Anadolu Agency: News in English, 02-01-08

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From: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.com.tr/>

ANADOLU AJANSI

HABERLER

08 JANUARY

2002 Tuesday

Türkiye

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CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

DIESEL OIL TRANSPORT FROM NORTHERN IRAQ RESUMES
Diesel oil transport from Northern Iraq resumed. The transport of diesel oil on trucks from northern part of Iraq to Turkey via the Habur Border Gate near Silopi township of southeastern province of Sirnak had stopped on September 18, 2001. There will be daily 100-truck transport from Northern Iraq.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

TURKEY MAKES 925 BILLION U.S. DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT IN 38 YEARS
Turkey made 924.6 billion U.S. dollars of investment between 1963 and 2000. Turkey allocated only 22.9 percent of its national income for making investments.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

A MEANINGFUL PRESENT TO U.S. PRESIDENT BUSH
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit included Religious Affairs Head Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz in his entourage during his visit to the United States. Yilmaz will give a copy of Muslim's holy book Koran to U.S. President George W. Bush as a present. Yilmaz said that he aimed at drawing attention to peaceful teachings of the Koran.

YILMAZ: ''PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT DOES NOT HAVE ANY HEALTH PROBLEM''
State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, the leader of the Motherland Party (ANAP), said that Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit did not have any health problem preventing him from fulfilling his mission.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

OPERATION SWORDFISH
Upon denouncement of the State Inspection Board, an operation was launched in four provinces. Erdin Ari, the former director general of the Emlak Bankasi, and 29 other people were detained in the operation. They were interrogated about 323 million U.S. dollars of bank loans given illegally to 134 firms between 1988 and 2000.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

TREASURY TO SELL 140-DAY AND 238-DAY BONDS
Treasury Undersecretariat will auction 140-day and 238-day bonds today. Treasury Undersecretariat said that value date of both the 140-day and 238- day bonds is January 9, 2001. It said the maturity of 140-day bonds is May 29, 2002, and maturity of 238-day bonds is September 4, 2002. Meanwhile, Treasury will repay 170 million U.S. dollars in external debt, and 3 quadrillion 43 trillion Turkish lira (TL) in domestic debt this week.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

DOGRU APPOINTED IN PLACE OF CAY
Resat Dogru, a deputy of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has been appointed in place of Abdulhaluk Mehmet Cay. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer approved the decree about appointment of Dogru as the State Minister. Cay was dismissed from his post by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit on December 24, 2001 upon a wish of State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the MHP.

SCHOOLS RECESSED THROUGHOUT TURKEY
Heavy snowfall and stormy winds have been continuing to paralyze daily life and traffic throughout Turkey. Primary and secondary schools have been recessed in many provinces including Istanbul and Ankara.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

ALTHOUGH FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTRY WARNS, SAUDIS DEMOLISH OTTOMAN HERITAGE
Although the Foreign Ministry warned Saudi Arabia to protect the Ottoman heritage in this country, Saudi officials did not keep their promises and demolished Ottoman-era al-Ajyad Castle in Mecca to build a business and hotel complex. Meanwhile, King Fahd of Saudi Arabia released an order to tear down decorative columns of the Prophet Mohammad Mosque.

-CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TO CONVENE TO DEBATE KANADOGLU'S REQUEST TO WARN AK
PARTY

ANKARA - The Constitutional Court delegation will convene at 02:00 p.m. on Tuesday to debate Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor Sabih Kanadoglu's request to warn the Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

The session was scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m. However, it was delayed since Constitutional Court Chief Judge Mustafa Bumin and members of the delegation attended the International Law Congress.

The Constitutional Court delegation has taken Kanadoglu's request to warn the AK Party to exclude Recep Tayyip Erdogan from founder membership of the party since he was not competent to be elected as a deputy.

-KEMAL DERVIS AND CAKAN BRIEFED BY INTERNATIONAL JURISTS
ANKARA - International jurists are briefing State Minister Kemal Dervis and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Zeki Cakan on legal dimension of eight power plants' operation right transfers.

A 7-member delegation headed by British international jurist Smith Martin Stewart was briefing Dervis and Cakan at the meeting which started at the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry.

Energy and Natural Resources Ministry Undersecretary Yurdakul Yigitguden, deputy undersecretaries, relevant director generals, Treasury Undersecretary Faik Oztrak, Energy Market Board Chairman Yusuf Gunay and his assistant Ali Turkoglu and Privatization Administration Board Deputy Chairman Demir Erman are also attending the meeting.

-A TOTAL OF 50,000 TOURISTS VISITS ANTALYA BY LUXURY PASSENGER SHIPS
ANTALYA - A total of 50,000 tourists visited Antalya port by luxury passenger ships in 2001.

