Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-03-06

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

06 MARCH

2001 Tuesday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

A DREAM COMES TRUE
The 50 students which the Ground Forces Command is hosting in Istanbul within the framework of a culture tour, had the time of their lives on Monday at Tatilya Entertainment Park. The students said, "We flew like birds. It was like a dream, and now it is a dream come true," as they stepped off the roller coaster. The students were also taken to a 3D movie theater to experience the excitement for the first time. The 50 successful students from various distant Anatolian towns and cities, will continue touring around Istanbul until March 10.

MILLIYET

MISSING HADEP MEMBERS IN HANDS OF PKK
A letter sent by the PKK to People's Democratic Party (HADEP) Sedar Tanis' father Suayip Tanis said that Tanis and Ebubekir Deniz were kept at a PKK camp in northern Iraq. The terrorist organization asked Suayip Tanis to tell people that the two men were killed by Turkish security offiicials when they were under arrest and pass this news to bigger masses.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

'TEAM' TO THE RESCUE
Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit said, "Kemal Dervis doesn't want to be seen as a savior, he wants these efforts to cure economy as a teamwork," adding that the repercussions of Dervis's appointment were positive both at home a nd abroad. Noting that the measures to pull the country out of the crisis would soon have been outlined, Ecevit said that Dervis, with years of experience and expertise in his field, was aware of the importance of carrying out a teamwork.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

FRENCH ANIMAL LOVERS PROTEST KILLING SHEEP IN PARIS
French animal rights activists yesterday protested that sheep killings in Paris. Althought sacrificing animals has not been officially banned, the government called on Muslims not to practice this ritual. As a result, many Muslims decided not to sacrifice animals during this year's Feast of Sacrifice. Authorities said that Muslims who came to Mantes-la-Jolie to sacrifice sheep were much fewer than usual and the number of animals sacrificed in the southern city of Marseille was 30 percent less than the previous years.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

TÜRK TAKES A BREAK AS LEADERS CONTINUE TO WORK
Coalition leaders Bülent Ecevit, Devlet Bahçeli, and Mesut Yilmaz stayed in Ankara, continuing to work in the wake of the economic crisis, as Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Türk went for a short vacation. The leaders in Ankara, after a half day exchange of greetings, went back to their offices to work on means to overcome the crisis.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

26 PEOPLE DIE IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ON FIRST DAY
OF FEAST OF SACRIFICE
A total of 26 people died and 49 others were injured in traffic accidents which occured in different places of the country on the first day of the Feast of Sacrifice. It was reported that fast driving and exceeding the speed limits was the major cause of accidents.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

-IMF:''IT IS TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE TO PROLONG STAND-BY AGREEMENT
WITH TURKY TO 2003''
WASHINGTON, D.C - International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials said on Tuesday that it was technically feasible to prolong the stand-by agreement with Turkey to 2003. The agreement was signed between Turkey and the IMF end of 1999.

The same officials also pointed out that they did not discuss this matter with the Turkish government yet.

Meanwhile, the U.S. think-tank institution the Strategic and International Studies Center issued a report on Turkey where it said combat against corruption was a pre-condition for the economic program's success.

The report also pointed out that there were differences of opinion among U.S. President George W. Bush's circle regarding support to Turkey.

-DERVIS: ''WE'LL TAKE BOLD STEPS TO RECOVER ECONOMY''
ANKARA - State Minister Kemal Dervis has said that the economic situation reached a critical point in February and added that his team would work to recover it by taking ''bold steps.''

Dervis told reporters that he would meet with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and State Minister Yuksel Yalova on Tuesday.

He pointed out that banks are his priority among other things in the economic program.

''Economy is a whole, so we should announce the entire program at once. Therefore, we'll make a public statement after everything comes together. As you know the economic situation reached a critical point in February so we should take some bold steps to recover it,'' he elaborated.

Dervis will go to the United States from Istanbul on Wednesday to submit his letter of resignation to the World Bank.

-WASTE WATER PURIFICATION FACILITY STARTS OPERATION
IN GAZIANTEP
GAZIANTEP - Gaziantep Municipality Water and Sewer Management (GASKI) General Director Hasan Savrun said that the Waste Water Purification Project which began in 1996 cost 54 million U.S. dollars.

The waste water facility has the capacity to purify 200,000 cubic meters of water every day. ''Currently, the facility is purifying 180,000 cubic meters of water. At the same time, we're producing 35 tons of fertilizer at this facility a day,'' he explained adding that they were planning to form a forest with this fertilizer.

The facility which was set up with French technology and financing is the only one in East and South East Turkey. The purified water is used to irrigate 80,000 hectars of agricultural land in the area.

-BILL BRINGS HEAVY FINES TO FIGHT CHILD LABOUR
ANKARA - A bill prepared by the Labour and Social Security Ministry proposes to fine employees for two billion TL for every child under the age of 18 they employ at dangerous and exhausting jobs. The fine increases to five billion TL if the employee commits this offense for a second time.

According to the bill, children under the age of 18 cannot work at jobs that involve alcohol and cigarette production. They also cannot work underground or underwater. They cannot be employed at too noisy environments or at jobs where they have to stand up all the time.

