Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-02-13

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

13 FEBRUARY

2001 Tuesday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

The ''economic tension,'' which was experienced after France adopted the resolution on so-called genocide on Armenians, is not spread to tourism despite the efforts of the parliamentarians supporting Armenians.

DEMIRALP: ''WE HAVE LIMITED SOURCE, WE CAN NOT DEVIATE FROM ECONOMIC
PROGRAM''
Selcuk Demiralp, the Treasury Undersecretary, speaking about the solution of the problems of the real sector, pointed out that, ''We have limited source and we can not exceed the frame of the program which should be continued without any deviation.''

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

Inheritance of Turkes worth of 1.2 trillion lira, caused difficulty in the MHP. Upon the allegations that all the money could belong to the MHP, Bahceli pointed out the Political Parties Law and gave the message that they should not involve in the issue.

THE PROTESTS WERE NOT IN VAIN
The decision which the people waited for was taken 4.5 years after Susurluk accident which revealed politician, mafia and police triangle in Turkey.

Ibrahim Sahin, the former Deputy Chairman of Special Operations Department, and Korkut Eken, a former official of National Intelligence Agency (MIT), were sentenced on Monday to six years in prison on charges of ''forming an organization with the aim of committing crimes and leading this organization'' within framework of ''Susurluk case''.

Istanbul State Security Court (DGM) no: 6 sentenced other 12 suspects to four years in prison on charges of ''forming an organization with the aim of committing crimes''.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

Cem, currently on a two-day official visit to Iran, spoke to journalists on the plane and said political and security issues as well as economy would be discussed during his visit.

GOKALP: DROUGHT MAY TURN TURKEY INTO AFGHANISTAN
Husnu Yusuf Gokalp, the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister, said Turkey was faced with a serious threat of drought, and warned that Turkey might turn into Afghanistan. Gokalp said a Water Council should be set up urgently.

LIVE BOMB ALARM
Security forces are on the alert after getting information saying that Sengul Gulsoy, a member of the terrorist organization DHKP-C could stage a suicide attack in Tokat and Sivas provinces.

The photographs of Gulsoy, who is in rural parts of Tokat province have been given to the concerned units. Security forces said that Gulsoy is a drug addict.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

NEW CLAIMS ABOUT SUSPICIOUS WEALTH
Discussion on the 1.1 trillion Turkish lira (TL) which became the reason for the case against daughters of Alparslan Turkes, former leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), continue. While claims which said that Turkes had opened special deposit accounts at banks in European countries against possibility of a military coup were put forward, some other assertions said that the money collected at those banks had been used to serve the Turkish Republics and Chechnya. Also Treasury Undersecretariat took action as Alparslan Turkes did not mention about this 1.1 trillion TL deposited at a bank in England in any declaration of his assets.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

CALL TO SET UP DELEGATION FOR F TYPE PRISONS
Relatives of inmates, who are on the 115th day of the death fast, came to Ankara to find a solution. Police prevented the relatives, nearly 80 people, who gathered in Kurtulus Park. Polie took 11 people into custody.

Five people, representing the families, met with Ihsan Erbas, the Justice Ministry Undersecretary, and Ali Suat Ertosun, the Director General of Prisons, and wanted a delegation to be set up to end the death fasts.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

THERE WON'T BE SUPPLEMENTARY SOURCE
Sending a message to the business world which requested financial support of the government, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Treasury Undersecretary Selcuk Demiralp said that it was impossible to exceed the frame of the program. Ecevit said, ''we are facing a serious lack of source. We are obliged to continue the program without any deviation. However, the economy should be revived with sound sources.''

DAY OF HOPE AT EU
European Parliament General Assembly will put the Frame Regulations Document to vote on February 15. The document is very important in regard to financial cooperation and assistance. Turkey receives credits if the result of the vote will be in favor of Turkey.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

THREE SUSPECTS SENTENCED TO 77 YEARS ON CHARGES OF STEALING T-SHIRTS
Our judicial system which sentences suspects to six years in prison on charges of forming illegal gangs sentenced three suspects to 77 years in prison on charges of stealing two T-shirts and 400 thousand Turkish lira from a shop.

ALSO ARMENIANS DISCOVER EU
Armenian organizations started to make propaganda in European countries recommending them to force Turkey to accept Armenian allegations in return for its EU full membership. With this objective, Armenians are opening unofficial information offices in Europe.

NO SOURCE TO REAL SECTOR
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that they assessed demands of real sector but they were facing a serious lack of source. He said that measures which would be announced soon would relieve real sector.

ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS A BIG LIE
Turkish History Authority Chairman Yusuf Halacoglu said that historical documents disprove Armenian allegations. ''In that period, 1.3 million Armenians were living in Anatolia. Massacre of 1.5 million Armenians is a big lie,'' he said.

