Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-08-23

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

23 August 2001 Thursday

These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on August 23, 2001. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

State Minister and Government Spokesman Sukru Sina Gurel has stated that the government would make any concession to help the farmers without deviating from the targets of the economic program. After a meeting which lasted about two hours, Gurel said Dervis briefed the Ministers Council members about the Finance and Production Advisory Council meetings which was held on Tuesday. ''Dervis presented a series of evaluations to the Ministers Council about what should be done in production and export sector in Turkey and to boost the real sector,'' Gurel said.

TURKEY SENTENCED TO PAY COMPANSATION TO AKBAY

Turkey was sentenced by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to pay 250,000 French Francks (50 billion 174 million TL) to Abdulbaki Akbay who allegedly was tortured under detention. Turkey, sent a letter to the ECHR expressing regret for the occurance of such incidents.

Akbay, a PKK member who was involved in the killing of a policeman, was caught on Aug. 7, 1995 in Istanbul and he had claimed that he was tortured during the time he was under detention in Bitlis. He applied to the ECHR on March 5, 1996 with a doctor's report. The Turkish government, in a letter it sent to the court said ''The government accepts that torture and misbehavior against detainees is a violation of the Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights and it assures that it will give the necessary instructions to prevent the reoccurance of such incidents.''

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

A passenger bus fell to the shoulder of the road in Kavak township in the Black Sea Samsun province killing eight people and injuring 43 others.

The passenger bus, carrying 51 passengers most of whom are soldiers and students, slid and later fell to the shoulder of the road.

Ferhat Karaaslan, the driver of the bus, claimed that mobile phone of a passenger rang, and the ABS break system of the bus was locked. However, the passengers said the bus was going in high speed.

MINISTRY EXPRESSES SORROW OVER TORTURE

Turkey was sentenced to pay 250,000 French Frank (approximately 50 billion Turkish lira) to Abdulbaki Akbay who applied to European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on grounds that he was tortured when he was under custody.

Akbay had been captured in Istanbul in 1995 and later sent to Tatvan township in Bitlis province on charges of being a member of an illegal organization. When it was determined with the report of doctors that he was tortured, his lawyers filed a suit to ECHR in 1996.

Case of Akbay, currently serving imprisonment terms in Siirt prison, resulted after five years.

A statement bearing the signature of H. Kemal Gur, the Foreign Ministry General Director, said, ''the government felt sorrow for those who receive mistreatment under custody.''

SABAH (LIBERAL)

Supreme Court Chief Prosecutor Sabih Kanadoglu said, ''keeping silent against the founder members wearing head scarf would be to give a trump card to their deputyship candidacy. I could not allow this.''

It was reported that Kanadoglu's demand that those wearing head scarf could not be founder members, aimed at preventing a ''new Merve Kavakci incident.''

HELLO FROM AYCELL

Aycell, which is one of the four GSM operators in Turkey, started giving technical and commercial service today.

Aycell will be in service commercially as of September. A total of 130 million U.S. dollars were spent so far. Investment, worth of 1.5 billion U.S. dollars will be made next year.

Aycell which would be in service in Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Adana, Bursa, Antalya and Mugla with 1.000 base stations at first stage targeted to spread its network throughout Turkey within 5 months.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

General Huseyin Kivrikoglu, the Chief of General Staff, will pay a visit to Azerbaijan following the tension experienced between Azerbaijan and Iran over Caspian issue. ''Turkish Stars,'' the show team of the Turkish Air Forces, will accompany Kivrikoglu.

Turkey, with the visit of Kivrikoglu, will give the message both to Iran and Armenia that it supported Azerbaijan.

Iran, which claimed right on oil reserves of Azerbaijan in the Caspian, launched provocative actions against Azerbaijan in the past weeks.

COALITION CAN NOT AGREE ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PACKAGE

The coalition partners could not agree on constitutional amendment package during the National Security Council (NSC) meeting It was reported that the government partners, in a commission which will be set up, are getting prepared to make some changes by taking into consideration the sensitivities of the military wing.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

Language schools in foreign countries have started a discount to encourage Turkish students to study at these schools after the economic crisis. Akademy Foreign Education advisor Selin Kadehci said that many students applied to study in a language school in a foreign country but most of them decided not to go after the economic crisis in February. Kadehci remarked that there was a significant decrease in the number of students going abroad to study a foreign language and many foreign language schools started discounted programs for Turkish students. Most English language courses are offered in Canada, England and Australia.

