Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-08-04

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

04 AUGUST 2001 Saturday

-TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on August 4, 2001. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

Leader of the reformist wing Tayyip Erdogan and his supporters had high expectations from Aksener when she joined their group and they have been shocked when Aksener quit Erdogan's group by saying ''her vision did not overlap with the vision of the Reformists''. ''I had joined this group because I thought people needed a politics which would open the way to people but soon I realized that I cannot find the opportunity to realze this goal in this group,'' Aksener said and announced her withdrawal from the group.

REUTERS PRAISES TURKISH WINES

According to a research published by Reuters news agency, Turkey, with its more than one million hectares of wineyards is the world's fourth biggest wine producer. The first third wine producing countries are France, Italy and Spain. Experts said that wine was banned by the Islam religion so the sultans banned producing and drinking wine for 600 years during the Ottoman time but they added that wine producton made a great progress in Turkey in the recent years. Reuters also remarked that ''raki'' was still preferred by many Turks.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

The IMF greenlighted for a new tranche of 1.5 bllon U.S. dollar credit to Turkey. No surprse decisions came from the IMF's meeting of yesterday which was attended by 24 members. The directors announced that the IMF released the 1.5 bllon U.S. dollar credit which will be transferred to the Central Bank in the coming days.

DHL STARTS ''BUY NOW FROM TURKEY'' CAMPAIGN

DHL Turkiye has started a campaign called ''Buy Now From Turkey''. The company will write ''Buy Now From Turkey. Competitive Prices, Amazing Quality'' on over 100,000 envelopes and packages that are being sent to 228 countries to increase Turkish export.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

State Minister Kemal Dervis spoke optimistic about the future. ''We almost overcame the crisis,'' Dervis said when he talked with economy correspondents recently. Dervis said that Turkey's political structure was similar to Italy's. ''Italians managed to maintain economic prosperity despite their unstable politics. I think we must also reach that point,'' Dervis sad.

BANKERS' FEAR OF CREDIT PREVENTS ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION

State Minister Kemal Dervis spoke about the relations between the bankers and the real sector when he briefed the economy correspondents about the latest developments. ''Bankers are in a very conservatist psychology because of fear from money syphoning and abuse. And this prevents the real sector from revitalizing,'' he said.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

Izmir's Guneydogu Square had a historcal day yesterday. About 40,000 producers reacted to the transfer of Tarisbank to the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund. Villagers coming from several places of the Aegean region with their donkeys and tractors expressed their frustration against the government.

TURKEY IN THE SAME CLASS WITH THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES IN EDUCATION

Educatiion problems were dscussed at the International Education Congress in Taland. In terms of the budget share for education and annual educaton spendings per person, Turkey was in the same class with the third world countries.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

Five percent of the qualified white collar workers who lost their jobs don't believe that they could find a new job in the next four months. Those who were first looking for an income equal to their previous salaries are now ready to settle for any job. A research conducted by the Human Resources Associaton also revealed that the increasng unemployment has also increased the divorces.

INFLATION WAS NOT SO UPSETTING

Inflation rate in consumer prices was below the expected figure (2.4 percent) and it was only a little bit over in wholesale prices (3.3 percent) in the month of July. Health expenses had the sharpest increase, 8.8 percent, last month.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

The inflaton rate for last month was below the expected level. The release of the 1.5 billion U.S. dollar credit by the IMF and the Treasury's selling of 600 million U.S. dollar worth of bonds gave a fresh breath to the money markets.

IKTISAT BANK TO BE SOLD

Iktisat Bank who was transferred to the Banking Deposit Insurance Fund will soon be sold. The Banking Supervision and Inspection Council announced that investors who are interested in buying the bank should apply to the BDDK before August 13, 2001 with the necessary documents.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

For the frst tme in Motherland Party's (ANAP) history, there are so many candidates competing against each other to become the party leader. ANAP leader Mesut Yilmaz will try to be elected in the first tour. Yilmaz's bggest rival is Lutfullah Kayalar. Yilmaz wants to have at least 900 votes from 1,227 party members.

CONTENTS

[01] TRNC PRESIDENT DENKTAS SPEAKS TO A.A. ''EU'S INVOLVEMENT IN CYPRUS MADE THE ISSUE MORE COMPLICATED''

[02] ECEVIT SIGNS HIGHER MILITARY BOARD DECISIONS

[03] FOUR PKK MEMBERS CAUGHT IN ISTANBUL

[04] EROGLU:''A SOLUTION IN CYPRUS COULD ONLY BE REACHED BY ACCEPTING THE EXISTENCE OF TWO SEPARATE STATES ON THE ISLAND''

[05] CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF KIVRIKOGLU TO VISIT BAKU