-JOINT CALL FROM CTP IN TRNC AND EDI IN GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE
LEFKOSA - Republican Turkish Party (CTP) in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), and the United Democrats (EDE) in the Greek Cypriot side, called on talks to be intensified and continued for the solution of Cyprus question.

The CTP officials, led by Mehmet Ali Talat, the leader, and the EDE officials, led by George Vasiliou, the leader of EDE, convened on Monday in Greek Cypriot side and held a joint meeting.

CTP Press Office issued a statement and said the two parties called on the talks to be continued and intensified in the direction of indispensable joint interests of the Turkish and Greek Cypriots, within the scope of the U.N.'s set of ideas, and according to the principles of high level agreements.

The statement expressed concern over the interruption of the talks, noting that CTP and EDE defended that membership of (Cyprus) to the European Union (EU) would serve to the interests and development of the two communities.

The statement said the CTP and EDE were of the same opinion that works should be done to find a solution to Cyprus question before entering to the EU.

The statement expressed belief that Helsinki Agreement and positive relations developing between Turkey and Greece would ease tension and contribute to the solution of the problem.

-''TURKISH FESTIVAL'' TO START IN NETHERLANDS
AMSTERDAM - The ''Turkish Festival'' which includes Anatolian folk music will start in the Netherlands on Tuesday.

The festival which was organized by the Culture and Art Foundation KULSAN and Tropical Institute will start with a concert which will be performed by Turkish Folk Music singers Mehmet Ozbek, Sureyya Davulcuoglu and Ali Ekber Cicek at The Hague late on the same day.

Within framework of the festival which will continue until end of May, nearly fifty concerts will be staged in ten cities including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht.

Within scope of the festival, three different conferences on Turkish Music will be held and a photograph exhibition will be opened.

The festival which was organized following a two-year work and will cost almost 1 million Dutch guilder (300 billion Turkish lira) will be sponsored by Dutch organizations.

Mehmet Ozbek, Ali Ekber Cicek and Sureyya Davulcuoglu who will stage concert tonight will perform concerts also in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Haarlem and Eindhoven.

Turkish folk music singer Sabahat Akkiraz and Dutch singer Jasperine de Jong will give concerts in five cities as of February 16.

Within framework of the festival, Turkish and Greek musicians will give a series of concerts.

Besides, Nurhan Damcioglu of Turkey will stage Turkish tango and canto concerts.

Okay Temiz, a world-wide famuos Turkish drummer, will give a concert together with six foreign mucisians. They will be accompanied by the Culture Ministry's Janissary Band of Musicians.

Within framework of the festival, Turkish actor, theatre player and comedian Mujdat Gezen will stage stand-up shows in two cities.

Turkish singer Orhan Gencebay and Prof. Murat Belge will attend the conferences on Turkish music.

Turkish photographer Ara Guler's photograph exhibition reflecting images of Turkey will be opened on March 6 in Amsterdam. The exhibition will remain open until April 2.

The Turkish Festival will end with the concerts which will be given by Turkish singer Adnan Senses in the second half of May.

-OKUYAN, MINISTER OF LABOUR LEAVES FOR HUNGARY
ISTANBUL - Yasar Okuyan, the minister of labour and social security, went to Hungary on Tuesday for an official visit as the guest of Hungarian minister of social affairs and family.

Prior to his departure from Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, Okuyan said he and his Hungarian counterpart would discuss reports prepared by the technicians on Social Security Agreement that would be signed by Turkey and Hungary.

Noting that they would also exchange views on immigration issues which are important to both countries, Okuyan said he would also make contacts on European Union (EU) issues concerning his ministry.

Okuyan added he would also make bilateral contacts with Hungarian Health Minister about the social security institution hospitals.

-GUNGOR DILMEN'S ''I, ANATOLIA'' PLAY TO BE STAGED IN BROADWAY
NEW YORK - ''Ben Anadolu'' (I, Anatolia) play, in which Gungor Dilmen, a prominent Turkish author, depicted the history of Anatolia with the perspective of women, will be staged in Broadway, New York by the Turkish artists, sources said on Tuesday.

The play which was translated into English named as ''I, Anatolia'', and will be staged on at the Fazil's Times Circle Studio on February 24-25 and between March 3-25.

In the play, the history of Anatolia is explained by different women characters varying from Roman Empress Theodora to Turkish author Halide Adip Adivar and from first woman historian Annan Comnena to Kybele, the fertility goddess of the Hittites.

The play is about the disparities such as east-west, Christian-Muslim, and black-white and the identity problems dormant in the cultures.

