Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-03-28

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

28 MARCH

2001 Wednesday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[02] BRITISH PARLIAMENT AND HOUSE OF LORDS APPROVE BILL BANNING

[03] ANDREW CARD, ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT BUSH:

[04] TURKEY-AZERBAIJAN JOINT ECONOMIC COMMISSION MEETING

[05] YALOVA:''THY INCREASED PRICES ONLY 19 PERCENT DESPITE

[06] STATE MINISTER MIRZAOGLU SAYS MARITIME TRAFFIC

[07] ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER PERES DUE IN TURKEY

[08] PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUTION COMMISSION ADOPTS DRAFT ENVISAGING

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

PRESIDENT SEZER: ''WE CAN'T ALLOW HEADSCARVES IN
UNIVERSITIES''
During the visit of the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said they couldn't allow headscarves in universities adding that everybody should obey the laws. When Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) deputy Osman Muderrisoglu said the reason of their visit was to ask support from Sezer to lift the ban on wearing headscarves at the Theology Faculties, Sezer said ''Turkish Republic is a secular and democratic state. There is a Constitution in the country and the Higher Education Board (YOK) took certain decisions on the issue. Everybody should obey the laws.'' Sezer said there wasn't a difference between the students of the Agriculture Faculty and the Theology Faculty adding that everybody should obey the laws of Turkey.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

DERVIS: ''WE SHOULD ACT QUICKLY''
State Minister Kemal Dervis who spoke at a meeting organized by the Turkish Businessmen's and Industrialists' Association(TUSIAD), said Turkey should act very quickly to overcome the crisis. When asked what he thought about the statements of Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli, who said there wasn't a need for rush, Dervis said ''Bahceli is very right to say we should be very cautious when acting. However we are in a crisis right now. The Turkish Treasury is paying high amounts of interests. The burden on the Turkish public would be lifted if there was a decrease in the amount of money paid.''

SABAH (LIBERAL)

The president said religious circles started the headscarf at universities as a symbol. ''The issue became a problem when they started using it as a political symbol. Nobody could say anything against a woman who wears a headscarf at home or in the street. But according to the Constitution, the personnel working in a public building cannot wear it.''

PICKPOCKETS INCREASE AFTER AMNESTY
The number of pickpockets increased sharply in Istanbul after Parliament passed the Conditional Release Law. The pickpockets who mostly target women have changed their methods in order not to get caught. They started grabbing women's purses from a car and driving away. One woman had died in the last months when she didn't leave her purse and the pickpockets who were in a car dragged her on the road causing her death. Some pickpockets work at traffic lights. They open the door, pick the purse on the seat and run away.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

TURKEY TO TAKE NEW MEASURES IN STRAITS
Turkey will take new measures in straits for tankers which will carry oil from the Novorossisk port of Russia through the straits. New limitations will be brought about the size and the age of the tankers which will pass through the straits. The new electronic radar system which will monitor the maritime traffic in the Straits will start to operate in July. Officials from Maritime Undersecretariat said they would also discuss the issue with Russian officials.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

IMF:''WE SHARE THE SAME VIEWS WITH DERVIS''
International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials announced that Turkey and the IMF agree on the vitality of the economic program. IMF Chairman Horst Kohler, after a meeting with State Minister Kemal Dervis, said the meeting was constructive and added that his contacts with Turkish officials would continue.

German Prime Ministry Undersecretary Michael Steiner also said his government could not remain indifferent to Turkey's situation. Steiner said German Prime Mnister Gerhard Schroder would meet with U.S. President George W. Bush during a visit to the United States and discuss Turkey's economic situation. Steiner said there were positive points in Turkey's reform program and that his government supported it.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

BUSINESSMAN SABANCI. ''POLITICS HAS COLLAPSED''
Businessman Sakip Sabanci, who answered the questions of journalists at the executive board meeting of sabanci Holding, has said the politics in Turkey has collapsed and the politics should be rejuvenated. As a respond to a question about State Minister Kemla Dervis, Sabanci said ''Dervis has a qualified background and experience. He is exerting efforts to overcome the problems. We support him. We will altogether work for a better an improved Turkey.'' When asked about the performence of the government, Sabanci said ''We wouldn't have been in this situation if the government's performance were good. Yes, we have economic problems but the collapsed politic system was one of the main causes of this crisis. Stability should be maintained in politics.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

[02] BRITISH PARLIAMENT AND HOUSE OF LORDS APPROVE BILL BANNING

Bassam said that the threats against Britain, the British people living outside Britain and international threats constituted basis for the bill. After its approval in the House of Lords, the bill will be presented to the Secretary of the State for the Home Department Jack Straw.

