Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-12-26

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

26 DECEMBER 2000 Tuesday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

INTERROGATION OF 1,500 POLICEMEN STARTS
The Republican Chief Prosecutor's Office in Fatih district of Istanbul started to interrogate 1,500 policemen who participated in the march in Istanbul on December 12. A total of 60 policemen were interrogated by six prosecutors at the Court House in Fatih district on Monday. The policemen held a demonstration to protest an ambush in Gaziosmanpasa district of Istanbul in which two of their colleagues were killed and 13 others were injured.

A CARGO VESSEL RUNS AGROUND OFF TASUCU
A cargo vessel ran aground off Tasucu hamlet in Silifke township of southern province of Icel. 800 gross-ton cargo ship ''Huseyin Avci'' which was carrying wheat from southern Mersin Port to northwestern Tekirdag Port was caught in a storm off Tasucu and ran aground near Meltem cape which is 100 meters from the shore. Coast guard boats and the rescue boats at the SEKA port could not approach the ship due to strong winds but the eight- person crew got on lifeboats of the ship and went ashore.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

BALANCE SHEET OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
A total of 66 people were killed while 118 others were injured in traffic accidents throughout Turkey during the first three days of ten-day holiday.

FOREIGN TRADE DEFICIT INCREASES TO 21 BILLION U.S. DOLLARS
Turkey exported 22 billion 79.1 million U.S. dollars goods and imported 43 billion 867.5 million U.S. dollars products in January-October period of 2000. The exports increased by 0.8 percent compared to same period last year while the increase in imports reached 35.4 percent. The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) said that in parallel to the ten-month increase in imports, the foreign trade deficit rose 107.6 percent to 21 billion 788.3 million U.S. dollars, and the rate of exports meeting imports decreased from 67.6 percent to 50.3 percent. In the same peroid last year, the total exports were 21 billion 908 million U.S. dollars, the total imports were 32 billion 334 million U.S. dollars and the foreign trade deficit was 10 billion 496.2 million U.S. dollars.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

ECEVIT'S TARGETS FOR YEAR 2001
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that economy, social justice and relations with the European Union (EU) would be the most important targets of Turkey in the year 2001. He stressed, ''I believe that relations with the EU would be more fruitful in 2001.'' ''Turkey experienced an economic crisis in November and December, but we overcame this crisis in a short period of time. For the first time, Turkey has been provided a financial aid of more than 10 billion U.S. dollars. We will expend all necessary efforts to use this financial aid in a fruitful way. At the same time, we will accelerate privatization implementations in the new year,'' he told reporters.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

PRODUCTION AT YATAGAN THERMIC POWER PLANT SUSPENDED
The Yatagan Thermic Power Plant was closed when air pollution started to increase. Rate of sulphur dioxide in centre of Yatagan township in Aegean Mugla province and surroundings had rose to 1200 microgram/cubic meters in the afternoon. The normal rate should be 400 microgram/cubic meters. Later, production of energy at one of the units of the Yatagan Thermic Power Plant resumed when windy weather started.

FIRE OPENED ON WALL OF MILITARY REPAIR FACTORY IN ANKARA
A single shot was fired on the wall of the 1011th Procurement of Ordnance Main Repair Factory in Ankara. The shot was fired by a handgun inside a Mercedes passenger car on the wall of the military factory, later the automobile escaped from the place. Investigation of police into the armed attack is under way.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

DEATH TOOL INCREASES TO 29 IN INTERVENTION IN PRISONS
Number of death toll increased to 29 in last week's intervention in prisons. Berrin Bickilar, a female inmate who burnt herself at Usak Prison, died at the hospital.

YENI BINYIL (LIBERAL)

YALOVA:''WE TARGET 6-7 BILLON U.S. DOLLARS IN PRIVATIZATION IN 2001''
State Minister Yuksel Yalova said, ''we target 6-7 billion U.S. dollars in privatization in 2001.'' Staging a press conference, State Minister Yalova said, ''remaining installments of tender for 1800 Mhz GSM phone network licence form 2 billion U.S. dollars of this amount. 2.7 billion U.S. dollars obtained from the privatization implementations carried out by the Privatization Administration Board (OIB) this year.''

