISIT ANTALYA

[13] GERMAN COMPANY TO SET UP FACTORY IN ADAPAZARI

[14] ANAP LEADER YILMAZ: ''TURKEY WILL NOT FALL INTO TRAP

[15] PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT (2):

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

ECEVIT DUE IN NICE
Turkey found satisfying the Accession Partnership Document prepared for Turkey by the EU Commission and which was adopted yesterday by the EU Council. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem will participate in the EU Summit that will be held in Nice city of France.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

BOSSES COMPLAIN ABOUT HIGH INTEREST RATES
Businessmen who met with the Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit yesterday, told him that they are also uneasy by the high export and credit interest rates. Businessmen requested the government to decrease the credit interest rates, to postpone the commitments of Eximbank, to make loan agreement with IMF and to set up a follow up committee.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

LEADERS CONVENE
The coalition leaders came together last night to evaluate the demand of

the IMF delegation. A joint declaration is expected to be announced today. IMF wants the government to give no wage increases to public workers, to stop expenditures in the first three months, to announce the rehabilitation programs of the problematic banks, to speed up privatization and to increase the Value Added Tax (VAT) by one point.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

ADDITIONAL 5.1 PERCENT INCREASE IN CIVIL SERVANTS' SALARIES
The inflation rate in November brought 7 million Turkish lira (TL) increase in the salaries of the people who earn the least in Turkey. With this additional increase, the salary of an employee will increase 7 million 195 thousand TL to 148 million 275 thousand TL.

TEMIZEL: ''MASS STRUGGLE IS NECESSARY''
Zekeriya Temizel, the Chairman of the Banking Regulation and Audit Board, said that a long-term mass struggle is necessary to overcome corruption in the society. Temizel said that the inclusion of all the institutions in this struggle is important.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

HAPPY END IN ACCESSION PARTNERSHIP
The European Union (EU) and Turkey agreed on the Accession Partnership Accord. The Cyprus question was included in the ''short term priorities'' chapter in the context of both ''political dialogue'' and ''political criterion''. The same formula was valid for the Aegean disputies which was expressed under the ''medium term priorities'' chapter. ''Other issues'' were also added to the Aegean chapter to please Ankara. The EU thanked to Athens and Ankara. Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said that the document was satisfactory.

THREE BILLION U.S. DOLLAR GOOD NEWS
Premier Bulent Ecevit firstly took the support of the business world on Monday. Then, he met with his partners. Ecevit will give good news today: ''The International Monetary Fund (IMF)'s three billion U.S. dollar loan.'' Ecevit said that the contacts will continue on Tuesday. The first article of the statement that will be made following the contacts is the 'loan' more than three billion U.S. dollar provided by the contributions of the IMF and World Bank.

YENI BINYIL (LIBERAL)

JUSTICE MINISTRY INSISTS ON F-TYPE PRISONS
The Ministry of Justice declared yesterday that the legal studies for putting the F Type prisons into force were completed. According to the draft, the inmates in F-Type prisons are allowed to use the facilities of the prison such as sports room, library for educational, cultural and social activities. There are ongoing death fasts of inmates to protest the decision on the F-Type prisons.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

AMNESTY SHAPED UP
Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan submitted the draft law on amnesty to the leaders. Necmettin Erbakan, the former leader of the banned Welfare Party (RP), and Haluk Kirci will benefit from the reduction of punishment. The amnesty of crimes committed through press has been opened to the signature of the Council of Ministers while the draft law is expected to be discussed at the parliament after Deputy Prime Ministers Devlet Bahceli and Mesut Yilmaz reach a consensus on the draft.

PRODUCTION RECESSED IN YATAGAN STATION
The production recessed in the Yatagan Thermic Station which led to air pollution in Yatagan township of Aegean Mugla province. Three units of the thermic station were stopped as the air pollution in Yatagan started to endanger people's lives.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

[02] GAP REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION:

A report prepared by the GAP Regional Development Administration said that the water administration and irrigation infrastructure have not been sufficiently developed in the region which has rich water, soil and biological source potential for development, limits the production potential.

