Anadolu Agency: News in English, 02-01-02

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ANADOLU AJANSI

HABERLER

02 January

2002 Thursday

Türkiye

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Türkiye

-TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on January 2, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

Higher Board of Elections (YSK) Chairman Tufan Algan told the newspaper, ''I visited the Prime Minister after the general elections on April 18, 1999. When I told him that there was deficiency, trick and deceit in the general elections due to impossibilities, he said how.'' Thanking to the newspaper for its last week's news article with the headline ''30 Parliamentarians Elected Unjustly'' which had said those deputies had been elected unjustly due to ''tricky-deceitful'' census, Algan said there were mistakes in the system and the general elections should be held in a computerized atmosphere.

KEY MONTH OF ECONOMY

Turkey this month will firstly send the letter of intent for the new programme which will be implemented until 2004 to the IMF. Later, the government and parliament will work hard and rapidly in order to keep their promises to the IMF. With this respect, January is a key month for opening of the door to getting rid of the economic crisis.

''Duties of parliament''

-Banking Regulations: the bill which foresees radical changes in banking regulations should be taken up and approved by the Parliamentary General Assembly in January. State Minister Kemal Dervis had said that this law was a ''pre-condition'' for the new programme.

-Public Procurement Regulations: the bill should be passed through the parliament until January 15.

-Tobacco Law: Talks on the bill have not been concluded yet.

''Duties of government''

-Tax Reform Plan: the Council of Ministers should approve the ''tax reform plan'' this month.

-750 Brances Will Be Closed: Council of Ministers is expected to discuss the Action Plan about closure of 750 branches of Ziraat Bankasi and Halkbankasi and decrease in number of their personnel.

-Foreign Capital: The Action Plan which lists the measures for increase in direct foreign capital flow should be approved by the Council of Ministers.

-Electricity Contracts: Council of Ministers should take a decision on suspension of Operation Transfer Right contracts and cancellation of projects in order to start asset sales in electricity sector. Besides, 15 thousand public workers should retire until mid-January under the voluntarily retirement. Meanwhile, the Central Bank will announce the Monetary Programme this month.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

REVISE EU'S LIST OF TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS

The United States (U.S.) and Britain will launch a new initiative to review the European Union's (EU) list of terrorist organizations, since the EU has not included terrorist organizations PKK and DHKP-C in its list of terrorist organizations. In this context, Britain, which have a close cooperation with the U.S. in the security issue, will launch an initiative for terrorist organization PKK to be included in the EU's list of terrorist organizations.

DEVLET BAHCELI SAYS REFORMS ARE MOST

SERIOUS DEMOCRATIC STEPS SINCE SEPTEMBER 12

National Movement Party (MHP) Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli said in his written statement that reforms were the most serious democratic steps which had been taken by Turkish community since September 12. He stated that we could assess with respect to the events in Turkey and the world 2001 when many negativities occured. Bahceli said that it was important to evaluate the economic crisis in Turkey by not neglecting the responsibility of the administration and not ignoring reasons lying in deep. He continued that if those things were done, it could be possible to learn the necessary lessons from the economic crisis in Turkey and to achieve the policies which would carry Turkey to a sounder structure.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

Interior Minister Sukru Kazim Yucelen is getting prepared to leave the security at stadiums to football clubs and traffic services in city-center to local administrations. Winds of reform affected also the Interior Ministry and Yucelen prepared a restructuring plan. Under this plan, security at stadiums will be left to relevant football clubs. Yucelen said, ''clubs will take their security measures and police will be withdrewn from stadiums.'' The Interior Ministry targets to hand over city-center traffic services to local administrations like in the Western countries. Yucelen said, ''this will increase incomes of municipalities.''

800 TURKISH TROOPS ENTER NORTHERN IRAQ

According to the information gotten from military and customs officials, armed soldiers had gone to Behdinan region controlled by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and staged an operations. A Turkish military officer told Reuters: ''There are PKK bases in the region which constitute a threat to Turkey. That is why, they entered the northern Iraqi territory.''

