Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-08-13

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

13 AUGUST 2001 Monday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[02] PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IZGI: ''NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE WILL ABSOLUTELY BE DISCUSSED IN NSC MEETING BEFORE PARLIAMENT OPENS''

[03] MINOR QUAKE SHAKES CANKIRI

[04] REFORMISTS TO FOUND NEW PARTY ON TUESDAY

[05] STATE MINISTER KECECILER IN PAKISTAN

[06] GAP REGION'S EXPORTS TO EU COUNTRIES INCREASE

[07] NUMBER OF REGISTERED UNEMPLOYED PERSONS REACHES NEARLY 700,000

[08] A TOTAL OF 107 HECTARES OF FOREST BURNT IN AEGEAN IN FOUR DAYS

[09] NATIONAL AUTONOMY PARTY FOUNDED

[10] TUPRAS MAKES 194.2 TRILLION LIRAS PROFIT IN FIRST HALF OF 2001

[11] QUAKE SURVIVORS HOLD PROTEST TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THEIR PROBLEMS

[12] ISO ANNOUNCES RESULT OF ECONOMIC SITUATION ASSESSMENT SURVEY (1)

[13] ISO ANNOUNCES RESULT OF ECONOMIC SITUATION ASSESSMENT SURVEY (2)

[14] TRNC TOURISM MINISTRY: ''SPEND YOUR VACATION IN A NON-EXISTING COUNTRY''

[15] PAKISTANI PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF RECEIVES STATE MINISTER KECECILER

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

TOBB SAYS GOVERNMENT IS SINCERE
Rifat Hisarcıklıoglu, the Chairman of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) said that TOBB considered the steps taken by the government to open the way for real sector and to revive it are sincere, adding that such steps would lead to taking concrete initiatives next week. Hisarcıklıoglu said that representatives of the real sector, finance sector, the Treasury, Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA), Banks Union, public and private sector banks will come together next week and form a council.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

Inonu issued a written statement regarded with his meeting with Deniz Baykal and said, ''We had a meeting on Aug. 3 upon the demand of Baykal. I did not want to give detailed information about this meeting in order not to start an unnecessary discussion. However, as I saw misinterpretations in press, I made this statement.''

Inonu said, ''Baykal said the esteem of CHP was increasing rapidly, noting that an extraordinary development could prevent this result. He said he thought my efforts to set up a new party could create an obstruction, noting that an important step would be taken if I announce that I leave all of those and I support CHP. In response, I said I congratulated him, but that I left CHP and was searching for a new party now.''

ERDOGAN'S PARTY TO BE SET UP ON TUESDAY
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who separated from Necmettin Erbakan, the leader of the banned Welfare Party (RP), will set up his party on Tuesday. The word ''new,'' is expected to be included in the name of the party. Erdogan will hold a news conference on Tuesday.

Erdogan will visit Ankara on Monday and overcome the last deficiencies.

Erdogan will present foundation petition and list of Founders Committee, which will be around 80 people, to Interior Ministry.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

33 GENDARME SOLDIERS INJURED IN AKKISE
Gerdarme had opened fire on villagers who clashed with the security forces to prevent friends from being detained last Friday night. Fighting broke out after a routine identity check at a coffee house in Akkise town of central Konya province, when villagers tried to stop gendarme from detaining two people who did not have identity papers on them. The villagers threw stones at police. A 21-year old man was shot dead and 33 gendarme officers were injured during the incidents. The situation in Akkise is quiet now.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

RADIKAL (LEFT)

FIGURES THAT MAKES PEOPLE CRAZY
The production in industry sector decreased by 6,2 percent in the last six months. The decrease in automotive secetor reached 73 percent. Meanwhile, the production of beer increased by 93 percent in time of economic crisis. The blow of the economic crisis struck on industry has been reflected in the figures of the State Statistics Institute (DIE). The production decrease in many industry sectors by 80-90 percent was balanced by the general increase in increase in alcoholic drinks production.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

According to the data of the State Statics Institute, there is 6.2 percent decrease in the first six months of industry sector.