If a child is over 14 years old and completed the first eight years of his education, she or he could be employed at fields to pick up flowers and vegetables, feeding animal, fish farms, libraries, fairs and exhibitions. They can also be employed as sales people at bakeries and grocery stores, or work as waiter at restaurants which don't serve alcohol.

The bill bans the people who committed a crime against children and teenagers in their past, drug addicts and alcoholics and mentally disturbed people from employing children at their business places.

Employers who will employ children at art related activities will have to have the permission of the child's family and his school.

-ENVIRONMENT MINISTER AYTEKIN IN BRUSSELS
ISTANBUL - Environment Minister Fevzi Aytekin went to the Belgian capital of Brussels on Tuesday morning to attend the EU candidate countries environment ministers unofficial meeting.

The environment ministers of EU member and candidate countries will exchange opinion on environmental fields. The participants will also focus on the legal and technical changes that EU candidate countries have to make as the part of the sixth Action Plan.

It was stated that Aytekin will deliver a speech about Turkey's adjustments efforts to EU environment regulations. The meeting is important for Turkey since Aytekin will express its expectations and needs from the EU on environmental issues.

Aytekin will return home on March, 8 Thursday.

-TURKISH WOMEN STILL EXCLUDED FROM SOCIETY'S DECISION TAKING MECHANISMS
ISTANBUL - Educator Nese Doster who has been studying women in East and South East Turkey for many years has said that 40 percent of women in Turkey still find their spouses through an arranged marriage. Another thirty percent are in marriages which are approved by a religious authority, but not by the state.

Doster told the A.A that only eight million women know how to read and write and two out of a hundred women have a university degree in Turkey. About 55 percent of women don't use birth control.

''64 percent of women don't see a doctor during their pregnancy and 65 percent of them, especially in rural areas, don't appear in front of guests who come to visit their home. Around 2,500 women die during pregnancy or child birth every year. Beatings, pressures, so-called honor killings still target women in Turkey,'' she explained. Doster also pointed out that there was a rise in the number of women who committed suicide in the recent years.

''Women, who constitute half of our population, will solve most of their problems when they achieve to participate in the society's decision taking mechanisms,'' she asserted. She also said that the women's participation in Parliament was much lower than it was in the 1930's.

Men hold executive posts while women work as their assistant in all business sectors in the country, Doster said and added that the main problems are the same all over Turkey although it might vary from region to region.

Education of women and their employment is essential to improve the women's status in Turkey, she concluded.

-FIVE TONS OF SMUGGLED MEAT CAUGHT AT KAPIKULE BORDER GATE
IN FIRST TWO MONTHS OF YEAR
EDIRNE - Security officials caught five tons of meat and meat products at Edirne's Kapikule border gate while it was tried to be smuggled into Turkey in the first two months of the year, it was reported on Tuesday.

''The smugglers pay one million for one kilo of meat in Bulgaria and they could sell it here for three or four million. The demand for meat increases smuggling activities,'' one official said, adding that their inspections countinue without halt at the borders.

Last year in the same period, about 12 tons of meat and meat products were captured at the Kapikule border gate.

The meat products which are caught at the border are sent to the Agriculture and Quarantine Station to be destroyed.

-ATO RELEASES REAL SECTOR SURVEY RESULTS
ANKARA - A survey conducted by Ankara Chamber of Trade (ATO) on 2402 businesses, indicated that 59 percent of the businessmen were pessimistic about the future, ATO officials said on TuesdaY.

According to the survey, the businessmen think that government has the biggest share of responsibility, with 39 percent, in the latest economic crisis. Businessmen undertaking the survey estimated that the inflation rate would be around 25 percent by the end of the year.

The survey was carried out in the capital's biggest business centers and districts, such as Gimat, Karum, Ostim, Siteler, Anafartalar Bazaar, and Ulus; and the businessmen were asked 11 questions.

Asked about the measures they were planning to take in the wake of the economic crisis, 37 percent of the businessmen said they would preserve their current status; 32 percent said they were planning to shrink their businesses; 19 percent said they would lay off personnel, and 12 percent said they would shut down their businesses.

Thirteen percent said there was a need for a cabinet reshuffle; while 10 percent believed the economy bureaucracy needed a revision; 6 percent said the budget targets had to be reassessed; and 7 percent stressed that all of the above needed a revision.

Seventy percent said that the Presidency was the most trustworthy institution in the country, while 20 percent went for the General Staff. Six percent said Justice was the most trustworthy, and only one percent voted in favor of the government. Politicians were the least trusted, with zero percent, and the press followed after the politicians with one percent.

Asked about the responsible of the latest economic crisis, 39 percent accused the government; 19 percent accused the IMF and its policies, and 12 percent blamed the economy bureaucracy. 20 percent said the government, the IMF and the economy bureaucracy were equally responsible for the economıc turmoil.

In response to a question on their hopes for the near future, 59 percent of the businessmen expressed "severe pessimism", while 30 percent said they were optimistic, despite all the negative developments. 11 percent said they had no views about the future.