Middle East Port Services Inc. Director General Gunduz Yalman told the A.A correspondent on Tuesday that Turkish tourism had a very successful period last year.

Pointing out that the tourism activities by luxury passenger ships slowed down following the September 11 attacks in the United States (U.S.), Yalman said, ''we expect that over 40,000 tourists will visit Antalya port by luxury passenger ships in 2002 despite all the negativities. Our works on this matter are continuing.''

Yalman stated that the ports should be promoted firstly for the development of the cruise tourism in Turkey and said, ''we should meet the biggest cruise tourism companies of the world and should make agreements with these companies. Port services and our country should be promoted.''

Yalman noted that 35,900 tourists had visited Antalya port in 2000 and 50, 834 tourists travelled Antalya in 2001 and added that most of the tourists came from Italy, Germany, Britain and the U.S.

-SEVERE WINTER CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO PARALYZE DAILY LIFE AND TRAFFIC
ANKARA - Severe winter conditions have been continuing to paralyze daily life and traffic throughout Turkey.

In central province of Kayseri, 15 people who could not return to their village because of heavy snowfall and stormy winds, have been stranded in Yahyali township.

Yahyali Head Official Ethem Acar told the A.A correspondent that these people had been accommodated in guesthouses of public institutions.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Airlines' (THY) cancelled its flights bound between Istanbul and Kayseri.

Heavy snowfall has severed access to 3 thousand 473 village roads in 17 provinces.

Continuing snowfall have been hampering efforts to re-open these roads.

-DERVIS SAYS REAL AIM IS TO SELL CHEAP ENERGY OF HIGH QUALITY TO REAL
SECTOR

ANKARA - State Minister Kemal Dervs said on Tuesday that the real aim in the energy market was to sell cheap energy of high quality to the real sector.

Dervis and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Zeki Cakan who held a meeting on energy operation right transfers made statements after the meeting.

Dervis said that the real aim was to create a modern and productive energy market.

Dervis added that they were jointly seeking a common path to reach the goal.

Meanwhile, Zeki Cakan said that a meeting had been held on transfer of eight power plants' operation right and that a delegation inluding Turkish and international jurists and officials from the Electricity Market Board, Treasury Undersecretariat and Energy and Natural Resources Ministry had attended the meeting.

Cakan said that the basic aim of the meeting was to examine legal dimension of operation right transfers and the attitude to be taken after this examination.

Noting that talks among the bureaucrats on the matter were continuing, Cakan said that the opinion of his ministry regarding the operation right transfers was about ''foreign capital flow and rehabilitation of power plants''.

-FOREIGN MINISTER CEM: ''CYPRUS PROBLEM SHOULD BE SOLVED BEFORE THE END OF
2002''

BERLIN - Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said on Tuesday that Cyprus problem should be solved before the end of the year 2002.

Speaking to German ''Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung'' newspaper, Cem said a change process has been experienced since August 1998 following the confederation proposal of Rauf Denktas, the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Stressing that Denktas's attitute in inviting Clerides was a positive step, Cem said, ''we have created a better platform for reciprocal understanding.''

''It is very hard for the communities on Cyprus to find a joint solution because of objective reasons,'' Cem said, adding that ideologies and global developments caused people to distance themselves from each other instead of integration.

Pointing out that stressing of ethnical values became a fashion, Cem said, ''I have always been against such kind of developments in respect to philosophical and political means. However, this is a fact which exists.''

Stating that there were two different peoples, two different cultures and religions were existing on Cyprus, Cem said people from different religions lived apart from each other even in European countries.

Cem said Turkey, being a guarantor country on Cyprus, exerted efforts to reach a solution which will please the two communities, adding that, ''the two leaders on Cyprus should have a joint vision and should cover a joint target for the future of Cyprus to improve dialogue on Cyprus.''

Stressing that Turkey improved relations to a great extend with all its neighbours, Cem said, ''only Armenia continues its hostile attitute against Turkey and also continues to occupy Azerbaijan. If Armenia takes a positive step, of course we will respond positively.''

Cem said every negative development in Iraq would have a negative effect on Turkey, noting that the U.S. administration wanted to oust Iraqi administration. Cem said Turkey's priority was preservation of Iraq's territorial integrity.

Reiterating that Turkey could send soldiers to Afghanistan, Cem recalled that the Turkish Armed Forces was carrying out contacts with the U.S. and British officers at the time being.

Speaking about Turkey's EU membership, Cem said, ''what is important is to have a political will and good will. Turkey has both of them. The amendments to the Constitution prove this. What is important more than fully abiding by the Copenhagen criteria, is the creation of a positive process to start talks.''