CALL FROM MENDERES TO SEZER
Aydin Menderes, the True Path Party (DYP) Istanbul Parliamentarian, said every issue has to be discussed at the National Security Council (NSC) meeting which will convene in the coming days.

Menderes said one of the duties of the President was to observe the state organs' to work in harmonization. Menderes said, ''as there are serious discussions under the roof of the state, the President should not have remained silent nowadays when Turkey is passing through a difficult period.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

Bogazici University Kandilli Observatory and Seismology Institute said the epicenter of the quake, which occurred at 03:41 local time, was determined as 45 kilometres north of Semdinli.

The quake was felt in Semdinli, Yuksekova and Hakkari.

PRINCIPLE IN ADMINISTRATION IS DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY
The unit, which the government set up to re-structure the state, issued its first report and wanted the state to withdraw to its fundamental functions.

The unit, working in connection with Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan, wanted the state to shrink and withdraw to its fundamental assignments. The report proposed some radical changes to be made in public within the scope of ''re-structuring,'' for full democracy.

[02] PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IZGI: ''NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE WILL ABSOLUTELY BE DISCUSSED IN NSC MEETING BEFORE PARLIAMENT OPENS''

Izgi responded to the questions of reporters before attending a ceremony held by the Red Crescent.

When asked if ''national security,'' issue would be brought onto the agenda in the Parliament, Izgi said, ''leaders of the coalition government earlier pledged to convene the parliament on September 15 and agreed in principle to discuss 37-article change in a private agenda.''

Responding to a question how he evaluated the national security arguements being a parliamentarian of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Izgi said, ''I have been impartial so far. It will be out of question for me to change from now on. To this end, I respond your questions as the Parliament Speaker. The national security issue will be discussed in NSC meeting before the Parliament opens by taking into consideration the statements made by State Minister Mesut Yilmaz in the Motherland Party (ANAP) meeting.''

[03] MINOR QUAKE SHAKES CANKIRI

Bogazici University Kandilli Observatory and Seismology Centre recorded the tremor in southeast of Cankırı at 21.31 local time. The magnitude of the quake was 4.3 on the Richter scale.

Officials said that two minor aftershocks followed the quake.

[04] REFORMISTS TO FOUND NEW PARTY ON TUESDAY

Recep Tayyip Erdogan will hold a news conference in Bilkent Hotel, Ankara and give information to the public opinion about the programme and regulation of the new party.

Erdogan is expected to take part in the founding council which is expected to be composed of nearly 75-80 persons. The members of the council will be made public in the news conference.

The same day, a group of reformists including deputies will submit the petition to the Interior Minister.

Erdogan is expected to have a meeting with deputies on Monday. The name and symbol of the party will be determined at the meeting.

[05] STATE MINISTER KECECILER IN PAKISTAN

Speaking to reporters in Islamabad's Chaklala Military Airport, Kececiler said friendship between Turkey and Pakistan was based on the past, adding that, ''I feel myself as if I am in my country here.''

Kececiler said he would meet with Pakistani Head of State Pervez Musharraf on Monday and convey written and verbal message of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to Musharraf.

[06] GAP REGION'S EXPORTS TO EU COUNTRIES INCREASE

The exports from GAP region was 82,5 million U.S. dollars in the same period last year.

The share of the EU countries in GAP's total exports which was 26,4 percent in January-July 2000 increased by 30,1 percent in the same period this year.

Southeast Anatolian Exporters Union said that GAP exported 553,000 U.S. dollars of agricultural products, 1,16 million U.S. dollars of cereals, and 9,1 million U.S. dollars of dry fruit and 94,4 million U.S. dollars of textile products to EU countries in Jan-July 2001.

Italy, Germany and Britain have the become the first three countries which imported GAP products the most.

The exports of GAP region to EU countries increased by 47 percent in July this year when compared to the same month last year.