The report noted that they target at developing the water resources for potable water, industrial water and agricultural water goals, adding that within this framework, the potable water is foreseen to be distributed to all the settlements.

''The agricultural irrigation facilities will be increased. The settlements which do not have sufficient potable water, will be distributed potable water. The animal and plant gene sources in the region will be collected and developed. The pastures will be rehabilitated and be used in accordance with the appropriate administrative plans. The rocky areas will be rehabilitated and be used for agricultural production. Soil and underground and ground water sources will be managed in accordance with the sustainability principle,'' the report said.

The report continued, ''the potable and usage water installations in the rural area will be developed by the support of public sector and nation. Technical education and administrative support will be extended for the administration of these installations. The irrigation water, city water and industrial water will be used in optimal level. The biological sources administration and its optimum usage will be organized. Measures for the saving of the irrigation water will be taken and drainage system will be built.''

Advanced management methods in agriculture will be developed and ecological agriculture will be encouraged by modern technologies and systems, the report said.

The report emphasized that the natural resources like the air, soil, water, forest, pasture, meadow and biological variety will be protected and developed.

[03] EXCAVATIONS CARRIED OUT FOR 13 ROMAN TOMBS FOUND DURING A

The earrings, rings, glass ornaments, bronze and ivory materials were found in the tombs which are estimated to date back to the second or third century B.C.

The officials told the A.A. correspondent that some tombs might have been damaged during previous road constructions held in various parts of the region.

A temporary exhibition will be held in Antalya Museum for the display of the artifacts found in the Roman tombs.

[04] ERDENGIZ, TRNC'S REPRESENTATIVE IN U.S:

Criticizing the attitude of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, who demanded territory concession from the Turkish Cypriots and who defended the federation model rather than laying groundwork for face-to-face talks, TRNC said that the proximity talks process has ended and that state-to-state talks should be opened to mark progress from now on.

Erdengiz told A.A correspondent that TRNC is not the side which escapes from the talks.

''If we take into account the statements of TRNC President Rauf Denktas, it is clearly seen that TRNC does never refrain from state-to-state talks at an equal level. But, the sixth round of Cyprus proximity talks are impossible in the light of the latest statements that the U.N. Secretary General made on November 8. The process which was started by the Secretary General in November 1999, has ended,'' Erdengiz said.

Kofi Annan had mentioned an independent single Cyprus state which contradicted with the view of ''bi-zonal and bi-communal Cyprus'', in the statement he made on November 8.

Erdengiz noted that to start a new negotiation process on Cyprus, the issues expressed in Annan's statements should be clarified, the Greek Cypriot administration should be persuaded that the further talks will be bound to the principle of existance of two states on the island and the Secretary General should launch initiatives to this end.

When reminded about the comments that TRNC has re-assumed its firm attitude which it had assumed prior to the proximity talks process, Erdengiz said, ''TRNC has always supported the state-to-state talk process. What they had told us was that the groundwork would be laid for face-to-face talks during the proximity talks process. We tried to help the laying of groundwork to show our good will.''

''But, the Secretary General has not exerted sufficent efforts to lay the groundwork and proposals which reflect the Greek Cypriots' views started to be put forward. His last statement showed that new round talks could not be possible, Erdengiz added.

Erdengiz stated that the U.N. Secretary General demanded territory concession in great deal from TRNC since the third round of Cyprus proximity talks.

That Greek Cypriot immigrants should return to TRNC was proposed, and also, the proposal for the solution of territory disputes by filing individual cases rather than compensation, was put forward during the proximity talks process, Erdengiz said.

Erdengiz said, ''by exceeding all the authorities given to him by the U.N. Security Council and the two nations on Cyprus on November 8, the Secretary General had said that the sides could only react to the views that were put onto the table by himself and had contradicted with the usual methods.''

