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Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-01-17Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.com.tr/>Anadolu AgencyANADOLU AGENCY NEWS 17 JANUARY 2001 Wednesday CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCANThese are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on January 17, 2000. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.HURRIYET (LIBERAL)ANAP LEADER YILMAZ SPEAKS HARSHLYMesut Yılmaz, the deputy prime minister and the leader of the Motherland Party (ANAP) said yesterday that nobody in ANAP was involved in any corruption. ''Those who are involved in such a thing, can't stay in the party. Those who blacken the party should give their documents to the prosecutor. The officials have to fight with all sorts of corruption,'' he said. LEADERS DISCUSS NATIONAL PROGRAMME MILLIYET (LIBERAL)EUROPE SEEMS FAR AWAYThe leaders of the coalition parties seems late in adopting the National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA), which is necessary for Turkey to join the EU as a full member. The leaders discussed the programme yesterday and they decided not to go into detail regarding the political criteria that will cause Turkey to give commitments. A new document will be prepared regarding broadcasting in Kurdish language, as this causes concern for the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). If Europe approves the Frame Agreement in February and if aid is given to Turkey, the government will take up the National Programme in March. ALONE IN ANKARA SABAH (LIBERAL)HISTORICAL NIGHT AT PRESIDENTIAL PALACEThe first reception hosted by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer upon the new year brought together many persons from the media, business and politics circles and representatives of foreign countries. The religious leaders of the Armenians and Orthodox Christians attended the reception for the first time. The former President Suleyman Demirel didn't come to the reception. PUBLIC OFFICIALS ARE AFRAID OF SIGNING ANY DOCUMENT CUMHURIYET (LEFT)''IT WILL CONTINUE FOR ONE THOUSAND YEARS''Chief of General Staff General Huseyin Kivrikoglu said that corruptions had spreaded everywhere. ''Either these corruptions couldn't be noticed on time or there is another reason,'' he said. Kivrikoglu who attended the new year reception hosted by the President at the Presidential Palace said, ''I earlier said that the process which started on February 28, 1997 would continue for one thousand years if it is necessary. The February 28 process will continue as long as the fundamentalist threat exists.'' VIRTUE REQUESTS DEATH ECHR HEARS RP CASE RADIKAL (LEFT)TURKEY AND SYRIA TO COOPERATE IN OIL AND NATURAL GAS FIELDSTurkey and Syria decided to make cooperation in oil and natural gas fields despite some problems in the political relations. The signing of the Principal Declaration between the two countries had postponed due to Hatay issue, but the energy ministers of the two countries decided to launch projects in energy field. GOVERNMENT NOT RUSHES FOR NATIONAL PROGRAM TURKIYE (RIGHT)EVERYBODY ANGRYBoth politicians and workers and employers were annoyed by discussions that are made without stopping to consider whether or not it's appropriate. Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said, ''I am addressing those who are trying to blacken the politics by thinking and judging wrongly - give any document you have to the authorities.'' Tansu Ciller of the True Path Party (DYP) accused the government for the graft probe and said, ''who is responsible is the leader of the government if this minister is not dismissed.'' Association of Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen (TUSIAD) Chairman Erkut Yucaoglu said, ''focusing on only detective works, spending whole day by talking about these and not carrying out any action will not be beneficial to Turkey.'' Confederation of Turkish Labor Unions (Turk-Is) Chairman Bayram Meral said, ''nobody can intervene in politicians' duties as long as they do not allow graft.'' DECISION IS CABINET'S ISTANBUL ROCKED FRANCE'S GRUDGE ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)YILMAZ, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SAYS THERE IS A CONSENSUS ON NATIONALPROGRAM Mesut Yilmaz, the deputy prime minister and the leader of the Motherland Party (ANAP), said all parties, state institutions, and the Turkish public were in agreement on the National Program of Turkey. Noting that those who were against the European Union (EU) were aiming at setting up a dictatorship regime in Turkey similar to those in Syria and Iraq, Yilmaz said Turkey shouldn't leave its destiny to the hands of people who could take Turkey to a point where none of us would prefer to be. Yilmaz added the delicate issues of the National program could be worked out through dialogue and consensus. IMF DELEGATION ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO THREE ISSUES -NATO SECRETARY GENERAL ROBERTSON SAYS WHEN AZERBAIJANI Speaking in a