Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-12-04

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

04 DECEMBER 2001

Tuesday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

LAW THAT AMENDS DGM LAW IN PARLIAMENT
The law which foresaw an amendment in the State Security Court (DGM) Law which was returned to the parliament by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will be discussed by the Parliamentary Justice Commission on Wednesday. The government plans to adopt the law as it is. President Sezer had vetoed four articles of seven-article law saying that the law was against the legal system and it caused the people to lose the trust of the people in justice. If the parliament adopts the law as it is, President Sezer has to approve the law as he does not have another chance to veto it. Yet he has the right to resort to the Constitutional Court. The law is expected to be discussed in the parliament before the new year.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

-Betterment of public administration

-Completion of financial sector reforms

-Further effectiveness of private sector in production and investment process.

A high ranking delegation from the World Bank came to Ankara together with the IMF delegation.

The delegations will hold studies at the Treasury, Privatization Administration Board, State Planning Organization, Finance Ministry, Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) and Central Bank.

INFLATION HITS 84.5
State Statistics Institute (DIE) said on Monday that the whole sale prices and consumer prices increased by 4,2 percent in November 2001, when compared to the previous month.

The annual inflation rate has been 84,5 percent in whole sale prices and 67,3 percent in consumer prices.

The inflation in whole sale prices has been 81,1 percent between January- November 2001 and 63,3 percent in consumer prices.

The annual inflation as of Nov. 2001 when compared to 12-month averages has been 57.0 percent in whole sale prices and 51,9 percent in consumer prices.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

SERDENGECTI SAYS DUTY LOSSES OF STATE BANKS WERE JUST LIKE MURDER
Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti has said that Central Bank has been selling foreign currency in organized markets for 14 years. ''There can be no Central Bank which doesn't buy and sell foreign currency in any currency regime,'' he commented. Serdengecti explained the Monetary Programme on Monday at a conference in Adana. He said regarding the duty losses of state banks that no ''murder'' like that should be committed again.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

Ankara is also expected convey the message that it is ready to undertake a more effective military and political role in Afghanistan, and will seek for support to the initiative of the Turkish side launched for the solution of Cyprus question.

HISTORIC SUMMIT ON THE ISLAND
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides will meet at the border region of Lefkosa today.

The U.N. Cyprus Special Envoy Alvaro De Soto will be ready at the sumit as observer.

Denktas said the views put forward by the Turkish Cypriot side are not for the disadvantage of the Greek Cypriot people.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

RAIN CONTINUES IN MERSIN
Two persons died after being drifted by the gushing waters in southern Mersin province. The floods damaged the roads, drifted cars and broke off the communication. The torrential rain continues in Mersin for three days. The snow that continues in eastern Turkey was also seen in Thrace region. Communication with some villages in Kırklareli broke off and schools were closed. Meteorology officials said that the cold and rainy wheather would continue for a while.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

The most important arrangement in the circular is the retirement. According to this, contracts of those who got the right of retirement, and who are above the age of 50, will be terminated after being evaluated by a commission, and after being paid all kind of legal rights. Workers Unions will also be invited to those commission.

Bonus of the workers is the second important point in the circular. In the new implementation, one of the bonuses, which are paid within the scope of the law no:6772, will not be paid in order to provide savings in employment expenses. The bonus will be postponed to the year 2003.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

Banking experts said this amount, which was allocated from the budget for the year 2002, would be used for the banks which were transferred to the fund earlier, and for the risky banks which are probably transferred to the fund.

This allocation is approximately equal to the 10 billion U.S. dollars which is expected to be given to Turkey by the IMF in return for a new stand by agreement.

TURKEY SURRENDERS TO SEVERE WINTER CONDITIONS
The rainy weather and heavy storm effects will make itself felt accross the country. Death toll rises to three in Southern Mersin province because of flood.

Thousands of cultivated lands, houses and business places were inundated. Trees fell down in Aegean Izmir province because of strong winds.

The red crescent sent 10-people rescue team to Mersin province.

