Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-03-16

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

16 MARCH

2001 Friday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[02] TURKISH AND U.S. BUSINESSMEN TO MEET AT AMERICAN-TURKISH

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

IKTISAT WAS ALSO BAILED OUT
The Banking Regulatory and Supervisory Board transferred yesterday the management and control of the Iktisat Bankasi to the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund.

U.S. HISTORIAN: TURKS DID NOT COMMIT A GENOCIDE
The U.S. historian Prof. Dr. Justin McCarthy said the world will one day understand that Turks were right by saying that they did not commit a genocide on Armenians. ''But this will take some time,'' he added. ''Some difficulties will arise as in the French parliament. There are people around the world who believe these lies. Because they did not hear the truth. You should know that this will be a long term effort. But the efforts will be awarded in the end. Because there is a historical fact. That is; Turks never did commit such a genocide.''

START GIVEN FOR 2008 OLYMPIADS
The Ataturk Stadium which is currently being constructed for Istanbul 2008 Olympiads will be finished this year.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

IMF:''IT'S A LATE REVOLUTION''
World Bank and IMF sources said that they believed the Turkish officials, although late, diagnosed the economic troubles of the country correctly and took the necessary precautions. The IMF is satisfied by the decision to reform the Turkish banks. It was also stated that Kemal Dervis's efforts to recover the banks will speed up the foreign financement to Turkey.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

WHITE HOUSE ASKS LEADERS:''ARE YOU SUPPORTING DERVIS?''
U.S. Ambassador Robert Pearson who had separate meetings with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz asked them if they fully supported State Minister Kemal Dervis who is in charge of economy. Ecevit, in response, said that they earlier expressed their support to Dervis, adding that in a democratic country there would always be people who criticize. Pearson said the U.S. government found the new program realistic and stated that political support and determination was very important for his country.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

SOLIDARITY PLATFORM TO VISIT SOUTH EASTERN TURKEY TO PROMOTE PEACE
Members of the Women's Solidarity for Peace group will leave for Diyarbakir on Saturday to meet with the women in the South East Anatolia. The group who is led by sociologist Pinar Selek have famous names such as Turkan Soray, Sukran Soner, Zeynep Oral and Duygu Asena. Guler Kazmaci from the group said they wanted to promote peace and democracy in this region.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

ECEVIT SAYS ECONOMIC PROGRAM TO BE COMPLETED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said the economic program would be completed as soon as possible. Recalling that Turkey was undergoing difficult days, Ecevit said the inflation rate would be high in coming months. It would gradually decrease said Ecevit and added that the working classes wouldn't be permitted to be crushed by the current economic situation.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

ECEVIT SAYS THE GOVERNMENT WON'T LET WORKERS
BE CRUSHED BY INFLATION
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has said that the inflation might be high in the next few months but he assured that the government won't let the working class be crushed by the inflation. ''The systematic devaluation of the Turkish Lira will increase export. This will help the real sector. Exporters will try to find certain products in the domestic market and this will create employment,'' he explained.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

[02] TURKISH AND U.S. BUSINESSMEN TO MEET AT AMERICAN-TURKISH

State Minister Kemal Dervis and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem will attend the conference at Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Foreign Economic Relations Council (DEIK) said in a statement on Thursday that the participants would focus on economic relations between the two countries, problems in certain sectors, and discuss solutions to bring a solution to these problems.

The conference's goal is to create a platform to discuss direct investments in Turkey and the United States. As a part of the conference, there will be meetings on energy, defense and foreign relations, telecommunication, finance and banking, agriculture and food, textile, foreign trade, environment, investment in Turkey and the United States, investment opportunities in South East Anatolia Project (GAP) region, Turkey and the EU, tourism, relations with the U.S. Congress. A number of representatives of the Turkish business world will have the chance to have talks with the U.S. government officials.

Following the conference, a group of Turkish businessmen will visit the Silicon Valley on March 29-30. The visit's purpose is to make contacts with the leading firms of information and communication technologies and explore cooperation activities.

ATTP-Appalachian-Turkey Trade Project which was started by Senator Robert Byrd, who is known for his closeness to Turkey, will hold its first meeting in Shepherdstown on March 23. Businessmen from West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Virginia and representatives from the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C will join the meeting.

Turkish-American Business Council Chairman Akin Ongor will hold a press conference on March 19, Monday to brief the reporters about the conference.

-DUTCH PRIME MINISTER KOK RECEIVES REPRESENTATIVES OF
TURKISH PEOPLE LIVING IN NETHERLANDS ON THE EVE OF PRESIDENT
SEZER'S VISIT TO NETHERLANDS
AMSTERDAM - Wim Kok, the prime minister of the Netherlands, received on Friday the representatives of the Counselling Council for the Turkish people living in the Netherlands, prior to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer's visit to the Netherlands which will take place during the first days of April.

The chairman and the members of the council attended the meeting at the Prime Ministry building which lasted for almost one hour.

Jozias van Aartsen, the foreign minister of the Netherlands and Roger van Boxtel, the state minister responsible for minorities, also attended the meeting.

The visit of President Sezer to the Netherlands was taken up in the meeting and during the meeting Wim Kok underlined that the visit would positively contribute to the relations between the two countries.

Saban Gunes, the chairman of the council who made statements following the meeting, said ''Kok in the meeting stressed that the Netherlands was a good partner of Turkey in every field and added that the relations between the two countries would further improve after the visit of Sezer, which will be the first visit at a presidential level.''

