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Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-12-30Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.com.tr/>Anadolu AgencyANADOLU AGENCY NEWS 30 DECEMBER 2000 Saturday CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCANThese are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on December 30, 2000. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.HURRIYET (LIBERAL)MURDERERS OF TWO POLICEMEN CAUGHTTwo members of the illegal organization TIKKO who killed two policemen of the Rapid Force were caught. Police also found the Kalashnikov which the murderers used to open fire at the police bus. The killing of the two policemen had caused Rapid Force personnel to hold demonstrations in several cities of Turkey. Police also captured the seven members of the illegal organization DHKP-C which were getting prepared to take the revenge of the government's intervention in prisons. TURK SAYS NO INMATES DIED BECAUSE OF DEATH FASTS MILLIYET (LIBERAL)TURKS TO PAY ADDITIONAL TAX OF 5 QUADRILLION IN 2001Turks will have to pay an additonal tax of 5 quadrillion TL in 2001 to meet the 32.8 quadrillion TL tax income which was agreed during talks with the IMF. The tax increase is expected to decrease consumption next year. PEOPLE WITH MINIMUM WAGE TO GET 49 MILLION TL TAX REFUND SABAH (LIBERAL)NEW ERA STARTS WITH UNITED STATESU.S. President elect W. George Bush named Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense indicating that Pentagon will have more influence on Turkish-U.S. relations. This would bring more attention to Turkey's security issues than its democratization efforts. This might create a short relief for Ankara which has certain problems with the European Union regarding democratization. For example, the European Defense and Security Identity (ESDI) might result in a way to please Turkey. GENERAL STAFF:''WE ARE NOT AGAINST THE EU'' CUMHURIYET (LEFT)PROTESTING INMATES' FAMILIES CONTINUE TO WAIT ANXIOUSLYFamilies of protesting inmates who are on death fast are continuing to wait anxiously. It was stated that the prisoners who refuse treatment were suffering from dehydration, difficulty in walking and speaking. NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS SAY 90 INMATES ARE ABOUT TO DIE RADIKAL (LEFT)TURKEY'S POPULATION ESTIMATED TO BE 101 MILLION IN 50 YEARSAccording to the United Nations' data, the world population will become 10.7 billion in 2050. Turkey's population is expected to reach 101 million in that year. 133 PEOPLE DIE IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS DURING RAMADAN HOLIDAY YENI BINYIL (LIBERAL)CELL PHONE USERS ROCKET IN TURKEYNumber of cell phone owners in Turkey has reached 15,750,000. Currently, Turkcell has 6,360,000 and Telsim has 3,190,000 subscribers. There has also been a growing interest for ''ready cards'' in the recent months. Last year there was only 730,000 ready card users and this number rose to 6,200,000 in 2000 by increasing 8.5 times. 2001 IS YEAR OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS TURKIYE (RIGHT)TURKEY TO START EXPORTING SOFTWARE TO THE U.S.Telsoft, the first software company which opened in the free trade region is getting ready to open an office in the United States and export software to this country. Telsoft's General Director Serif A. Beykoz said first they have to make all their products compatible with U.S. standards. WINTER TOURISM LOOKS PROMISING THIS YEAR ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)NEW DRAFT LAW PREPARED FOR UNREGISTERED FOREIGN WORKERSThe new draft law whose aim is to prevent unregistered employment of foreigners in Turkey and to inspect working conditions proposes to fine employees 2 billion 500 million TL for every unregistered worker whom they employ. There are about one million foreign people in Turkey who work illegally and most of them are from Romania. -TALKS BETWEEN WORLD BANK AND AGRICULTURE MINITRY TO BE The World Bank is expected to give a total of 397 million U.S. dollars to the ministry and 52 million U.S. dollars of this amount will be used for Farmer Registration System. Authorities said that they were trying to reach an agreement with World Bank representatives on certain principles adding that some of the bank's proposals contradicted with Turkey's national agriculture policy. The projects will be reviewed during the meetings in January. -SSK'S AUDITORS COLLECT 10.5 TRILLION TL FROM BUSINESSES SSK's auditors inspected 31,801 businesses in 2000 and found out that 211, 577 workers were registered and they had social security while 28,013 workers were not registered and working illegally. The percentage of unregistered workers was 33 percent in 1994, when the SSK Insurance Inspection Council was founded. As a result of the measures taken to prevent unregistered employment, this percentage decreased to 16 percent in 2000. In 1994, one out of every three workers were employed illegally. This year, one out of every six workers are not registered. Below is a table showing the percentage of unregistered employment from 1994 through 2000: Year Unregistered employment ------- ---------------- Turk who visited Trabzon's Surmene, Koprubasi, Arakli, Arsin and Yomra townships on Saturday answered questions of people. When asked if he was happy with the law, he said ''the law is not perfect, but this is what everybody agreed on and I, as the justice minister, defended this law. I am happy that the law will meet a social need.'' -FIVE INMATES AT KUTAHYA PRISON END THEIR PROTEST A total of 27 members of the illegal DHKP/C organization had been earlier transferred from Canakkale Prison to Kutahya Prison after the government's intervention in several prisons throughout Turkey. Five inmates who had been on death fast ended their protest. Three of these prisoners were treated at the prison while the other two were sent to Eskisehir Medical Faculty Hospital since they were in critical condition. There are no inmates left who are on death fast in Kutahya Prison. -ATAER ENERGY POWER PLANT IS GROWING Ataer Energy Auto-production