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

14,418 INMATES RELEASED FROM PRISON SO FAR
A total of 14,418 inmates were released from prisons as of 03:00 p.m. on Monday within framework of law on conditional release and suspension of punishments.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

-IN FIRST ELEVEN MONTHS, 32.3 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS
OF TEXTILE PRODUCTS EXPORTED FROM GAP REGION
GAZIANTEP - The exports of textiles from Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) region in the first eleven months of 2000 increased 7.3 percent to 32 million 351 thousand U.S. dollars.

In the same period last year, the region had exported 30 million 136 thousand U.S. dollars of textiles.

Officials at the Southeastern Anatolia Exporters' Association, told the A.A correspondent on Tuesday that the majority of goods were exported to Italy, Belgium, France, Greece, Algeria, Britain, Romania and Israel.

-STATE MINISTER UNLU:
-''FOR THE FIRST TIME A TURKISH SOCCER TEAM
BECAME EUROPEAN CHAMPION IN 2000''
ANKARA - State Minister Fikret Unlu said on Tuesday, ''for the first time in history of Republic of Turkey, a Turkish soccer team became European champion in 2000.''

Releasing a statement, Unlu assessed important developments in sports in Turkey in year 2000.

Unlu stressed, ''we aim at putting into practice some projects which will make a valuable contribution to efforts to develop a culture of sports in Turkey. Our most important project is to found a higher council of sports. A draft envisaging foundation of Higher Council of Sports and Directorate General of Sports was submitted to the Council of Ministers.''

Unlu enumerated some important developments in sports in Turkey in 2000 as follows:

- A total of ten countries participated in the First World Universities Folk Dances Competition.

- The FISU decided to organize World Universities Summer Games in western Izmir province in 2005.

- A total of 436 sportsmen and women participated in the International Ataturk Dam Water Sports Festival.

- The 34th World Chess Olympiad was organized in Istanbul with the participation of more than 1,400 sportsmen from 128 countries.

- Galatasaray Soccer Club won the UEFA and European Super Cup for the first time in history of Republic of Turkey.

- A total of 59 sportsmen and women represented Turkey in the 27th Summer Games. Turkey won three gold and two bronze medals.

- Turkish sporstmen and women won 356 gold, 306 silver and 449 bronze medals in the Olympiad Games; world, European and Balkan championships; and in international competitions.

-PRODUCTION AT TWO UNITS OF YATAGAN THERMIC POWER PLANT RESUMES
YATAGAN - Production of energy at two units of the Yatagan Thermic Power Plant resumed on Tuesday.

Officials said that three units of the power plant would start to work with full capacity as of 11:00 a.m.

On Monday, the units were closed when the volume of sulphur dioxide in center of Yatagan township of western Mugla province and surroundings exceeded the limits.

-PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT RELEASES A MESSAGE TO MARK EID AL-FITR
ANKARA- Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said on Tuesday, ''the Eid Al-Fitr, the end of holy month of Ramadan, is a symbol of national unity and social solidarity. The Islam which shows the way of fair order and peace to all humanity, reached its desired value in our secular Republic.''

Releasing a message on the eve of three-day Eid Al-Fitr, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit celebrated feast of all Muslim people in the world.

He stressed, ''the Eid Al-Fitr is a symbol of national unity and social solidarity. The Islam which shows the way of fair order and peace to all humanity, reached its desired value in our secular Republic.''

Referring to law on conditional release from prison and suspension of punishments, Prime Minister Ecevit said that tens of thousands of citizens who had benefitted from the law, would celebrate the Eid Al-Fitr with their relatives.

-ERIS, CHAIRPERSON OF IKV:
-''IF TURKEY MAINTAINS ITS RELATIONS WITH THE EU IN A
FRUITFUL WAY, IT WILL OBTAIN FOREIGN SOURCES EASILY''
ISTANBUL - Meral Gezgin Eris, the Chairperson of Financial Development Foundation (IKV), said on Tuesday, ''if Turkey maintains its relations with the European Union (EU) in a fruitful way, it will obtain foreign sources easily.''

Responding to questions of the A.A correspondent, Eris said, ''the EU does not envisage to grant Turkey full membership till 2010. Turkey needs foreign sources to overcome current crisis in financial system. If Turkey maintains its relations with the EU in a fruitful way and fulfils the EU criteria, it will obtain foreign sources easily.''

Stressing that any delay in preparation of the National Programme would be serious mistake, Eris noted, ''Turkey should announce its National Programme in January 2001. Political issues can be used as a bargaining point, but Turkey should solve these issues. Politicans should expend efforts to solve disagreements on political issues. The National Programme should respond to all matters put forward in the Accession Partnership Accord for Turkey.''