conference held in Yerevan's State University, Robertson said that ''the main problem in the region is not the relations of Armenia with Turkey, but the conflict of Karabakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan. When the latter is resolved, the problems in the relations between Turkey and Armenia will also be solved.'' The solution of Karabakh problem will have positive effects on the region, Robertson said, adding that ''this will also have positive impact on Armenia's relations with other countries.'' -YENISEHIR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT EXPECTED TO BE Speaking to the A.A correspondent, Ahmet Savas from the Makyol Insaat A.S. which undertook construction of the airport said that the airport which had been ''partially opened to day time flights'' on November 3, 2000 by Transportation and Communications Minister Enis Oksuz did not have the international civil aviation standards for the time being. Noting that high voltage power line which was necessary for day time flights was installed the day before, Savas said that the airport would be opened to day time air traffic in March of 2001 as distribution of the line would last for 1.5 months. Stressing that there was a need for a 7 trillion Turkish liras of source to open the airport to international air traffic, Savas said that the airport could be completely put into service in August of 2001 if the necessary source was obtained. -EU EXTENDS SUPPORT TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS IN TURKEY Speaking to A.A correspondent, Lutfi Onat, the director of the municipality's department of environment said that they came the first in the category of ''Healthy Environment'' in a competition held by the EU Environment Commission last year in which environmental investments of candidate countries were evaluated. Onat said that they were also awarded with a credit of 20 million dollars, adding that they will use this money to finance 14 new environmental projects. Onat said that Izmit will not be different from other developed cities of Europe by this new environmental investments. ''The most important one among the projects is the foundation of the installation to decompose package wastes. We expect this project to cost nearly 300,000 U.S. dollars,'' said Onat. He added that the will send these projects to the EU for approval. -CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROQUE VISITS STATE MINISTER YUCELEN ''Political relations between Turkey and Cuba constitute a cornerstone in Turkey's opening to Latin America,'' said Yucelen, speaking after a meeting with Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque. Yucelen noted that he was the co-chairman of the Turkish-Cuba Joint Economic Commission (JEC) and that he actively worked in that area. Yucelen commented that economic and commercial relations between the two countries were not at the desired level. The state minister also invited Cuban leader Fidel Castro to the opening of a joint Turkish-Cuban cigar factory that is due to start production this February. Roque said for his part that he was pleased to be in Turkey, adding that bilateral relations between the countries were improving. He thanked Turkey for voting at the United Nations in favour of lifting the embargo on Cuba and added that he and Yucelen had discussed holding Turkish-Cuban JEC meetings in Turkey. -TRABZON GOVERNOR: TURKISH-IRAN COMMERCIAL RELATIONS SHOULD BE Deputy Governor Hussein Hashimi of the Zencan province in the Iranian Islamic Republic and Zencan State Trade Director Reza Seyidinik and an accompanying delegation visited Yazar. Speaking at the meeting, Yazar said that they had earlier carried out several projects with Zencan. ''However, such projects should be done more practically,'' he added. ''We should put Turkish-Iranian commercial relations on firmer footing.'' Hashimi said for his part that economic, social and cultural relations between Turkey and Iran should be further developed. ''Trabzon and Zencan have taken very positive steps in this field,'' he stated. ''As a result of our visits to Trabzon, we will clearly set forward the fields in which we can establish commercial relations.'' -FOREIGN MINISTRY: ''WE EXPECT FROM THE FRENCH PARLIAMENT Huseyin Dirioz, the ministry's deputy spokesman, addressed the matter of the French resolution and similar such initiatives at a weekly news conference. Dirioz said that it was government policy to determine what should be done to counter negative developments in this area. Dirioz brought up the words of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit on the issue. Ecevit had said: ''We expect that France's Parliament and its government will not allow the excellent level of our bilateral relations to be overshadowed by such initiatives, and we also hope that facts and common sense will prevail and that Turkish-French relations, which we value greatly, will suffer no damage.'' -FOREIGN MINISTRY:''THERE IS NO DELAY IN TURKEY'S NATIONAL PROGRAM'' Responding to allegations of a