Anadolu Agency: News in English, 02-01-14

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ANADOLU AJANSI

HABERLER

14 January

2002 Monday

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 14, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

The visit of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to the U.S. will start today. Prime Minister Ecevit will stay in Ritz Carlton Hotel in Washington D.C. during his visit which will last for five days and end on January 19. Four ministers, six deputies, eight high ranking deputies, 106 businessmen and 40 journalists will accompany him during his visit. Ecevit will meet with the U.S. President in White House on January 16. Seven Turkish officials will be present in that meeting namely Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, State Ministers Kemal Dervis and Tunca Toskay, Energy Minister Zeki Cakan, Turkish Ambassador to the U.S. Faruk Logoglu, Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary and former Turkish Ambassador to the U.S Baki Ilkin. Foreign Ministry Special Consultant Engin Soysal will take notes during the meeting.

KURDISTAN STAMP SEALED ON TURKISH PASSPORTS

''Kurdistan'' stamp is sealed on the passports of Turkish persons who go to Northern Iraq. The persons who don't want this stamp, are either not permitted to the region or they face with difficulties. According to the report which has been prepared on this issue before Ecevit's visit to the U.S., Massoud Barzani, the leader of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) acts as if he is the leader of Kurdistan and he violates the territorial integrity of Iraq. The course books published in the region also tell that an independent Kurdistan will be founded in the future.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

Ankara conveyed its tendency towards ''an operation on Iraq'' to Washington with a clear message. Iraq file is expected to have an important place during Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's visit to the United States. Officials explained Turkey's stance towards a possible attack on Iraq to the U.S. delegation comprised of ten senators who paid a visit to Ankara. The general tendency of Ankara, which thinks that Turkey will be affected by the results of an intervention, is to be in the developments. Here are the four conditions: Turkey will no way want division of Iraq. And, Turkey will never accept foundation of a Kurdish state. Turkey will be closely interested in the results of an intervention rather than its reasons. Because, the results will have serious political, economic and military impacts on Turkey. A Turkmen autonomous region should be provided in the region. Turkey will actively react to probable developments in the direction of border security, national integrity and interests.

''I AM CONCERNED ABOUT LOBBIES''

Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that the strategic relations with the United States were at the highest level. Ecevit said, ''the weakest link of this relation is economy.'' Noting that he was hopeful about his visit to the United States, Ecevit said, ''the U.S. administration is very much aware of our problems. But, we may not reach a result immediately due to the obstruction of lobbies and the Congress.''

SABAH (LIBERAL)

U.S. President Bush will tell Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to press on Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to abide by the United Nations (U.N.) resolutions. Iraq will be the ''most difficult'' item of the agenda of Ecevit's tour to the United States which will begin today. According to sources in Washington, President Bush will tell Ecevit that they have not taken any definite decision about an operation on Iraq yet and assure Ecevit: ''Turkey's view will be asked definitely in any step to be taken regarding Iraq.'' But, Bush will have a request from Ecevit: ''Intensify imbuing Saddam Hussein to obey U.N. resolutions and re-accept weapon observers in Iraq.'' Observers said that Bush's this request from Turkey means ''last chance'' for Saddam.

RETIREMENT AGE HAMPERED

Democratic Left Party (DSP) thought the draft prepared by Labour and Social Security Minister Yasar Okuyan had very severe conditions and prepared a model which decreased the retirement age by five years. DSP deputy Osman Kilic developed the retirement model. The model approved by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, who was a former Labour Minister, reduces retirement age to 53 in women and 55 in men. Okuyan's draft foresees retirement of men at the age of 60 and women at the age of 58. DSP says that after the retirement in Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), women approximately live for 16 years and men for 10 years. Approximate life span is 69 in women and 65 in men. In order to keep the same rate with the OECD countries, Turkish women should get retired in 53 and men in 55.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

Turkey had told many U.S. officials before the visit of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to the region that it was against an operation in Iraq. However, diplomatic sources said that although the U.S. noted that it didn't take a decision yet about a possible operation in Iraq, it can bring onto agenda its expectations from Turkey for such a military intervention in Iraq during Ecevit's visit. The issue of fight with terrorism is also expected to be taken up during the visit. In this respect, one of the most important difficulties of Turkey is that Turkey is neighbour of three countries which were considered as terrorist by the U.S.