Cem said lifting of capital punishment was intensely discussed in Turkish public, pointing out that, ''I wish a change will take place in this respect. The capital punishment has not been carried out in Turkey in the past 20 years.''

-TURKEY-SUDAN JEC MEETING HELD
ANKARA - State Minister Ramazan Mirzaoglu said on Tuesday, ''Turkey has been experiencing a serious economic crisis since the beginning of 2001. However, Turkey will overcome this crisis as a result of economic policies and measures of our government.''

Speaking at the opening of Turkey-Sudan Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting, Mirzaoglu said, ''Turkey aims at increasing its commercial and economic relations with African countries to the maximum level within scope of Turkey's opening policy toward Africa. We attribute great importance to our relations with Sudan, an important country and port in Eastern Africa, to this end. Trade volume between Turkey and Sudan was about 42.3 million U.S. dollars in 2000. This figure is far away from reflecting the potential of Turkish and Sudanese economies. Turkey and Sudan can cooperate in the sectors of industry, infrastructure, health, tourism, agriculture, irrigation, petroleum, small and medium scale enterprises, sugar industry, agricultural devices, cement and ship. Turkish constructors are ready to undertake all kinds of construction projects in Sudan.

Meanwhile, Sudanese External Trade Minister Abdelhamed Musa Kasha said in his part that they would expend efforts to further improve political, cultural and commercial relations between the two countries.

Kasha said that Sudan was the most appropriate gate for Turkey to enter African market, and Turkey was the most proper gate for Sudan to enter Euporean market.

He said that Sudanese businessmen did not come to Turkey after Sudanese press exaggerated bad weather conditions in Turkey, and apologized to Turkish officials. He added that a Sudanese businessmen delegation would come to Turkey after weather conditions improved.

-ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES MINISTER CAKAN:
''MUNICIPALITIES SHOULD MAKE THEIR PROCEEDINGS WITHIN THE
FRAMEWORK OF LIMITS STATED IN WRITTEN NOTICE''
ANKARA - Energy and Natural Resources Minister Zeki Cakan said on Tuesday that the municipalities should abide by the written notification determining profit margin 30 percent as highest rate.

Cakan briefed the journalists about energy issues following his meeting with State Minister Kemal Dervis on energy operation right transfers.

Cakan said, with the written notification published in the Offical Gazette, the municipalities should abide by the written notification determining profit margine 30 percent as highest rate. ''Otherwise, the issue will be evaluated by the jurists with its legal dimensions,'' he said.

Evaluating yesterday's summit where prices of natural gas were evaluated, Cakan said the prices will be lowered immediately after the written notification takes effect.

Pointing out that the reduction was insufficient but that they could only provide this, Cakan said ''because BOTAS and the municipalities should make investments at the same time.''

Cakan said BOTAS reduced its profit margin to 2 percent, and would be in an effort to bring natural gas to 57 provinces till the end of 2004, adding that he would continue to exert efforts to reduce Value Added Tax (VAT).

Pointing out that the issue would be discussed during the first Council of Ministers meeting, Cakan said, ''I wish the issue will be discussed during the Council of Ministers meeting within the framework of the letter of intent given to IMF. I will be in an effort to reduce VAT at least in January, February, March and April to make the consumers relax. However, being a member of the government, I am in a position to abide by the decisions taken by the government.''

-TURKISH FIRMS TO TAKE PART IN HANNOVER MESSE FAIR
ISTANBUL - A total of 56 Turkish firms are expected to join Hannover Messe Fair which will be held between April 15-20 in Germany.

Speaking in the press conference for the fair, Fair Deputy Director Thomas Rilke said on Tuesday that Hannover Messe, the biggest industrial fair of the world, covered seven exhibitions, including plant automation, micro technology, material processing, surface technology, energy, industrial information technology, software and research technology.

Pointing out that 3,100 foreign companies of 7,200 would take part in the fair this year, Rilke said that they expected that 56 Turkish companies would join the fair.

Stating that 260,000 people had visited Hannover Messe fair last year and Rilke added that they expected the same number of people would also visit the fair this year.

-PEOPLE FORM LONG LINES IN ANKARA TO BUY NATURAL GAS AT LOWER PRICE
ANKARA - Natural gas started to be sold at a lower price in Ankara on Tuesday afternoon after the recent announcement of the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry.

EGO General Director Ihsan Fincan told the A.A that they started selling one cubic meter of natural gas for 348,001 TL as of 2.10 p.m. on Tuesday. The old price was 420,678 TL.

People formed long lines in front of natural gas sales points. People said that the new price was still high and they called on officials to bring down the 18 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on the natural gas which is categorized as an item of luxury.

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