Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-01-07

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

07 JANUARY

2001 Sunday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

YOK PUNISHES ONE DENTIST AND FIVE NURSES
The Higher Board of Education (YOK) decided to dismiss one dentist and five nurses for acting contrary to the regulation of dressing in Yuzuncu Yıl University. They won't be able to work in public institutions from now on.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

TURKEY'S ACTION PLAN FOR TRNC READY
Turkey formed an Action Plan for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) which first suffered an economic crisis and then had difficulties at the proximity talks. According to the Action Plan, Turkey will give a total loan of 350 million U.S. dollars to the TRNC in three years. There will be activities to make Northern Cyprus a tourism attraction like Antalya and Bodrum. The TRNC will become a center for college education. Customs and tax issues will be arranged in order to make the TRNC a transit trade center. Turkey will support the light industry in this country.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

TURKEY WANTS MORE FOREIGN CAPITAL
The government launches efforts to draw more foreign capital to the country. It is preparing to adopt laws to this end that will ease the investment proceedings and that will encourage foreign investment.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

DROUGHT RAISES CONCERNS
Meteorology Engineers Chamber Marmara Region Chairman Dr. Miktad Kadioglu said that the drought problem was a part of climate changes adding that Turkey might face a serious water shortage by 2050. Istanbul Water and Sewer Management (ISKI) claimed that there would be no water problem in the city in 2001 despite the drought.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

TURKEY-SYRIA-IRAQ RAILROAD TO START GIVING SERVICE AGAIN
Turkey, after appointing an ambassador to Iraq, is now trying to strengthen its regional position through a railroad. The raildroad which was closed in 1982 will start giving service again. The raildroad will only be used for cargo transportation when it first opens. The disagreements among the transportation ministries of three countries have been removed and the railroad will open in April.

YENI BINYIL (LIBERAL)

DAY-HOTEL TO BE BUILT AT ATATURK AIRPORT
A hotel with 80 rooms will be constructed as a part of the International Flights terminal of Istanbul's Ataturk Airport. The passenger capacity of the airport which is currently 14 million is expected to rise to 20 million by 2004. The managing company of the airport Tepe-Akfen-Vie (TAV) will build Day-Hotel to give better service to passengers.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

HEAVY FINES ON THE WAY TO PREVENT CHILD LABOUR
Labour and Social Security Ministry has prepared a draft law to prevent employment of children at certain jobs. According to the draft law which is based on International Labour Organization (ILO) agreements, employees who hire children for certain jobs will be fined up to five billion TL. Currently there are 3,840 working children in Turkey.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

of illegal practices in the allocation of a state tender. The five officials, along with a deputy undersecretary of the Energy Ministry, were temporarily suspended from their posts by the ministry on Thursday. The officials are suspected of tampering with the 1997 tender of an electrical transmission line near the central Anatolian city of Konya. Prosecutors were questioning the officials.

-FIVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAPTURED IN CESME
IZMIR - Five immigrants of Iraqi origin who entered Turkey illegally and who tried to go abroad, were captured in Cesme township of western Izmir province on Sunday.

Ben Amor Soussi, Abdullah Hamdoune and Mohammed El Makfı who tried to leave Turkey without passports by hiding in a TIR, were taken into custody in the morning.

Meanwhile two other Iraqis namely Emad Ahmet Barzenci and Yunis Enver Omer, who entered Turkey from Baskale county of eastern Van province and who tried to escape abroad from Cesme, were also captured.

The five Iraqis who were taken into custody were transferred to Foreigners' Desk to be deported.

-MINISTRY OF JUSTICE MAKES PUBLIC A LETTER SENT BY
AN INMATE WHOSE BROTHER DIED IN PRISON
ANKARA - The Ministry of Justice made public on Saturday a letter sent by an inmate whose brother died in a prison.

The inmate whose name was kept confidential to protect him and his family, said in the letter that his brother was a victim of terrorism.

Calling to terrorist organizations in his letter, the inmate said that the ''anger of mothers will smother killers, and you are the killers.''

Issuing a statement, the Justice Ministry said that some broadcasting organs claim that ''prisoners are tortured in F type prisons, inmates are not medically treated, no visitors are allowed, death fasts continued and the operation return to life had no meaning.''

The Ministry said that inmates are not maltreated or tortured in Sincan, Edirne and Kocaeli F type prisons.

Three head inspectors from the Ministry were charged to investigate such claims, it was stated and noted that ''those who were injured during the operation return to life, those who were on death fast were immediately hospitalized and those who were treated were sent back to the prison. Doctors, psychologists and health personnel were charged in all prisons where death fasts continued. Inmates had check-ups every day and in case of emergency, they are hospitalized.''