DENKTAS:''CYPRUS PROBLEM HAS TO BE SOLVED FIRST''

TRNC President Rauf Denktas said that Greek Cypriots think that it should first of all join the EU and then urge Turkish Cypriots to reach an agreement with them as having the minority status. ''This can't happen,'' said Denktas and warned the Greek Cypriot side. ''If you urge the EU to accept Turkish Cypriots as minority, Turkey will resort to its rights stemming from 1960 Treaties. This will cause a tension. The EU can't play this game,'' he added.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

Prosecutor's office opened an investigation regarding a calendar published for HADEP as the months in the calendar were written in Kurdish. When the European Union is asking for Turkey to lift the barriers in front of broadcasting in mother tongue until March 19, prosecutorship has opened an investigation to 15 officials of HADEP Hakkari Provincial Office due to the months of its calendar in Kurdish.

TOURISM SECTOR MAKES HAPPY

The number of the tourists visiting Turkey exceeded 11,5 million in 2001 despite the negativites in the world. The number of the tourists travelling Turkey increased by 11 percent when compared to the previous year. German tourists were ranked the first among the tourists who visited Turkey in 2001. British tourists followed Germans.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

The fog will continue to be influential until the mid-week across the country. The fog is expected in Marmara region, central and eastern part of Turkey especially in morning hours. Meanwhile, there will be rain in eastern part of Marmara region, in the coasts of Black Sea, Western Mediterranean and Aegean region. The temperatures will start to increase beginning from the western parts of Turkey. However, the temperatures will be beneath zero at nights in central and eastern parts of Turkey.

PHARMACIES TO BE CLOSE ON TUESDAY

Turkish Pharmacists Union took an action decision aiming to protest Health Ministry's decision on 10 percent decrease in pharmacists' share on the medicine. The pharmacists won't open their shops on Tuesday. According to the action decision of Turkish Pharmacists Union, only pharmacies on duty will be open tomorrow.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit will go to Washington D.C. as an official guest of George W. Bush today. The delegation including ministers, bureaucrats and businessmen accompanies Ecevit in his tour to the the United States (U.S.). The economic issues will mainly be taken up in the talks. Ecevit will ask for the U.S. to lift the quotas and 5 billion U.S. dollars debt. The hardest strategical discussions will be on Iraq issue between the two countries.

COAL PRICE SOARS WITH SNOWFALL

Turkey's agenda has focused on natural gas prices following the freezing weather across the country. When everybody was talking about the natural gas, the coal and firewood prices doubled by increasing day by day. Coal sellers are determining the coal prices by observing the weather conditions in Izmir province. The sack of coal which was sold by 2 million TL before the snowfall rised to 3 million 750 thousand TL after the heavy snowfall.

-CHILDREN IN JUVENILE DETENTION CENTRE BARRICADE THEMSELVES IN WARDS, SET BEDS ON FIRE

ISTANBUL- Youths in Bakırkoy juvenile detention centre barricaded themselves in three wards on Sunday and set beds on fire and resisted the security forces to protest inadequate heating.

Some 50 children took part in the nearly two-hour standoff which ended after officials at the detention centre convinced them to stop.

Fire fighters in Bakırkoy and Zeytinburnu districts of Istanbul came to the scene and extinguished the fire around 18.00 local time.

Officials said that prison authorities failed to carry out maintenance work on the center's heating system because the center is slated to close down next year.

Bakırkoy Chief Prosecutor Celil Demircioglu told A.A that the gendarme and prison administration took control in the wards where the riot started.