Bassam remarked that the organizations on the list have the right to oppose before Straw's final decision. Later, they have the right to appeal to an independent commission formed by three retired prosecutors.

The bill doesn't encourage animosity against any community or any ethnic or religious group, he said adding that the bill was also not a blow on freedom of thought and expression.

Responding to the speeches of a number of Parliament members who defended the PKK, Bassam said after the organization declared cease fire, there was a decrease in violence but there was no change in the terrorist quality of the organization.

He pointed out that the British government supported Turkey's efforts to improve human rights, then added: ''But this has nothing to do with the PKK. The PKK is a terrorist organization with a long violent past.''

After the discussions, the House of Lords announced that it approved the bill.

[03] ANDREW CARD, ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT BUSH:

Noting that he was speaking on behalf of the Bush administration, Card said Turkey was a close friend and ally of the U.S. at a dinner given in honor of Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, who is currently in Washington D.C.

The U.S. is loyal to its strategic partnership with Turkey, said Card and added that the U.S. believed that Turkey would continue to be a part of Europe and would become a member of the European Union (EU) and other western institutions.

We have common interests especially in Caucasus, Balkans, and the Middle East, added Card.

Recalling that Turkey was trying to recover from the recent economic crisis with a new economic reform program, Card said they would do their best in every field including trade and investments.

Card stressed his country attributed importance to the realization of political reforms in Turkey and added that the Turkish nation wanted these reforms for itself not for the EU or the U.S.

[04] TURKEY-AZERBAIJAN JOINT ECONOMIC COMMISSION MEETING

Foreign Trade Undersecretariat said in a written statement that State Minister Ahbdulhaluk Mehmet Cay and Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Abid Sherifov will head the Turkish and Azerbaijani delegations during the meeting.

The first Joint Economic Commission meeting was held in February, 1997. During this year's meeting, the participants will assess the commercial and economic developments that took place in the last four years and decide on the measures that need to be taken to increase bilateral relations.

The attendees are expected to take measures which will eliminate the reasons that caused a drop in Turkey's export to Azerbaijan. Improving the conditions for Turkish businessmen who do business in Azerbaijan, increasing Turkish investments in Azerbaijan, maximizing the present relations in the energy sector and increasing variety in industrial cooperation are other topics of discussion.

The two sides are also expected to explore cooperation opportunities in transportation and banking fields.

At the end of the meeting, Cay and Sherifov will sign a protocol listing the points on which the two sides reached an agreement.

[05] YALOVA:''THY INCREASED PRICES ONLY 19 PERCENT DESPITE

Responding to a question with notice presented by Virtue Party (FP) deputy Musa Uzunkaya, Yalova said the increase in fuel prices significantly increased THY's management expenses. The price of one ton of fuel increased from 225 to 382 U.S. dollars creating an additional cost of 101 million U.S. dollars.

Dollar/Euro parity which was earlier estimated as 0.95 was announced as 1.11 causing another 3 million U.S. dollar increase in the expenses. A strike to slow down work at the State Airports Management (DHMI) also brought an additional cost of 6 million U.S. dollars, Yalova said, adding that the THY was trying hard to economize and keep its spendings low.

The THY had a financial loss of 71.3 trillion TL in 1999. The airlines lost 14.6 trillion TL in Jan.-Sept. period of 2000.

[06] STATE MINISTER MIRZAOGLU SAYS MARITIME TRAFFIC

Mirzaoglu answered the questions of the A.A. correspondent on the issue following the finalization of Caspian pipeline which will carry the Kazakh oil to Black Sea via Russia.

Mirzaoglu said that according to the Montreux Agreement the straits were open to international maritime traffic under the sovereignty of Turkey.

Every vessel could pass through the straits and Turkey doesn't have a right to choose the vessels that will pass, said Mirzaoglu and added ''however, secure transit in the Turkish straits is the basic principle.''

Noting that the vessel traffic in the straits was very busy, Mirzaoglu said, ''the maritime traffic capacity in Turkish straits has reached its limits. The vessels create hazardous situations when passing through the straits. The transfer of Kazakh oil through the straits will make the marine traffic busier in the straits. The vessels would have to line up for days, may be for weeks in order to pass through the straits. Therefore, the transfer of Kazakh oil via straits would hamper the whole world trade and trade especially in Black Sea littoral countries.''

Noting that 82 million tonnes of oil and hazardous substance is transferred through the straits annually, Mirzaoglu said this amount would increase two times with the transfer of Kazakh oil.