The Ministry stressed that the terrorist organizations had earlier prevented doctors to treat those who are on death fast and whose conditions were critical by benefitting from the weakness in the crowded ward system.

The Ministry stressed once again that families had a great role in ending the hunger strikes and death fasts, adding that visitors are accepted in F type prisons.

Later the Ministry made public the letter of an inmate.

The inmate said in his letter that his brother was a victim of terrorism. ''He didn't kill anybody like me and majority of people in prisons. Joining the terrorist organization was his mistake which he did when he was very young. I don't know how my brother died (I don't want to know that) but I know that the killers of him are terrorist organizations. Terrorists said that they wouldn't go to F type prisons, as this was the end of their power in prisons. The leaders of these terrorists won't be able to eat the food brought by militant's parents, while the militants only had soup. They will no longer burn young militants and question or torture them. They want to live in flock, because they know that they can only herd ''sheep.'' They know that they are nothing when alone. Maybe I am not a respected citizen, but nevertheless I am a citizen of this country and I call my state not to give up the F type prison. Please don't surrender to the killers of my brother,'' he said.

-FORMER OWNER OF BANKEKSPRES KORKMAZ YIGIT AND FIVE OTHER MEN
ARRESTED AFTER INTERROGATION
ISTANBUL - Six people including former owner of Bankekspres Korkmaz Yigit, Gurbuz and Cengiz Yigit were arrested on Saturday night after they were interrogated at Istanbul Alternating State Security Court (DGM) for syphoning 380 million U.S. dollars from the bank.

Korkmaz Yigit and former bank executives, Gurbuz Yigit, Cengiz Yigit, Suha Sezen, Metin Parlatan and Ibranim Suzmez were sent to jail after they were arrested by the court.

Eight other people including Yilmaz Yigit's secretary Sibel Dayioglu had been earlier released by the Prosecutorship.

Upon the request of Republic Prosecutor Ercan Cengiz, Istanbul Alternating DGM has issued an arrest warrant for former director of the bank Savas Ozcan, former general director Metin Kemal Ozal, as well as Izzet Sabah, Serpil Ugurlu, Erdogan Ozen and Kamil Kenanoglu who are believed to have links to the incident.

-KORKMAZ YIGIT SENT TO KIRKLARELI E TYPE PRISON
ISTANBUL - Former owner of Bankekspres Korkmaz Yigit was sent to Kirklareli E type prison after he and five other men were arrested by Istanbul Alternating State Security Court (DGM) last night.

Korkmaz Yigit, his brothers who were former executives of the bank Gurbuz and Cengiz Yigit, Suha Sezen, Metin Parlatan and Ibrahim Suzmez left the court building in police cars after the announcement of the verdict.

Korkmaz Yigit was taken to Kirklareli E type prison with his two brothers and while the three other men were brought to Kartal maximum security prison.

Korkmaz Yigit, during his interrogation, claimed the bank suffered no losses during his management.

Korkmaz Yigit is accused of causing the bank a 384 million U.S. dollar (104 trillion 83 billion 499 million TL) loss by giving loans illegally.

-NEGOTIATIONS ON TACTICAL ATTACK HELICOPTERS NEARING END
ANKARA - The negotiations between the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the U.S Bell Textron firm on the joint production of 145 tactical attack helicopters will be finalized on Feb. 28, 2001.

Sources said the negotiations have been so far positive and a licence agreement for the joint production of the helicopters would be signed soon.

In the helicopter bidding last July, U.S. Bell Textron topped the list of the Defense Industry Undersecretariat Executive Committee. Russian-Israeli partnership Kamo-IAI's helicopters were the second and Italian Augusto helicopters was the third on the list.

Turkish Aviation Industry (TAI) will be the main contractor of the joint production package of 5 billion U.S. dollars. Besides TAI, Aselsan, Netas and Havelsan which are leading defense institutions are also expected to have contributions to the project.

The production of the helicopters will be realized in groups of 50, 50 and 45 and it will be financed by the Defense Industry Undersecretariat Fund. According to this, the first helicopter will be submitted to the TSK in Nov., 2002 and the last one in Jan., 2011.

-TURKISH AND GREEK POLICE STAGE JOINT OPERATION AGAINST
DRUG SMUGGLERS
ISTANBUL - Four of the thirteen persons who were captured in operations staged in three provinces in Turkey for trying to smuggle 520 kg of heroin to Greece as a result of joint operation of Turkish and Greece police, were arrested on Saturday.