Roads of many vilages in Trakya region were closed due to the effective snowfall.

State Minister Hasan Gemici said 400 billion lira was sent to southern Mersin province because of the flood disaster.

-U.S. IS PLEASED WITH TURKEY'S MESSAGE OF COMPROMISE ABOUT ESDP
WASHINGTON D.C. - The U.S. Department of State said on Tuesday that it was pleased with the statement issued by Turkey last Sunday explaining its compromise regarding the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP).

Kate Byrnes, the U.S. Department of State's Spokesperson for European and Eurasian Affairs told A.A that the U.S. was pleased with the support Turkey would extend to the process of development of European security and defense capabilities in close cooperation with NATO.

Byrnes said that the U.S. would continue to work together with all of its allies and EU members to have a close and effective relation between NATO and EU.

Sources in Washington D.C. commented the words of Byrnes, saying that the U.S. would hold contacts to persuade Greece which can try to impede the compromise announced in Ankara last Sunday.

Sources had said that Britain had promised the Turkish side that the European force planned to be formed would not intervene in issues of Cyprus and Aegean. This development made Greece uneasy, sources said.

Byrnes added that the U.S. supported ESDP as long as it was integrated to NATO in a suitable way and as long as Europe developed its military capabilities in the real meaning of the term. An agreement between the EU and Turkey would contribute to implementation of this policy, she noted.

-DUTCH DELEGATION TO VISIT GAP REGION
SANLIURFA - A delegation, comprised of the representatives of the Dutch companies, is expected to visit Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) region.

GAP Regional Development Administration Directorate issued a written statement on Tuesday and said the delegation, which will visit Sanliurfa province in December 5-7, will be briefied about the recent situation of GAP.

The delegation will visit Harran Plain to see the fields which were opened to irrigation, and later proceed to Ataturk Dam.

The delegation will depart from the region on December 7 after visiting Bozova and Yaylak Irrigation areas.

-TURKISH EARTHQUAKE PROJECT WINS WORLD BANK
PRESIDENT'S AWARD
ANKARA - World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn gave on Tuesday the Presidential Award of Excellence to Turkey's earhquake recovery project.

A ceremony attended by Turkish Ambassador to the U.S. Faruk Logoglu, project team members, and Bank Officials was held in the Headquarters of the World Bank in Washington D.C.

World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn praised the project in the ceremony.

The Turkey Marmara Earthquake Emergency Reconstruction (MEER) Project team has been awarded the Presidential Award of Excellence for ''having set a new standard for timely preparation and delivery of a large, complex and high quality major natural disaster intervention that balances reconstruction and recovery activities with disaster risk mitigation and emergency preparedness efforts.''

MEER was prepared within 3 months after the August 17, 1999 disaster as a comprehensive Framework Program that was developed by the World Bank in cooperation with other donors. The total value of the Framework Program is about 1,8 billion U.S. dollars from which 550 million U.S. dollars constituted Bank finincing.

-IMF DELEGATION STARTS TECHNICAL WORKS IN TREASURY
ANKARA - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation led by Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen started technical talks in Treasury Undersecretariat on Tuesday.

The delegation members, according to the field of their specialization, started contacts with the experts of the officials concerned with ''public finance, finance sector and money markets''.

Experts of State Planning Institute, Finance Ministry, Central Bank, Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) and Privatization Administration Board attend the talks within the technical working groups.

The IMF delegation is expected to carry out an intense working program to complete the formation of the outlines of a medium term program within 12 days.

Willy Kiekens, the IMF Executive Director in charge of European Region is expected to visit Ankara next week.

Kiekens, who has a compromising role between the IMF and Turkey, is expected to contribute to the Letter of Intent as a new Stand-By program is prepared.

IMF European I Department Director Michael C. Deppler can also come to Turkey to help in the studies on preparation of the new letter of intent.

-DENKTAS AND CLERIDES TO HOLD DIRECT MEETING IN JANUARY
LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides agreed on Tuesday to hold a direct meeting in January.