KIVRIKOGLU IN AZERBAIJAN

Turkey, which made important contributions to the formation of the Azerbaijani army, after Azerbaijan gained its independence, will be represented atthe graduation ceremony of Azerbaijani Military Academy by Chief of General Staff Huseyin Kivrikoglu. Kivrikoglu and Turkish Air Forces' aerobatics team ''Turkish Star'' will arrive in Azerbaijan on Friday. Kivrikoglu will present the diplomas to the first graduates of the Azerbaijani Military Academy.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

Rauf Denktas, the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), said he would not take place in scenerios that talks about Cyprus would resume in New York in September.

The statement issued in Cyprus Newspaper, pointed out that Denktas would meet Kofi Annan, the U.N. Secretary General on August 28, and discuss whether or not the talks would start.

Stressing that there were allegations that he would go to New York as an actor assigned in scenerios of others, Denktas said, ''I hope such a wrong impression is not given to the Secretary General. Resumption of talks in September depends on the talks with my government and the evaluation we will make with Turkey if necessary.''

BASIS OF 56-YEAR OLD MARRIAGE IS LOVE

Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and his wife Rahsan celebrated 56th wedding anniversary of their marriage.

When the journalists wanted Ecevit to comment on the 56th anniversary of their marriage, he said, ''thanks for your interest. We have been happy in every stage of this marriage, and we fought against the problems together.''

Ecevit said, ''the 56 years passed in struggle for the sake of our country. We could not give much time to our private life.'' When asked what he bought for his wife, Ecevit said, ''everyday is a wedding anniversary for us.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

State Security Court (DGM) confiscated many tender files at the Public Works and Housing Ministry including those regarding the dwellings built for the quake survivors. Ankara DGM revealed that certain companies were shown favoritism in the tenders and the documents of some companies were lost in order to eliminate them from the tenders. One branch director, one head of the department and five company representatives were taken into custody regarding the incident. The corruption is estimated to be worth of quadrillions of TL.

TURKEY TO GIVE GAP TRANING TO OTHER COUNTRIES

Using its experience of the South East Anatolia Development Project (GAP), Turkey is getting ready to give agricultural traning at international level. The first students of GAP School will be experts coming from China, Egypt and Syria. The first term of the course will between September and December.

CONTENTS

[01] EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK TO EXPEND FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO KOBIs

[02] ERDOGAN SAYS HE WAS ELECTED AS LEADER OF AK PARTY UNDER LIGHT OF LEGAL ARRANGEMENTS ABOUT SUSPENSION OF PUNISHMENTS

[03] NUMBER OF TOURISTS VISITING HARRAN INCREASES BY 150 PERCENT

[04] ERDOGAN SAYS SOME CIRCLES ARE TRYING TO PREVENT HIS POLITICAL ACTIVITIES (2)

[05] ALABAMA STATE OF U.S. DECLARES AUGUST 30 AS COMMEMORATION DAY OF TRADEGY EXPERIENCED BY TURKS

[06] FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTRY SAYS THAT GENERAL KIVRIKOGLU'S VISIT TO BAKU WAS PLANNED THREE MONTHS AGO

[07] CENTRAL BANK ANNOUNCES ITS ARRANGEMENTS ABOUT TRANSITION OF NATIONAL CURRENCIES OF 12 EU COUNTRIES INTO EURO (1)

[08] CENTRAL BANK ANNOUNCES ITS ARRANGEMENTS ABOUT TRANSITION OF NATIONAL CURRENCIES OF 12 EU COUNTRIES INTO EURO (2)

[09] INTERNATIONAL AGRI MOUNTAIN VICTORY CLIMBING TO START ON AUGUST 25

[10] DEATH FASTS COME TO AN END IN ANKARA

[01] EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK TO EXPEND FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO KOBIs

This credit, which is included within the financial aid program, worth of 600 million Euro, which the European Investment Bank committed to give after the quake, will be released soon. Besides the credit of the European Investment Bank, an additional financial resource will be provided from Japan, and this credit may be used in KOBIs.

At the first meeting of the ''Finance and Production Consultation Boad,'' in which public and private sector representatives attended, negative effects of the recent economic crisis in Turkey were evaluated, and probable measures were discussed.

Meanwhile, a World Bank delegation, led by Ira Lieberman, the World Bank real sector evaluation expert, who had paid a visit to Turkey on August 7, had submitted its report to the World Bank administration. The World Bank officials discussed the loss the real sector suffered because of the crisis and the amount of finance necessary for the rehabilitation of the sector.

[02] ERDOGAN SAYS HE WAS ELECTED AS LEADER OF AK PARTY UNDER LIGHT OF LEGAL ARRANGEMENTS ABOUT SUSPENSION OF PUNISHMENTS

Erdogan held a press conference at the Kalyon Hotel to respond to news stories and comments about his statements in the past.