-NARCOTICS TEAMS IMPOUND 10.4 KG OF OPIUM IN LUGGAGE OF
A U.S. CITIZEN AT ATATURK AIRPORT
ISTANBUL - Narcotics teams impounded 10.4 kg of opium in luggage of a U.S. citizen at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport.

Sources told A.A correspondent on Tuesday that narcotics teams searched luggage of Antonio Rubby as he was leaving Turkey on December 24.

Narcotics teams confiscated 10.4 kg of opium in his luggage.

Rubby, a security official in a school in the U.S., was taken into custody.

Sources added that market value of the drug was nearly 60 billion Turkish liras.

-TOP-MEMBER OF PKK SEMDIN SAKIK NOT TO FILE SUIT
TO LOCAL COURT TO BENEFIT FROM LAW ON CONDITIONAL RELEASE
DIYARBAKIR - Semdin Sakık, a top-member of the terrorist PKK organization who was sentenced to death, won't bring a file to the local court in order to benefit from the law on conditional release.

The lawyer of Sakık, Vedat Erten said that their had earlier applied to the Diyarbakır State Security Court (DGM) to benefit from the Repentance Law and this case continued.

Erten said that the law which entered into force was against the ''principle of equality,'' adding that ''many inmates will apply to court as this law on conditional release is against the principle of equality. One application to the Constitutional Court is sufficient, thus we won't apply to the local court for that. We will examine the applications of others and act according to that. If my client benefits from the law on conditional release, he will be sentenced to 20 years and he can be imprisoned for 15 years. But if he benefits from the Repentance Law, he will be imprisoned less than that.''

Sakık who was captured in an operation by the security forces staged in north of Iraq in 1998, was sentenced to death by Diyarbakır State Security Court No. 1 and this court verdict was approved by the Eighth Department of the Supreme Court of Appeals.

-GREEK ORTHODOX PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEOS CONGRATULATES EID AL FITR
BURSA - Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomeos congratulated Eid Al Fitr of muslims on Tuesday.

Bartholomeos who is in Iznik county of western Bursa province issued a message on Eid Al Fitr saying that it is one of the most important bairams of the islam world and he said that peace should prevail in the whole world.

-NEARLY 500 VILLAGE ROADS CLOSED TO TRAFFIC DUE TO HEAVY SNOW
VAN - Cold wheather and heavy snow in eastern Anatolian region paralysed the daily life in Van, Hakkari and Bitlis provinces on Tuesday.

Totally 500 village roads were closed to traffic due to heavy snow and the thickness of the snow reached 20 cm in Van city centre. It reached 1.40 meters in Bitlis and 25 cm in Hakkari city centre.

Efforts are underway to clear the roads.

-TOTALLY 215 PERSONS RELEASED FROM BAYRAMPASA, BAKIRKOY AND METRIS
PRISONS OF ISTANBUL
ISTANBUL - Following the publication of the law on conditional release in the Official Gazette, totally 215 persons were released from Bayrampasa, Metris and Bakırkoy prisons of Istanbul on Tuesday.

Totally 150 prisoners were released from Bayrampasa prison, 54 inmates were released from Metris prison and 11 persons were released from Bakırkoy Women and Children Prison.

Officials said that releases from the prisons continue, adding that those whose proceedings have not been completed will be released from prison in the new year.

-COURT DECIDES TO RELEASE PINAR SELEK
ISTANBUL - Istanbul State Security Court (DGM) No. 4 decided to release Pınar Selek on Tuesday who was accused of staging a bomb attack in Istanbul's Mısır Bazaar in 1998.

Upon the report of the expert witness selected by the court, Selek decided to be released. The report noted that the explosion in the Bazaar which claimed the lives of seven persons and which injured 127 others, stemmed from a LPG canister.

The lawyer of Pınar Selek who is also her father applied to the court last Friday and requested her daughter's release.

-TRNC PRESIDENT DENKTAS ISSUES MESSAGE ON EID AL-FITR
LEFKOSA - Rauf Denktas, the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Tuesday that the Turkish Cypriot people celebrate Eid Al Fitr in spite of the economic difficulties in the country.

Issuing a message upon the Eid Al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month Ramadan, Denktas said that economic difficulties can be overcome by investors that will come particularly from Turkey.

Denktas said that they are proud of Eid Al-Fitr and they are proud of being free persons in TRNC.

