Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-01-21

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

21 JANUARY

2001 Sunday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

WE ARE IN WORLD LEAGUE BY PRIVATIZATION OF TUPRAS AND POAS
The privatization initiatives of the Petrol Ofisi Inc. (POAS) and Turkish Oil Refineries Inc (TUPRAS) in 2000 were ranked among the biggest privatization initiatives in the world. The ''Privatization International Yearbook 2001'' included the two giant privatization initiatives in Turkey in 2000. Turkey ranked the 11th in the list by the privatization of Petrol Ofisi Inc. Turkey had privatized 51 percent of shares of POAS at 1 billion 260 million U.S. dollars. Turkey became the 14th in the list by the public offering of 31.5 percent of the shares of TUPRAS in return for 1 billion 143 million U.S. dollars.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

MEDICAL INTERVENTION IN DEATH FASTING INMATES
Four of the death fasting inmates in the Kartal prison were brought to the Kartal Education and Research Hospital on the 90th day of the protest. Four woman inmates got off the ambulance and walked to the hospital. Tests will be made on the inmates.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

DIFFERENT KINDS OF RETALIATION
The Baskent University took the most unusual measure against the adoption of the resolution on the so-called genocide on the Armenians by the French parliament. The Baskent University ended the French courses in the colleges and faculties. The Gaziantep University requested that the working visa of the French archeologist who carries out excavations in the ancient Zeugma site should be cancelled. The Istanbul Fruit-Vegetable Marketplace decided not to sell French apple.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

FOREIGN MINISTER CEM IN LIBYA
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem left for Libya on a two day official visit. Within the framework of his visit to Libya, Cem met with his Libyan counterpart Mohammad Salkam. The two foreign ministers stressed the friendship stemming from the history.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

Security General Directorate said a total of 46, 375 traffic accidents occurred in Turkey in the year 2000. A total of 3, 941 people died in these accidents. According to these figures approximately 1,278 accidents occurred in Turkey per day and one person lost his life in each 2 hours six minutes.

GIANT INVESTMENT IN ENERGY
Foundation of Aliaga Power Plant, which formed the last chain of the Adapazari-Gebze-Izmir Natural Gas Power Project, was laid. The financial cost of the Natural Gas Power plant is 2.2 billion U.S. dollars.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

ACTION PLAN IS UNDERWAY
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said an action plan will be prepared against France which adopted the resolution on so-called genocide on Armenians. Ecevit said the plan will be prepared in a way that will not hurt Turkey. Ecevit said, ''the Foreign Ministry carries of detailed works.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

TURKISH PEOPLE IN U.S. TO LAUNCH EFFORTS TO BOYCOTT FRENCH PRODUCTS
The Turkish people in the U.S. will launch efforts to boycott the French products after the French parliament adopted the resolution on the so- called genocide on the Armenians despite all the warnings of Turkey.

Below listed the measures backed by the Turkish associations in the U.S.:

- Turkish people who have cars are asked not to buy petrol from the French Total and Elf companies.

- Turkish people are asked not to go to France for Eid al-Adha holiday and some other holidays.

- Turkish people are asked not to go to French restaurants in the U.S. and not to fly by French airline company Air France.

-ACCIDENT IN ENTRANCE OF ISTANBUL STRAIT
-TWO TURKISH FLAGGED CARGO SHIP COLLIDES, ONE
OF THEM SINKS
ISTANBUL - Two Turkish flagged cargo ships collided in entrance of the Istanbul Strait on Sunday. One of the ships sank, and seven crew members of the ship were rescued.

''Nadya,'' which was trying to enter from the Black Sea to the Istanbul Strait, and ''Kaptan Cavit,'' which was going from Marmara to the Black Sea, collided at around 06:35 local time.

''Kaptan Cavit,'' received serious damage after the accident and sank. Its seven crewmen were rescued.

-FOREIGN MINISTER CEM MEETS WITH LIBYAN COUNTERPART
TRIPOLI - Foreign Minister Ismail Cem met on Saturday with Libyan Foreign Minister Abdulrahman Mohammad Salkam.

Following the tete-a-tete meeting, the interdelegationary meetings started.

At the beginning of the inter-delegationary meetings, Salkam said that he hopes that this visit will have a significant contribution to the development of relations.

Salkam noted that Cem is respected by the whole world and especially in their region as a man of culture.

The bilateral relations were held in several fields in 1970s, Salkam stated.

Salkam said, ''there was a stagnation in the relations in recent years because the visits and contacts were interrupted. To this end, we think it will be beneficial to intensify the visits and contacts.''