Noting that they attributed great improtance to Sezer's visit, Kok said they were willing to continue their dialogue with the representatives of the Turkish people living in the Netherlands.

Stressing that they conveyed the problems of Turkish people living in the Netherlands to Kok in the meeting, Gunes said they requested the support of the Netherlands to Turkey for the membership of Turkey to the European Union (EU).

''We also requested to set up of a documentation center about the Turkish community in the Netherlands with the contributions of both countries and removal of problems which were faced during the visa procedures,'' Gunes added.

As a respond to our requests, Kok said that the support of the Netherlands to Turkey for the full membership to the EU would continue, Gunes said.

Gunes noted, ''Kok also recalled that the Netherlands was favoring a policy which would enable Turkey to benefit from some financial aid programs which were foreseen to be granted for other candidate countries.''

Jozias van Aartsen said he was concerned about the problems faced during the visa procedures, adding that they would exert efforts to remove them as soon as possible.

Van Aaartesen added they believed in the sincerity of Turkey about the democratization process.

Roger van Boxtel, in his part said the current government has launched initiatives to renew the policy on minorities, adding that they were willing to be in contact with the representatives of Turkish people living in the Netherlands throughout the process.

Wim Kok had previously received the representatives of the Turkish community living in the Netherlands prior to his visit to Turkey and listened to their problems.

Gunes said contacts following these meetings would contribute to the integration of both communities in the Netherlands.

-OECD TO HOLD ITS MEETING REGARDING STRUGGLE AGAINST
BRIBERY BETWEEN MARCH 20-22 IN ISTANBUL
PARIS - The ''Anti-Corruption Network for Transition Economies (ACN)'' meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), will be held in Istanbul between March 20 and 22, sources said on Friday.

The meeting will start with the speeches delivered by Hikmet Sami Turk, the minister of justice, and Seiichi Kondo, the deputy secretary-general of the OECD.

The aim of the meeting, which will be the third meeting of the ACN this year, is to determine the measures which will be taken to prevent bribery in transition economies.

Representatives of the government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international organizations will attend the meeting.

The ACN also aims at forming the platform for the countries to share their experiences in struggle agianst bribery and determining the strategies to prevent corruption in the public sector through institutional and political reforms.

Issues such as the contribution of the NGOs in struggle against bribery, and the ways to enhance the quality of the public administration will be taken up in the meeting.

The works of ACN in struggle against bribery will be evaluated and the targets for coming years will be determined.

-INITIATIVES LAUNCHED TO IMPROVE CULTURE TOURISM IN TURKEY
ANTALYA - Initiatives were launched to improve culture tourism in Turkey, with the hope that it will double the country's tourism volume by the year 2005, sources said on Friday.

The Ministry of Interior Affairs, the Ministry of Forestry, the Chamber of Architects, the Akdeniz University, and many non-governmental organizations signed a protocol on a target project on culture tourism.

According to the project, the Akseki-Ibradi basin in south of Turkey will be the first region where the natural and historical heritage of the region will be preserved and improved in line with the aspects of the culture tourism.

A recent study of the European Union (EU) show that culture tourism will become more important in coming years and the infrastructure and potential of Turkey is suitable for the culture tourism to flourish.

The data of the State Statistics Institute (DIE) show that 55 percent of tourists came to Turkey to merely spend their holidays. The percentage of tourists who come to Turkey for cultural purposes remains at 10.

Cengiz Yucel, the director of the development-research department of Turkish Travel Agencies Association (TURSAB), said Turkey could increase its income from cultural tourism as it had many luxurous hotels, natural and historical assests.

Recent improvements in the infrastructure of Turkey and other factors gave an opportunity to Turkey to improve different types of tourism in various seasons, added Yucel.

The research of the Research and Development department of TURSAB show that the bed capacity of Turkey is structured in line with the ''3 S'' (Sea-Sand- Sun). However, Turkey should make investments in other tourism types and expand the duration of the tourism season, the research added.

To this end Turkey has launched initiatives to diversify tourism and both the public and the private sector started to enter new markets other than mass tourism.

Serdar Akerdem, an archeologist who is providing counseling services to the companies which organize cultural tours, said culture tourism was more common in the 1980s when compared to recent years, adding that mass tourism affected the culture tourism in a negative way.

''However, countries could obtain foreign currency income through the culture tourism and the cultural assets of a country cold be best promoted with culture tourism,'' added Akerdem.

Noting that culture tourism shouldn't be restricted within only one region, Akerdem said tourists could go on a tour which start from Istanbul and end in Southeast Anatolia.

The culture tourism doesn't only include archeology. The history, ethnographical assets and hand crafts of a country could be included in culture tourism, added Akerdem.

Turgay Alp, the chairman of the Local Agenda 21 Antalya City Council, said mainly rich tourists were interested in culture tourism, adding that those tourists spend three times more money than other tourists.

-ALL HOSTAGES RELEASED
MEDINA - All hostages in the hi-jacked Russian plane were released on Friday.

Officials of the airport in Medina told reporters that all the hostages were released by the efforts of the Saudi security forces.

A Saudi Arabian official said that the operation was over and all the hostages were released.

-FOREIGN MINISTER CEM SAYS HE TALKED WITH IVANOV ON PHONE
ANKARA - Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said on Friday that he talked with his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov on the phone.