delay, Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Huseyin Dirioz said that General Secretariat for the EU and the government made the necessary explanations on this matter. ''Since there was no scheduled program neither by Turkey nor by the EU, there is no delay in question. The EU General Secretariat is running the activities on this matter,'' he explained. [02] EMET BOR EXPORTED 31 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS OF BORON ORE IN 2000EMET, Jan 17 (A.A) - Emet Bor A.S. exported 31 million U.S. dollars of boron ore in 2000, company officials announced on Wednesday. Emet Bor is a division of Eti Holding, a company which is slated for privatization.The officials stated that Emet had exported nearly 158,000 tons of boron ore to Japan, Italy, Spain, India, Luxembourg and Israel. They said that boron was used as rocket fuel, for nuclear energy and in the production of rockets, missiles and armoured vehicles. They added that the mineral was used also as an additive in the steel-iron, glass, porcelain, ceramic, paper, detergent, fertilizer and metallurgy sectors. -DETAINED BUSINESSMAN SELIM EDES WAS WANTED IN TURKEY FOR SERVING Edes was sentenced to a heavy fine and a prison sentence of one year and eight months on April 6, 1995 for giving a bribe to Engin Civan, the former director general of Emlak Bank. But Edes stayed in prison 47 days fewer than his given sentence. The court decision on Edes was approved by the Supreme Court of Appeals on September 29, 1995. Edes was released the same day, but it later came out that he stayed in prison for 195 days. He has also been charge with fraudelently declaring bankruptcy. Edes is expected to benefit from the law on conditional release. Turan Inceoglu, Edes' lawyer, told the A.A that his client had to return to Turkey within 30 days following the law's going into force. Edes will be released after being questioned, Inceoglu said. -HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MARTONYI DUE TO VISIT ANKARA Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Huseyin Dirioz told a weekly press briefing that Turkish-Hungarian bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues would be discussed in interdelegational talks under the leadership of Cem and Martonyi. Dirioz said that Martonyi would also be received by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit during his stay, and that the foreign minister and the accompanying delegation would visit Goreme in Cappadocia as well. -PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT: ''FROM NOW ON, I WANT THE WORDS 'MILITARY Addressing a DSP group meeting, Ecevit said that the leaders of the government coalition parties had had their first discussions on Turkey's National Program within the scope of the European Union (EU). He pointed out that some circles thought that a harmony could not be achieved under such an arrangement. ''The meeting (on the National Program) was for establishing harmony and making compromises,'' he said. ''Of course, the program couldn't be put into effect immediately. It couldn't take its final shape just then because it was 1,500 pages long. We had to examine it. However, I believe that the three coalition partners will produce a National Program in a compromise atmosphere and without too many problems. I am proud of this.'' The prime minister said one of the leading successes of the current government was its fight against graft, commenting that no previous governments had struggled against corruption as it had. ''The government's political will was influential in this matter,'' he remarked. ''Such widespread and comprehensive investigations were never seen before. Unfortunately, a concern that the net could be cast even wider is gradually spreading. I'm concerned that this anxiety could cause a halt in bank proceedings and in probes into monetary activities and banks. To this end, the investigations should be carried out very carefully but without making any concessions. I would also advise all the bureaucrats and those in the banking sector to rely on Turkish justice. Turkish justice will carry out the required investigations without doing any injustice.'' Ecevit said that at the end of last year Turkey had managed to quickly overcome an economic and financial crisis, and boasted that no other country had been able to make such a fast recovery. He said that this proved the power of the Turkish economy and the determination of its 57th government. Ecevit commented that efforts had been under way since the new year to steer the country into artificially created choppy political waters. ''Suddenly discussions on democracy and military coups appeared on the agenda,'' he said. ''Those discussions didn't come from society at large but rather from certain high levels of society. Turkey is a pioneer of democracy in the region. The Balkan countries were far from having democracies before, but their democracies are now at a quite high level. Turkey couldn't possibly move away from democracy.'' Ecevit said that such discussions could shake Turkey's economic