The fire has been extinguished, the barricades removed, Demircioglu said, adding that the children had been taken from the wards and isolated.

Two of the youths suffered slight respiratory problems from the smoke but did not require hospital treatment, Demircioglu said. Five children cut their hands as they broke windows, he added.

An investigation into the incident is underway.

-TURKISH AND GREEK FOOTBALL FEDERATIONS OFFICIALS MEET IN ISTANBUL

ISTANBUL- Officials of Turkish and Greek football federation, which are the candidate to jointly organize the 2008 European Football Championship finals, met in Istanbul on Sunday.

Football Federation Deputy Chairman Ata Aksu and Greek Football Federation Chairman Vasilis Gagatsis made a press statement following their meeting which lasted for almost five hours.

Aksu said that besides the support of the people, there was a need for the support of the government to be the venue of such an event.

''Political will and declaration is obligatory especially in the level of prime ministers. I believe that we will mark a progress with the support of the two governments,'' Aksu noted.

Aksu went on saying, ''if we are awarded to host the finals, the matches in Turkey will be played in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Antalya. The matches in Greece will be played in Athens, Salonica, Patras, Iraklion and Volos.''

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) would choose the venue of the finals in December 2002, Aksu said and stated, ''we will present the bid dossier till the end of March. We are preparing a very professional dossier. We will join UEFA and Association of International Sports Press (AIPS) meetings and carry out lobby activities. Our web-site in Turkish, Greek and English will be opened within a week.''

Aksu added that they will meet with their Greek colleagues in Greece on February 12 to continue their initiatives.

In his part, Gagatsis said that the good atmosphere between federations of the two countries would bring the 2008 European Football Championship finals to Turkey and Greece together with the assistance of the governments.

Gagatsis expressed full belief that they would be awarded to host the finals and achieve a good job.

A total of 55 percent of the Greek people wanted that organization, Gagatsis said and added that this rate would increase to 75 percent if they carry out better initaitives and be supported by the press.

-SECURITY TEAMS DETAIN 15 ACTIVISTS OF GREENPEACE

ALIAGA- Security teams detained on Monday Greenpeace's 15 activists who protested toxic waste commerce near a ship yard in Aliaga township of northern Izmir province.

Greenpeace activists hanged a banner on a ship named ''Star of Venice'' belonging to a Swiss company, and then wrote ''stop the toxic waste trade'' with spray paint on another ship named ''Best''.

Meanwhile, 15 activists were taken into custody by security forces.

Rainbow Warrior, the ship which brought Greenpeace activists to Aliaga, is anchored at the Aliaga gulf.

-EXPORTATION FROM GAP REGION TO EU COUNTRIES

GAZIANTEP - Agricultural and industrial products, worth of 190 million 444 thousand U.S. dollars, were exported from Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) region to the European Union (EU) countries.

Exportation, worth of 146 million 383 thousand U.S. dollars, had been made last year.

Share of the EU countries in regional exportation, which was 26.3 percent the previous year, increased 29.7 percent.

According to the data of Southeastern Anatolia Exporters Union, animal products worth of 1 million 17 thousand U.S. dollars, were made to the EU countries.

Grains and cereals products, worth of 3 million 75 thousand U.S. dollars, were exported. The dried fruits that were exported were worth of 21 million 600 thousand U.S. dollars.

Textile, which was exported to the EU countries, was worth of 164 million 752 thousand U.S. dollars.

Italy, Germany, and Britain were the countries which exportation was made the most.

Synthetic thread, cotton thread, dried apricot, and knitted and synthetic textiles were among the products that were exported.

Exportation which was made to the EU countries in December 2001 increased by 18.8 percent when compared with the same period of last year and reached 13 million 639 thousand U.S. dollars.

-TREASURY TO SELL 112-DAY BOND AUCTION ON TUESDAY

ANKARA - Treasury will sell 112-day bond auction on Tuesday.

The bonds will be issued on January 16 and re-paid on May 8.