[07] NUMBER OF REGISTERED UNEMPLOYED PERSONS REACHES NEARLY 700,000

According to the Turkish Emyloyment Directorate General data, the number of registered unemployed persons reached 614,719 as of the end of June, 2001. The number of unemployed persons which was 488,294 in the same period last year increased by 42 percent in one year.

A total of 177,911 persons applied to the Turkish Emyloyment Directorate General to find job in the first half of the year. 141,000 of them are men and 36,000 of them are women.

Adana is the province where the number of unemployed persons is the highest. There are 28,173 registered unemployed persons in this province. The registered unemployed persons are 18,858 in Istanbul and 15,660 in Ankara and 11,324 in Izmir.

The provinces where the number of registred unemployed persons is the lowest are as follows:

Tunceli 40, Bingol 47, Sırnak 66, Igdır 78, Ardahan 83 and Mardin 96.

Workers and young persons constitute the majority among the registered unemployed persons.

The age group of 177,911 unemployed persons as of June 2001 are as follows:

Age Group Registered Unemployed Persons

---------- -----------------------------
15-19 11802
20-24 49548
25-29 61966
30-34 23635
35-39 16087
40-44 8345
45-64 5957
65 and older 571

[08] A TOTAL OF 107 HECTARES OF FOREST BURNT IN AEGEAN IN FOUR DAYS

Officials at Mugla and Izmir Forestry Regional Directorates told A.A correspondent on Monday that 51 hectares of pineland were burnt in a fire which broke out in Senyayla hamlet of Mugla province on Thursday.

Six hectares of pineland were destroyed in fires which broke out near Milas township of Mugla.

Fires which broke out in Milas were taken under control on Thursday and fire in Senyayla was brought under control on Friday.

Fire broke out in Bayindir township of Izmir province this weekend. 50 hectares of bushes and pines were burnt in the fire which was contained on Sunday.

[09] NATIONAL AUTONOMY PARTY FOUNDED

Ozkan and party founders presented their party foundation documents to Interior Ministry General Secretariat Huseyin Aksoy. Ozkan said that as mukhtars, (elected head of a village or neighborhood) they served people for many years and tried to give services which the politicians failed to provide for people. He indicated that they knew people's sufferings well and his party's goal was to bring up these issues on behalf of people in Parliament.

When asked what the political leaning of the UMP, Ozkan said ''We are right in the center. This country suffered enough from leftists and rightists. We have seen people who were dismissed from their jobs only because they were leftists or rightists. We are open to people from both sides.''

Ozkan added that mukhtars would consitute the majority of party members but they were also open to all people who love their country.

Ozkan said they were ambitions regarding the elections and wanted to become the third biggest party.

The UMP has 34 people in its Founders Council. ''But there are 51,000 mukhtars and we believe that 80 percent of them will support us,'' Ozkan said.

[10] TUPRAS MAKES 194.2 TRILLION LIRAS PROFIT IN FIRST HALF OF 2001

Releasing a statement, Danis said that TUPRAS had made a 194.2 trillion Turkish liras (TL) profit before tax return in the first half of 2001, stressing that they had overcome the economic crisis by successfully exceeding the targets for ''net profitability, net sales and turnover figures''.

Noting that TUPRAS had increased its operating profit by 202 percent to 166.8 trillion TL, Danis said that the company's turnover had risen 59 percent, its net sales had increased 71.9 percent and its net profitability had climbed 99 percent in the first six months of the year, making a 194.2 trillion TL profit before tax return.

Danis said that TUPRAS's net profit in the first half of 2001 was 122.5 trillion TL after tax return, which was two-fold of the net profit in 2000.

He said that TUPRAS had completed 59.7 trillion TL of the 113.3 trillion TL of investments in the same period.

[11] QUAKE SURVIVORS HOLD PROTEST TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THEIR PROBLEMS

The group held a protest carrying banners and claimed that the government had not done anything in the two years that passed after the earthquake.