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

It was reported that the Netherlands exerted a special effort in order to prevent terrorist PKK organization to be included in the list of terrorists and terrorist organizations of the European Union (EU).

Dutch Domestic Security Organization BVD official said there was no reason to prevent this action because they abided by the valid rules there. He said the PKK itself announced that it would cover a peaceful line.

Christian Democrat CDA party parliamentarian Verhagen said the Netherlands became a suitable country for the terrorist organizations because of this attitute and noted that it would be a logical attitute if it banned PKK as Germany did.

FM CEM: THERE ARE PROBLEMS IN TRADE RELATIONS WITH U.S.

Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said there were some problems in trade relations of the U.S. and Turkey. Pointing out that Turkey was in continious contact with Iraq, Cem said Turkey advised Bagdad administration to abide by the U.N. resolutions.

Speaking at NTV private tv channel, Cem said Turkish-U.S. economic relations as well as quotas toward Turkey would be discussed during Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's visit to the U.S.

COLD WEATHER COMES BACK

Cold weather and snow made itself felt in Thracean region and throughout the country in the first day of the year.

Officials of Directorate General of Meteorology said cold weather and snow would be effective throughout the whole country as of Friday and that temperatures would fall 10-15 degrees celsius.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

The World Bank requested Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit or one of the aides of coalition parties leaders to undertake political responsibility of the ongoing programme. It warned, ''structural reforms necessitate powerful political determination. Persons who undertake such a programme in many countries became obliged to leave it in the lurch.'' At the meeting held at the Prime Minstry, it was proposed to give the responsibility to Kemal Dervis as a ''State Minister who was granted powerful authorities'' but Dervis rejected it. Consequently, a person could not be found ''at this stage'' to undertake political responsibility of the programme for economic, political and social reforms. Works are under way without a ''powerful and responsible name''.

MOST IMPORTANT OBSTACLE IS EXECUTION

Foreign Minister Ismail Cem is very hopeful about the EU accession negotiations. Noting that a date could be set in 2002 for opening of accession negotaitons, Cem said, ''for this, the Copenhagen criteria should be fulfilled. A great progress was recorded with the constitutional amendments. Besides, adjustments laws are on the agenda.'' Noting that the EU was tolerant toward some differences among the countries after adoption of basic principles, Cem said, ''however, there is not any place for nuance in death sentence. This sentence should be abolished.''

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

Markets are waiting for the legal arrangements which will set the economy into action. Parliamentarians adopted laws which will answer expectations of markets. However, there are still a number of bills like Public Procurement Bill, Industry Areas Bill and the bill which revises debts of real sector to finance sector. Besides, the parliament is expected to take up the bill which annuls discounted tariffs for some services offered by the public organizations and institutions and foresees creation of new income sources. If this bill is legalized, parliamentarians will no longer benefit from discounted flights of Turkish Airlines (THY).

GOOD NEWS TO CIVIL SERVANTS

Finance Minister Sumer Oral announced that extra wage would be paid on January 15 to civil servants who had not received post or representation compensation. Oral said that strict finance policy would continue in 2002 and there would not be any supplementary tax. Oral said that steps to narrow the state would continue.

ANAP'S EU INITIATIVE

Coalition partner Motherland Party (ANAP) is preparing a proposal for formation of a EU Commission at parliament for rapid adoption of adjustment laws. If the proposal is accepted, a new parliamentary commission will be formed and adjustment laws which were mentioned in the National Programme will be discussed only at this commission to gain time.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

AID TO CHECHNYA WENT TO RUSSIANS

Former Chief of General Staff Dogan Gures confirmed that Russians seized the aid which had been sent to Chechnya by military planes and Kizilay. When asked that he supported openly or covertly the mujahedeens in Chenchenistan, Gures said that he didn't know any secret aid and noted that they sent aid there by their planes and Kizilay, but there were Russians where the aid had been sent. He said that Russians didn't give the aid to Chechens and added that they learned it late. Gures said that in today's Russia, the understanding of Czar period which does not give any value to people still exists.

