Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-12-10

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

10 December 2001

Tuesday

-TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on December 10, 2001. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

Health Minister Osman Durmus transferred the examination fees paid by the students to Yalova Thermal Facilities when ''turning the facilities into a foundation.'' The minister deposited the examination fees paid by the students of Gevher Nesibe Health Education Institute to the bank account of Turksev Foundation before the foundation started to operate. Durmus, who allocated 54 billion Turkish liras (TL) from the sources of the Health Ministry to Turksev, which he would chair for 20 years, became the owner of a foundation ''like a holding'' without paying a penny.

THRACE FREEZES

Heavy snowfall and cold weather paralyed daily life in almost whole of the country. Rivers froze in Thrace and transportation stopped. Edirne-Istanbul highway was closed to traffic for a long time due to the snowfall. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on the highways while the passengers were rescued by tractors and brought to villages. Schools were recessed in northwestern Edirne, Kirklareli and Tekirdag provinces due to heavy snowfall. Four-day baby who was left in the street in Bagcilar district of Istanbul froze to death. Torrential rains killed two people in southern Icel province and its townships.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Zeki Cakan rebelled: ''there are 600 unnecessary personnel in one building while there is not any personnel in another building. And, I cannot intervene.'' Cakan, who brought into agenda false personnel policies, said, ''Turkish Coal Enterprises. It is a big building under my responsibility. 1,200 people are working in that building and half of these people are unnecessary personnel. On the other hand, I need 600 people to work. However, it is not possible for me to make changes in assignments of the personnel. I can neither appoint one person working in the headquarters to a local administration nor dismiss unnecessary personnel. I am the minister, but I do not have any authority. How can this state be saved?''

WE WILL PAY WILLINGLY

The number of public personnel who apply to retire willingly is increasing. State Minister Mehmet Kececiler said that they would pay a compensation of 25 billion Turkish liras (TL) per employee. Kececiler stressed that the number of those who had applied to retire willingly was more than the expected. The government was planning to retire 26,500 people. Approximately 25 billion TL will be paid to each worker. The amount to be paid to the retired would total 750 trillion TL, Kececiler said and noted that they could easily pay that amount.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

Businessman Rahmi Koc will turn over the holding affairs to his son Mustafa by the new year and go on a world tour on a boat which he has ever dreamt of. Koc Holding Executive Board Chairman Rahmi Koc decided to retire. Rahmi Koc, who had taken over the holding from his father Vehbi Koc 18 years ago, will leave the holding in the hands of his elder son Mustafa Koc at the beginning of 2002. 72-year-old Rahmi Koc is giving an empire to his son which is ranked the 338th among the giant 800 companies of the world, excluding the U.S. companies. The target to include Koc Holding among the giant 200 companies of the world will be the duty of new chairman Mustafa Koc.

CHANGE NECESSARY

Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz attend the end-of-fast dinner held by Bursa Branch of his party last evening. Speaking after the dinner, Yilmaz said that the economic crisis which occured in 2001 was being overcome.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

New people become unemployed every passing day due to the economic policies that are being implemented and ''continous and maximum profit desire'' of the capital. It was announced that majority of the young people in capital Ankara, the mirror of the country, were unemployed. 26 percent of the unemployed young people were high school graduates while 20 percent were elementary school and 17 percent were secondary school graduates.

MONEY OF TEACHERS CANNOT SUFFICE TILL END OF MONTH

According to a survey carried out by Turkish Egitim-Sen on 1,604 teachers working in 36 provinces, 85 percent of the teachers could not make a living. 66.2 percent of the teachers said that they did not have any additional income except their salaries and money they gained from second jobs while 74.9 percent of the teachers cannot follow scientific and technological developments.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

The decree named SS (censorship and exile) passed in 1990 determines how long the suspects in the Southeastern Anatolia Region will be interrogated rather than the law which was abided by the European Union (EU) standards. Turkey has a shame of detention on the Human Rights Day. The law which limits the detention period of people with four days irrespective of the regional differences is not valid in the Southeast. Because, the detention period of the people in the region can be prolonged by the decree no. 430 and exceed even 40 days. Emrullah Karagoz and Mustafa Yasar, whose detention period were extended for 10 days for the fourth time in Diyarbakir, are the two people who were hit by SS decree.