Premier Bulent Ecevit received Cem and Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Faruk Logoglu.

Departing from the Prime Ministry, Cem told reporters that both Ivanov and he expressed sensitivity against international terrorism.

Responding to questions of reporters, Cem said that they felt deep sorrow over the hi-jacking.

Upon other questions of reporters, Cem said that he informed Ecevit about the developments in foreign policy and that this meeting was the regular meeting between Ecevit and himself about the foreign policy.

Cem noted that they evaluated the political issues which will be given priority during the contacts in Brussels and the U.S, stating that they also debated the National Program in their meeting.

Asked when the National Program will be announced, Cem said that it will be announced on Sunday.

When asked whether or not the U.S. is uneasy about Turkey's Iraq policy, Cem said, ''these are all rumuors. Our policy is very obvious. I have made several statements. Lately, the U.S. State Department has released a statement. This is very clear and such and issue was not brought into the agenda.''

-THREE PASSENGERS KILLED IN OPERATION ON HI-JACKED PLANE
RIYADH - Three passengers were killed on Friday in the operation on the hi- jacked plane in Medina Airport.

Doctors said that three passengers were killed in the operation staged by the Saudi Arabian special forces on the plane by the consent of Russia.

The hi-jackers were captured and the hostages were released in the operation.

-ONE OF PASSENGERS KILLED IN OPERATION IS TURKISH
MOSCOW - One of the passengers who were killed in the operation on the hi- jacked plane at the Medina Airport, was a Turkish citizen.

The Kremlin said that three persons were killed in the operation, noting that one of the dead was a Turkish passenger, and the two others were a hostess and a hi-jacker.

-TURKEY AND CROATIA INITIAL SOCIAL SECURITY AGREEMENT
ANKARA - Turkey and Croatia initialed on Friday the Social Security Agreement and Administrative Agreement.

Labour and Social Security Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Ozer Ozcan and Deputy Croatian Labour Minister Ruzica Terze initialed the agreements in a ceremony held in Ankara.

Ozcan said that the Social Security Agreement was prepared by taking into consideration the insurance branches adopted and implemented by the European Union (EU), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the Council of Europe.

The Agreement and the Administrative Agreement will be beneficial to the citizens of both countries, Ozcan noted.

Ozcan said that the agreement will make important contributions to the political and economic cooperation in the two countries.

Ruzice Terze said that this agreement will further improve the relations in the two countries.

In accordance with the agreement, the citizens of the two countries will be treated equally in respect of the social security rights.

-IZGI TO PAY HIS FIRST FOREIGN VISIT TO TURKISH REPUBLICS
ANKARA - Omer Izgi, the speaker of the parliament, will pay his foreign visit to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan between March 25 and 31.

Izgi and the accompanying parliamentary delegation will go to Uzbekistan on March 25 and will proceed to Kazakhstan on March 28 after wrapping up their contacts.

Izgi will hold contacts in Kazakhstan till March 31.

Izgi's contacts in Kyrgyzstan will start on April 1 and will end on April 3.

Izgi will proceed to Turkmenistan following his contacts in Kyrgyzstan and will return to Turkey on April 6 after wrapping up his contacts in Turkmenistan.

One representative of each party in the parliament and Vahit Erdem, the secretary general of the parliament will accompany Izgi throughout his visit.

-NAME OF THE TURKISH PASSENGER, KILLED
IN RUSSIAN PLANE, IS REPORTED TO BE GURSEL KAMBAL
ANKARA - It was reported on Friday that the Turkish passenger, who was killed on the hijacked Russian plane, was Gursel Kambal.

Officials of Civil Aviation General Directorate pointed out that officials of Saudi Arabia told them that three people were killed in the plane and that the name of the Turkish passenger was Gursel Kambal.

-CHRONOLOGY OF PLANE HIJACKING INCIDENTS IN TURKEY
ANKARA - Sixteen planes were hijacked in Turkey since 1972. Planes which were hijacked during their domestic and foreign flights are as follows:

-May 3, 1972: Bogazici plane of the Turkish Airlines (THY) was hijacked by three Turkish hijackers on its Ankara-Istanbul route.

-October 22, 1972: Four Turkish persons hijacked ''Truva'' plane of THY on its flight between Istanbul and Ankara.

-May 1, 1976: Zeki Ejder, a Turkish man, attempted to hijack the ''Izmir'' plane of THY to Marseilles which was on its flight from Paris to Istanbul.

-February 13, 1977: Adnan Mintas, a police academy student, attempted to hijack the ''Trakya'' plane of THY to Belgrade on its Istanbul Izmir route.

-March 19, 1977: The plane of the THY which was on its flight between Diyarbakir and Ankara was hijacked to Beirut. Two hijackers later surrendered.

-October 13, 1980: Four hijackers hijacked the ''Diyarbakir'' plane of THY to southeastern Diyarbakir province which was on its Munich and Istanbul route. The hijackers were captured.

-May 24, 1981: Four hijackers hijacked the Halic plane which was on its flight between Istanbul and Ankara to Burgaz.

-April 15, 1983: A mentally distorted man hijacked Ankara plane on its flight between Istanbul and Izmir to Athens. There were 107 passengers aboard.