Speaking at the press conference, Erdogan gave information about program of the AK Party.

''The AK Party is a political party founded by politicians who believe that the Republic was one of the greatest acquisitions of Turkish people,'' he told reporters.

Erdogan noted, ''the AK Party members accept that sovereignty belonged to the nation unconditionally, political legality depended on people's will, and that human rights, democracy, secularism and supremacy of law were the main foundations of the state and the nation. We have taken these principles including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights into regulations of our political party.''

''An unfair discussion against my personality as the leader of the AK Party has been started a short while ago. It was necessary to hold this press conference to inform the public opinion correctly,'' he said.

Erdogan said that there were some discussions about the use of political rights before the AK Party was founded and noted that they debated this matter with the expert jurists.

The jurists told him that the decisions of the Higher Election Board, Supreme Court of Appeals and Council of State and the provisions of the laws regarding the suspension of punishments did not limit his rights, Erdogan noted.

Erdogan stated that they waited for the decision of the Constitutional Court regarding Hasan Celal Guzel, who was at the same situation as himself.

By the decision that the Constitutional Court gave about Guzel, it was clarified that the political rights of those who benefitted from the law on suspension of punishments were not limited, Erdogan said.

Erdogan noted that this decision clarified this fact without any doubts, and added, ''I am a founder member of the AK Party, and has been elected as its leader under the light of legal arrangements about suspension of punishments, and legal security stemming from decisions of higher judicial organs. Despite this clear situation, Chief Prosecutor of Supreme Court of Appeals has made an application. The Constitutional Court will take the final decision. The chief prosecutor used his legal authority. I do not think it is necessary to say more on this matter. Also, it is not legally right to comment on the matter about which a trial process has been launched.''

[03] NUMBER OF TOURISTS VISITING HARRAN INCREASES BY 150 PERCENT

Harran Head Official Halil Ibrahim Aksit told the A.A correspondent on Thursday, ''Harran has a past of 11 thousand years. Its traditional civil architecture, mudbrick houses with conic roofs, are unique.''

Aksit noted, ''both Turkish and foreign tourists have started showing great interest in Harran after the atmosphere of peace and security was provided in the region. Residents in Harran have begun to consider tourism as a secound source living after agriculture. We have many deficiencies in infranstructure of the township. We will remove all of them in the course of the time.''

Recalling that nearly 4 thousand tourists visited Harran in the same period last year, Aksit said that this number increased up to 11 thousand in January-August period of 2001.

The Temple of Sin, known also as the first university, takes place in Harran. The temple was famous throughout the ancient world for its star readers and savants.

It was in Harran where Rebecca drew water for Jacob, from whence Abraham decided to make his move into the land of Canaan. This was also where the Roman Emperor Crassus was defeated by the Parthians, with the Legion standards captured and brought back to Ctesiphon to the undying shame of the Romans; Crassus himself reportedly died by having liquid gold poured down his mouth. Later, the Emperor Julian the Apostate worshipped the moon here on the way to his fateful encounter with Shapur I farther east.

Harran was also the last hold out of the Sabians, the pagans who had managed to survive through to the 11th century. Standing atop the ruins of the ancient citadel, one overlooks the scattered bits of rock and material - history stretching back to the very dawn of time: the very potsherds crunching underfoot have an immediacy here, the broken vessels having surely been used by some long forgotten ancestor from the land of Ur, an acquaintance of Abraham, or a Roman legionnaire from Gaul, whose memory now swirls with the dust devils across the oblate horizon.

[04] ERDOGAN SAYS SOME CIRCLES ARE TRYING TO PREVENT HIS POLITICAL ACTIVITIES (2)

Erdogan says that they are often asked questions which may cause polemics on secularism and went on saying, ''we consider secularism as the guarantee of democracy. The principle that should protect freedom of religion and conscience in the best way is the principle of secularism. To this end, we not only say that we are against religious exploitation but also we state in our program that we are against the weakening of secularism by a misinterpretation like enmity against religion.'' Erdogan added, ''what is secularism in AK Party's opinion? A principle which ensures all the believers to worship without any difficulties and live their lives in the direction of their religious beliefs and which ensures unbelievers to arrange their lives in this direction. To this end, secularism is a principle of freedom and social peace.'' Asked if he thinks of quitting his mandate before he waits for the decision of the Constitutional Court, Erdogan said that they will continue their path to serve the nation unless they are legally obstructed.