Duzce Quake Survivors' Association Chairperson Aysegul Senol who read out a press statement said accommodation was their biggest problem. ''Two years have passed since August 17 and nothing has changed in our lives,'' Senol said and called on the government officials to bring a solution. She also asked the government to announce the total amount of aids that have been collected from additional taxes and domestic and foreign aids.

''The six billion TL credit given to people who make their own houses should be increased and the infrastructures of permanent dwellling areas should be completed urgently. The buildings should be inspected for safety. DNA tests should be done at the cemeteries to reveal the identities of about 2,000 people who died. People who became handicapped after the earthquake should be offered free medical service,'' she said.

[12] ISO ANNOUNCES RESULT OF ECONOMIC SITUATION ASSESSMENT SURVEY (1)

Holding a news conference, Husamettin Kavi, the Chairman of ISO made public the results of the survey on Monday.

The year 2001 has been very difficult for business enterprises. The number of enterprises whose production, domestic sales, employment, new orders and external sales decreased, has increased a lot in the first half of the year when compared to the second half of last year.

The enterprises whose production decreased in the second half of last year increased from 33,8 percent to 62,5 percent in the first half of this year.

The percent of those enterprises whose employment decreased, increased from 30,6 to 50,7 percent; whose domestic sales decreased, increased from 42,3 percent to 72 percent and whose new orders decreased, increased from 39,9 percent to 63,8 percent.

A total of 29,5 percent of the enterprises expect a reduction in their production and 36,1 of them expect a decrease in their domestic sales in the second half of 2001.

Majority of the enterprises which faced big bottlenecks in the first half of 2001 will also have difficulties in the second part of 2001, according to the survey.

[13] ISO ANNOUNCES RESULT OF ECONOMIC SITUATION ASSESSMENT SURVEY (2)

Holding a news conference, ISO Chairman Husamettin Kavi publicly announced the results of the survey on Monday.

Kavi said that gross national product (GNP) had increased 6.1 percent as a result of an imaginary revival of the economy in 2000 but crises had erupted in November 2000 and February 2001 as necessary legal arrangements had not been made.

Stressing that Turkey had once again encountered an economically and socially difficult period due to uncertainty caused by those crises, Kavi said that they expected the economy to shrink by more than 5 percent and the GNP per capita to reduce to 2,400 U.S. dollars at the end of 2001.

Kavi said that 980 members of ISO had attended their survey.

Noting that number of enterprises suffering decrease in production, domestic sales, employment, new orders and external sales had increased sharply in the first half of 2001 when compared to second half of 2000, Kavi said that results of the survey showed that in the first half of 2001, problems of the enterprises had reached the most criticial and serious point since 1998.

Recalling that 540 thousand people had been working at ISO-member business places in the beginning of 2000, Kavi said, ''a total of 61,500 people have been dismissed from the ISO-member business places in last 9 months. ISO equals to 16-17 percent of total employment in industry in Turkey. When we generalize this number for the manufacturing industry in Turkey, the number of dismissed people reaches 384 thousand.''

According to the survey, capacity utilization ratio of 58.2 percent of the enterprises was below 50 percent in the first half of 2001. The capacity utilization ratio of small scale enterprises fell to 43.5 percent, that of medium scale enterprises decreased to 54.2 percent and that of giant enterprises dropped to 64.1 percent.

The survey indicated that 69.1 percent of the enterprises made exportation in the mentioned period. However, the increase in exportation was limited in the first half of 2001 due to indefiniteness caused by the floating exchange rate regime.

Almost 36.9 percent of the enterprises said that the devaluation did not have any positive or negative effects on their exports while 20.8 percent said that the devaluation did not have positive impact on their exports. 12.5 percent of the enterprises said that they refrain from exportation due to extreme fluctuations and 20.8 percent of the enterprises said that their exports increased due to devaluation.

Ratio of the companies' exports in the total turnover in the first half of 2001 increased when compared with 2000. This ratio, which was 37.4 percent in the second half of 2000, increased to 40.2 percent in the first half of 2001.