CEM WARNS ATHENS

Foreign Minister Ismail Cem called on Greece not to obstruct the compromise reached by Turkey and the European Union (EU) on the 'European army': ''It will be wrong.''

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

Kristin Lindow, Turkey analyst of leading rating organization Moody's, said that Turkey had decided to make economic reforms and targeted to implement those reforms, noting that this was an encouraging development. Lindow said that the next most important issue for Turkey should be rolling over debts and reducing real interest rates to a sustainable level.

TAX AMNESTY FOR QUAKE SURVIVORS

The Parliamentary Planning and Budget Commission adopted the draft law on erasing of the tax debts of the tax-payers in the quake zone. Finance Minister Bumer Oral said that they would erase the tax debts of the regional tax-payers belonging to pre-quake period and the year 2000.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

Turkey again has a shame of torture on a World Human Rights Day. Interior Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen said that they had launched legal works on 535 personnel on charges of torture in the first ten months of the year. According to Turkey Progress Report prepared by the Human Rights Association (IHD) and covering the first nine months of the year, 762 people were tortured while 63 people were sentenced to imprisonment on charges of intellectual crimes.

GUREL: ''NEITHER TERRORIST ATTACKS NOR ISRAEL'S MILITARY OPERATION CAN BE JUSTIFIED''

State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel went to Doha, Qatar, to attend Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) foreign ministers extraordinary meeting. Gurel said that he was leaving for Qatar upon Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's proposal and OIC Term President Qatar's Amir Hamad bin Khalifa ath- Thani's call. Pointing out that the terrorist attacks in Israel and military operation of Israeli army against Palestinian targets had created deep concerns in the region and in Turkey, Gurel said, ''neither terrorist attacks nor Israel's military operation can be justified.''

-STATE MINISTER DERVIS SAYS ECONOMY CANNOT BE IMPOSED FROM OUTSIDE

JERUSALEM - State Minister Kemal Dervis said on Sunday that economy could not be imposed from outside.

Dervis explained the economic program implemented in Turkey in an international symposium held in Jerusalem in the memory of former Israeli Central Bank governor Michael Bruno.

State Minister Dervis said that Turkey's strong financial policy started to give positive results and defined the latest situation as ''we have many path to be taken following a very difficult beginning.''

Dervis noted that if the budget of 2002 passed from the parliament on Thursday, this would be a milestone for Turkey and expressed hope that the budget would be adopted.

Noting that the program was based on a strong financial policy and a robust banking sector, Dervis said, ''we have made a successful cleaning in the banking sector with the support of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank although we have not finalized our works.''

Dervis pointed out that macro-economic crises were a good opportunity to solve structural probelms.

Despite all the populist hesitations of the political circles, the coalition government which passed 17 reform laws from the parliament in six months re-established the legal structure of economy at a great extent, Dervis said.

Dervis stressed that the Central Bank Law had an important role in this.

Pointing out that Turkey had a very difficult financial target, Dervis stated that more efforts were needed but that all the targets of 2001 had been achieved.

Dervis stressed that this achievement had been effective in convincing international circles about Turkey's additional financing need and said that Turkey's importance had also a role in this.

Noting that they could not have taken that support if they had not followed a strong financial policy, Dervis said that in the end, the IMF proposed a new package of 10 billion U.S. dollars to Turkey.

Dervis said that the number one problem that Turkish program would face in 2002 would be inflation.

Twenty percent was proposed as Turkey's inflation target, Dervis noted. But, he said, the target was set as reducing the inflation from 55 to 35 percent.

Dervis said, ''it is unlikely to achieve this. But, we have to stay at 50 percent at least. It will be very saddening if inflation rises above this figure after the sacrifice and efforts of Turkish nation.''

Another problem that might be faced in the following year was the campaign against corruption and to ensure its transparency, Dervis stressed.

Dervis went on saying, ''this is a very important issue. But, when this becomes the first issue, other issues are overshadowed. I have spent half of my time on this issue. Turkish people have launched initiatives against corruption. For example, the crisis in banking sector results from bad administration according to citizens and overcoming this crisis is set as the main target. This movement is positive but it finishes half of the energy of the politicians.''