stability and that he wanted the words ''military coup'' taken out of Turkey's political dictionary now and forevermore. Ecevit said that the Turkish Republic was an example to all countries of the region countries for its democracy and that ''the nation will live in democracy forever. Democracy will prevail in Turkey forever.'' -COTTARELLI-TOSKAY MEETING (2) Expanding on an earlier statement concerning Turkey's real sector, Toskay said, ''I said we need to take urgent measures to recover the real sector because right now the real sector is experiencing great problems in obtaining financing.'' ''As we all know, limited loans and expensive financing are creating big problems for the real sector obtaining the necessary financing,'' Toskay said. ''Certain problems might also arise and we need to do something to prevent this from happening. I pointed this out to the IMF delegation and they said they shared my views on the issue.'' Besides privatization and banking, Toskay said the income policy was another topic of discussion during his meeting with the IMF delegation. ''Income policy is one of the most difficult fields of the disinflation program,'' he contended. ''We should regard this from both the private and public sector's point of view. There are two legs of this problem. The first is civil servants' wages and the second is the collective bargaining agreements of the public workers. Both are very complicated subjects. We explained to the IMF that it was very difficult to reach a solution to these two problems considering the social conditions of our nation. However, the government is doing its best to solve these two problems.'' In response to a reporter's question, Toskay said that a draft law had been drawn up to attract more foreign capital to Turkey and that among its measures would be the establishment of new industrial regions and cutting bureaucratic red tape in those areas. -DRAFT RESOLUTION ON SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, and Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu have written letters to their French counterparts warning that adoption of the resolution would damage Turkish-French relations. A Turkish Parliament delegation which traveled to Paris last week has said that it might ask the government to impose economic sanctions on France if the resolution passes. Meanwhile, some French parliamentarians claimed that the resolution had a ''symbolic meaning'' and that ''its purpose is not to condemn the Turkish Republic.'' The resolution facing the French Parliament says, ''France officially recognizes the genocide which the Armenians were subjected to in 1915.'' If the resolution is passed, parliamentarians who oppose it can work to gather 60 signatures and would have the right to apply the Supreme Court within 15 days. However, the existence of 60 such parliamentarians seems unlikely owing to fears that they might lose the votes of Armenian electors in France's fast- approaching local elections. The resolution was originally seen by the French Parliament in 1998, and had been sent to the Senate to be passed. But the government and the chairmanship council refused to take the resolution onto the agenda for two years. However, the resolution was later brought back through the applications of individual parliamentarians. The resolution was not passed since the government and the chairmanship council did not bring it onto the agenda, and it was once again returned to Parliament. The Armenian draft resolution, the differences of views on European Security and Defense Identity (ESDI), and tensions caused by the elimination of French-German made Tigre helicopters from a tender opened by Turkey for the joint production and purchase of the 145 attack helicopters collectively casted a shadow over Turkish-French relations in the year 2000. The elimination of the French-German company Eurocopter from the bidding, even if it was not officially disclosed, caused uneasiness between Ankara and Paris. There were even claims that it caused a delay in an official visit to Turkey of French President Jacques Chirac which was expected last year. Officials of the Elysee Palace said that the visit had been postponed as France took over the EU term presidency, and that the visit was postponed because of the intense and busy program. Also, serious differences of opinion appeared between Turkey and France copncerning EU and NATO relations, and the EU's utilization of NATO capabilities in times of crisis. France, during its EU term presidency, has pioneered work for the establishment of a European defense mechanism independent from NATO. France's attitute has ignored Turkey's views, thus causing serious frictions in Turkish-French relations. In contrast to political relations, Turkish-French trade relations were positive in the year 2000. There was a 15.6 percent increase in France's exports to Turkey in the first half of last year when compared to the same period in 1999. Similarly, due to the vividness and dynamism in imports, a 19.5 percent increase was recorded in