The Treasury had held two bond auctions, including 238-day and 140-day, on January 8.

In the 238-day bond auction, the total bid was 3 quadrillion 420.2 trillion Turkish liras (TL) while the Treasury sold 2 quadrillion 695.8 trillion TL nominal-valued bonds. The net sale became 1 quadrillion 895.8 trillion TL.

In the same tender, the composite interest was 71.34 percent while the simple interest became 64.54 percent.

The total bid was 1 quadrillion 606.5 trillion TL in the 140-day bond auction. he Treasury sold 1 quadrillion 501.8 trillion TL nominal-valued bonds while the net sale became 1 quadrillion 221.9 trillion TL.

In the same tender, the composite interest was 70.99 percent while the simple interest was 59.58 percent.

-PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT SAYS STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP RELATION

WITH U.S. GAINS FURTHER IMPORTANCE

ANKARA- Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said on Monday that the strategic partnership relation between Turkey and the U.S. has further gained importance in line with the international developments.

''It is our common target to further deepen the relations and cooperation between Turkey and the U.S.,'' said Ecevit and noted that not only political, but also commercial and economic relations have to improve.

Speaking at Esenboga Airport before leaving for the U.S., Prime Minister Ecevit said that he goes to the U.S. as the guest of U.S. President George Bush for a four-day study visit.

Noting that the multidimensional relations between Turkey and the U.S. would be taken up in details during his visit, Ecevit said that he would be accompanied by State Ministers Kemal Dervis, Tunca Toskay and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Zeki Cakan, deputies, high ranking public administrators, representatives of private sector and journalists.

Ecevit said that he would hold contacts with U.S. President George W. Bush and the leading representatives of the U.S. administration, adding that he would also meet with the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Acting Secretary of State, Secretary of Trade, Secretary of Treasury and one Trade official and come together with the World Bank President and IMF Executive Director.

Ecevit said that he would meet with American enterpreneurs in U.S. trade chamber, and with foreign press members in national press club, adding that he planned to take part in the activities organized by non-governmental organizations.

Noting that he would visit the wreckage of the twin towers of the World Trade Center complex in New York which was destroyed in a terrorist attacks on September 11, Prime Minister Ecevit said that he would also meet with representatives of Turkish society living in the United States.

He said, ''our strategical partnership with our friend and ally United States have gained more importance within framework of the recent developments in the international platform. We aim at further deepening our relations and cooperation with the United States. We believe that economic and commercial relations between Turkey and the United States should be accelerated. During our contacts with the U.S. officials, we will convay our expectations. I believe that our visit to the United States would make a valuable contribution to both our bilateral relations with the United States and to the international developments.''

When asked, ''it was claimed that you received a report saying that Barzani had declared himself as prime minister in a region called Kurdistan in northern Iraq. How will it affect your visit to the United States?'' Prime Minister Ecevit told reporters, ''we do have the opportunity of monitoring all development in Northern Iraq from the very beginning. We do not need such reports. We are taking necessary measures on issues we have concerned about.''

Meanwhile, plane carrying Prime Minister Ecevit and his entourage could not take off from the airport due to technical failure in left engine.

-PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT LEAVES FOR U.S.

ANKARA - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit left for the U.S. on Monday.

The plane carrying Prime Minister Ecevit and the accompanying delegation left Ankara late due to a technical failure in the engine of the plane.

Prime Minister Ecevit will be accompanied by his wife Rahsan Ecevit, State Ministers Kemal Dervis, Tunca Toskay, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Zeki Cakan, seven deputies, bureaucrats, businessmen and journalists.

State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli will act as the prime minister during Ecevit's stay in the U.S.

-RUSSIAN GENERAL STAFF CHIEF GENERAL KWASHININ ARRIVES IN ANKARA

ANKARA- Russian General Staff Chief General Anotoly Kwashinin arrived in Ankara on Monday as the official guest of General Staff Chief General Huseyin Kivrikoglu.