-June 28, 1985: Yusuf Orer, a Turkish man who was deported from Germany attempted to hijack ''Kars'' plane of Turkish Airlines to Vienna. The plane was having its flight from Frankfurt to Istanbul. The hijacker was rendered ineffective by the passengers and the crew.

-March 8, 1996: A plane belonging to the Turkish Republic of the Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Airlines which is on its Lefkosa and Istanbul route was hijacked by Ramazan Aydin to Munich.

-June 9, 1997: Ismail Beyazpinar and Nusret Akmercan hijacked a plane belonging to the Malta Airways to Cologne. The plane was on its flight between La Valetta and Istanbul.

-February 24, 1998: Mehmet Dag hijacked the Gaziantep plane of THY which was on its flight between Adana and Ankara to southeastern Diyarbakir province. There were 63 passengers and 5 crew member aboard. Dag said there was a bomb in the teddy bear he was carrying and wanted to turn the route of plane to Iran. The hijacker was rendered ineffective by the passengers.

-March 30, 1998: Mehmet Erturk hijacked the plane of TRNC airlines on its flight between Lefkosa and Ankara with his cigarette lighter which is in the form of a hand grenade. The plane landed at Ankara and Mehmet Erturk was captured.

-September 14, 1998: The plane on its flight between Ankara and Istanbul was hijacked. The plane landed in northern Trabzon province.

-October 29, 1998: Ayvalik plane of THY was hijacked on its Ankara- Istanbul route.

-March 15, 2001: Plane belonging to Russian Vmukova company was hijacked on its flight from Istanbul to Moscow.

-FOREIGN TRADE UNDERSECRETARY TUZMEN SAYS VISIT OF
FOREIGN TRADE DELEGATION TO JORDAN AND IRAQ WAS FRUITFUL
BAGHDAD - Kursad Tuzmen, the undersecretary of foreign trade, said on Friday that the visit of the Turkish trade delegation to Iraq and Jordan was fruitful and that they signed an agreement with Iraq which is worth of 200-250 million U.S. dollars.

The foreign trade delegation, which came to Baghdad on March 13 within the framework of the visit coordinated by the Foreign Trade Undersecretariat, proceeded to Amman, Jordan on Friday after wrapping up their contacts in Iraq.

Tuzmen assessed their contacts in Baghdad to A.A. correspondent prior to their visit to Jordan.

Tuzmen said he held contacts with with the Iraqi ministers of trade, industry, transportation, agriculture and irrigation, oil, and finance.

Noting that the contacts of the Turkish delegation with the officials from those ministries were held in a friendly athmosphere, Tuzmen said they conveyed what the Turkish side wanted to the Iraqi officials.

Turkey is determined to compensate the gap of 11 years in the Iraqi market, said Tuzmen and added, ''Iraq doesn't have the products that Turkey has and we don't have the products that Iraq has. Therefore, the trade relations between the two countries could flourish.''

Tuzmen said they were determined to enter the markets of the countries in the region and recalled that Turkey didn't receive any compensation although it was the country in the region which suffered the most from the sanctions imposed on Iraq.

Iraq offered an opportunity worth of 200-250 million U.S. dollars to the Turkish companies during the meetings which lasted for four days, Tuzmen added.

Iraq has decided to purchase automotive products, medical equipment, medicine, electrical equipment, food products, irrigation equipments, and heating supplies from Turkey, Tuzmen said.

Businessmen who attended the visit said they were hopeful about the visit, adding that the Iraqi officials were very friendly towards them throughout their visit.

However, said businessmen, Iraqi officials have worries on whether the United Nations (U.N.) would approve the offers submitted.

Noting that the U.N. was reluctant to approve the projects, businessmen said there were also problems in the payments made through the U.N.

-SYRIAN FLAGGED SHIP SINKS IN THE BLACK SEA
SINOP - A Syrian flagged ship, loaded with timber, sank off shores of the Black Sea Sinop province on Friday. Eight of the 11 crew members were rescued.

The Syrian flagged Qula Queen, which sailed to the Black Sea with the timber it loaded from Russia's Novorossiisk Harbour, sank 60 miles of Sinop off shores at 06:00 local time. The ship was bringing the timber to Syria's Tatrus Harbour. The reason of sinking is not known.

Meanwhile, eight of the 11 crew members were rescued by the nearby ships.

Coast Guard Commandership search-rescue plane and boats are exerting efforts to find the three missing sailors.

Meanwhile, it was reported that Syrian flagged ship called Coast Radio around 21:30 local time on Thursday and asked for help. However, the captain talked to Syria afterwards and gave up the call for help.

-TOBB CHAIRMAN MIRAS:
-''FIRST MISSION OF DERVIS SHOULD BE PRIMARILY
RE-ACTIVATING THE MARKETS WHICH ARE IN A BOTTLENECK''
ANKARA - Fuat Miras, the chairman of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), said on Friday that the first mission of State Minister Kemal Dervis should be primarily re-activating the markets which are in a bottleneck.

Addressing the opening remarks of the TOBB chairmen meeting, Miras said that the announced program cannot be taken as serious without the markets start to operate properly.

Miras noted that following the two crisis, the markets no more operate.

''As the banks are facing problems in their financial structures, they started to block the real sector. The production stops, the workers are dismissed and the exportation is blocked. The main target of the program should be production, employment and exportation,'' Miras said.

Miras added, ''economy is a team work. Employer and employee have to be included in this team work. The program should be made transparent.''