Acting on a tip-off, narcotic teams of Istanbul Security Directorate started an operation by making cooperation with Greek police to capture those who would smuggle 520 kg heroin to Greece.

The thirteen persons were captured in operations staged at the same time in Bursa, Kocaeli and Avcılar district of Istanbul. Meanwhile Greek police captured four persons in Greece.

Four of these persons including Mustafa Karslı, the head of the gang were arrested and jailed.

Officials said that those captured in Greece were also arrested, adding that Mustafa Karslı had connection with Urfi Cetinkaya, a world notorious drug smuggler.

-TURKSAT 2A READY FOR LAUNCHING
ANKARA - Turkey's new satellite Turksat 2A will be launched from Guiana in South America tomorrow night at 8 p.m. Turkish local time.

If the satellite is succesfully placed on its orbit, it will provide many benefits to Turkey with regards to its communication and internet connections.

Turksat Satellite Communication Center Director Mehmet Toros told the A.A that until 1994, Turkey was renting channels from foreign satellite organizations for television broadcast and communication.

Feasibility works in 1988 showed that it would be more economical for Turkey to do television broadcast and communication using its own satellites and a bidding was issued in 1990.

The first Turkish satellite Tursat 1A was produced through a bidding worth of 315 million U.S. dollars. However, the satellite, after it was lauched from Kourou base in Guiana, exploded in air due to a technical failure.

After the failure of Turksat 1A, the second satellite Turksat 1B was produced in a few months. The lauching of Turksat 1B on Aug. 11, 1994 from the same base, was successful and the satellite was placed on its orbit.

Since the first satellite was insured, the procucer firm Alcatel Space immediately started manufacturing another satellite which was called Turksat 1C. This satellite had a wider coverage and it was launched successfully on July 10, 1996.

After the launching of Turksat 2A, Turkey will be among the ten countries of the world with biggest fleet of satellites.

Turksat 2A will provide broadcast on 60 tv channels, 70 radio stations, telephone and internet connection. The satellite cost Turkey 300 million U.S. dollars.

Turksat 2A's travel in the space will last 22 minutes. After 22 minutes, the satellite will leave its capsule if the launching is successful. During the 12 days after its launching, the satellite will be checked from the control stations and later it will be placed on 42 East orbit.

The satellite will be guaranteed for 15 years and it will give service to Europe, Central Asia, Middle East, countries between Moscow and Mediterranean.

-PREMIER ECEVIT SAYS PKK LIES IN WAIT
ANKARA - Priem Minister Bulent Ecevit said on Sunday that the PKK terrorism has nearly ended, yet terrorists didn't disappear.

''They are armed just beyond our borders. PKK started to attack Talabini's forces and other Kurdish communities in Northern Iraq, meaning PKK lies in wait,'' Ecevit said.

Responding to questions in a television programme broadcast in TRT-1 channel, Ecevit said that the government solved a long-lasting problem of workers in 2000 and they appointed 40,000 temporaries as permanent staff. Ecevit added that this will be put into force this year gradually.

Ecevit indicated that prefabricated huts were erected for earthquake victims and contractors started to construct permanent houses. He noted that victims will start to move in these permanent houses in spring.

Ecevit stressed that a fundamentalist organization Hezbollah was destroyed by security forces last year, adding that the state also started to fight with Mafia, gangs and corruption.

Recounting that gendarme staged the operation return to life in prisons to end these prisons' to be the headquarters of terrorist organization.

Ecevit said that this operation was prepared carefully to prevent any casualties.

''In that respect the operation has been very succesful, we acted patiently and this problem has been solved,'' said Premier Ecevit.

Ecevit added that the Ministry of Justice, Interior and Gendarme Commandership carry out a joint study to prevent the repetition of such incidents in the future.

Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that they kept their promise and they gave the extra increase in the wages of civil servants. Ecevit said that there are huge differences in the wages of civil servants in Turkey.

''We will try to overcome this inequality in the wages of civil servants as much as we can. This will be a gradual improvement, we must find the necessary source to solve this problem completely,'' he said.

-GENERAL STAFF DENIES ENTRANCE OF 10,000 TURKISH
SOLDIERS TO NORTHERN IRAQ
ANKARA - General Staff released a written statement on Sunday denying the entrance of 10,000 Turkish soldiers to Northern Iraq as it was reported by several newspapers last week.

''The news stories regarding the entrance of 10,000 Turkish soldiers to Northern Iraq are completely baseless,'' the statement said. ''It is a known fact that PKK has been working to create a public opinion against Turkey within the country and abroad through newspapers and internet sites which are under its control. We are closely monitoring these activities.''