Alvaro De Soto, the U.N. Secretary General's Cyprus Special Envoy, who attended the meeting of the two leaders, said Denktas and Clerides agreed to hold a direct meeting in Cyprus by mid-January without any condition.

-DENKTAS AND CLERIDES MET FACE TO FACE IN SAME PLACE IN 1997
LEFKOSA - Rauf Denktas, the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides, who came together for a tete-a-tete meeting upon the initiative of Denktas on Tuesday, had met in the same place in July, 1997.

The two leaders had several tete-a-tete meetings in July 1997 upon the initiative of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan by the participation of Annan's the then deputy special envoy for Cyprus Gustave Feissel.

Denktas and Clerides signed a good will agreement on July 31, 1997 at the end of the meetings. According to the agreement read by Feissel, the two sides decided to bring facilities to each other regarding reciprocal visits to the holy places in both sides.

Greek Cypriots also gave the opportunity to the Turkish Cypriots to visit Erenkoy by entering the Greek Cypriot territory as Erenkoy is not linked to TRNC by land.

Under the agreement, the missing graves in both territories whose places were known would be open under the supervision of a commission and the sides would present the information to each other about the issue.

TRNC started to implement certain sanctions on the U.N. Peace Keeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) as the U.N. Security Council didn't include the views of the TRNC in its decision which extended the mandate of UNFICYP for six months in 1999. As a reaction to that, the Greek Cypriot side didn't allow Turkish Cypriots to go to Erenkoy by the land and the agreement was violated.

No progress was recorded in the issue of missing persons due to the insincere attitude of the Greek Cypriot side.

-DENKTAS-CLERIDES MEETING ENDS
LEFKOSA - Meeting of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides ended on Tuesday.

Alvaro De Soto, the U.N. Secretary General's Cyprus Special Envoy made a joint statement on behalf of the leaders following the meeting which lasted for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Denktas and Clerides did not respond to the questions of reporters and departed from the region.

De Soto said Denktas and Clerides agreed to hold a face-to-face meeting by mid-January without any pre-condition.

-DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ LEAVES FOR BRUSSELS
ANKARA - State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz left for Brussels on Tuesday to meet Guenter Verheugen, the European Union (EU) Commisioner for Enlargement.

Yilmaz responded to the questions of reporters before his departure from Ankara's Esenboga Airport.

When asked if he expected a result from Denktas-Clerides meeting, Yilmaz said they expected a positive result.

Responding to a question which messages would be given during his meeting with Verheugen, Yilmaz said, ''you know that EU's strategic report and the progress report regarded with Turkey was issued a while ago. Within this framework, EU's enlargement process reached a new stage at the time being. The EU summit will convene in Laeken city of Belgium next week. We thought it would be beneficial to hold a meeting regarding enlargement process and Turkey's position in this process before the Laeken summit.''

Yilmaz said, ''I will convey the views of our government in this respect to the EU and European Commission. I will also have the opportunity to learn their views which are included in those documents.''

When asked, ''Greece said the assurances given to Turkey about the European army did not bind itself, do you think Greek obstacle can be overcome,'' Yilmaz said, ''there are two stages, one is the NATO Ministers Council meeting which will take place in Belgium and the second one is the EU summit that will take place in Laeken. The agreement will be given a final shape during those meetings. It will not be right to say something before this.''

Responding to a question how he evaluated the developments in the Middle East, Yilmaz said, ''I am sorry.''

-VILLAGERS IN BERGAMA PLEASED WITH COURT DECISION ON EXTRACTING GOLD WITH
CYANIDE
IZMIR - Villagers in Bergama township of western Izmir province were pleased with the decision of the Supreme Court of Appeals which asked the then prime minister, certain ministers and the then governor to pay compensation as they permitted gold extraction by cyanide in Bergama.

Former Bergama mayor Sefa Taskın, who was one of the 69 plaintiffs - villagers- to the case, said on Tuesday that the decision of the Supreme Court of Appeals is important as it showed that Turkey is a legal state.