CORRUPTION CASES REMAINS AT ADJUDICATION

Fighting against corruption which was launched by the operations named such as parachute, octopus and whale, slowed down when they came to the level of adjudication.

-KARAKOYUNLU SAYS PRIVATIZATION INCOME IS EXPECTED TO BE USD 1.7 BILLION

ISTANBUL - State Minister Yilmaz Karakoyunlu said on Tuesday that they expected nearly 1 billion 700 million U.S. dollars of income from the privatization in 2002.

Speaking to reporters, Karakoyunlu said that privatization activities of Turkish Oil Refineries Corp (Tupras) and main oil distributor Petrol Ofisi which had been planned to be privatized in October 2001, but could not be privatized due to terrorist attacks of September 11, would be organized in first quarter of 2002.

Karakoyunlu said, ''works on this matter in Turkey and abroad have been finalized. We will privatize Tupras and Petrol Ofisi as of end of March in accordance with the information and recommendations to be given by our international and national consultants. This means a six-month delay in our programme.''

''In the second and third quarters, we will continue works on privatization of organizations in portfolio. One of these organizations is paper producer Seka. The work on the Turkish Airlines (THY) is our programme target which can be implemented as of the third quarter. We expect to obtain nearly 1 billion 700 million U.S. dollars of income from privatization this year.''

-ANNUAL INTEREST RATE FOR CURRENCY DIFFERENCE FUND LOANS SET AS 62.65

ANKARA - The Central Bank set the annual interest rate for loans under Foreign Loans Currency Difference Fund as 62.65 percent in January.

Central Bank's notice about the floating interest rate for the extended loans under the Foreign Loans Currency Difference Fund which had been closed own under its decision on May 16, 2000 was published in Wednesday's Official Gazette.

Under the notice, the annual interest rate for all loans which were given under the closed fund will be 62.65 percent in January of 2002.

-GENDARME FORCES CAPTURE 5.805 FOREIGNERS IN EDIRNE

EDIRNE - Gendarme forces captured 5,805 foreigners this year who wanted to proceed to Greece and Bulgaria through illegal ways and who also entered Turkey through illegal ways.

Edirne Provincial Gendarme Command told A.A correspondent that foreigners without visa and identity card were not allowed to pass the border.

Officials said a significant decrease was seen in illegal passages from the border as a result of effective fight, and noted that, ''a total of 3.959 foreigners were captured last year who wanted to proceed to Greece and Bulgaria through illegal ways. A total of 1846 foreigners were captured at the same time who wanted to enter Turkey through illegal ways.

Officials said some people, who got involved in various crimes, were captured as they wanted to proceed the border through illegal ways. They said number of foreigners who wanted to pass the border illegally decreased to an extend as a result of tightened controls.

A total of 5,805 foreigners had been captured last year. Also 12,000 foreigners had been captured in the year 2000.

-RESULTS OF CENSUS

-STATE MINISTER TOSKAY: ''TURKEY'S TOTAL POPULATION IS 67,844,903''

ANKARA - State Minister Tunca Toskay said on Wednesday that according to the results of the 2000 year General Census, Turkey's population is 67, 844, 903.

Toskay issued a news conference in State Statistics Institute and said rate of increase of annual population in 1990-2000 was 0,183 percent.

According to the results of census, population of Istanbul in the year 2000 was 10,033,478, population of Ankara is 4 million 7 thousand 860, and population of Izmir was 3 million 387 thousand 908.

-PRIVATE SECTOR'S SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PROJECTS

ISTANBUL - Many organizations which create added value to Turkish economy are contributing to recovery in living standards with social projects.