Denktas said that TRNC has to enjoy this Ramadan holiday although there are problems in the country.

Noting that there are many unemployed young persons in TRNC, Rauf Denktas said that these difficulties can always be seen in island economies and they must do their best in order to overcome these difficulties.

Stressing that they celebrate Eid al-Fitr as free persons, Denktas said that ''we are proud of being protected by our motherland.''

-RAPID FORCE PERSONNEL WHO HELD DEMONSTRATION IN ISTANBUL
CONTINUE TO BE QUESTIONED
ISTANBUL - The rapid force personnel of the security forces who held a demonstration after one of their buses were attacked by terrorists in Gaziosmanpasa district of Istanbul killing two of their friends, continued to be questioned on Tuesday.

After the completion of the 60 rapid force personnels' interrogation by Fatih Prosecutorship, nearly 100 others were questioned today.

The remaining 1,640 police officers will be questioned in the new year.

Police officers told the prosecutors that they only participated in the funeral of their two friends, and they didn't think of holding an illegal demonstration on Dec. 12.

-JUSTICE MINISTRY ISSUES STATEMENT SAYING THAT
HEATING PROBLEM IN F TYPE PRISONS HAS BEEN SOLVED
ANKARA - The Ministry of Justice issued a statement on Tuesday saying that the heating problem in F type prisons has been overcome, denying the news claiming that there is power cut in these prisons.

Justice Ministry Press Centre said in a written statement that hot water is provided in F type prisons for 24 hours.

Reminding that inmates who are members of the terrorist organization went on hunger strike and they turned the hunger strike into death fast on October 20, 2000 in spite of all the good willing initiatives and efforts.

The statement added that the security forces held the operation return to life on December 19, 2000 in 20 prisons in order to save inmates from the pressure of the terrorist organizations, to control those who direct the resistance, to treat those who are in critical condition and to end death fasts.

The Ministry noted that there have been serious damage in some prisons and as some of them can't be used, inmates were transferred to F type prisons.

The Ministry said that 348 inmates were sent to Edirne F type prison, 339 inmates were sent to Kocaeli prison and 338 inmates were transferred to Sincan F type prison up to now.

The Ministry denied the news published in the media saying that ''the central heating does not work in F type prisons, there is both electricity and power cut and inmates were not medically treated.'' The ministry stressed that there is water supply in the prisons, adding that in case of a water cut, there is a water supply which can be sufficent for three days.

''As the F type prisons were not planned to be opened that soon, the central heating system had some temporary problems, but now it works all the time. Those who have medical problems due to death fast and hunger strike and those who decide to end their hunger strikes, are hospitalized and taken under medical treatment. Those whose treatment ends, are discharged from hospital and transferred to prisons,'' the Ministry added.

-POLICE INTERVENE WHEN GROUP OF PERSONS TRY TO
ISSUE STATEMENT IN FRONT OF BUCA PRISON
IZMIR - Police intervened with a group of persons who wanted to release a public statement in front of Buca prison in western Izmir province against the operation return to life.

The group which was composed of nearly 35 persons including the administrators of the Human Rights Association in Izmir wanted to make a press release. Izmir Director General of Security wanted the group to disperse. There has been a tension between those who are in the group and the police. Later the police took the persons into a passanger bus and urged them to leave the scene.

Meanwhile a group of persons who were members of the Peoples' Democracy Party's (HADEP) Women Branch issued a statement in Konak square in the city centre and dispersed without causing any incident.

-15 ORTHODOX PATRIARCHS COME TOGETHER IN IZNIK, TURKEY
IZNIK - Iznik, which is considered as a holy city for the Christian world, hosted 15 Orthodox patriarchs in Christmas ritual on Tuesday.

Orthodox patriarchs from Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Greek Cypriot side, Poland, Albania, Slovenia, Georgia, Finland, Syria, Ukraine, Russia, Alexandria and Yugoslavia and many Orthodox people participated in the ritual directed by the Greek Patriarch Bartholomeos.

Security measures were taken for the ritual which lasted for nearly 3.5 hours.

Speaking after the ritual, Bartholomeos said that Iznik is very important for Christianity. He said that performing the ritual in Iznik shows the deep tolerance of ''our country,'' adding that ''we thank the officials of our country who permitted our performing the Christmas ritual in Iznik's church of St. Sophia.''

He also congratulated the Eid Al-Fitr which will start tomorrow.

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