''The maritime traffic is three times busier than the Suez Channel and four times busier than the Panama Channel,'' Mirzaoglu added.

Mirzaoglu said Turkey wouldn't let a traffic chaos in the straits, adding that Turkey would fulfil the requirements of a safe transit.

''The vessels will pass one by one through the straits if there were too many vessels. We previously informed the International Maritime Organization about the issue. We will pay more attention to the standards of the oil tankers. The vessels, which weren't in harmony with the international standards, will not be able to pass through the straits. The vessels which carry hazardous substance should use pilot and tugboat services,'' Mirzaoglu said.

Turkish Straits Vessel Traffic Management and Information System will start to operate in coming days, said Mirzaoglu and added that they would exert utmost effort to maintain the security of twelve million people living in Istanbul.

[07] ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER PERES DUE IN TURKEY

Diplomatic sources told the A.A correspondent on Wednesday that Peres was expected to come to Turkey on April 10 for a one-day working visit.

The date of Peres' visit can be changed due to developments in the Middle East, they noted.

During interdelegationary meetings to be presided by Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and his Israeli counterpart Peres, the Middle East peace process will be discussed in detail, recent acts of violence will be assessed, and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's visit to Turkey will be taken up.

Peres who was presented with Nobel Peace Award, have launched a campaing to convince foreign leaders to put pressure on Arafat to put an end to six- month acts of violence in the region.

Within framework of the campaign, Peres met with President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt; Prime Minister Goeran Persson of Sweden, the Term President of the European Union (EU); German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder; Chris Patten, the EU Commissioner for Foreign Relations; and Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdulillah Hatip.

Peres asked these officials to put pressure on Arafat to put an end to the acts of violence.

-FOREIGN TRADE INDICES
-EXPORT PRICE INDEX RISES 2.3 PERCENT AND IMPORT
PRICE INDEX INCREASES 1 PERCENT IN DECEMBER OF 2000
ANKARA - The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) announced on Wednesday the results of Foreign Trade Indices in December of 2000.

According to DIE statement, export price index rose 2.3 percent and import price index increased 1 percent in December of 2000 compared to previous month.

It said that export quantity index reduced 6.6 percent and import quantity index decreased 22.5 percent in December of 2000 compared to previous month.

Foreign Trade Indices in December of 2000 according to DIE statement are as follows:

QUANTITY PRICE
Change rates (%) -------------- -------------

Compared with Export Import Export Import

----------------- ------- ------- ------- -----
Previous month -6.6 -22.5 2.3 1.0

Same month of previous year 6.5 -1.2 -1.0 0.2

Average of 12-month periods 11.3 32.7 -4.3 4.5

-ANTALYA TO HOST 11TH INTERNATIONAL
SECURITY AND COOPERATION CONFERENCE
ANKARA - Southern province of Antalya will host the 11th International Security and Cooperation Conference organized by the Turkish-Atlantic Council between March 29 and April 2.

Nearly 400 participants including military officials, politicians and ambassadors will be in attendance at the conference.

National Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu; Recai Kutan, the leader of the Virtue Party (FP); Daniel Speckard, the Deputy Secretary General of NATO; General Joseph W. Ralston, the NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (SACEUR); and a number of guests will attend the conference in Belek township of Antalya.

Latest developments in Macedonia are among the issues to be taken up at the conference.

[08] PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUTION COMMISSION ADOPTS DRAFT ENVISAGING

The draft envisages to authorize for three months the government to make arrangements to remove unfairness in financial and social rights of civil servants and other public workers.

The government will be able to release more than one KHK to remove unfairness in salaries of civil servants and public workers.

The draft will be taken up by the Parliamentary Planning and Budget Commission.

-TURKISH-U.S. STRATEGIC RELATIONS COME
TO FOREFRONT AFTER ECONOMIC CRISIS
WASHINGTON D.C. - Turkey could encounter difficulties in using ''its influence over a broad geography'' if the problems which occurred due to the latest financial crisis became lasting, diplomatic sources said on Wednesday.

Diplomatic sources in Washington D.C. said that the new U.S. administration should take this reality which might damage also the U.S.'s interests into consideration during a period while Turkey was seeking for support in U.S. to overcome the financial crisis.

Foreign Minister Ismail Cem is getting prepared to hold contacts with the high-level officials of the new U.S. administration while State Minister Kemal Dervis for Economy is seeking for support of international finance circles in the U.S.

Cem is scheduled to meet with U.S. President George Bush's Advisor for National Security Condoleezza Rice on Thursday.

Cem will meet with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell on Friday.