Another problem was the private banking sector, Dervis pointed out and said that 18 banks which fell below a certain level had been transferred to the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund, Dervis said.

Dervis noted that there were new problems because they were not prepared for this and expressed belief that there would be more private banks with the support of the state to prevent all these problems.

The determined stance of foreign organizations was a catalyst which increased the power of the pro-reformists, Dervis said.

Dervis noted that economy could not be imposed from outside and that right recommendation and right support helped the country.

Noting that his close friend Michael Bruno was not carried away by his imagination, Dervis said that Bruno continuously exerted efforts to reach his targets.

Dervis added that this was what everybody should do.

Following the symposium, Dervis said that he came to Israel to attend the symposium and stated that he would not have any official contacts.

Dervis will return to Turkey after a luncheon with Israeli businessmen on Monday.

-PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IZGI LEAVES FOR ROMANIA

ANKARA - Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi left on Monday for Romania as the guest of Romanian Senate Speaker Nikolae Vacariou.

At Esenboga Airport of Ankara, Izgi told reporters that Turkey's relations with Romania had always been good.

Izgi said, ''when we look at the history, we can see that Ataturk attributed vital importance to Romania when establishing the Balkan Pact and foresaw Romania's taking part beside Turkey as the groundwork of the Balkan Pact. Then, some developments occured but, our relations which were blocked as Romania was an 'iron curtain' country have started to improve after 1989.''

Noting that trade volume with Romania almost reached 1 billion U.S. dollars last year, Izgi said that many Turkish businessmen were working in Romania and more than 20 thousand Turkish people were living there.

Izgi stated that he would hold contacts with Romanian president, prime ministers senate speaker, parliament speaker, minister of foreign affairs and some other officials during his visit.

-IMF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KIEKENS ARRIVES IN TURKEY

ANKARA - Willy Kiekens, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Director responsible for Office in Europe, arrived in Turkey on Monday.

Sources told A.A correspondent that Kiekens was expected to meet with the government officials after evaluating the contacts of the IMF delegation which were held the previous week.

Kiekens will focus on the loan to be extended to Turkey worth of 10 billion U.S. dollars and details of the new stand-by deal during his contacts.

Willy Kiekens is also expected to contribute to the letter of intent which will be prepared for the new stand-by program.

-TOURISM MINISTER TASAR LEAVES FOR AUSTRIA

ISTANBUL - Tourism Minister Mustafa Tasar left on Monday for Austrian capital Vienna to meet with tour operators.

Tasar told reporters prior to his departure that they would have the opportunity to obtain 30-40 percent more than this year's tourism potential in 2002 unless any unfavourable incidents occured.

Tourism Minister Tasar said that they continued efforts and initiatives to represent and promote Turkey in every platform and that to this end, he would attend a meeting of the Austrian tour operations which brought tourists to Turkey and represntatives of leading tourism and tour operators of Europe.

Tasar noted that he would explain the plans and projects for 2002 during the meeting while he would learn about the views and proposals of the tour operators.

European market was of utmost importance for Turkish tourism, Tasar pointed out and stated that there had been a significant increase in Austrian citizens' tourism demand for Turkey in recent years.

Tasar said that the number of Austrian tourists visiting Turkey increased from 320 thousand to 355 thousand in November 2001 when compared with the previous year.

Austria was ranked the eighth among the countries which sent the highest number of tourists to Turkey, Tasar noted.

Tasar stated that the Tourism Ministry set two main targets, including the retired and children of Turkish citizens living in European countries.

Turkey's natural and cultural heritage and thermal and hot spring tourism potential were sufficient to attract the retired tourists, Tasar pointed out.

Tasar stressed that if the children of Turkish people permanently settled in foreign countries visited Turkey, a new income source would be created and these children would learn about their countries.

-TURKEY'S NEW AMBASSADOR TO AFGHANISTAN DESIGNATED

ANKARA - Ankara has designated an experienced personality as the new Turkish ambassador in Kabul when the efforts to form an interim government in Afghanistan are under way.

Reliable sources told A.A correspondent on Monday that Mufit Ozdes, the current Turkish Ambassador in Tripoli, was chosen as the new Turkish ambassador in Kabul.