A supervisory committee which will follow the program has to be set up, Miras emphasized.

Miras noted that the number of ministries has to be decreased to 25 and the Banking Law should be changed in a way that it can transfer sources to the real sector.

The struggle against corruption has to be increased and confidence should be built in monetary markets, Miras stated.

Miras stressed that the nation should be informed about the economic developments every month.

The emergency measures that have been announced are very important for the rehabilitation of the banking sector, Miras said, adding that but, the economy is a whole.

Miras said that overcoming the problems in the financial sector is the emergency part of the program while the problems in the real sector should also be given priority.

All the nation should support the program to succeed in the economic program, Miras noted.

Miras said, ''we will not support this program if the program does not foresee the solution of our problems and our demands.''

-THREE PEOPLE KILLED IN OPERATION ON HI-JACKED PLANE
ANKARA - Three persons were killed on Friday in the operation on the hi- jacked plane in the Medina Airport.

Following the fuel supply to the airport, the Saudi special forces staged an operation on the plane by the consent of Russia.

There was confictling information about the identities of the persons who were killed. The Kremlin said three people, including one Turkish citizen, one stewardess and one hi-jacker, were killed in the operation. And officials of Turkish Civil Aviation General Directorate said that officials of Saudi Arabia told them that three people were killed in the plane and that the name of the Turkish passenger was Gursel Kambal. But a Saudi paramedic said the three persons, who were killed in the operation staged on the Russian plane, were not the hostages, but the hijackers. Abdulaziz Mahmud Masalhi, one of the paramedics in Medina Airport, said, ''three hijackers, one of them woman, were killed. One hijacker was arrested, and some passengers are injured.''

The plane belonging to Russian ''Vmukova'' airlines, was carrying 162 passengers, almost 59 of whom were Turkish, and 12 crewmembers.

The Russian plane was hi-jacked after it took-off from Istanbul on 1.30 p.m. on Thursday. The plane landed at the Medina airport around 5 p.m. on Thursday.

Saudi officials who started negotiations with the hi-jackers said that the hi-jackers demanded the Moscow administration to end the war in Chechnya.

The hi-jackers had started to free women and children on Thursday evening.

Almost 48 people were released until the operation was staged.

One of the hi-jackers is reported to be Supyan Arsayev; the brother of Aslanbek Arsayev, the state security minister of Chechen leader Aslan Mashadov; while the other hi-jacker as the son of Arsayev.

It was reported that there were two passengers named Arsayev in the list of passengers of the hi-jacked plane.

-TREASURY: ''IMF RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVELY TO URGENT MEASURES PACKAGE''
ANKARA - International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced on Friday that it responded affirmatively to the urgent measures package that was disclosed on March 14.

Treasury Undersecretariat issued a statement and said Michael Deppler, the director of European I Department, will visit Ankara today.

''Those negotiations target forming a general framework to a program that may be supported by the IMF sources. Following the completion of those works, talks on the whole program would be carried out considering the views of social sections,'' Treasury said.

-STATE MINISTER DERVIS: (1)
-''I HOPE THAT WE WILL REACH FRAME AGREEMENT
WITH INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS''
ANKARA - State Minister Kemal Dervis, said on Friday that they were currently working on a frame agreement, which would be signed with the international institutions, prior to the new economic program whom they were preparing at the moment.

Delivering a speech at the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) chairmen meeting, Dervis said ''I hope that we will reach a frame agreement with the international institutions as soon as possible.''

Noting that they would implement the measures which would relieve the markets, Dervis said they would work night and day on the frame agreement.

Foreign support is a must for the new program said Dervis and added that the interest rate of the credit also carried importance.

Dervis said high interest rates should be decreased, adding that this bottleneck would be overcome next week.

(to be continued)

-STATE MINISTER DERVIS:(2)
-''BIGGEST ISSUE AHEAD OF ME IS TO LEARN ABOUT
REAL ASPECTS OF PROBLEMS AND THIS WILL TAKE TIME''
ANKARA - State Minister Kemal Dervis, who attended the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) chairmen meeting, said on Friday that he followed the developments in Turkey when he was abroad, adding that it wasn't possible for him to follow every incident.

''The biggest issue ahead of me is to learn about the real aspects of the problems and this will of course take time,'' said Dervis.

Delivering a speech at the meeting, Dervis said ''Turkish public will overcome the problems. Nobody suspects it. The main issue is to overcome the problems as soon as possible with less losses.''

The chances of an economic program to be succesful without political and social support are very low, said Dervis and added that this new program should be prepared with contributions of the government and different segments of the public.

Touching to high interest rates issue, Dervis said this had a become a burden for the business circles, government and the working class, and added that the high interest rates should be lowered to a considerable level.

Current exchange rate figures aren't balanced, said Dervis and added that this didn't reflect the real competitive power of Turkey.

Dervis added compromise should be reached on the principles of the program.

(To be continued)

-STATE MINISTER DERVIS: (3)
''THERE IS SERIOUS BOTTLENECK AT THE MOMENT''
ANKARA - State Minister Kemal Dervis said on Friday that there was a serious bottleneck in economy at time-being, noting that, ''as we advance on the path of economy seriously, we had a monetary, political and psychological accident.''

Dervis, who attended the meeting of TOBB Chairman meeting, briefed about his views regarded with the economic situation which Turkey is in.