[06] 24 KILOS OF HASHISH FOUND IN MERSIN

[07] RED CRESCENT DISTRIBUTES 58,5 TONS OF FOOD AND CLEANING MATERIAL IN KOSOVO IN 2001

[08] ALMOST ONE MILLION TOURISTS VISIT MUGLA REGION IN FIRST SEVEN MONTHS OF 2001

[09] GOKCE:''ERZURUM HAS A GREAT TOURISM POTENTIAL''

[10] YILMAZ SPEAKS AT 7TH GENERAL ANAP CONGRESS

[11] GIANT ITALIAN SHIP SAIPEM 7000 PASSING FROM CANAKKALE STRAIT

[01] TRNC PRESIDENT DENKTAS SPEAKS TO A.A. ''EU'S INVOLVEMENT IN CYPRUS MADE THE ISSUE MORE COMPLICATED''

In an exclusive interview with the A.A, Denktas said that the EU made a big mistake by accepting the Greek Cypriot Administration as the legal government of Cyprus.

''The EU has been deceived on the Cyprus issue. The EU was told that the two sides were about to agree and the few minor disagreements could be solved by the emergence of the chance to join the EU. But as soon as the EU shed a green light, the Greek Cypriot side said the three liberties (free travel, settlement and the right to attain property) could not be limited. They said the two sidedness on the island should be lifted and a German model federation must be discussed. Now the EU cannot change its decisions because of Greece,'' Denktas said.

The TRNC president said that the EU is becoming more anxious since it realized that membership to the EU would not bring peace to the island and that the Greek Cypriot side's entrance to the EU would spoil all the balances in the region. ''The Greek Cypriots and Greece are the ones which created the Cyprus issue since 1963. Why is Turkey being told to solve its Cyprus problem before it could join the EU but the Greek Cypriot administration is not told the same thing? Turkey did not create the Cyprus conflict,'' Denktas said.

Denktas said that the EU, first of all, must accept the special structure of Cyprus and should start contacts on equal basis with both sides.

Denktas who will have a meeting with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on August 28 in Austria said ''I'm going to this meeting to find an answer to certain questions. Which common grounds exist between the two sides for the solution of the Cyprus issue? Are these strong enough to take us to an agreement?.''

He indicated that the Greek Cypriot Administration claims to represent the whole island. They are also working to make the immigrants return to northern Cyprus by using the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The TRNC President stressed that the TRNC was against discussing membership to the EU before a solution is reached with the Greek Cypriots.

''They have demolished the partnership republic which was set up in 1960 in order to turn Cyprus to a Greek Cypriot Republic and make Turks into a minority. They started a war with this purpose. After 11 years, they tried to solve the issue with a Greek and Greek Cypriot coup. We had a exchange of populations and we came to the stage where we were going to do an exchange of assets and they chose the EU way to eliminate all these. This is against the agreements of 1960. Cyprus cannot join an institution which Turkey is not a member of. There are principles taken by the UN Secretary General. First the solution, then the EU membership. EU membership decision could only be taken by separate referandums of both sides,'' he continued. ''The Greek Cypriot side made us lose 20 years with negotiations by acting as if we had any common grounds. We must decide on a target and later decide on the details.''

When asked why a solution has not been brought to the Cyprus issue for 38 years, Denktas said correct diagnosis were need in the Cyprus issue.

''The Greek Cypriots could not attain what they wanted through weapons or sanctions. They were told that they are the legal government of Cyprus. Can you expect them to form a new partnership after they are told that they are the legal government of Cyprus? What is preventing an agreement is that the Greek Cypriot side believes that they represent the entire island. They should be told that they are not the government of the Turkish Cypriots. This is what I will discuss in Austria,'' Denktas told the A.A

He said that the Turkish existence on the island would be completely lifted if Cyprus enters the EU without a political problem is brought. He said if this happens, not a single Turkish Cypriot would remain on the island.

When asked if the U.S. administration sent an assurance letter to the Greek Cypriot side saying that the three freedoms cannot be limited and confederation proposal will not be discussed, Denktas said that he spoke with a U.S. diplomat regarding the matter who told him that there was no such assurance.

''I have doubts about the sincerity of this U.S. diplomat's answers,'' he said. ''If such a thing has happened, it is a step to prevent the talks. Because there is no reason for the talks if the U.S. made such a promise,'' he said.

''Too many cooks spoil the soup,'' Denktas quoted a British proverb. ''The Cyprus problem would have been solved much before by the UN Secretary General, if so many U.S., British and EU representatives had not been involved.''

He said that the involving sides accept the Greek Cypriot part as the sole government of Cyprus which leaves no motivation for the Greek Cypriot side to set up a partnership with the Turkish Cypriots.

He also remarked that he was not given any assurance that ''everything will start from zero'' at the talks.

[02] ECEVIT SIGNS HIGHER MILITARY BOARD DECISIONS

Ecevit was met by Chief of General Staff Huseyin Kivrikoglu when he came to the General Staff Headquarters at 8.35 a.m.

Ecevit signed the decision taken at the YAS meetings which started on Aug. 1.

The decision will later be presented to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer before they are announced to public.