The ratio of the total credit liabilities of the companies to their turnover in the first half of 2001 was 36.9 percent.

The survey, which drew the attention that it was difficult to reach an agreement between the enterprises and financial enterprises about commercial credit interests during crises when interest rates were high, indicated that 71 percent of the enterprises could not reach an agreement with the banks in the first half of 2001.

Most of the enterprises had to close all the credits they used in the first half of 2001.

Meanwhile, the ratio of bad checks to total sales rose to 10.3 percent in the first half of the year.

The measure employed most by companies against the economic crisis was to stop forward sale. 38.3 percent of the companies used this measure.

Decreasing employment was the second measure used by 36.9 percent of the companies. Some 33.2 percent of the companies ''delayed their payments'' as another measure.

About 52 percent of the companies had announced a shrinking in their sales volume in the second half of 2000 and this figure increased to 63.3 percent in the first half of 2001.

Companies failed to reach the sales and profit level they targeted as result of the decrease in sales and increase in costs.

Sine 29.8 percent of the companies stated that they lost money in the second half of 2000 and this number increased to 57.6 percent in the first half of 2001. In the same period, companies which made profits decreased from 70.2 to 42.4 percent.

The rate of companies which suffered from financing shortage increased to 73 percent in the first half of 2001.

The expectations from the second half of this year are quite positive compared to the first half of the year. But the survey signaled a 29.5 percent decrease in production, 36.1 percent decrease in domestic sales, 22.7 percent decrease in foreign sales, 31.6 percent decrease in new orders and 28 percent decrease in employment in companies.

The companies which were surveyed estimated the Gross National Product growth rate as minus four, wholesale prices 69 percent and consumer prices 68.2 percent for the year's second half. They estimated the U.S. dolalrs as one million 605,316.

Some 78 percent of the companies think that the economic program might be useful in medium and long term but they believe that the program does not offer a solution to the industry's problems. About 66 percent of the surveyed companies find consumer and wholesale prices and growth rate targets unrealistic.

More than 51 percent of the companies trust the program but they are worried about the political will to implement the program. About 48.9 percent of the companies are not sure about the government's economy program indicating serious doubts.

ISO Chairman Kavi said that these results showed that the problems of the real sector should be solved urgently.

''Turkey must become a country which produces, which pays its debts with its savings, and create employment. The current economic and social problems could be overcome by adopting a sustainable debt structure and an economy based on production,'' he said.

[14] TRNC TOURISM MINISTRY: ''SPEND YOUR VACATION IN A NON-EXISTING COUNTRY''

TRNC Tourism Ministry will use the slogan ''Spend your vacation in a non- existing country'' to draw tourists.

TRNC Tourism Minister Serdar Denktas had discussed daily tours from Antalya to the TRNC with Turkish government officials when he visited Turkey last week. The details of the plan will be discussed at a meeting in the TRNC on Aug. 15, Wednesday. Representatives of travel agencies, Cyprus Turkish Hotels Association and Cyprus Turkish Travel Agencies Association's members will attend the meeting and review the details of travel packages.

The daily tours are aiming to offer tourists a chance to spend a day in the TRNC for 70 U.S. dollars at a two star hotel. Transportation will be included in this price.

[15] PAKISTANI PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF RECEIVES STATE MINISTER KECECILER

Kececiler conveyed the message of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to Musharraf while Musharraf invited President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Ecevit to his country.

State Minister Kececiler is currently in Pakistan to attend ''Independence Day'' ceremonies and the inauguration of the Chasma Irrigation Canal built by Turkish company TEKSER.

Following the meeting, Kececiler told reporters that he conveyed the message of Ecevit to Musharraf in which Ecevit expressed his efforts to keep the bilateral and political relations in a good level and his wishes for peace and tranquility.

Kececiler added that Musharraf requested him to convey his invitation to Sezer and Ecevit.

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