Vehbi Koc Foundation which undertook Koc Holding's social responsibility have had many facilities like schools, dormitories, libraries and clinics constructed with its donations and contributions.

The ''Koc Primary School Project'' which the Vehbi Koc Foundation initiated under the 75th anniversary celebrations of foundation of the Republic became one of the recent pioneering projects of the foundation of which total assets was nearly 500 million U.S. dollars as of 2000. The foundation had 13 primary schools constructed in different parts of Turkey to support the eight-year compulsory primary education. The cost of the project reached 26 million U.S. dollars.

After the earthquake disasters on August 17 and November 12, 1999, the foundation paid for two years the rents of 500 survivors working for the holding and donated permanent housing units to 300 of its personnel.

Koc Holding which invested 54 million U.S. dollars in environment between 1983-2000 within the holding, gives support to many environment foundations.

Turkey's first private museum Sadberk Hanim Museum, Suna-Inan Kirac Mediterranean Civilizations Studies Institute and Rahmi M. Koc Museum which was opened for protection and promotion of industry culture constitute an important chain of the holding's culture services.

Besides, the April 23 International Children's Festival has been sponsored by the Koc Holding for four years.

Meanwhile, Sabanci organizes several activities in field of culture and arts while it focuses on education and health through its Haci Omer Sabanci Foundation (VAKSA) and leads the efforts for handicapped and mentally retarted people.

The ''Golden Letters'' collection is the first and biggest collection in Turkey, which includes works of art between the 15th and 20th centuries and was exhibited at important museums in the world. The collection which targets to set up a bridge of arts among different culture by introducing Turkey abroad has been visited by 3 million people so far.

Since its foundation, VAKSA has had 112 buildings including a university, schools, dormitories, health facilities, sports centers and social facilities constructed in 53 settlement places. The foundation gives scholarship to nearly 1,000 students a year.

Sabanci Holding sponsors the Turkey Phase of the Special Olympics which offers education and competition opportunity in several sports branches to mentally retarted young people. Besides, the Erol Sabanci Spastic Children Training and Treatment Center and Turkan Sabanci School for the Blind offer education opportunity to handicapped and mentally retarted people.

Meanwhile, Alarko Holding's Alarko Education Culture Foundation (ALEV) which was founded in 1986 has given scholarship to 100 students each year, exhibited works of more than 50 artists, organized concerts and supported works of Turkish Historical Houses Association.

ALEV which undertook education of 1,000 students through the Turkish Education Volunteers Foundation and gives 75 million Turkish liras (TL) monthly scholarship to university students and 35 million TL monthly scholarship to secondary school students, continues its project works on the Technical School it will build in Gebze.

Meanwhile, Garanti Bankasi which was the official sponsor of the Turkish National Basketball Team in 2001, has been supporting many fields from environment to sports and from culture to arts with nature projects, Environment News Competition, International Environment Films Festival, International Jazz Festival and Arykanda excavation.

Meanwhile, McDonald's supported a number of children projects in Turkey since 1986.

McDonald's Children Foundation spent 60 billion TL and opened an ''family room'' at Istanbul University Medical Faculty Oncology Institute, a ''mother room'' at the Hacettepe University Ihsan Dogramaci Pediatrics Hospital and an ''asthma emergency treatment unit and children lack of immune room'' at Istanbul University Medical Faculty Pediatrics Hospital. The foundation continues its works on a new family room at the Marmara University Children Service, which will cost 30 billion TL.

Meanwhile, GSM operator Turkcell will give scholarship for three years to 5, 000 girls studying at schools in 33 provinces which have priority in development with the ''Modern Girls of Modern Turkey'' education project together with the Modern Life Support Association.

Meanwhile, Pfizer will open Kabalak Village Clinic in Duzce in 2002. Pfizer spent 47 thousand U.S. dollars on construction of supplementary classrooms at the Ataturk Primary School in Hasankeyf township of Batman.