[03] FOUR PKK MEMBERS CAUGHT IN ISTANBUL

Anti-Terrorism Directorate announced that four men who were involved in an illegal demonstration last week in Kazim Karabekir neigborhood were taken into custody.

Four men who were members of the PKK also earlier participated in other illegal demonstrations in Umraniye and Uskudar districts of Istanbul.

[04] EROGLU:''A SOLUTION IN CYPRUS COULD ONLY BE REACHED BY ACCEPTING THE EXISTENCE OF TWO SEPARATE STATES ON THE ISLAND''

Speaking at a grape festival on Saturday, Eroglu said the TRNC was going through certain economic troubles like many other places in the world but this didn't mean that the Turkish Cypriots would give up their states.

Eroglu remarked that Turkey was the only country helping the TRNC. '''The TRNC is developing in a way that draws the world's attention. We are continuing our efforts with Turkey to explain our cause to the world. It's our duty to make the world understand our cause,'' Eroglu said.

Eroglu said that many countries, the EU and the UN Security Council, must see their mistakes as soon as possible and try to help the situation in the light of the realities in Cyprus.

He also added that the Turkish side had always made positive proposals during the talks so far but the Greek Cypriot side avoided preparing a grounds for an agreement.

[05] CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF KIVRIKOGLU TO VISIT BAKU

Azerbaijani Defense Minister Sefer Abiyev had earlier sent Kivrikoglu an invitation letter.

[06] 24 KILOS OF HASHISH FOUND IN MERSIN

Narcotic teams who were disguised as a buyer agreed to meet with the two men at the ages of 37 and 43. The two men wanted to sell the hashish for 16 billion TL.

The interrogation of the suspects is continuing.

[07] RED CRESCENT DISTRIBUTES 58,5 TONS OF FOOD AND CLEANING MATERIAL IN KOSOVO IN 2001

Red Crescent Chairmanship announced that 6,092 people (35,380) people had benefitted from the aid that was distributed.

Some 6,052 people of those who were provided food and cleaning material are the refugees who escaped from Macedonia to Kosovo.

A medical team of the Red Crescent continues to offer medical service in Prizren and Dragas villages. The team performed health check-ups on 4,241 people in the first seven months of the year.

[08] ALMOST ONE MILLION TOURISTS VISIT MUGLA REGION IN FIRST SEVEN MONTHS OF 2001

He indicated that 353,231 British tourists came to the area followed by 171, 475 Germans, 121,123 Dutch, 40,000 Israelis and 37,508 French tourists.

Only last month, 364,901 tourists visited Mugla region which was 289,853 in July 2001. Yienoglu said that this figure is likely to increase in August.

[09] GOKCE:''ERZURUM HAS A GREAT TOURISM POTENTIAL''

Gokce told the A.A that the city could draw a great number of tourists if it is promoted well.

Gokce indicated that Erzurum had several historical and natural sites which would be very attractive for tourists but these places have not yet been promoted sufficiently.

''All kinds of natural beauty exist at Palandoken and Dumlu mountains. Coruh stream is very good for rafting. Palandoken ski center is one of the world's leading ski centers. All public institutions should work together to promote Erzurum's tourism potential,'' Gokce said.

[10] YILMAZ SPEAKS AT 7TH GENERAL ANAP CONGRESS

Yilmaz said his party had no responsibility in the present economic situation and said ''We must stop complaining and do whatever is necessary to save our future. Complaining is the job of the helpless people. People are expecting a solution from us. ANAP is the political party of people who do whatever is necessary in hard times.''

Some ANAP members supported Yilmaz by chanting slogans ''Prime Minister Mesut'' before Yilmaz began his speech.

Yilmaz said they did not get together only to elect the party administration but also to debate proposals and projects for Turkey's problems.

''Today, we must speak about the realities openly. It is time to see the conditions in which Turkey is in. It is not the time to hide the realities with fear and turn back from them,'' he continued.

''Turkey did not come to this situation because of ANAP. It came to this point despite ANAP's warnings. Turkey wouldn't have survived this far without the activities carried out by our government in the past.''

Yilmaz said that his party started very hard after the April 18 elections in order to make the ANAP the ruling party. ''28 months have passed since then and we completed most of our preparations. A new future will come with ANAP,'' he said.

[11] GIANT ITALIAN SHIP SAIPEM 7000 PASSING FROM CANAKKALE STRAIT

The ship is 198 meters long and 87 meters wide. Its height is 135 meters. The strait was closed to traffic during the ship's passage. The ship decreased its speed from nine to five and a half miles during its passage dur to north winds.

The ship is expected to pass from Canakkale Strait in nine hours and enter Istanbul Strait (Boshphorus) on Monday at noon hours. It was reported that it was impossible to give an exact time because of possible winds and rough waves.

The ship will install a pipeline between Russian Bregovaya township and Samsun. It will receive help from foreign ships during the 250 kilometer long pipeline's installation.

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