Annan had proposed a bi-zonal federal Cyprus model which has a very strong central administration within the framework of the views of the Greek-Greek Cypriots, Erdengiz pointed out.

Erdengiz said, ''in this model, it was proposed that the vice-president be chosen by common voting. This will bring us to the days before 1963. The Turkish Cypriots could choose the vice-president in accordance with the 1960 constitution. In the common voting, proposals which do not recognize right to elect the vice-president to Turkish Cypriots were put forward.''

''However, the Greek Cypriot administration does not even want federation. How can it found federation without recognizing TRNC? There is not an example for this in the world. We do not want to join the exercises for a federal solution. Our proposal is Confederation,'' Erdengiz added.

Recounting that one of the pre-conditions of the U.N. Secretary General was that a possible agreement on Cyprus shouldn't contradict with the EU norms, Erdengiz said that EU norms or other norms can't be taken into consideration by the Turkish Cypriot side. TRNC accepted to solve the Cyprus problem on the UN platform, he said.

Erdengiz said that the Greek Cypriot side tries to join the EU Security and Defense Identity initiative, adding that ''the Greek Cypriot side proposed EU to open bases in Cyprus, and to send a Greek Cypriot troop within the EU security system. The aim is confrontation of EU with Turkey in Cyprus and to make impossible the entrance of Turkey to the EU. In that respect the U.N. Secretary General's encouragement of the Greek Cypriot side can't be accepted.''

Reminding about the guarantorship rights of Turkey, Greece and Britain on Cyprus by 1960 Treaties, Erdengiz said that the UN proposed a peace or police force to dilute this system which contradicts with the guarantee principle.

This principle is not open to discussion, he said.

Meanwhile the UN Secretary General Annan has to submit his report on the extension of the peace keeping force's mandate in Cyprus to the UN General Assembly till Dec. 16. Diplomatic sources in Washington D.C. said that if Annan's report hurts the Turkish Cypriot side, the relations between UN and the Turkish Cypriot side can further tense.

The Turkish Cypriot side wanted to include its own views to the report Annan submitted to the General Assembly six months ago, but the UN rejected that. After that the TRNC had limited the freedom of UN peace keeping force to act.

Diplomatic sources said that Annan plans to contact with the concerned sides including Turkey and Greece by Alvaro De Soto, the UN envoy in January, adding that this can't be possible if Annan imposes pressure on the Turkish Cypriot side in his report. If the UN Secretary General says that serious steps will be taken to prepare a basis for the coming talks, the both sides can return to the negotiation table. Sources say that the development of relations will depend on the attitude of the UN Secretary General.

[05] RTUK CHAIRMAN KAYIS:

Kayis told A.A correspondent that Turkish language is degenerated in the broadcasting organs.

The Article 4 of the RTUK Law bans every kind of broadcasting in Kurdish, Kayis said.

Kayis said, ''Turkish language which is comprised of 75,000 words, is used only by 500-1,000 words in television channels.''

Films, serials, programmes shown in television channels are degenerating the Turkish language, Kayis also said.

Kayis noted that Turkish should be started to be taught with the most modern methods and that the books which will be taught in schools, should be written again.

Turkish and literature courses should be given priority in the elementary and secondary education, Kayis stated.

Kayis emphasized that the students should not be forced to learn a foreign language before they completely learn their mother tongue.

''A child or teenager who faces learning a foreign language before he or she learns his or her mothertongue, will admire the culture of that language and will become an estranger to his/her culture,'' Kayis added.

[06] FINANCE MINISTER ORAL:''EVERYTHING GOES WELL,

When asked whether or not there are problems in economy, Oral said, ''there are not any problems, everything is going well.''

[07] TREASURY OFFICIALS:

The officials noted that money does not flow in and flow out by decisions taken in an hour in direct foreign capital investments.

When asked whether or not there are companies which give up investing in Turkey following the fluctuations in financial markets, the officials said that there is not such a situation.