-CENTRAL BANK SAYS FIXED CURRENCY REGIME WON'T BE IMPLEMENTED IN 2002

ANKARA - Central Bank said on Wednesday that a fixed currency regime ''which has a fixed increase rate or is intervened frequently and where the foreign currency is tried to be kept at a level that does not harmonize with the economic bases'' would not be implemented in 2002.

Meanwhile, a foreign exchange supply surplus in the economy in 2002 is a possibility.

According to a statement on ''monetary and currency policy and possible developments in 2002'', Central Bank said it would aim to introduce an inflation targeting regime in 2002 and stop guiding the Turkish lira interbank and foreign exchange markets.

It said it would gradually end its guiding role in Turkey's interbank market from July 2002 and withdraw from currency markets by the end of the year.

The bank said state-owned banks and weak banks seized by the government during recent financial crisis would gradually pull out of Turkey's money markets as their liquidity improves.

The bank said it would raise its foreign exchange reserves this year and continue limited interventions in the currency markets in cases of excessive fluctuations.

-TURKEY TO START TALKS WITH WORLD BANK TO DISCUSS CAS IN 2002

ANKARA - Turkey will start talks with World Bank this year to discuss Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) that will cover the period between 2003- 2005.

Turkey plans to get a financial aid of 6-9 billion dollars for three years within the scope of new CAS.

Officials said that CAS which is in force will de facto end this year, adding that World Bank will give an aid worth of 3 billion dollars to Turkey this year.

Noting that a World Bank delegation headed by Lalit Raina, a financial sector export had studies in Turkey and they submitted a report to the Bank administration, officials said that World Bank can give at least 500 million dollars credit to reconstruct the financial sector in Turkey.

Meanwhile, Turkey and World Bank will start talks to discuss the Public Sector and Financial Sector Adjustment Loan (PSFSAL2) worth of 1,3 billion dollars which was earlier postponed to 2002.

If the talks are completed, the credit will be released in the end of January, if not in the beginning of February.

The amount of the additional loan Turkey will take this year will become clear after the meeting of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit with World Bank President James Wolfensohn during Ecevit's visit to the U.S. in the middle of this month.

World Bank will give priority to social projects which aim to decrease poverty in Turkey while giving the new CAS credit to Turkey for three years.

Noting that Turkey implements an economic programme which ensures a structural transformation, officials said that the new credit portfolio will focus on social projects.

The meetings with the World Bank will be held by taking the views of all the concerned institutions under the coordination of the Treasury and State Planning Organization (SPO).

-TURKEY'S POPULATION IS 2.2 MILLION MORE THAN EXPECTED

ANKARA - Turkey's population is calculated as 2.2 million more than the expected.

The State Statistics Institute (DIE) had predicted Turkey's population as 65 million 784 thousand as of the end of 2000 while the population was foreseen to be 65.5 million as of the date of census which was October 22, 2000.

However, the figures unveiled on Wednesday showed the population as 67 million 844 thousand 903.

The annual population increase rate had been predicted as 1.48 percent for 2000 while the figures showed that it was 1.83 percent between 1990 and 2000.

In this case, not only demographic figures of Turkey between 1990 and 2000 and the values depending on these figures like the national income per capita will change but also the projections of future will be re- calculated.

For example, according to the predictions of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for 2001, Turkey's population would reach stable period at 98.8 million. According to new figures, Turkey's population would probably become stable at 100 million.

Turkey's population had been calculated as 71 million 207 thousand 396 according to the temporary results of the census held on October 22, 2000.

-CENTRAL BANK SAYS A MONETARY POLICY WHICH WILL FOCUS ON FOLLOWING TERM INFLATION WILL BE IMPLEMENTED

ANKARA - Central Bank said on Wednesday that the year 2002 would be started by a monetary targeting and noted that a monetary policy which would focus on the following term inflation would be implemented.