Pointing out that preparation of the program will take some time, Dervis said this was nothing that could be completed within a few days, and stressed that time would be spent for it.

Dervis said there was a serious bottleneck at the moment, adding that ''as the structure of the society was solid, and as we were advancing on the path of economy, we had a monetary, political and psychological accident.''

Stressing that it was impossible to live apart from the realities in contemporary economy, Dervis said, ''we can not solve this question by ourselves alone and by closing the doors. We have intense relations with the foreign world.''

Dervis said the capital could go whereever it wants, and that this was normal, adding that there was no return from this.

Dervis said, ''thus, we should overcome this crisis and bottleneck soon.''

Pointing out that the problem should be solved soon, Dervis said, ''there is a big burden on you with this high interest. Also, there is a big burden on the state. We should absolutely save Turkey from this high inflation. We can say the same things about the exchange rates. The markets don't function at the moment. An exchange rate can be formed, but it is not clear what this exchange rate really reflects. I think it does not reflect competitive power of Turkey. You are still capable of competing in a much reasonable exchange rate, in case the inflation does not increase your costs.''

(to be continued)

-SAUDI ARABIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY:
-''THREE PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN OPERATION ON HIJACKED PLANE''
RIYADH - The Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry announced on Friday that three people were killed in the operation on the hijacked plane in Medina airport.

A statement of the Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry said that one of the people killed in the operation was a male passenger and the other was an hijacker.

The statement noted that one of the hijackers killed a woman during the operation.

The previous news had said that one of the stewardesses was stabbed by the hijackers.

Spokesman of the Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry said that another woman and a man among passengers were injured in the operation.

The spokesman said that the operation was accomplished in a very short time since the hijackers threatened to fly the plane after the fuel supply.

The operation was staged upon the agreement of the Saudi and Russian officials, the spokesman noted.

The spokesman did not identify the dead passenger.

The previous news said that the dead passenger was a Turkish citizen.

A Saudi paramedic at the airport had said that the three people killed in the operation were the hijackers.

-CPT ISSUES FIRST REPORT RELATED WITH INCIDENTS IN PRISONS:
-''A NUMBER OF THE REGRETTABLE DEATHS AND INJURIES AMONGST
INMATES DURING THE INTERVENTIONS WER THE RESULT OF ACTS OF SELF
IMMOLATION RATHER THAN ACTION BY MEMBERS OF THE SECURITY FORCES''
STRASBOURG - The European Committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CPT) said on Friday that the interviews of the CPT delegation, which visited Turkey, with prisoners confirmed that a number of the regrettable deaths and injuries amongst inmates during the interventions were the result of acts of self immolation rather than action by members of the security forces.

Some aspects of the intervention to the prisons was criticized in publication of preliminary observations made by the delegation of the CPT which visited Turkey in December 200 and January 2001.

The publication said, ''the delegation is fully aware that the security forces responsible for carrying out the prison interventions which began in the early morning of 19 December 2000 had an arduous and sometimes perilous task. In many of the prisons concerned, those forces were confronted with barricades and violent resistance; the delegation sincerely regrets that three members of the gendarmerie lost their lives and three were wounded.''

Claiming that the methods employed by the security forces were not in all cases proportional to the difficulties faced, the CPT said that the delegation has grave doubts regarding the manner in which the intervention took place vis-à-vis the female dormitory C1 at Bayrampasa prison.

The publication requested that a thorough and independent inquiry be carried out into the methods employed by the security forces during the intervention against dormitory C1 at Bayrampasa prison.

Requesting that the final autopsy reports for all the persons concerned be forwarded to the CPT as soon as possible, the CPT said, ''it would also be desirable for similar inquiries to be carried out vis-à-vis all the prison interventions which took place as from 19 December 2000.

The CPT also requested that it be provided with a full description of all the different types of incapacitating devices (gas grenades, etc.) used in the course of the prison interventions, as well as of the other munitions used by the security forces and that the copies of the video recordings of the prison interventions be forwarded to the CPT.

The publication said that some prisoners told the CPT delegation which visited Turkey that they had been physically ill-treated in the course of the prison interventions and/or on their admission to the establishments to which they were transferred.

The CPT called on the petitions submitted to the prosecutor's offices related with the complaints to be investigated.

The CPT hoped that it will receive in due course the results of the inquiry carried out by the three inspectors appointed by the Minister of Justice to examine events related to the prison interventions and subsequent transfers of prisoners.

''As regards conditions of detention in the F-type prisons in Edirne, Kocaeli and Sincan, the delegation understands the difficulties faced in bringing these establishments into service at very short notice, months ahead of schedule,'' the publication said.

However, the introduction of smaller living units for prisoners must under no circumstances be allowed to lead to a generalised system of small group isolation, the publication noted, requesting that some activities outside cells and living units should be offered to those prisoners as of now.

The CPT requested that draft laws on the control of prisons and appointment of an inspector judge to the prisons should be passed as soon as possible.

The role of the gendarmerie forces in the transfer of inmates and in the searches in the prisons should be ended in the possible shortest time.

Drawing the attention to the importance of confidence-building measures process for the prison reform, the CPT requested that several measures be taken to persuade inmates that their life security in prisons are taken under guarantee.

The CPT called on for the inquiry into all the allegations related with the prisons and for the trial of concerned public authorities if necessary.