Garrison Commander General Kemal Yilmaz welcomed General Kwashinin at Ankara's Esenboga Airport.

-A TOTAL OF 18,988 FOREIGNERS CAPTURED IN VAN IN FOUR YEARS

VAN- A total of 18,988 foreigners who had entered Turkey illegally, was deported from eastern province of Van since 1997.

Van Police Chief Zeki Catalkaya told the A.A correspondent on Monday, ''Yuksekova, Semdinli and Cukurca townships of eastern province of Hakkari have borders with both Iran and Iraq. Van borders with Iran. A number of people benefiting from authority gap in these neighboring countries enter Turkey illegally, and use the route of Van to proceed to western provinces. A total of 6,361 foreigners including 136 Iranians, 4,718 Iraqis, 169 Pakistanis, 15 Georgian, 1,274 Afghans, 12 Bangladeshis and 23 Azerbaijanis, were captured last year. Meanwhile, 12,627 foreigners were captured between 1997 and 2000.''

Catalkaya added, ''human smuggling has increased and turned into a network. Our teams have also been struggling against human smugglers. A total of 164 human smugglers were captured between 2000 and 2001. Meanwhile, 6,210 foreigners including 4,876 Iranians, 940 Iraqis, 382 Afghans and 12 Pakistanis requested asylum from Turkey in order to proceed to third countries between 1995 and 2001. 1,738 of them have been granted temporary permission of residence. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been assessing their situation.''

-PHARMACIES TO BE CLOSED ON TUESDAY

ANKARA- Pharmacists will pull down the shutters on Tuesday as a reaction to the Health Ministry's decision to reduce medicine prices by ten percent.

Turkish Pharmacists' Association (TEB) Chairman Mehmet Domac told the A.A correspondent on Monday that they had decided to close the pharmacies on Tuesday to protest the Health Ministry's decision.

Domac said that only the pharmacies on duty would be open on Tuesday and other pharmacists would serve the pharmacies on duty to prevent any disruption in their services.

Defending that the ministry's decision would cause the pharmacists to suffer more losses, Domac said that 6-7 thousand pharmacies would be closed down and this would mean 20 thousand people would be unemployed.

The Health Ministry had decreased the 10 percent discount on domestic production and reduced the medicine prices by 10 percent by taking the economic conditions into consideration.

-AN ELDERLY PERSON FREEZES TO DEATH

ANKARA - An elderly person was frozen to death in Buyuk Sanayi district on Monday.

Security forces found the dead body of Zeynel Kilic (62) in a deserted minibus in Buyuk Sanayi.

Officials said they thought Kilic passed the night in the minibus and was frozen to death.

-STATE MINISTER ARSEVEN RECEIVES SPANISH AMBASSADOR CAMARA

ANKARA- State Minister Nejat Arseven received on Monday Spanish Ambassador to Turkey Manuel Camara.

Speaking to reporters after the one-hour meeting, Arseven said that he evaluated Turkey's membership process to the EU with Camara.

Arseven said that he also conveyed the uneasiness of Turkey regarding the non-inclusion of terrorist organizations PKK and DHKP/C in the EU's list of terrorist organizations.

''Mr. Ambassador said that the list can be renewed in March,'' Arseven said.

Noting that the constitutional amendment package was also taken up in the meeting, Arseven said that these arrangements called ''mini package'' will be taken up by the parliament in the coming days.

When asked if there is a regulation in the new constitutional amendment to be adopted by the parliament about Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code which concerns the position of AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Arseven said ''No, but I suppose that Article 312 will come to the parliament's agenda in the same way,'' said Arseven and noted that they also also took up the issue of Amnesty International with Camara. Arseven said that the government investigates the issue and a final result was not reached yet.

Camara said in his part that the year 2002 is a very important year for Turkey, adding that Spain, which is the EU Term President, supports the accession of Turkey to the EU.