-TURKISH EXPORTERS DELEGATION LEAVES FOR SOUTH AFRICA
-STATE MINISTER TOSKAY: ''WE WANT TO SIGN A FREE
TRADE AGREEMENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE''
ISTANBUL - State Minister Tunca Toskay said on Tuesday that they wanted to sign a free trade agreement with Republic of South Africa in the shortest time frame.

Prior to his departure from Istanbul's Ataturk Airport together with Foreign Trade Undersecretary Kursad Tuzmen, Exportation Director General Soner Masa and 57 businessmen for Republic of South Africa, Toskay said that there was a sharp decrease in exports to the European Union (EU) countries due to developments in the Euro-U.S. dollar parity in 2000.

Stressing that they adopted a policy to vary markets to which exports from Turkey remained low, Toskay said, ''with this respect, South Africa is one of the most important geographies among the target markets.''

Noting that they attributed importance to Republic of South Africa, Toskay said, ''57 representatives from 46 companies will have the opportunity to meet with representatives of nearly 140 South African companies. It is impossible for us to be satisfied with the trade volume between two countries so far if we take their economic potentials into consideration.''

Stressing that they would give necessary messages to the South African officials for development of bilateral relations, Toskay said, ''we want to sign a free trade agreement as soon as possible. The two countries carried out important preparations for prevention of double taxation. We will launch initiatives to bring these preparations to level of agreement.''

-TURKEY-IMF
-TREASURY UNDERSECRETARY DEMIRALP: ''MOST OF THE TALKS WITH IMF ARE HELD
AT THE TREASURY WITH PARTICIPATION OF OTHER RELEVANT ORGANIZATIONS''
ANKARA - Treasury Undersecretary Selcuk Demiralp said on Tuesday that most of the talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation were held at the Treasury building with participation of officials from the relevant organizations and institutions.

Speaking to the A.A correspondent, Demiralp said, ''Treasury Undersecretariat is the focal point of the program as before. Most of the talks with the IMF are held at the Treasury with participation of other relevant organizations.''

Demiralp said that IMF officials and Turkey Desk Chief Carlo Cottarelli continued their works at the Treasury after holding technical meetings with the relevant organizations. ''Coordination is at the Treasury while the IMF delegation is also carrying out works at other relevant organizations,'' he said.

Demiralp added that talks focused on banking and structural reforms.

Meanwhile, IMF delegation is expected to leave Turkey after wrapping up its contacts on Friday.

-PARLIAMENTARY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MEMBERS GET INGORMATION
ON PROBLEMS OF TURKISH CITIZENS LIVING ABROAD
BERLIN - Parliamentary Human Rights Commission members who came to Berlin, Germany to get information on problems and problems related especially with human rights of the Turkish citizens living abroad, met on Tuesday with the officials at the Berlin-Brandenburg Turkish-German Businessmen Association (TDU).

Speaking at the meeting, Commission Chairman Huseyin Akgul from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) called on Turkish citizens living in Germany to solve their problems within unity and solidarity.

Noting that Anatolia was the root of human rights, Akgul said, ''during my meeting with German Human Rights Commission Chairperson Claudia Roth in Turkey, I said that Turkey is more sincere than Germany regarding human rights issue.''

Stating that their 25-member commission was touring 12 European countries to get information about problems of Turkish citizens, Akgul said that they proceeded from Denmark to Germany.

-FOREIGN MINISTER CEM IN IRAN
-CEM MEETS WITH IRANIAN VICE PRESIDENT HABIBI
TEHRAN - Foreign Minister Ismail Cem met with Hassan Habibi, the Iranian Vice President, within the framework of his contacts in Tehran.

Cem and the accompanying delegation visited Sadabad museum following their meeting in Sadabad Palace and got information from the officials.

Cem later addressed a meeting staged by the Iranian Chamber of Commerce. Businessmen from the two countries attended the meeting.

-GENOCIDES COMMITTED BY FRANCE
-COMMISSION TO TAKE UP THREE DRAFT LAWS WHICH
FORESEE RECOGNITION OF GENOCIDES COMMITTED BY FRANCE
ANKARA - The draft laws which foresee Turkey's recognition of France's responsibility in genocides committed in several countries like Algeria will be taken up by the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commission on February 15.

The commission will take up the ''Draft Law on Genocide Committed by France in Algeria'' which was submitted by 41 deputies from the Virtue Party (FP).

Besides, the commission will discuss the ''Draft Law on Recognition of Oppression and Genocides Committed by France'' which was submitted by Bulent Akarcali, a deputy from the Motherland Party (ANAP), and the ''Draft Law on Genocide Committed by France in Algeria'' which was submitted by Mail Buyukerman, an independent deputy.