-ECEVIT SAYS TURKEY IS TAKING NECESSARY MEASURES AGAINST
SEPARATIST TERRORISM
ANKARA - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has said that Turkey was taking the necessary measures against separatist terrorism according to international rules. He said Turkey provided technical assistance to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in Northern Iraq which was necessary for Turkey's security.

Ecevit answered reporters' questions while leaving the TRT building after an interview which was broadcast live on TRT.

When asked to comment on the operation of the Turkish soldiers in Northern Iraq, Ecevit affirmed that Turkey was providing technical assistance to PUK which was necessary for the nation's security.

PKK has withdrawn its forces across the border but it continues to exist as a threat for Turkey, Ecevit said and added that Turkey was taking the necessary measures against separatist terrorism within the limits of international rules.

Responding to a question on the amendment of article 69, Ecevit said he would get together with leaders of political parties early next week and work to pass the amendment from the Constitutional Commission and Parliament as soon as possible. He also indicated that Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk would also meet with leader of the opposition parties on this matter.

When asked to comment on the recent developments within the Welfare Party (FP), Ecevit said ''he didn't know how reformist the reformist wing was,'' and asked the FP's reformist members to clarify this issue.

-TOTAL OF 107 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAUGHT IN TEKIRDAG AND EDIRNE
TEKIRDAG/MERIC - Gendarmerie teams caught 21 foreigners in a truck with no passports at Tekirdag port on Saturday night. Another 86 illegal immigrants were caught in Edirne's Meric township who were trying to illegally pass to Greece.

During the border controls, security forces checked the truck and found one Palestinian and 20 Afghans hidden in the truck. The driver of the truck told the police during his interrogation that the immigrants might have got on the truck somewhere in the customs area.

The immigrants said they were intending to go to Italy on the truck and then to other European countries.

The second group of immigrants who were caught in Edirne's Meric township were from Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, Bahgladesh, Syria, Afghanistan and Lebanon. The immigrants said they were planning to go to European countries through Greece.

All immigrants were sent to Edirne Security Department to be deported.

-PREMIER ECEVIT SAYS INCREASE IN OIL PRICES
BROUGHT A BURDEN ON ECONOMIC PROGRAMME
ANKARA - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said on Sunday that the oil prices increased sharply last year and this brought a burden on the economic programme.

Speaking in the state television channel TRT-1, Premier Ecevit said that Turkey's economy negatively affected from the value EURO lost against U.S. dollar.

Ecevit said that last year's drought also negatively affected the economy, adding that ''yet the economy was fine till the last days of the year.''

Premier Ecevit said that the pleasing developments of the year 2000 have been the decrease in inflation, the increasing growth rate which has been 6 percent and the increase in tourism incomes by 50 percent.

Stressing the importance of the Banking Regulation and Inspection Board (BDDK), Premier Ecevit said that banking sector has always been the weakest and problematic sector of the country.

''The banking sector didn't or couldn't contribute to the real sector and investments, thus a committee was formed to solve this problem. The consequences of the formation of this council have been positive and the banks whose coffers were emptied were determined and they were transfered to savings deposit insurance fund,'' said Ecevit.

Ecevit pointed out that the crisis that took place in economy was just like a quake in economy, adding that foreign capital left Turkey during that crisis. He said ''yet foreign exchange came back to Turkey and this showed the confidence in the Turkish economy. IMF and the World Bank acted generously and gave loans to Turkey.''

Ecevit said that high inflation and high interest rates have been one of the most important problems of Turkey which continued for 15-20 years. Ecevit said that a broad ''inflation lobby'' has been formed in Turkey, adding that when the inflation started to be reduced, interests of many people have been damaged.

Ecevit said that the recent inflation figures have been very promising, adding that they expected the inflation rate to be high, but just the opposite happened.

Ecevit said that the wages of civil servants and their standarts of living are better this year, not worse than last year.

Ecevit added that production depends on investment and they've taken very interesting measures to speed up investments.

Noting that they prepared a draft law to decrease the bureaucratic burden on investors, Ecevit said that they are thinking of forming an institution which will be the only authorized institution to which investors will apply.

When journalists reminded him about the two automobile firms which will end its production in Turkey, Ecevit said that ''such things always happen in market economies. Instead of them two giant automobile factories will be opened in Turkey.''

-POLICE CATCH 34 AFGHAN IMMIGRANTS IN ZEYTINBURNU
ISTANBUL - A total of 34 Afghan citizens who entered Turkey illegally were caught in Zeytinburnu on Sunday.