Industry and Trade Coorp. Chairman Ufuk Akgun told the A.A that the construction of two additional units is underway and they would soon start a third unit to increase the power plant's capacity. He indicated that the second unit will be a conversion unit which will change the vapour produced in the first unit into energy, adding that they are targeting to increase the total capacity of the facility to 113 megawatts. The second unit will start giving service on April 15. Akgun said they invested 18 million Euros for the vapour conversion unit. The total investments will total up to 60 million U.S. dollars when all three units are completed. -ECEVIT:''I'M HOPING THAT NEXT YEAR WILL BE A VERY POSITIVE YEAR Ecevit who came to the Prime Ministry to prepare his new year message, responded to reporters' questions regarding his expectations from the new year. Ecevit said Turkey was leaving behind 2000 which was full of problems noting that the recent fiancial crisis caused some additional problems. ''But we were able to overcome the crisis in a short time with our powerful economy,'' Ecevit told reporters. ''We also received significant contributions from the IMF and the World Bank. I am hoping that the next year will be a very positive year for Turkey and our economy will leave behind the troublesome period.'' Responding to a question, Ecevit said he spent his Ramadan holiday by working at home. -GROUP OF 70 PEOPLE SENDS POST CARDS TO ECEVIT TO PROTEST The group gathered in front of Sirkeci post office in Istanbul around 1.15 and mailed the post cards. The group later dispersed without any incidents. There were People's Democracy Party (HADEP), Freedom and Solidarity Party (ODP), Labour Party (EMEP), Human Rights Association (IHD) members in the group. -UTIKAD CHAIRMAN BENGISERP SAYS TURKEY COULD BECOME A LOGISTIC Bengiserp told the A.A that logistics would be a very important sector in the years to come adding that this sector was developing rapidly in Turkey. Turkey is geographically located at a very favourable area to provide logistic service to surrounding countries, Bengiserp said and added that it has the necessary qualified personnel and raw material to achieve this. Turkey could become a logistic base if it makes good use of its resources, Bengiserp said. ''We could provide service to all countries in the Balkans, Blacksea, Turkish Republics, Near East, Far East and even North Africa.'' He also indicated that Turkey could make very big amounts of money from this sector. -URGUP MAYOR ODEMIS SAYS CAPPADOCIA REGION HAS MANY ''There are over 25 underground cities in Cappadocia which carry the traces of various civilizations and they are waiting to be cleaned and opened to tourism,'' he indicated. ''There are also valleys with interesting looking fairy chimneys waiting to be discovered. We are right now able to use only one fifth of Cappadocia's cultural and historical potential. We can introduce these undiscovered places to tourism through a systematic work programme.'' Odemis also said that tourists who come to Cappadocia for a one-day visit would stay longer if there are more tourist attractions for them to see. -TRNC PRESIDENT DENKTAS RELEASES NEW YEAR MESSAGE In its new year message, Denktas said their focus was on the bank victims, recovering the economy, and bringing a better administration for all people of the TRNC. Noting that it is time for a change, Denktas said he wanted to see more women and young people in the TRNC Parliament. Speaking about the upsetting incidents of 2000, Denktas said there were inititiatives to weaken the TRNC's relations with Turkey. ''However, we've seen that the two nations are inseparable.'' Dwellling on the proximity talks, Denktas said they had started the talks with great hopes. ''But, as you know we have seen where they were trying to pull us during the fifth round of talks. They wanted us to sign an agreement which would make our status uncertain, weaken Turkey's guarantorship. They wanted to make EU norms valid. The EU norms mean free transportation, free settlement, and purchasing of property. When all these are maintained all Greek Cypriots will return to their old settlements.'' What is important is to insist on the principle of two equal states and protect the TRNC state, he said. ''Our state is our everything. It is everyone's duty to insist on our security, freedom and prosperity,'' Denktas said in his message. -TRNC PRESIDENT DENKTAS RELEASES NEW YEAR MESSAGE In its new year message, Denktas said their focus was on the bank victims, recovering the economy, and bringing a better administration for all people of the TRNC. Noting that it is time for a change, Denktas said he wanted to see more women and young people in the TRNC Parliament. Speaking about the upsetting incidents of 2000, Denktas said there were inititiatives to weaken the TRNC's relations with Turkey. ''However, we've seen that the two nations are inseparable.'' Dwellling on the proximity talks, Denktas said they had started the talks with great hopes. ''But, as you know we have seen where they were trying to pull us during the fifth round of talks. They wanted us to sign an agreement which would make our status uncertain, weaken Turkey's guarantorship. They wanted to make EU norms valid. The EU norms mean free transportation, free settlement, and purchasing of property. When all these are maintained all Greek Cypriots will return to their old settlements.'' What is important is to insist on the principle of two equal states and protect the TRNC state, he said. ''Our state is our everything. It is everyone's duty to insist on our security, freedom and prosperity,'' Denktas said in his message. -DENKTAS SENDS NEW YEAR MESSAGE TO SEZER ''My dear brother Sezer, I send you my deepest and most sincere wishes and I wish you and the Turkish nation a happy and prosperous new year in 2001, '' Denktas said in his letter. Through this letter, Denktas also wished a happy year to top government officials including Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit.
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