There are many points on which Turkey and Libya can agree but there are small amount of problems between the two countries, Salkam noted.

Salkam pointed out that the problems can be overcome by the contacts.

Emphasizing the importance of Libya in the Mediterranean and Africa, Salkam said that Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi exerts effort to end the regional conflicts in Africa.

Salkam stressed that they can exert joint efforts with Turkey for the development of Africa.

Diplomatic sources said that during the talks, the two sides emphasized that there are radical relations between the two countries coming from the history.

The sources noted that the two sides decided to set up a regular political consultation mechanism between the foreign ministers.

The Turkish side informed the Libyan side about Turkey's role in the Middle East peace process, the sources said, stating that the Libyan officials appreciated Turkey's role.

The sources said that the Libyan side drew the attention to the interruption in the economic relations and emphasized that these relations should be revived.

Meanwhile, Cem visited Turgutreis Tomb, Turkish Shopping Mall which was built during the rule of the Ottoman Empire, and a Turkish school in Tripoli.

-TOMB BELONGING TO ROMAN ERA FOUND IN IZMIT
IZMIT - A tomb and bones belonging to the Roman era were found in Izmit on Saturday.

Two people who were repairing a house in Izmit found a tomb and called the security forces.

Avni Dilbaz, the Curator of Izmit Museum, and the accompanying archeologists who came to the spot determined that the tomb and the bones belonged to the Roman era.

Dilbaz said that the bones will be taken under protection, adding that such tombs had earlier been found in Izmir.

-ACCIDENT IN ISTANBUL STRAIT (2)
-ONE OF THE CARGO SHIPS IS REPORTED TO BE
CARRYING 1100 TONNES OF WHEAT
ISTANBUL - ''Kaptan Cavit,'' the Turkish-flagged cargo ship, which sank on Sunday after colliding with another vessel in the Istanbul strait, was reported to be carrying 1100 tonnes of wheat. ''Nadya,'' the other Turkish- flagged cargo ship, which was damaged during the accident, was carrying 850 cubic meters dross.

Coast Guard and Ship Rescue General Directorate said ''Kaptan Cavit,''

which was going from Marmara to the Black Sea, and ''Nadya,'' which was trying to enter from the Black Sea to the Istanbul Strait, ''collided head on'' at around 06:35 local time.

The two cargo ships were tugged to the Turkeli anchoring area after the accident. ''Kaptan Cavit,'' sank at 09:00 local time, and its seven crew members were rescued.

''Nadya,'' the other cargo ship, was anchored to the Turkeli anchoring area. ''Nadya,'' did not ask for help so far.

Officials said the reason of the accident could not be determined yet.

-TURKEY HAS SIX SATELLITE POSITIONS IN SPACE
ANKARA - Turkey has six satellite positions and three satellites in the space.

Turkey has to launch three more satellites until 2006 not to lose its positions in the space.

Officials of the Turk Telekom said on Sunday that the six positions determined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) are 25, 31.3, 42, 50, 56 and 73.5°E.

The Turksat 1B is at 31.3°E and Turksat 1C and Turksat 2A are at 42°E.

In accordance with the Turkish Telecom Law, privilage should be taken from the Transportation Ministry to launch a satellite and then, an application should be made to the ITU.

The launching of the satellite can be postponed for three years depending on reasons like the development of technology and the change in marketing opportunities.

If there are more than one country which want to launch satellites to the same position, the officials of the concerned countries should agree with each other that the broadcastings will not affect each other. In such a case, these countries should notify ITU about their decision and then, the initiatives are launched.

Meanwhile, not more than eight satellites can be launched to the same coordinate on condition that the frequency of these satellites are different from each other.

-NATIONAL DEFENSE MINISTER CAKMAKOGLU SAYS
THEY HAVE COME TO THE FINAL STAGE IN EVALUATION
OF ''ATTACK'' WAR HELICOPTERS, NEW GENERATION TANKS
AND AWACS PLANES
ANKARA - National Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu said on Sunday that they have come to the final stage in evaluation of company licence in tenders of 145 tactic-attack-reconnaissance (ATTACK) helicopters, and 250 first new generation tank tenders.

National Defense Minister Cakmakoglu evaluated the developments in important defense industry projects which the Defense Industry Undersecretariat included in its program.

Cakmakogu said, contract talks continued with the U.S. Bell Textron Company in production of ATTACK war helicopters which were planned to cost four billion U.S. dollars according to a decision which the Defense Industry Executive Committee took last year. Cakmakoglu said the production will be made in installations of the Turkish Aviation Industry (TAI).