However, Turkey plans to carry out its embassy affairs in Kabul in the level of charge d'affairs as the efforts to form an interim government in Afghanistan are under way.

A similar attitude had earlier been assumed in Iraq. Ambassador Selim Karaosmanoglu had represented Turkey in Baghdad in the level of charge d'affairs and the representation level was later upgraded to embassy level.

Ozdes is expected to go to Afghanistan in the first half of January to start his new mission. Ozdes is expected to go to the region to make some pre-evaluations before he starts the mission. He is foreseen to go to the region together with Aydemir Erman, the Foreign Ministry Special Coordinator for Afghanistan.

Ozdes, whose term in office in Libya will end in January, is known as ''the man of difficult missions.''

Sources said that Mufit Ozdes, who had a key role in overcoming the tension between Turkey and Libya which escalated a few years ago, was chosen as Turkish new ambassador in Afghanistan thanks to his experience in similar missions.

Ozdes, who had worked in Turkey's representations in Lisbon, Bonn and Stockholm, had been appointed to Urmia Consulate General, as charge d'affairs in Tehran and envoy-counsellor in London. He was appointed as Turkey's Ambassador in Tripoli in 1997.

Ambassador Ozdes worked as Turkey's Foreign Ministry Representative in Somali in 1993 when General Cevik Bir commanded the United Nations (U.N) Peace Force in that country.

Ozdes checked the humanitarian deminsions of the Operation Northern Watch on behalf of the Foreign Ministry in 1995.

Meanwhile, sources said that the Turkish embassy building in Kabul was in good situation and that it was damaged by neither the bombardment nor the Northern Alliance-Taliban clashes.

The sources said that Taliban forces damaged many buildings when drawing from Kabul while they did not harm Turkish Embassy Building and did not take the equipment used in Ataturk Children Hospital.

-CHHIBBER SAYS ROLE OF STATE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HAS CHANGED

ANKARA - World Bank Turkey Director Ajay Chhibber stressed on Monday that the role of state in economic development had changed and said that the role of state should be re-defined.

Speaking at an international conference on public expenditure management reform for an efficient state organized jointly by Finance Ministry and World Bank, Chhibber said that Turkey made a change in role of state parallel to the changes in international arena.

Chhibber noted that problems would occur unless there were regulative rules and that Turkey faced similar problems in 1990s.

Within this framework, boards to regulate individual energy, telecommunication and banking sectors were set up, Chhibber stated.

Chhibber pointed out that all those developments in Turkey were in parallel with the international changes and said that the government had to be closer to the people.

Turkey was a secular and democratic country, Chhibber said and noted that Turkey was in front of many other countries in this matter. But, he noted, Turkey could record more progress.

Chhibber stated that how to develop core state was on the agenda and defined core state as the things that the private sector could not do.

The state had a very important place in the development of Turkish economy, Chhibber said and noted that in general sense, the system and budget should be developed and coordination should be ensured.

Chhibber pointed out that the targets of the state and government should be set and technocrats should fulfil those targets.

After the goverment and the ministers set the general targets of the program, the implementation should be left to technocrats, Chhibber said.

Chhibber noted that Turkey was progressing in that course and that there could be people who would oppose to that implementation.

But, he said, there would be an increase in the number of people who believed in the necessity of that course as economic difficulties occured.

-REPORT ON TURKEY'S PUBLIC EXPENDITURES AND INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE SAYS

PUBLIC EXPENDITURES MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE WEAK IN TURKEY

ANKARA - The report on the evaluation of public expenditures and institutional structure in Turkey said that the public expenditures management performance was weak in Turkey when compared with not ony many industrialized countries but also many developing countries.

The report prepared by the World Bank was distributed to the participants of the international conference on public expenditure management reform for an efficient state organized jointly by Finance Ministry and World Bank on Monday.

Th report said that there were views that the current economic crisis occured due to the deficiencies in state decision-making mechanism.

Similar deficiencies were also observed in the current public expenditure management system and the public source using mechanism, the report noted.

The report said that Turkey was fairly unsuccessful in public expenditures management and stated that the budget deficits and inflation rates of the last decade were the clearest evidence of the inefficiency of financial management.