The officials said, ''it is too early to make a comment on this issue. There were some foreign sources which continued to be interested in Turkey's market last week. We continued to give information to them.''

Pointing out that such fluctuations will not immediately be reflected on the foreign capital investors, the officials said, ''if this situation continues for some more time and if we cannot overcome this situation till then, then the investors can evaluate the situation.''

[08] TURKEY-IMF

Michael Deppler, the Director of the Europe One Department of IMF, met on Tuesday with Treasury Undersecretary Selcuk Demiralp.

Before this meeting, Demiralp held a meeting with IMF's Turkey Desk Chief Carlo Cottarelli.

Meanwhile, a group of IMF officials are holding meetings with the Banking and Regulatory and Supervision Board officials.

When asked whether or not they had reached an agreement with the Turkish government and what kind of loan they would extend to Turkey, Deppler said, ''I am sorry, I can't answer these questions at the moment.''

[09] PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT (1):

''We've discussed everything related to financial issues. Tomorrow, both IMF executives and we will be able to make a statement on this issue,'' he told reporters.

When asked to give specifics on the amount of loan IMF will give to Turkey, Ecevit replied by saying, ''the talks are continuing and they are usually going on the right track.''

[10] PRESIDENT SEZER SAYS TURKISH WOMEN ARE STILL BELOW

Sezer issued a message on the 66th anniversary of women's gaining the suffrage right.

In his message, he said that the foundation of the Republic was the biggest transformation in Turkey's history which indicated that the Turkish nation was determined to become a modern society.

Sezer pointed out that equality between the sexes was the basis of a modern society.

''The Turkish Reform includes the realization of reforms which will offer equal conditions and opportunities to women with men,'' Sezer said.

Sezer said Turkish women were given the right to vote and to be elected in 1934, earlier than women in many western countries. ''Men and women have equal rights according to the law, and this has offered new opportunities in education and business life for women,'' he went on to say.

Despite all the developments, Sezer said, the level where the Turkish women have reached is lower than the desired level.

''Education will have great contributions to women in society, business life and family,'' he said and added that education of female students was very important to achieve this.

''Programmes prepared to increase women's efficiency in many fields of the social life give us hope,'' Sezer said and celebrated women on this significant day.

[11] TREASURY UNDERSECRETARY DEMIRALP: ''THE IMF AND

Demiralp said that they would make the amount of this financial support definite and announce it publicly on Wednesday.

Demiralp stressed that any change in economic parameters or targets of the economic programme was out of question at the moment.

Responding to a question of the A.A correspondent about the ongoing talks with the IMF delegation, Demiralp said, ''for the time being, I can't say much about the details. The talks will continue also in the afternoon. However, we have reached an agreement in principle. The Prime Minister will make a statement tomorrow. Deppler and I will make a joint statement. We will make the amount of financial support definite and announce it publicly tomorrow.''

''For the time being, any change in programme targets or a new target was out of question. There won't be a change either in parameters or in targets. I want to stress that the programme will continue with the same rules,'' he said.

Responding to a question about the ''bridge loan'' from international banks in addition to IMF's financial support, Demiralp said, ''talks on this issue are under way, too. However, these are two separate issues.''

Responding to a question about the amount of financial support to Turkey by the IMF, Demiralp said, ''at this stage, I don't want to announce it but it is an amount which will satisfy the markets.''

[12] CHILDREN FROM 56 COUNTRIES VISIT ANTALYA

41 children from Turkey, the United States, Georgia, Poland, Albania, Bulgaria and Sweden who represented 250 children from 56 countries came to Antalya Governor's Office and presented gifts to Dokuzoglu traditional to their countries.

Santa Claus Foundation Chairman Muammer Karabulut said the children will perform dances and involve in art work for one month during the Santa Claus and World Peace Activities.

Kenya and a few other countries are participating in the activities for the first time this year. The Russian Federation is contributing to the event with a Santa Claus sculpture which is worth of 350,000 U.S. dollars.