Cakmakoglu said important steps have been taken in project regarded with the joint production of the first 250 of the 1000 new generation tanks program, which was taken to the plans aiming to strengthen the Turkish Armed Forces.

Cakmakoglu said efforts were underway to complete the new generation tanks program in the planned time, noting that tests are underway to try the models which four companies proposed last year. Cakmakoglu said tanks of Germany, Ukraine, French Lecrec and the U.S. Abrams were tested so far.

Cakmakoglu said, an agreement was about to be signed with the related company regarding the procurement of the awacs plane, having a value of 1,5 billion U.S. dollars.

He said talks were underway with the U.S. Boeing company which ranked the first, noting that talks could end in the second half of this year.

-10.4 BILLION U.S. DOLLAR TRADE MADE FROM FREE ZONES
ANKARA - A total of 10 billion 367 million 390 thousand U.S. dollar trade was made from the free zones in the first eleven months of 2000.

The figures of the Foreign Trade Undersecretariat's Free Zones General Directorate indicated that the trade from the free zones which was 6 billion 992 million 316 thousand U.S. dollars in the same period in 1999, increased 48.3 percent in the first eleven months of 2000.

The Istanbul Leather Free Zone became the free zone which traded the most between January and November 2000 with 3 billion 711 million 712 thousand U.S. dollars. Istanbul Ataturk Airport Free Zone followed the Istanbul Leather Free Zone with 2 billion 688 million 863 thousand U.S. dollar and Mersin Free Zone ranked the third with 1 billion 603 million 155 thousand U.S. dollar.

-DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ DUE
TO DAVOS TO ATTEND WEF MEETINGS
ANKARA - Mesut Yilmaz, the Deputy Prime Minister, will represent Turkey in the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting which will be held in Davos, Switzerland. The annual regular meetings of this year will take start on January 25.

Presidents of Venezuela, Mexico, Poland, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Senegal, Nigeria, and Mozambique, and prime ministers of Japan and Mongolia will attend the meeting which will last till January 30.

More than 500 jouralists, 36 non-governmental organizations, and representatives of more than 1000 companies are expected to attend this year's meeting.

Nearly 200 authors and artists, including Elie Wiesel, Paul Kennedy, Peter Gabriel, Mario Vargas Llosa, Martha Nussbaum, and George Church are also expected to attend the meetings that will last for six days.

Reducing differences between developed and developing countries, and plans to the joint future of the world are the main subjects of the WEF meetings.

Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit had attended last years meeting which had taken place in January 27 and February 1.

-KEMALIST THOUGHT SOCIETIES LAY BLACK WREATH
IN FRONT OF FRENCH EMBASSY IN ANKARA
ANKARA - Ankara University Kemalist Thought Societies on Sunday protested France which adopted the resolution on so-called genocide on Armenians and set a French flag, and laid a black wreath in front of the French Embassy in Ankara.

A group of university students gathered in Paris Streeet and issued a press release.

The statement said the European states and the U.S. were in an effort to announce Turkey as criminal on human rights, and that Turkey's entrance process to the European Union (EU) was tried to be postponed.

Meanwhile, Turkish Union Associations based in Aegean Izmir province, laid black wreath to the French Consulate, and protested the decision of the French parliament.

The Great Unity Party (BBP) supporters also protested the decision and threw eggs to the walls of the French Embassy.

-TOTAL OF 661.9 TONS OF COTTON PRODUCED IN SANLIURFA
SANLIURFA - A total of 661.9 tons of cotton was produced in southeastern Sanliurfa province in 2000.

Officials told A.A correspondent on Sunday that 661.9 tons of cotton was produced from 197.300 hectares of cultivated field in Sanliurfa.

The officials said that the cotton provided 3 trillion Turkish lira (TL) income to the economy of the city.

Sanliurfa produces one third of the overall cotton production of Turkey, the officials added.

-SHIP ACCIDENTS IN STRAITS
ISTANBUL - Twelve ship accidents happened in the Istanbul and Canakkale straits in 2000.

The figures of the Maritime Undersecretariat indicated that a total of 89, 640 cargo ships passed through the straits last year, including 48,079 from Istanbul Strait and 41,561 from Canakkale Strait.

Thirty-nine percent of the ships passing through Istanbul Strait which is equivalent to 19,209 ships accepted guide captains while 26 percent of the ships passing through Canakkale Strait which is equivalent to 11,130 ships do not accept the assistance of guide captains.

Eighty-five percent of the accidents happening in Istanbul Strait are human- oriented accidents.