Turkey has to respond to this first publication within three months.

The CPT has the right to control the prisons and detention places of the member countries without previously informing.

-DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ MEETS WITH
PAVOL HAMZIK, SLOVAKIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
BRATISLAVA - Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, who is currently in Slovakia, met on Friday with Pavol Hamzik, the deputy prime minister of Slovakia.

Yilmaz and Hamzik made a joint statement following the meeting which lasted for almost one hour.

Yilmaz said he was warmly welcomed in Slovakia, adding that the contacts were made within the framework of mutual understanding.

Noting that they were pleased about the relations between the two countries, Yilmaz said they decided to improve the bilateral relations at every field.

Yilmaz said Turkey and Slovakia would become partners in the European Union (EU) in the future and added ''we are carefully following the membership process of Slovakia to NATO and the EU and support the efforts of Slovakia.''

Recalling that Turkey had become the candidate for the EU in the Helsinki Summit, Yilmaz said relations between Turkey and EU had entered to a new process following the summit.

We are getting prepared to start the full membership negotiations, said Yilmaz and added that they believed that Turkey and Slovakia are the parts of the European map.

Yilmaz invited his Slovakian counterpart to Turkey.

Upon a question on the current situation in human rights in Turkey, Yilmaz said Turkey fight against terrorism for many years.

''We took the situation under control in the last two years. Therefore, we have the chance to improve in areas such as human rights. We made a commitment in our national program. Turkey is determined to fulfil the requirements of the Copenhagen criteria,'' Yilmaz added.

When reminded the discussions on whether the EU was a Christian club or not, Yilmaz said:

''We don't think that the EU is a Christian unity. We are pleased to see that majority in the EU was sharing our view on the issue. Turkey is the only country among the candidates, which would contribute to structure of the EU to form a multi-cultural and multi-religious union. I think that as a secular country, Turkey could make this contribution.''

Speaking in his part, Hamzik said they discussed bilateral relations and relations with the EU, and added that they agreed that the economic and commercial relations between Turkey and Slovakia should be further improved.

Recalling that both Turkey and Slovakia were candidate for the EU, Hamzik said Slovakia had also undergone the same problems that Turkey was currently undergoing.

Hamzik said they believed that those problems would be overcome soon.

When asked whether Slovakia would continue to support Turkey after it become the member of the EU, Hamzik said they would continue to support Turkey.

Yilmaz had a sightseeing tour at the Bratislava castle following his meeting with Hamzik. Hamzik accompanied Yilmaz during the tour and conveyed information about the castle to Yilmaz.

Yilmaz and the accompanying delegation later came together with Marian Andel, the deputy parliament speaker of Slovakia, at the interdelegationary meetings.

-STATE MINISTER DERVIS (4):
-''WE HOPE THAT WE COULD REVEAL A NEW
PROGRAM AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL''
ANKARA - State Minister Kemal Dervis said on Friday, ''I hope that we could reveal a program together with foreign support at the beginning of April. If we can succeed in revealing the program, we can reprovide stability in April, May and June.'' Speaking at a meeting organized by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), State Minister Dervis said, ''on one side, we should reach a social compromise for preparation of the program; and on the other side, we should normalize markets in four or five days with urgent measures. We need to obtain foreign support to this end. But a foreign debt of 20-30 billion U.S. dollars is not a solution to our problems. In that case, we can relieve for just a week, and add another debt to our debts. The real solution is not in foreign countries, but in Turkey. However, we need a certain amount of foreign support in short-term. We have mobilized to obtain this foreign support. I believe that Turkey's friends and international institutions would help us.''

''We should reach an agreement rapidly with international institutions in frame and in main dimensions. We have recorded important progress to this end,'' he said.

Stressing that public banks should be purified from politics, Dervis said, ''public banks have been carrying out works to reach some targets. But these works should be separated from some short-term political targets. In Turkey, one public bank is linked with one political party, and the other is linked with another political party. We cannot maintain such a system any longer. We should provide an atmosphere in which public banks would work productively for their own targets. We need social support. The program should be supported not only by Central Bank and Treasury Undersecretary, but also by government.''

He said, ''if we can reach a frame agreement with international institutions, we will relieve next week. Then, we will not sign the program immediately. We will hold talks with representatives of labour unions for the ensuing two or three weeks. Our talks will focus on what can be done, what should be done, and how we can use our sources. At the same time, we will try to obtain a serious and rapid foreign support. Later, we will reveal the program. I hope that we could reveal the program together with foreign support at the beginning of April. If we can succeed in revealing the program, we can provide stability in April, May and June. In this period, interests can continue to be high. But extreme decreases and increases will not be recorded in foreign exchange. But the Central Bank cannot announce foreign exchange rates because of floating currency regime.''

Noting that Turkey was not the only country experiencing such a crisis, State Minister Dervis stressed that Korea and Brazil had lived through such unexpected crises in their past. In Indonesia, crisis has been further deepening. If we can take correct measures, Turkey can reach better points in eight or ten months.''

Dervis added that Michael Deppler, the director of European I Department, would come to Turkey later today.

(End)

-URGENT MEASURES PACKAGE TO BE DISCLOSED ON MONDAY
ANKARA - Meetings between State Minister Kemal Dervis and Michael Deppler, the director of European I Department, will start later on Friday, and continue throughout the weekend.