Acting on a tip-off, police raided the first floor of a 4-storey building in Nuripasa neighbourhood. They caught 34 Afghan citizens who were later taken to the police station. The immigrants will be sent to the Foreigners Department of the Security Directorate.

-PREMIER ECEVIT SAYS HE DOES NOT THINK TURKEY'S RELATIONS WITH
U.S WOULD CHANGE
ANKARA - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has said that he didn't think that Turkey's relations with the United States would change during the administration of George W. Bush who will officially become the next U.S. President in a few weeks.

Speaking at a programme broadcast on TRT-1, Ecevit said Turkish-American relations were good in Bush's father's time and it developed even further during Clinton's time. ''The secretary of state will be a person who is very close to Turkey and I think the same is true for the secretary of defense. Some leading Republicans supported Turkey regarding the European Security and Defense Identity and they criticized certain EU countries. I don't think there will be a problem, because Turkey has become a very important country for the United States.''

Regarding Turkey's National Programme, Ecevit said ''there are some differences of opinion between the Motherland Party and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) on this matter but this is normal and we'll try to reach a compromise.''

''We may not be able to meet EU's expectations all at once,'' Ecevit said. ''If a western European country had faced the same threats as Turkey did, I'm sure they would have taken even more strict measures. European countries also have articles like Turkey's article 312 but this is not noticed because they don't have our problems. We have to explain to EU countries that we have different conditions than them.''

Speaking on Iraq, Ecevit said he always thought Turkey should have an ambassador in Iraq. ''This has nothing to do with supporting a political side. Iraq is an important country for Turkey. Iraq has intensive relations with Russia, China, France and certain European cuntries.''

''We can build relations with Iraq only if we have an ambassador in this country,'' he continued. ''Therefore, we had a shortcoming and I believe having an ambassador will have benefits both for Turkey and our allies. The problem in Northern Iraq concerns us. There is also the problem regarding Turkmens. We have to be represented better in this country. The United States should understand us when we explain all these. This has nothing to do with a policy change.''

Ecevit said he didn't know how long the deployment of Turkish Armed Forces would last in Northern Iraq. ''The real fight in Northern Iraq is between Talabani and PKK. We are providing assistance to Talabani's and Barzani's forces. They are fighting and we are helping them. I don't know when the clashes would be over, but these clashes indicate that the terrorist organization PKK is still existing.''

Responding to a question on television broadcast in Kurdish language, Ecevit said ''there are people who are concerned about this and they have a point.'' He stated that political separatism becomes more important when the armed struggle fails. ''Unfortunately some countries in west contribute to that. This causes some concerns in Turkey. If they let us free, these will be solved by themselves. We will try to solve these problems by compromise,'' he said.

When journalists told him that ''Turkey becomes a weapon market easily and people clash with each other,'' Ecevit said that this is because of the geopolitical status of Turkey. Ecevit noted that Turkey is surrounded with many dangers and threats.

''There are countries and organizations which want to cause trouble and threats for Turkey. For instance terrorist organization decided and planned abroad -particularly in some European countries- to startthe activities of hunger strike and death fasts in prisons of Turkey,'' Ecevit said.

When the journalist said that this country was Belgium, Ecevit said ''yes, this is true.'' ''I believe that their public opinion has to be informed well. We can't accept some groups in countries which are proud of their democracy to export terrorism or ignore those who do that to a friendly and ally country like Turkey,'' Ecevit said,

Ecevit said that the number of those who give up death fast and hunger strike in prisons also increases.

Stressing that the state tries to solve the problem in a peaceful way, Ecevit said that ''those who died during the operation return to life are those who killed themselves as being victims of their friends. Death fasts are incidents which have to be examined pyschologically. There have been mass suicides in some coutries like the U.S., Canada and Switzerland due to the effect of religious sects. They thought that they would go to heaven. But in the case of these incidents in Turkey, this is not so, because those on death fast are not faitful persons, and probably they use drugs.''

Referring to Koran courses, Ecevit said that nearly 1300 Koran courses were closed and those students who apply to religious high schools known as ''imam-hatip schools'' decreased.

Ecevit said that they will come together next week as the leaders of coalition government and they will discuss amending Article 69 of the Constitution. Ecevit added that the Justice Minister will visit the opposition parties and take their views.

Responding to a question about the recent developments in FP, Ecevit said that ''this is their interior issue.'' Ecevit said that he didn't understand how the ''reformists'' labelled themselves as so in the Virtue Party (FP).

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