Sixty-one percent of the businessmen said they would decide after seeing what the measures would be, in response to a question as to what their reaction would be to a possible decision by the government to implement a new economic program; while 34 percent said they would not support the government in a new initiative of that sort; and only five percent expressed support to the government if it were to come up with a new economic program.

Ninety percent of the businessmen said that the inflation rate would be over 25 percent; 9 percent estimated an inflation rate between 20-25; and one percent made an estimate of 15-20 percent for the year 2001.

Sixty-four percent believed that the U.S. dollar would have topped TL 1 million; 56 percent responded against the government decision to let the TL float, while 29 percent responded in favor.

Forty percent of the businessmen said they were anxious about a possible post-crisis economic stagnation, and 20 percent were worried about payments of their debts in the post-crisis period.

-45 ILLEGAL FOREIGNERS CAUGHT IN TRAFFIC CONTROLS
GUMUSHANE - Gendarmerie teams caught 45 people from Middle Eastern countries during traffic controls in Gumushane who are illegally residing in Turkey. The foreigners were sent to Habur border gate to be deported.

There were 30 Iranians, 12 Iraqis, two Palestinians and one Afghan among those who will be deported. The foreigners were planning to pass to Europe via Turkey.

-NETHERLANDS INCREASES CHARTER FLIGHTS TO TURKEY
AMSTERDAM - Charter flights from the Netherlands to Turkey will be made more frequent to meet the increase in the number of Dutch tourists who are expected to visit Turkey this summer.

Following the charter flights which was started by Sun Express last month, Air Holland will beging transporting Dutch passengers to Turkey on April 22.

Air Holland's Boeing 757-200 type planes will fly from Amsterdam to Antalya, Dalaman, Bodrum, Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara every week. The six flights might be increased to ten according to the demand, the company officials stated.

The six-times a week schedule will continue until Oct.29, 2001 and the flights will decrease to three times a week after this date.

-NINE MILLION TOURISTS VISIT MUSEUMS AND HISTORICAL SITES
IN TURKEY LAST YEAR
ISTANBUL - Last year, more than nine million Turks and foreigners visited the museums and historical cites in the country by paying a fee totalling up to 15,8 trillion TL.

Istanbul's Topkapi Place was the most visited museum last year with one million visitors. Konya Mevlana (Rumi) and Ayasofya museum followed Topkapi with 704,000 and 695,000 visitors. Ankara's Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ankara Republic, Bodrum Underwater Archeology, Izmir Ephesus, Istanbul Archeology and Antalya Museum were among the most visited museums.

Currently, there are restoration efforts going on in 56 museums. Bolu, Duzce, Sakarya and Kocaeli museums were shut down after the August 17 and November 12 earthquakes.

A total of 6,5 trillion TL was spent for museum restorations in 1999 and 2000 while eight trillion TL was assigned for this year's restoration activities. It was reported that a big part of the cracks that occured at Topkapi Museum after the earthquakes were repaired so far.

-WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION ESSENTIAL TO SAVE ENVIRONMENT
ADANA - Prof. Gaye Erbatur from Cukurova University's Chemistry Department said on Tuesday that the environment's destruction could only be stopped through women's participation.

''Fertility is the most important similarity between women and the nature. Therefore, the nature could not be saved from being destroyed without women, '' she said.

Pointing to discrimination against women in all fields of life, Erbatur said women don't play an effective role in environmental matters since they don't participate in decision making mechanisms of the society and politics.

''Pressures that women face at home and at work block their involvement in other fields,'' she continued. ''Traditions and patriarchal social structure prevent their participation in environmental matters. A change is possible through education and this could be only done in early ages. The load of housework on women should also be lightened by equal share of responsibilities at home between the wife and the husband.''

''Break your shells,'' Erbatur called on to Turkish women and urged them to have a more active participation in Turkey's environmental problems.

-TOURS ORGANIZED TO ZEUGMA DURING HOLIDAY
GAZIANTEP - The long Feast of Sacrifice holiday offered a good opportunity to those who wanted to see the Zeugma ancient city and other historical sites in the South East Anatolia.

Gaziantep Tourism Director Mehmet Dogan said on Tuesday that the bookings at hotels and other tourism facilities in the city were very high compared to previous years. He pointed out that the wide media coverage of the Zeugma played an important role to draw tourists to the area.

Officials at the Gaziantep Archeology Museum pointed to the increasing number of tourists coming from Istanbul, Ankara, Adana, Istanbul and Izmir.

-102 KILOS OF HEROIN RECOVERED IN ISTANBUL
ISTANBUL - More than 100 kilos of heroine was found in Istanbul and ten people were taken into custody related to the incident.

Acting on a tip-off, narcotic teams raided a house in Bahcelievler Yenibosna district and recovered 81,5 kilos of heroin. Nine Turks and one Iranian man was taken into custody. After the interrogation of suspects, the police tracked down another 21 kilos of heroin and two guns in a house in Buyukcekmece Beylikduzu. Police are trying to catch another man who owned the drugs.

It was reported that the suspects were planning to smuggle the heroin to the Netherlands.

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