Sources told the A.A correspondent that Carlo Cottarelli, the Chief of International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Turkey Desk; Ajay Chhibber, the World Bank's Representative in Turkey; and officials from the Treasury Undersecretary, the Finance Ministry, the State Planning Organization (DPT), the Central Bank, the Banking Regulatory and Supervisory Authority (BRSA), the Privatization Administration Board would be in attendance at the meetings to be presided by Dervis and Deppler.

Meetings between the government and the IMF will be finalized on Monday, and amount of source which is necessary for urgent measures package will be determined the same day.

Noting that the banking sector had been given priority, sources noted that interest cost of public banks and fund banks reached 15 quadrillion Turkish liras (TL), and three public banks needed 18 quadrillion TL.

Sources noted that measures about banking sector would be taken as soon as possible, and uncertainty in financial markets would be removed.

Deppler who has been invited to Turkey to hold contacts on necessary source for urgent measures package, is expected to depart from Turkey on Monday or on Tuesday.

Sources said that the foreign support would create a ground for a high syndication loan from international banks within framework of G-7 countries.

Meanwhile, State Minister Dervis will leave for the U.S. on March 23 to hold talks with IMF, World Bank and U.S. Department of Treasury officials.

Dervis will attend the Business Council meeting in the U.S. between March 25 and 27, 2001.

Noting that Dervis came together with German and Italian bankers, sources said that European bankers were positive about syndication loan to Turkey.

They underlined importance of support of G-7 countries like the U.S., Japan and Germany.

-''TROY: DREAMS AND REALITIES '' EXHIBITION TO
BE HELD IN GERMANY STARTING FROM SATURDAY
ANKARA - ''Troy: Dreams and Realities'' exhibition, which is comprised of the artifacts unearthed from Troy ancient city will be held in Sttutgart, Germany starting from Saturday.

President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and German President Johannes Rau will attend the inauguration ceremony of the exhibition.

Sezer will pay a one day visit to Stuttgart due to the inauguration of the exhibition.

The most valuable piece of the exhibition, which will be held under the state guarantee of Germany, is the statue of Hadrian whose value is amounting up to ten million U.S. dollars.

The historical artifacts of Troy will be exhibited in Stuttgart for three months. The exhibition will be held in Braunschweig between July 14 and October 14, and in Bonn between November 16 2001 and February 12, 2002.

The insurance value of some artifacts, which would be displayed, is around two million U.S. dollars, sources said.

-SOME STUDENTS SLIGHTLY INJURED IN ISTANBUL WHEN
COMMEMORATING SEVEN STUDENTS DIED IN INCIDENTS 23 YEARS AGO
ISTANBUL - Some students were slightly injured in Istanbul on Friday when they were commemorating seven students who died in the incidents which occured in Beyazit district on March 16, 1978.

A group of students, which convened in front of the Faculty of Law of the Istanbul University, started walking outside the campus by carrying placard writing, ''we have not forgotten March 16.''

Shouting slogans, the students came in front of the F aculty of Pharmacy.

Observing a minute of silence in front of the Faculty of Pharmacy, two different groups of students released statements.

The students condemned the incidents which occured on March 16, 1978 in their statements.

Following the statements, the students left the photographs of the students killed 23 years ago and carnations in front of the building and wanted to return to the campus.

When the security forces said that they would not permit those who were not students to enter into the campus, the students raised a ruckus.

The students which entered into the campus and closed the main entrance, threw stones on the security forces which remained outside the campus.

Students, who shouted slogans for some more time, later dispersed.

During the ruckus, some students were slightly injured and some of them were detained.

Meanwhile, some members of the Lecturers' Union commemorated the students who died 23 years ago in front of the Faculty of Pharmacy.

Hayri Kozanoglu, chairman of the union, said that if those students had lived, some of them would continue their struggle as lecturers and some would struggle in different platforms for freedom, democracy and peace.

Kozanoglu said that they request the ongoing case be concluded.

They will propose the Istanbul University Rector's Office to build a memorial on the campus for the students who lost their lives on March 16, 1978.

Seven students were killed while 41 others were injured in the bomb attack in Beyazit district on March 16, 1978.

-SLOVAKIAN PRESIDENT RUDOLF SCHUSTER RECEIVES
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ
BRATISLAVA - Rudolf Schuster, the president of Slovakia, received on Friday Mesut Yilmaz, the deputy prime minister, who is currently in Slovakia on an official visit.

Following the interdelegationary meeting which took place in the Presidential Palace and lasted for almost half hour, Yilmaz said that there weren't any problems between Slovakia and Turkey.

Noting that Turkey and Slovakia had common features as they would be partners of the European Union (EU) in the future, Yilmaz said they were determined to strengthen the relations.

Slovakian President Schuster said they discussed bilateral relations and relations with the European Union (EU), adding that they requested support of Turkey for their permanent membership of the United Nations' (U.N.) Security Council for 2006-2007 term.

Schuster said they discussed opportunities to enhance economic cooperation between the countries, adding that the mutual visits of two countries' businessmen would be very beneficial.

Schuster noted that they were extending support to Turkey in the membership process to the European Union (EU).

Schuster invited President Ahmet Necdet Sezer to Slovakia.

Yilmaz signed the special book at the Presidential Palace.

Yilmaz and the accompanying delegation later met the mayor of Bratislava and Joseph Moravcik, the former prime minister of Slovakia.

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