The draft law submitted by Akarcali foresees recognition of ''genocide committed by France in Algeria between 1954-1962, its oppression in Vietnam and its contribution to genocide in Rwanda'' by the parliament.

The commission will also assess the ''Draft Law on Sanctions to be Imposed on Countries Which Carry Out Works Against Turkey'' which was submitted by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Parliamentary Group Deputy Chairman Oktay Vural, Ismail Kose and Mehmet Sandir.

The draft law which foresees to authorize the Council of Ministers to take decisions on economic, cultural and political sanctions to be imposed on countries wihch carry out works against Turkey will cover all public institutions and organizations and the organizations half of which capital belongs to state.

Under the draft law, the Council of Ministers can limit those countries' participation in public tenders, purchase of goods and services from these countries and cultural and political relations with them.

The commission is expected to combine these draft laws which foresees recognition of genocides committed by France, and take up them on February 15.

-NUMBER OF TOURISTS VISITING TURKEY IN JANUARY INCREASES
ANKARA, Feb 13 (A.A) - The Ministry of Tourism which launched new promotion activities for 2001 tourism season, targets 12 million tourists and ten billion U.S. dollars in 2001, sources said on Tuesday.

The information of the Tourism Ministry show that the number of the tourists visiting Turkey in January rose by 7.67 when compared to previous year and reached to 359 thousand 512 tourists in January 2001.

The number of tourists coming from Germany incrased 59 percent while the number of tourists coming from Britain increased 33.79 percent in January 2001.

Officials said the number of tourists coming from Belgium rose 70 percent, the number of tourists from the Netherlands increased 34 percent, and the number of tourists coming from Spain increased 119 percent in the same period.

The number of the tourists coming from Europe increased 41.79 percent in January 2001 when compared to the previous year, officials added.

Noting that the Tourism Ministry would spend 40 million U.S. dollars for promotion activities, officials from the ministry said that the ministry would also host some journalists and representatives of travel agencies in Turkey this year within the framework of promotion activities.

-FOREIGN MINISTER CEM IN IRAN
-TURKISH BUSINESSMEN SAY THEY HAVE MANY
ECONOMIC EXPECTATIONS FROM IRAN
TEHRAN - Turkish businessmen and representatives of private sector who came to Tehran together with Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said on Tuesday that they have great economic expectations from Iran.

Ali Osman Ulusoy, Deputy Chairman of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) told A.A after their contacts today that time has been lost in economic relations between Turkey and Iran, adding ''I believe that there will be a very good cooperation in the economic relations between the two countries.''

Ulusoy said that the efforts of founding the Turkish-Iranian Joint Business Council will be finalized soon, adding that a delegation of 100 members from the Iranian Trade Chamber will come to Turkey in May.

''I consider this visit as a promising development in the improvement of relations,'' said Ulusoy, noting that the Turkish side is open to foundation of joint firms with Iran and undertaking investments. He stressed that the Turkish ports and free zones, including Trabzon port and free zone, are ready to provide all kinds of facilities to Iranian businessmen as in the past.

Konya Trade Chamber Chairman Huseyin Uzulmez said in his part that Iran is a big country which Turkey can't give up in respect of commerce.

''We have great expectations from Iran in economic field,'' said Ulusoy adding that people in Iran showed great interest in Turkish businessmen in Tehran.

''For instance, the number of Iranian businessmen who participated in the common meeting today is more than those who attended such meetings in Tehran before,'' he said.

Uzulmez said that the bilateral trade which was high in the past decreased a lot recently, adding that there is a 400 million dollars of deficit against Turkey last year. Uzulmez said that this deficit will further increase by the start of Iranian natural gas' export to Turkey in July.

-RUSSIAN INTERIOR MINISTER RUSHAILO CONTINUES HIS CONTACTS IN TURKEY
ANKARA - Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Borisovic Rushalio who is currently in Turkey as the official guest of Interior Minister Saadettin Tantan continued his contacts on Tuesday.

Tantan, Rushalio, and Turan Genc, the chief of security department, and the delegations of both countries came together in Ankara within the framework of the visit.

Following the meeting which lasted almost one and a half hours, interdelegationary meetings headed by the ministers started.

-STATE MINISTER RECEP ONAL RECEIVES IMF'S TURKEY DESK CHIEF COTTARELLI
ANKARA - Recep Onal, the minister of state, received on Tuesday Carlo Cottarelli, the Turkey Desk Chief of International Monetary Fund(IMF).

The meeting of Onal and Cottarelli lasted for one hour.

The IMF delegation headed by Cottarelli started its contacts in Treasury Undersecretariat on Monday within the framework of the sixth review of the ongoing economic program.

The IMF is expected to continue its contacts till Friday, February 16 and is expected to stage a joint press conference with the Treasury.

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