Timur Ildeniz, the chairman of the Turkish Guide Captains Association, told A.A correspondent that more than two thousand ships, including the local traffic, sail in Istanbul Strait a day and that this is very risky for Istanbul.

Ildeniz said that it is not possible to decrease the traffic in Istanbul Strait by the current international laws.

The guide captains undertake important responsibilities in the prevention of accidents in the straits, Ildeniz noted.

Ildeniz said, ''a decision that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) took in 1995 recommends the ships passing through the straits to accept the assistance of the guide captains. But, a few ships obey this decision.''

Fifteen percent of the accidents happen due to the ships which are not in normal standards, Ildeniz added.

-FOREIGN MINISTER CEM DEPARTS FROM LIBYA
TRIPOLI - Foreign Minister Ismail Cem departed from Libya on Sunday after wrapping up his contacts in Tripoli.

Cem and the accompanying delegation left for Gaza Strip.

Foreign Minister Cem and his Libyan counterpart Abdurrahman Muhammad Salkam signed a memorandum of understanding which foresaw regular consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries.

In the signing ceremony, Cem said that there are many things that Turkey and Libya will do together.

Cem noted that the history and the interests of the two countries push two countries to take joint steps.

This visit started a new era in the direction of the interest of the two countries, Cem stated.

Salkam said that although the visit was short, it had positive contributions on the interrupted relations.

They discussed the issues concerning the two countries, the regional and international issues during their contacts, Salkam noted.

Salkam requested Cem convey good will messages of Libyan leader Muammar al- Qaddafi to the Turkish naton and President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.

-PARLIAMENT'S COUNCIL OF EUROPE DELEGATION LEAVES FOR FRANCE
ISTANBUL - Members of Parliament's Council of Europe delegation left for Strasbourg on Sunday to attend Assembly winter session of the council for the year 2001.

Uluc Gurkan, the chairman of the Turkish delegation, speaking before their departure from Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, said there were two important issues for Turkey.

Gurkan said, ''in the previous period, Turkey was not presented in Chairmanship Office in Council of Europe. Turkey's representation in the office will be voted again on Monday.''

Gurkan said, ''the other important issue is that accreditation of the delegations of Azerbaijan and Armenia will be voted. It will be our duty to stress Armenian occupation especially on Azerbaijani territory.''

Gurkan said Council of Europe's report about Turkey would be discussed in the April session, noting that preparations of this would be made there.

Responding to a question about the resolution on so-called genocide on Armenians which was adopted in the French parliament, Gurkan said, ''this issue is not on the agenda of Council of Europe. However, this does not mean that it would not be brought to the agenda. It will be beneficial to convey the realities to the parliamentarians in Council of Europe starting as of today. We should use all the fields effectively.''

-CONTACTS OF FM CEM IN LIBYA
TRIPOLI- Within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed at the end of Foreign Minister Ismail Cem's visit to Libya, Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting was foreseen to be held by the end of the year.

The memorandum of understanding, which was signed by Cem and his Libyan counterpart Abdurrahman Mohammad Salkam, pointed out the deep historical ties connecting Turkish and Libyan peoples, and the sides decided to enliven and improve bilateral relations in every field.

The foreign ministers of the sides were foreseen to convene in regular intervals, and the concerned sides reached consensus regarding establishment of a political consultation mechanism led by political directors.

Improvement of Turkish-Libyan economic cooperation was also discussed in the memorandum of understanding, and also chairmen of the Foreign Ministry economic units were decided to gather in a work group.

The memorandum of understanding aimed at operating the JEC mechanism, and within this framework, the sides decided to hold JEC follow-up meeting in Ankara within the first six months of this year, and to hold 19th JEC meeting by the end of this year.

Meanwhile, it was reported that Ali Abduselam Et Treki, Libyan Minister responsible for African affairs, proposed Turkey to be observer in the ''African Union.'' Turkish side said it was positive toward this proposal, and gave the mesage that the proposal was in harmony with Turkey's opening policy to Africa.

Diplomatic sources said Libya, which was reported to feel uneasy over Turkish-Israeli relations before, did not bring this issue onto the agenda, and described this as a positive step.

The Turkish side mentioned the middle Middle East peace process, and briefed about Turkey's contribution to the process.

Within the framework of the talks, joint investments of Turkish and Libyan businessmen in the African continent were also discussed.

Cem and the accompanying delegation, within the scope of their contacts in Tripoli, visited the house of Muammar al-Qadaffi, which was bombed by the U.S. on April 15, 1986.

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