[05] ALABAMA STATE OF U.S. DECLARES AUGUST 30 AS COMMEMORATION DAY OF TRADEGY EXPERIENCED BY TURKS

Alabama Governor Don Siegelman declared August 30 as the Commemoration Day of the Tragedy Experienced by the Turks by attributing to the difficulties and problems faced during the War of Independence.

By declaring August 30 as the official day of Alabama, Governor Siegelman faced objections of the Greek lobby because he chose this date on which the Turkish army defeated the occupier Greek units and the Armenian lobby because he stressed the agonies experienced by the Turkish nation between 1912 and 1922.

Siegelman said that millions of Ottoman citizens of different ethnic and religious origins lost their lives due to inter-communal clashes, exile and diseases during the World War I and decline of Ottoman Empire.

The governor stressed that Turkish nation fought to preserve their sovereignty and independence under the pioneership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk during the long War of Independence and founded the Turkish Republic on October 29, 1923.

It is of vital importance to recognize the tragedy experienced by the Turks to prevent the humanity tragedies in coming days, Siegelman noted.

Siegelman stated that the Turks had lived in harmony and friendship with different ethnic groups in the history.

Turkey is the only secular democracy in the Islam world and has important contributions to the U.S. foreign policy in the Balkans, Middle East, Central Asia and Caucasus, Siegelman said.

Siegelman emphasized that Turkey plays a vital role in international efforts for peace, prosperity and stability.

Turkey, a close ally of the U.S., stood beside the U.S. in every big clash since the Korean War, Siegelman said.

The governor pointed out that Turkey has become a fundamental part of Europe by its NATO and Council of Europe (COE) memberships.

The people of Alabama state is very sensitive about the comdemnation and commemoration of the losses in former wars and ethnic conflicts to prevent future humanity tragedies, Siegelman noted.

Siegelman said that Americans of Turkish origin in Alabama state play an important role in education, culture, social affairs and economy and noted that under these conditions, he, the Governor of Alabama, declares August 30, 2001 as the Commemoration Day of the Tragedy Experienced by the Turks In the Path of Independence, Sovereignty and Liberation.

Alabama has taken an important step by declaring August 30 as the day of Turkey while almost half of 50 states of U.S. officially recognize the so- called Armenian genocide by taking into account only the Armenian allegations due to the efforts of the Armenian lobby and not paying attention to what historians and Turkish side say about the issue.

[06] FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTRY SAYS THAT GENERAL KIVRIKOGLU'S VISIT TO BAKU WAS PLANNED THREE MONTHS AGO

Foreign Affairs Ministry sources told the A.A correspondent that General Kivrikoglu's visit to Baku was planned three months ago.

General Kivrikoglu who responded in the affirmative Azerbaijan's invitation in May, is scheduled to attend the first graduation ceremony at the Land War Academy in Baku.

Participation of ''Turkish Stars'', the aerobatics team of the Turkish Air Forces, in the graduation ceremony, was also included in the program three months ago.

Foreign Affairs Ministry officials said that 10 F-5 planes would participate in the aerobatics shows.

Officials warned that connecting a program which was prepared three months ago with the recent development in the region could jeopardize Turkish foreign policy.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry which is concerned about possible effects of such reflections on relations between Ankara and Tehran, launched diplomatic initiatives in Tehran with the aim of preventing misunderstandings.

Turkey informed Iran on the developments through Iranian Embassy in Ankara, and prevented possible disputes between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Turkish Embassy in Tehran released a statement and emphasized that news stories claiming that Turkish war planes would perform military exercise in Baku were totaly baseless.

In the statement, Turan Morali, the Turkish Ambassador to Iran, said, ''it is wrong to describe General Kivrikoglu's visit to Baku as an inciting attitude against Iran. This statement was released in order to prevent wrongful comments whether they are intentional or not, and to inform friendly Iranian public opinion.''

The statement also noted that planes that would leave for Azerbaijan, were aerobatics team formed by F-5 planes that lost their warfare capacity.

Meanwhile, five Caspian Sea littoral countries have been continuing to discuss whether the Caspian is an international sea or a lake.

While Turkey has been maintaining its consultations with Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan on the issue of legal status of Caspian Sea, it also gives the message that it was ready to share its experiments about the Aegean Sea. Ankara which is in favor of sharing information technically, does not want to undertake a role of mediator among the sides. Stressing that the Aegean dispute could not be solved for years, the problems became permament and therefore reasonable solutions could not be found, the same sources said that Ankara was ready to share its experiences. They underlined that the problem should be solved before it becomes ossified.

The same sources added that Turkey's interest in the Caspian Sea should not be connected with 12-mile waiting for a solution in the Aegean Sea.