Noting that they talked about the success of the Laeken summit, Camara said that these positive developments had to continue. Camara stressed that constitutional amendments were important in this regard.

Camara said that Arseven's coming to Spain together with Interior Minister Rustu Kazım Yucelen and Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk for an official visit was on the agenda, adding that Arseven had to meet with the other ministers first for such a visit.

Camara said that they took up issues of human rights and making people conscious about human rights in the meeting.

Upon a question about unilateral admission of Greek Cypriot side to the EU, Camara said he hoped the meetings held between TRNC President and Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides would yield a positive result.

Noting that the Cyprus problem was a difficult one, Camara said that ''I suppose that Denktas and Clerides have the vision to get a good result from their talks.''

-IZMIR TURKISH UNION ASSOCIATIONS CONDEMN DEMOLITION OF AL-AJYAD FORTRESS

IZMIR/ADANA - Izmir Turkish Union Associations condemned on Monday the demolition of al-Ajyad fortress in Mecca by the Saudi Arabian administration.

At the Turkish Unions Izmir Branch, Turkish World Culture and Human Rights Association member Fadil Unal said that Saudia Arabian administration had attempted to ruin the cultural heritage of Ottoman Turks on the Islamic sacred territory and demolish that heritage.

Unal said, ''on behalf of Turkish people, we complain about this cultural heritage ruin to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). We ask our public officials, particularly our deputies, not to accept hajj invitations of the Saudi administration as the expression of the reaction and sensitivity of Turkish people about the ruining of our cultural heritage.''

''We request the proposal of giving the authority regarding Islamic sacred regions, especially Mecca and Medina cities, to a joint administration among Islam countries to be opened to discussion in international arena, particularly in the level of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC),'' Unal noted.

Unal stated that the text signed by representatives of the associations and many other non-governmental organizations would be faxed to Saudi Arabian Embassy in Ankara.

Meanwhile, Union of Turkish Architects and Engineers Chambers (TMMOB) Adana Branch Chairman Samet Karyaldiz reacted to the demolition of the al-Ajyad fortress in Saudi Arabia and said, ''we condemn all the enemies of culture who contribute to the ruining of cultural heritage of humanity.''

-MOROCCAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION DUE IN TURKEY

ANKARA - Morocco-Turkey Interparliamentary Friendship Group will visit Turkey on Tuesday to hold contacts.

On January 16, the delegation, led by Mohand Laenser, will first visit Anitkabir, Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and meet Turkish-Morocco Interparliamentary Friendship Group led by Mahfuz Gler, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Bingol Parliamentarian.

The delegation will visit Yuksel Yalova, the Deputy Parliament Speaker, the same day.

Culture Minister Istemihan Talay and Recep Onal, the State Minister and the Co-Chairman of Joint Economic Commission, on January 17.

Laenser and the accompanying delegation will proceed to Istanbul on January 18 and visit historical and touristic places.

The delegation will depart from Turkey on January 19.

-NUMBER OF TOURISTS VISITING TURKEY EXPECTED TO REACH 27 MILLION IN 2020

ISTANBUL- The number of tourists visiting Turkey is expected to reach almost 27 million in 2020.

The Mediterranean region, the center of the world tourism, will attract almost 350 million tourists in 2020.

According to a survey of the World Tourism Organization (WTO), the annual growth in tourism in the Mediterranean region will be 3 percent until 2020.

The figures of WTO show that 200 million tourists are currently visiting the Mediterranean region comprised of 21 countries, including France, Spain, Italy and Turkey, a year.

This number is expected to reach 270 million in 2010 and 350 million in 2020.

Turkey is foreseen to attract 17 million foreign tourists in 2010 and 27 million tourists in 2020.

Turkey will show a 5.5 percent annual growth until 2020. What is important is that Turkey will record a growth of 5.5 percent in tourism annually till 2020.