German Siemens firms and Russian Gazprom firms have donated 350,000 U.S. dollars and 1,5 million U.S. dollars for the repair of the Santa Claus church. The repair of the church will start in the coming days.

[13] GERMAN COMPANY TO SET UP FACTORY IN ADAPAZARI

HT Troplast AG General Director Dr. Ekkenort Liefke visited Sakarya Governor Cahit Kirac in his office and briefed him on the factory plans. He also asked him to find a suitable area for the factory.

Kirac assured Liefke that he would offer any kind of help for this investment. He also indicatated that the Third Organized Industry Region was the best place to build the factory.

New investments are very important to heal the wounds of the earthquake, Kirac said and added that they had their door open to anyone who want to make investments in the earthquake hit region.

HT Troplast AG is the biggest European company which is producing PVC profile and the factory, after it is opened, could create big competition in this sector, Kirac explained.

There are two or three advanced firms in this sector, Liefke said and pointed out that they were planning to appoint 6 to 10 thousands managements as agents in Turkey.

[14] ANAP LEADER YILMAZ: ''TURKEY WILL NOT FALL INTO TRAP

''Turkey must learn to keep extremely calm regarding the EU issue. We must realize that turning the obstacles we face on the way to EU membership into emotional material in our domestic politics would hurt Turkey in the long run,'' Yilmaz said.

''The EU membership is a very long process for all countries,'' he continued. ''Because there is a bargaining in every field due to the EU's structure. Decisions are taken during this bargaining process. Decisions taken at one summit can change in the following meeting.''

Yilmaz stressed that Turkey's emotional responses could help maybe once, but it would eventually cause damage to the Turkish nation. He pointed out that any nation that is interested in joining the EU has to fulfill the norms of the Union.

Noting that the government is determined to reach the standards set up during Copenhagen and Maastrict meetings, Yilmaz said the main problems are caused by efforts to create new conditions which are not included in these meetings.

Speaking on the Cyprus issue, Yilmaz called on the Greek Cypriot side to give up the ''dream'' of joining the EU without the Turkish Cypriots. ''They should not even think about single sided concessions of the Turkish Cypriot side. Without the solution of the Cyprus issue, neither the island as a whole, nor the Greek Cypriot side on its own can join the EU. European countries must tell the Greek Cypriot side about this reality. Acceptance of this reality is a must to bring a solution in Cyprus.''

There are circles which don't want Turkey's EU full membership both in Turkey and in Europe and they have a great deal of authority, Yilmaz said. These circles are working to damage Turkey-EU relations using every opportunity. ''The purpose of all these efforts directed against our national pride and unitary structure, is to make us distance ourselves from the EU with our own will,'' Yilmaz said and stressed that Turkey should not fall into this trap. ''EU membership is not an obligation for us, it is only an advantage for us on the road that we are already walking on,'' Yilmaz stated.

[15] PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT (2):

Referring to prisoners who have been continuing their death fast in order to protest ''F'' type prisons, Prime Minister Ecevit told reporters, ''we are extremely concerned about death fasts. These death fasts are unfair. As you know, the ward system became armed headquarters of illegal organizations in many prisons. They aimed at destroying the State's authority. Any country cannot endure it forever. Therefore, we are determined in transition into F type prisons.''

Prime Minister Ecevit stressed, ''in the F type prisons, the cell system is not implemented. There are places with two or three rooms in these prisons. All requirements of prisoners are provided in the F type prisons.''

Prime Minister Ecevit said, ''those who force their own friends to die, cannot be human being. Meanwhile, it is impossible to understand some writers' decision to join these death fasts. At the same time, some doctors claim that they could not treat someone who is fasting to death. The death fast is a kind of suicide. I hope that all doctors would give positive response to the state's call. ''

Responding to a question, Prime Minister Ecevit said that there was nothing distressing in the draft law on conditional release.

Prime Minister Ecevit added that Deputy Prime Ministers Devlet Bahceli and Mesut Yilmaz and he had signed the draft law on conditional release from prison.

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