[07] CENTRAL BANK ANNOUNCES ITS ARRANGEMENTS ABOUT TRANSITION OF NATIONAL CURRENCIES OF 12 EU COUNTRIES INTO EURO (1)

In the statement, the Central Bank stressed that Euro was the single currency of the European Monetary Union, the latest stage of common market system which was formed by European countries, especially Germany and France, to increase their level of welfare.

Noting that Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Finland and Austria created a common currency by giving up their national currencies on their free will, the statement stressed that euro would be put into circulation as banknotes of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 beginning from January 1, 2002 after a three-year transition process.

''Dutch florin will go out of circulation on January 28, 2002, Irish punt on February 9, 2002, French franc on February 17, 2002, German mark, Austrian schilling, Belgian franc, Finnish markka, Spanish peseta, Italian liret, Luxembourg franc, Portuguese escudo and Greek drachma will go out of circulation on February 28, 2002,'' it said.

The statement noted that some arrangements were made in order to exchange national currencies of these countries into euro in Turkey.

Some of these arrangements are as follows:

-real and legal organs will carry out their proceedings to exchange national currencies of 12 EU countries into euro in banks, private finance institutions and authorized organization throughout Turkey within framework of general principles.

-the Central Bank will exchange national currencies of 12 EU countries only with banks, private finance institutions and authorized organizations.

-the exchange of national currencies of these countries into euro will be made over the rates fixed on December 31, 1998. The rates are as follows:

1 Euro = 13.7603 Austrian schilling

1 Euro = 1.95583 German mark

1 Euro = 40.3399 Belgium franc

1 Euro = 5.94573 Finnish markka

1 Euro = 6.55957 French franc

1 Euro = 2.20371 Dutch florin

1 Euro = 40.3399 Luxembourg franc

1 Euro = 0.787564 Irish punt

1 Euro = 166.386 Spanish peseta

1 Euro = 1936.27 Italian liret

1 Euro = 200.482 Portuguese escudo

1 Euro = 340.750 Greek drachma

-banks and private finance institutions will exchange foreign exchange accounts and current accounts of national currencies of these countries into euro till December 31, 2001 the latest and they will inform depositors on accounts.

(to be continued)

[08] CENTRAL BANK ANNOUNCES ITS ARRANGEMENTS ABOUT TRANSITION OF NATIONAL CURRENCIES OF 12 EU COUNTRIES INTO EURO (2)

The banks will pay 2,000 Turkish liras (TL) for 1 Euro as an expense if they buy the banknotes from the branches in Istanbul and Ankara while pay 2, 500 TL for 1 Euroe if they buy the banknotes from other branches.

The necessary guarantees for selling Euro to banks will be set under the conditions of the agreement signed by a central bank that is a member of the Monetary Union and the Central Bank of Turkey and these guarantees will be announced before December 1, 2001. The banks and private financial organizations can provide Euro banknotes also from abroad intermediary organizations or other international organizations. The banks and private financial organizations can obtain Euro banknotes from the Central Bank through not only foreign exchange and effective markets transactions but also through cashier transactions after January 1, 2002. The Central Bank will not publish foreign exchange rates of Dutch florin as of January 28, 2002, Irish punt February 9, 2002, French franc as of February 17, 2002, German mark, Austrian schilling, Belgian franc, Finnish markka, Spanish peseta, Italian liret, Luxembourg franc, Portugese escudo and Greek drachma as of February 28, 2002. The last validity dates of the national currencies which will be out of circulation will change from country to country. Within this framework, the central banks of Finland, France, Italy and Greece will change their nation currencies into Euro for ten years after their currencies are out of circulation while Central Bank of Portugal will change its national currency into Euro for 20 years, Central Bank of the Netherlands until January 1, 2032 and the central banks of other countries will change their national currencies into Euro for an unlimited period of time. The Central Bank of Turkey will change the national currencies of 12 European Union (EU) countries into Euro until December 31, 2003.

(End)

[09] INTERNATIONAL AGRI MOUNTAIN VICTORY CLIMBING TO START ON AUGUST 25

''Ten mountaineers from Azerbaijan, eight from Bulgaria, five from Russia, four from Romania, four from Macedonia, three from Hungary, two from Scotland, two from Yugoslavia, two from Britain, two from Armenia and two from Iran will participate in the climbing. The Victory Climbing will end on August 31,'' he added.

[10] DEATH FASTS COME TO AN END IN ANKARA

Noting that one prisoner had been continuing to fast to death at the F-type prison in Sincan, Soylu said that 15 others had been receiving medical treatment in hospitals.

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