During these meetings, Cem is expected to bring ''strategic relations'' between Turkey and the U.S. onto the agenda.

Recalling that Turkey had restricted bloodshed between Israel and Palestine, diplomatic sources warned that if NATO ally Turkey which played an important role in Middle East, Caucasia and Balkans became obliged to struggle against economic problems, these functions of Turkey might be restricted.

-INTERPARLIAMENTARY UNION GENERAL ASSEMBLY KO BE HELD IN HAVANA
ANKARA - Interparliamentary Union General Assembly will be held in Cuban capital Havana between April 1 and 7, 2001.

An eight-member parliamentary delegation headed by Cavit Kavak, the Chairman of Turkish Group of Interparliamentary Union, will be in attendance at the meetings.

Abbas Bozyel of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Hanifi Tiryaki of the MHP, Ziya Aktas of the Democratic Left Party (DSP), Cengiz Gulec of the DSP, Ismail Karakuyu of the True Path Party (DYP), Turhan Alcelik of the Virtue Party (FP) and Bahri Zengin of the FP will represent Turkey at the 105th Interparliamentary Union General Assembly.

Issues such as deputies of the Democrat Party (DEP), Hasan Mezarci, Merve Kavakci, Cyprus, and allegations on so-called genocide on Armenians are expected to be brought onto agenda of the meetings.

-ISTANBUL WOMAN BIENNIAL
-''PROBLEMS BETWEEN TURKEY AND ARMENIA SHOULD BE SOLVED THROUGH
DIALOGUE'' SAYS THE PARTICIPANTS
-TURKISH AND ARMENIAN WOMEN DEPUTIES SIGN A DECLARATION
ISTANBUL - A panel discussion was organized on Wednesday within scope of Istanbul Woman Biennial activities. Participants requested that problems between Turkey and Armenia should be solved through dialogue.

Speaking at the panel discussion, Gonul Saray, a deputy of the Democratic Left Party (DSP) from Amasya, gave information about negative impacts of wars on women, children and elderly people.

Underlining importance of peace, Saray said, ''we, as Turkish and Armenian women, want to stress that all institutions should cooperate with each other in a region in which acts of violence have been continuing. The women should start this meaningful attitude by cooperating in every field against circles who want to escalate tension between the two countries. Therefore, we are taking the first step to develop friendship between our politicians. We call on our political parties and all members of our parliaments to start all kinds of productive dialogue as soon as possible.''

Noting that Hermine Naghdalyan, an Armenian MP, and she would sign a declaration in English, Turkish and Armenian languages, Saray said, ''we have prepared a clean snowball with this declaration. If we can succed in rolling this snowball together, it will turn into an avalanche of friendship between the two countries.''

Meanwhile, Naghdalyan expressed her belief over that the rapprochement started between Turkey and Armenian women would receive support from intellectuals, artists, parliamentarians and young people of both countries.

Stressing that she would try to do her utmost for continuation of this initiative, Naghdalyan said that they considered the initiative a sign of Turkish and Armenian people desire to set up dialogue and to understand each other.

Naghdalyan said that the declaration would be a step taken consciously by women, a brave action against acts of violence and warfare and an initiative aiming at welfare of Turkey and Armenia.

Haranush Khratyan, the Chairwoman of Armenian Woman Dialogue Group, said that problems between Turkey and Armenia had been explained in several countries and platforms, adding that Turkey and Armenia could not come together to discuss their problems.

Noting that they should try to convene in Turkey or in Armenia, Khratyan said that negative attitudes made solution of problems more difficult.

Recalling that the history left them a bitter heritage, Khratyan said that they did not want to discuss these issues any longer.

She added that if the two countries could set up dialogue, they could display a more realistic approach.

Later, Saray and Naghdalyan signed the declaration.

The declaration says, ''we believe that problems between Turkey and Armenia should be solved through dialogue and with peaceful means instead of intimidation and armament. As women and politicians, we are determined to make any kind of contribution to provide raprochement between Turkish and Armenian peoples. As a first step, we will work to start dialogue between our political parties. We call on our governments to start political dialogue.''

-STATE MINISTER MIRZAOGLU: ''SECURITY OF
TURKISH STRAITS IS BEYOND EVERY OPINION''
ANKARA - State Minister Ramazan Mirzaoglu for Maritime said on Wednesday that Istanbul where 11 million people are living has natural assests and is accepted as the most important cultural heritage by UNESCO, adding, ''security of Turkish Straits is beyond every opinion.''

Staging a press conference, Mirzaoglu gave information about the measures which have been taken for security of Straits and passage of oil vessels through the Straits.