According to a statement on ''monetary and currency policy and possible developments in 2002'', Central Bank said that they would implement an inflation targeting regime when the conditions occured.

The statement noted that the main aim of the monetary policy of 2002 was to decrease the inflation.

The Central Bank would start to use short-term interests against inflation without waiting to put into practice inflation targeting regime, the statement said.

-JUSTICE MINISTER ASSESSES HIS MINISTRY'S STUDIES IN 2001

ANKARA - Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said on Wednesday that his ministry worked very much in 2001, adding that the amendments made in the Constitution and the Civil Code were very important.

Speaking in a news conference, Turk gave information about the legislative studies of his ministry.

Turk said that the new Civil Code brought a modern understanding of law, adding that the Civil Code will positively affect the daily life of everybody.

Recalling that the Civil Code went into force as of January 1, 2002; Turk said that the law brought equality between man and woman in family law.

Referring to the hunger strikes and death fasts continuing in prisons, Turk said that ''eight persons are on hunger strike, and 145 others are on death fasts in prisons. Part of these inmates who continued these hunger strikes died. We call parents, non governmental organizations to help in ending of hunger strikes. The constitution and the laws can not be amended in line with the demands of these inmates. No dialogue can be set up, however the state helped them. Those whose health was critical were released from the prison. Under Article 399 of the Law of Criminal Procedure, 179 convicted persons and 71 inmates were released by court decision and one of them was forgiven by the President. This was a humanitarian approach.''

-RESULT OF CENSUS (2)

-STATE MINISTER TOSKAY SAYS MARMARA REGION HAS

HIGHEST ANNUAL POPULATION GROWTH

ANKARA - State Minister Tunca Toskay said on Wednesday that according to the temporary results of 2002 general census, Marmara had the highest annual population growth, while the Black Sea region had the lowest one between 1999-2000.

Speaking in a news conference to announce the temporary results of the census, Toskay said that the total population of Turkey is 67,844,903 and its annual population growth rate is 18,3 per thousand between 1999-2000. Toskay said that this rate is 26,61 per thousand in Marmara, it is 3,66 per thousand in Black Sea region, it is 16,45 per thousand in western Turkey, it is 21,63 per thousand in southern Turkey, it is 15,92 per thousand in central Turkey, it is 13,92 per thousand in eastern Turkey and 24,73 percent in southeastern Turkey.

The total population of Istanbul is 10,033,478; that of Ankara is 4,077,860 and that of Izmir is 3,387,908.

Antalya, Sanlıurfa and Istanbul had the highest annual population growth rates between 1999-2000. The rate is 42,2 per thousand in Antalya, it is 36, 1 per thousand in Sanlıurfa and 33,2 per thousand in Istanbul.

The population in Tunceli, Ardahan and Sinop decreases on the other hand. The annual population in Tunceli decreased by -35,6 per thousand; that of Ardahan decreased by -20,2 per thousand and that of Sinop decreased by -16, 2 percent.

Toskay said that 44,109,336 of the total population in Turkey live in cities and towns of provinces, while 23,735,567 of them live in sub- districts and villages.

In other words, the population in cities and towns constitutes 65,01 percent of the total population and the population in villages and sub- districts constitutes 34,99 percent of the total population in Turkey.

-RESULT OF CENSUS (3)

-STATE MINISTER TOSKAY SAYS CENSUS COSTS 30.2 TRILLION TL

ANKARA - State Minister Tunca Toskay said on Wednesday that census held on October 22, 2000 costed a total of 30 trillion 274 billion Turkish liras (TL).

Toskay told a press conference that the population which had been recorded so far was around 33 million 600 thousand.

Upon a question, Toskay said that the results of the census in 41 provinces were definite while the rest 40 provinces were imaginary, adding, ''we had to subtract 3 million 650 thousand from the current population results.''