exports from Turkey to France in the same period. Also, an important increase was recorded in number of tourists coming from France to Turkey in the year 2000. The total number of tourists coming from France in January-August increased by 46 percent and reached 308,000. -CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH CEM Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Cem said his contacts with Roque would continue tomorrow. Regular visits of Cuban and Turkish government officials are strengthening relations between the two countries, Cem said, adding that a cigar factory in Istanbul, which constitutes one of Cuba's first foreign investments, would begin operations in February. There are also ongoing discussions about 13 ships which Turkey is to construct for Cuba, Cem said. Besides tourism, Cem said, the two countries were also planning to work together in the health field on their own home soils and in Africa and South America as well. The Turkish-Cuban Joint Economic Council (JEC) will convene in Ankara in May, Cem said, adding that the dates for visits to Turkey of the Cuban health and foreign investments ministers would become definite at a later date. Roque also spoke to reporters after the meeting and said that Cem's visit to Cuba last year was a ''turning point'' for relations between the two countries. Stating that bilateral relations were currently at a very good point, Roque said that he had brought a letter from Cuban President Fidel Castro to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. The Cuban economy is on its way to a full recovery, the Cuban foreign minister said, and called on Turkish businessmen to cooperate with their Cuban colleagues. Roques said that there was no drug problem in Cuba but that the government was taking the matter seriously due Cuba's developing tourist sector, adding that they wanted to benefit from Turkey's experience in the field. In response to a question, Roque said he regarded the visit of Turkish parliamentarians to Cuba last year as a ''evidence of friendship''. He also stated that he would be glad to host a Turkish delegation at the international parliamentarians meeting in Cuba in April. -TURKEY'S ARMENIAN PATRIARCH MUTAFYAN SAYS TURKEY AND ARMENIA Mutafyan was returning home after attending New Year's celebrations with the Armenian community on Crete. Answering reporters' questions at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, Mutafyan said, ''The two sides should start a direct dialogue, otherwise third parties will abuse this matter for their own interests.'' Mutafyan said that, as a member of the clergy, he would work to contribute to starting such a dialogue. -''RELIANT MERMAID-3'' MANOEUVRES Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Huseyin Dirioz told reporters that the manoeuvres were wholly concerned with humanitarian aim and that they didn't target any country when asked if negative reactions had come from other countries to the manoeuvres. Responding to a question about the visit of Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami, Dirioz said Ben-Ami would visit Turkey to brief officials about contacts in the ongoing Middle East peace process. -TRNC PRESIDENT DENKTAS:''GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE SHOULD ACCEPT THE FACT Denktas said the Greek Cypriot side's evalutions during yesterday's Greek Cypriot National Council meeting were incorrect and stressed that the Cyprus conflict could only be resolved by accepting the existence of two legal states, two sovereign nations, and two nations with the right to self- determination in Cyprus. He indicated that the Greek Cypriot administration should accept the fact that the two states emerged after the Greek Cypriots demolished by use of force the partnership republic which was founded in 1960. ''The Greek Cypriot side should start recognizing the realities,'' Denktas continued. ''It is politically unethical to continue their efforts to possess the whole island. The Turkish Cypriot side will continue its determination to protect its state, equality and sovereignty.'' -CONTACTS OF IMF DELEGATION The IMF delegation, in their meetings made by the economy officials, the rise in rate of interests, which started last November with the capital outflow, will return to the previous level with the capital inflow again. The IMF officials said within the framework of the momentum that will be added to the privatization in March and April, the foreign investors will begin to return to Turkey, and pointed out that the interest rates will reduce to their previous levels within this framework. The IMF delegation, led by Cottarelli, separated into two groups and continued contacts in the Banking Regulatory and Supervisory Authority and the Central Bank. Meanwhile, it was reported that the IMF delegation also met with the officials of the World Bank, and exchanged views regarded with the implementation of the economy program and the support that will be given to structural programs.
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