''We don't want to restrict passage of any kind of commercial vessels or other vessels through the Turkish Straits. We don't want to put arbitrary restrictions. We accept in principle that the more commercial vessels come to Black Sea after passing through the Turkish Straits, the more Turkey obtains benefits. But freedoms have limits, but what is the limit of the passage through the straits? It is secure and safe passage,'' he said.

Noting that safe passage was mentioned as the basic rule in the Montreux Convention, Mirzaoglu said that number of vessels crossing the Turkish Straits was increasing every day.

Stressing that also the Turkish Straits have a specific safe passage and carrying capacity as all other waterways, Mirzaoglu said, ''Turkish Straits have reached the saturation point. Any more pressure, jams Turkish Straits and results in a vessel traffic chaos which can't be solved.''

Emphasizing that such a situation would negatively affect whole world trade and especially Black Sea littoral states, Mirzaoglu explained that 4,303 of the 36,543 vessels which had crossed the Istanbul Straits in 1997 carried LPG, oil or incendiary and hazardous chemical substances, and that total weight of those cargo was 63 million tons.

Mirzaoglu said that this amount has increased in years and that 6,093 of 48, 079 vessels which passed through the Istanbul Straits last year carried hazardous materials.

The amount of hazardous materials carried by the vessels last year was 91 million tons, Mirzaoglu noted.

Mirzaoglu stated that the number of vessels loaded with hazardous materials increased 41.5 percent between 1997 and 2000 and that the amount of hazardous materials carried by these vessels climbed 44.4 percent in the mentioned years.

A total of 28 million tons of oil will pass through the straits as the Kazakh oil is brought to Novorssisk port of Russia through pipelines, Mirzaoglu pointed out.

Mirzaoglu stressed that the amount of oil passing through the Istanbul Strait will be increased by one-fourth due to this project.

Reminding that the amount of Kazakh oil which will pass through the straits is planned to be increased to 67 million tons the following year, Mirzaoglu said, ''this will increase the burden of the Istanbul Strait. There will be traffic jam in the straits. The vessels will have to wait in the Black Sea or the Sea of Marmara at least for one week.''

Mirzaoglu noted that Istanbul Straits have the most crowded naval traffic in the world and that the Maritime Undersecretariat had to take measures for secure passages through the Istanbul and Canakkale straits.

The confidence-building and security measures in the regulation on the Turkish Straits have been reviewed, Mirzaoglu said.

Mirzaoglu emphasized that they will implement all the current measures about the tankers and vessels loaded with hazardous materials within the framework of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the international rules.

They will also apply the same rules to the Turkish tankers, Mirzaoglu said.

Mirzaoglu said, ''the Turkish Straits Vessel Traffic Information System would be put into practice this year. Tugboat services will be spread and vessels carrying dangerous cargo will be allowed to pass the Straits only through tugboats.''

''Turkey will support transportation of Kazakh oil to European and world markets. We do not have a preventive attitude on the issue. We do not want to prevent transportation of oil of Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. On the contrary, the Republic of Turkey is in favor of rapid transportation of natural gas, oil and other raw material of Turkish Republics to the world markets. We recommend that Kazakh oil should be transported through pipelines. We are ready to assist Kazakhstan to this end,'' he stressed.

When asked whether or not any change would be made in the Straits Regulations for measures to increase security and safety, State Minister Mirzaoglu said, ''we have been scrutinizing the regulations within framework of measures to prevent accidents.''

When asked whether or not traffic jam in the Turkish Straits would start with passage of Kazakh oil, Mirzaoglu said, ''traffic jam will start with 28 million tonnes. There are difficulties in the Straits for the time being.''

-IMKB REPO MARKET-TL INTERBANK
ISTANBUL/ANKARA - The daily average interest rate at the Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) Repo Market became 83.05 percent on Wednesday.

The minimum overnight interest rate became 83 percent and the maximum interest rate became 84 percent.

Meanwhile, overnight borrowing interest rate at the Turkish lira (TL) Interbank became 83 percent.

-FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES
ISTANBUL/ANKARA - Buying and selling prices of U.S. dollar, German mark and British pound in Istanbul and Ankara as of 16:00 hours on Wednesday are as follows:

(Turkish lira)

ISTANBUL FREE MARKET Buying Selling

-------------------- ------- ------
U.S. dollar 995,000 1,005,000

German mark 450,000 460,000

British pound 1,415,000 1,430,500

ANKARA FREE MARKET

German mark 451,000 458,000

British pound 1,408,000 1,440,000

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