When a reporter said, ''30 deputies entered into parliament unfairly and this situation occured due to mistakes in census. What do you think about this,'' Toskay said that it was not logical to establish a connection between the general census in 2000 and the elections in 1999.

Toskay noted that the population in some provinces and regions increased due to migration and differences in population increase rate while the population remained below the average in some provinces and regions.

''This means a shift in number of deputies from some provinces and regions to some other provinces and regions. But, according to our calculations, there can be only 10-12 change in number of deputies between the last elections and the census. The number you have voiced like 30 is a very exaggerated figure,'' Toskay added.

-JUSTICE MINISTER TURK SAYS THERE ARE 56,616 INMATES IN PRISONS

ANKARA - Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said on Wednesday that there are 56,616 inmates in Turkey.

Turk said that 47,191 of these inmates committed ordinary crimes; 8,461 of them committed terrorist crimes and 964 of them are members of the organized crime groups.

Speaking in a news conference, Turk talked about the studies of his ministry in 2001.

Turk recalled that the International Arbitration Law and Law on Profession of Lawyer were adopted in 2001.

Noting that an amendment was adopted in Article 16 of the Anti-Terrorism Act No. 3713 to bring together inmates in common places and the right to 'no barrier visitation' was given to inmates, Turk said that the Law of Judges of Enforcement was adopted.

Turk stressed that Articles 313 and 314 of the Law on State Security Courts (DGMs) which are related to the crimes of forming an organization to commit crime and being a member of these organization, were taken out from the scope of cases heard by DGMs.

''We will adopt laws of adjustment in line with the constitutional amendments in the coming legislative year. The law of adjustment which regulates Articles 159 and 312 of the Turkish Penal Code and Articles 7 and 8 of Anti-Terrorism Law and the law on custody periods have been opened to signature in the cabinet. The bill which amends Article 340 of the Law of Execution and Bankrupt Law and the bill on regulation of payments with cheques and on protection of cheque holders have been prepared,'' Turk said.

Turk said that the bill on training center for prison personnel, the bill which foresees punishment for those who encourages hunger strikes and death fasts, the bill that brings amendments in the Turkish Penal Code to prevent corruption are on the agenda of the parliament.

Turk said that the bill which foresees amendment in the whole Code of Criminal Procedure has been prepared, adding that the last form will be given to the bill after taking the views of all concerned institutions.

Turk said that a bill which foresees amendment in the law of courts of first intance and regional and administrative courts has been prepared, adding that certain cases will be heard by the appellate courts which will be founded from now on. The burden on the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Council of State will be taken as a result, he said adding that laws of adjustment will also be adopted in line with the amendments foreseen. Turk said that death penalties foreseen in various laws will be re-arranged.

Turk said that a regulation is being prepared by his ministry which foresees judge and prosecutor candidates to serve as deputy judges and prosecutors for two years in order to have experience in their professions.

Noting that older prisons will be closed, Turk indicated that regional prisons called as 'L type' will be founded.

Turk said that a bill is also being prepared on the foundation and tasks of family courts to implement Civil Code.

-SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS CHIEF PROSECUTOR KANADOGLU

APPLIES TO CONSTITUTIONAL COURT ABOUT HADEP AND AK PARTY

ANKARA - Sabih Kanadoglu, the Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals applied to the Constitutional Court on Wednesday requesting it to examine the demands about AK Party and Peoples's Democracy Party (HADEP).

Kanadoglu sent his written request to the Court about cases related to the closure of HADEP for violating Turkey's invisible integrity and giving warning to AK Part.

Noting that three years passed since the suit filed requesting HADEP's closure, Kanadoglu said that an application was made to the Court requesting the Constitutional Court to give a warning to AK Party.

Recalling that it is the task of the judiciary to result the cases as soon as possible, Kanadoglu said that he was worried that the lateness and indefiniteness in HADEP case could cause national and judiciary sufferings for Turkey.

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