Strategic decision-making was neglected, the report said and stated that the connection between budget and policy and plans was not established.

The report said that the lack of comprehensive information about the programs financed by the state caused difficulties in taking decisions about those policies beforehand and making evaluations afterwards.

In general sense, the budget was not considered as a means serving the aim to implement policies depending on the appreciation authority, the report noted.

The report pointed out that even the ministries generally neglected the formation of policies due to often changes in the government.

Extreme control on budget implementation was not sufficient in prevention of extravagancy and inefficiency, the report said and added that budget was very weak in supporting the productive and efficient use of the sources by the public institutions.

-PRESIDENT SEZER SAYS IT IS PRIORILY STATE'S DUTY TO PROTECT,

FURTHER IMPROVE AND DEVELOP HUMAN RIGHTS IN EVERY COUNTRY

ANKARA - President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said on Monday that it was priorily the state's duty to protect and preserve, further improve and develop human rights in every country.

Sezer issued a message upon the Human Rights Day and said that the state had to create the suitable atmosphere for the full implementation of human rights.

President Sezer said that December 10, 2001 was the 53th anniversary of the adoption of Universal Declaration of Human rights.

Turkey, which was one of the founder members of the United Nations (U.N), was among the first 50 countries which adopted the declaration, Sezer noted.

Sezer stated that respect to individuals and individual liberties were among the values adopted by Turkish Republic.

''One of the leading features of the Turkish government which cannot be changed under our Constitution and the amendment of which cannot even be proposed, is respect to human rights. It is the state's duty to protect and preserve, further improve and develop human rights in every country. The state has to create the suitable atmosphere for the full implementation of human rights. Our country is carrying out intensive works on protection and development of human rights and making legal reforms to ensure a law respecting to human rights on the basis of our international liabilities,'' Sezer said.

Sezer continued, ''the efforts to make necessary changes in our laws under the recent constitutional amendments adopted by our parliament indicate Turkish Republic's determination in reaching universal criteria in human rights and liberties. Today, any of important problems cannot be solved only in national frame. The solution of these problems require the cooperation and partnership of governments, United Nations, international and regional organizations and non-governmental organizations.''

''Human rights are no more internal problem of states and have become a global problem by crossing national borders. Today, the civilization level of a country is estimated with its respect to human rights as much as its successes in scientific and technological fields. Human rights concept has become an outstanding value system which takes place on the basis of all contemporary democratic systems,'' Sezer said.

Sezer noted that humanity had welcomed the new century with new hopes about protection and further improvement of fundamental rights and freedoms. But, he said, some negative developments indicated the necessity to exert more efforts in that course.

''The September 11th terrorist attacks in the United States have once more revealed that terrorism aimed to remove the right to live which is the most fundamental right of the human beings, and in the end, threatened the communities. Terrorism is one of the most serious human rights violations and is a crime committed against humanity,'' Sezer stated.

Sezer continued, ''Turkey had to fight against terrorism which targeted its national unity and territorial integrity, starting from mid-1980s. International cooperation and solidarity are necessary in fight against terrorism like in all other issues concerning human rights. Unfortunately, Turkey could not see the response it expected in its calls for an international cooperation. Turkey is supporting the international fight launched against terrorism by the international community and hopes that all the countries will cooperate to reach success in this course.''

''I would like to mark Human Rights Day with all these viws and wish for a secure and bright future in which human rights and all fundamental liberties are respected and protected in whole world,'' Sezer added.

-ANKARA BASIC COURT OF COMMERCE TAKES PRECAUTIONARY DECISION ABOUT THREE INTERNET SITES WHICH ILLEGALLY USE A.A'S NEWS

ANKARA - Ankara basic court of commerce gave a precautionary decision on Monday for three internet sites which used the news of Anadolu Agency (A.A) without getting official permission.

The fight of Anadolu Agency with certain internet sites and media organs which continue to use its news without being subscribers of A.A continues.

Ankara basic court of commerce No. 2 resulted three applications of A.A. The court took a precautionary decision about the three internet sites whose addresses are www.onnishaber.com, www.haber3.com and www.haberturkiye.com.

Anadolu Agency also filed a suit about four other internet sites which illegally use the news of A.A without getting permission.

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