According to the WTO research, below is a table which shows that the number of tourists predicted to the countries in the Mediterranean market, market share and annual growth situation:

. TOURISTS TOURISTS MARKET SHARE ANNUAL GROWTH

COUNTRIES 2010 2020 Percent 1995-2020/Percent

. (thousand people)

----------- ------- -------- ----------- -----------------

Libya 416 1079 0.03 12.6

Bosnia and

Herzegovina 248 444 0.01 10.5

Lebanon 1716 3704 1.1 8.8

Croatia 7454 10017 2.9 8.4

Yugoslavia 643 1669 0.5 8.3

Egypt 8693 17100 4.9 7.4

Slovenia 1920 3128 0.9 6.0

Syria 1577 3102 0.9 5.5

Turkey 17068 27017 7.8 5.5

Albania 51 133 0.04 4.9

Morocco 5465 8692 2.5 4.9

Algeria 1009 1304 0.4 3.7

Monaco 381 512 0.1 3.2

Tunisia 6305 8916 2.6 3.1

Spain 61798 73867 21.4 2.6

*G.C.A 3041 3893 1.1 2.5

France 88237 106093 30.7 2.3

Israel 3055 3910 1.1 2.3

Greece 14315 17111 4.9 2.1

Italy 43881 52451 15.2 2.1

Malta 1502 1831 0.5 2.0

* Greek Cypriot administration

-A TOTAL OF 279,500 TOURISTS VISIT MEVLANA MUSEUM IN KONYA

KONYA- A total of 279,500 foreign tourists visited the Mevlana Museum in central province of Konya in 2001.

Konya Provincial Tourism Director Ibrahim Tekbas told A.A correspondent on Monday, ''236 thousand foreign tourists visited Mevlana Museum in 2000. The number of foreign tourists increased to 279,500 in 2001. Among them, there were 9,554 American, 6,332 Japanese, 5,985 German, 4,555 Italian, 3,412 Dutch, 3,144 French and 1,642 Spanish tourists visited the museum.''

He added, ''teachings and thoughts of Mevlana have been well-understood by the humanity in the wake of the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001.''

Jalal ud-din Rumi was born in 604 A.H.(1207/8 A.D.) His father Baha al-Din was a renowned religious scholar. When his age was about 18 years, the family after several migrations finally settled at Konya. After his father's death, Rumi succeeded him as a professor in the famous Madrasah at Konya at the age of about 24 years. He used to teach a large number of pupils at his Madrasah and also founded the famous Mevlevi Order in Tasawwuf. He died in 672 A.H. (1273 A.D.) at Konya, which subsequently became a sacred place for whirling derveshes of the Mevlevi Order.

Jalal ud-din Rumi devoted himself to the pursuit of Sufi mysticism, in which field he is justly regarded as a supreme master. He was the spritual founder of the Mevlevi order of whirling dervishes. His most important work, composed during the last ten years of his life, was the Mathnawi-i Manawi. This comprises about 30 thousand couplets in six books, a vast compendium of Sufi lore and doctrine, interspersed with fables and anecdotes. It is especially remarkable for its insight into the laws of physics and psychology. Second to this is the Diwan-i Shams-i Tabriz, a collection of lyrics (ghazals) dedicated to his spritual guide Shamsuddin of Tabriz.

-PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT SENDS LETTER TO PAKISTANI HEAD OF STATE MUSHARRAF

AND INDIAN PRIME MINISTER VAJPAYEE

ANKARA- Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit sent a letter to Pakistani Head of State Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and expressed Turkey's concerns felt over the tension escalated between the two countries.

Foreign Ministry issued a statement and said Ecevit sent letters to Musharraf and Vajpayee pertaining to the tension which erupted in Pakistani- Indian relations following terrorist attacks on Indian parliament.

Ecevit pointed out that escalation of tension between the two important forces of the region, would negatively effect the interests of the two countries as well as the stability of region.

Ecevit in the letter stressed the importance of international fight against terrorism, and called on the two leaders to act with restraint, and set up dialogue for the solution problems through peaceful ways and make cooperation.

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