''The thing that matters in this case is not the compensation we won, but the fact that those who violate principles of law will be punished even if they are high ranking officials,'' he said.

Recalling that Normandy firm carried out gold production for a trial period, Taskın said that ''now, the case that pends before the Council of State is important. If that case is also concluded in the line of our hopes, the gold mining company will leave Turkey. We will be pleased when this happens, '' he said.

-ANADOLU AGENCY FIGHTS AGAINST MEDIA ORGANS AND WEB SITES WHICH USE ITS
NEWS ITEMS ILLEGALLY
ANKARA - The Anadolu Agency (A.A) initiated a legal campaign against media organs and web sites which insist on using its news items without paying a subscription fee despite all warnings.

The A.A filed compensation lawsuits firstly against the web sites Internet Haber, Haber 3, Omnis Haber, Haber Turkiye and Gecce which transmits its news items without getting any permission and paying any subscription fee.

In its file petitions it submitted to the Ankara Commercial Court, the A.A said that the web sites in question are illegally transmitting the A.A news items, violating the Press Law, Turkish Penal Code and Law on Intellectual Property.

Recalling that this situation had been observed and proved by the Ankara Criminal Court of Peace no:14, the A.A said in its petition that illegal transmission of A.A news on those web sites had been proved also by an expert witness.

Requesting the court to take precautionary measure to stop unjust activities of Internet Haber, Haber 3, Omnis Haber, Haber Turkiye and Gecce web sites, the A.A also requested to court to collect 7 billion Turkish liras of compensation from each of those web sites.

The A.A. officials said that legal process against other web sites which made use of the A.A news illegally was under way, and that lawsuits against those internet web sites would be finalized as soon as possible.

Officials said that it had been proved that there were also some web sites which were trying to market and sell the A.A news to other web sites and organizations, creating an unjust competition against the web sites and organizations which were subscribers of the A.A.

-ECEVIT CALLS SHARON AND ARAFAT ON PHONE
ANKARA- Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit called again Palestinian President Yasser Arafat on the phone after his telephone conversation early on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on removal of the latest tension in the Middle East.

Diplomatic sources told the A.A correspondent that Ecevit had decided late on Monday to call Sharon and Arafat on the phone. Ecevit had firstly called Sharon on the phone, but couldn't reach him on Monday. He later called Arafat on the phone and discussed the latest situation after the start of Israeli bombardment, and Arafat had told Ecevit that a bomb had exploded near his headquarters and he was worried, sources said.

Ecevit who held a telephone conversation with Sharon early on Tuesday recommended Sharon to act with common sense and warned him that latest clashes might endanger whole region, sources said.

Following his telephone conversation with Sharon, Ecevit called again Arafat on the phone and got information on the recent developments, sources added.

-ECEVIT SAYS FACE-TO-FACE MEETING OF DENKTAS AND CLERIDES IS PLEASING
ANKARA - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said on Tuesday that face-to-face meeting of President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cypriot administration leader Glafcos Clerides in Lefkosa was a pleasing development.

Ecevit said that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon seemed to have the intention and determination to impose extremely unjust sanctions on the Palestinian authority and territories, and that the United States should play a more effective and influential role. ''Otherwise, a situation which is more dangerous even than the one in Afghanistan may occur in the region.''

Speaking to reporters at the Prime Ministry, Ecevit said that a positive and a negative development had occurred early the same day.

Noting that the positive development had happened on Cyprus, Ecevit said, ''after a very long time, Mr. Denktas and Mr. Clerides, the two leaders who are next-door neighbors, are coming together to hold a heart-to-heart meeting as the two neighbors in their lands. This is a pleasing development. Of course, its result is not clear. However, such a dialogue does have the possibility of opening some doors. I hope that its results would be positive.''

Ecevit said that he had hold a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Ariel Sharon the same day after his yesterday's conversation with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. ''Unfortunately, there is a desparate situation.''

''It seems that Mr. Sharon has the intention and determination to impose extremely unjust sanctions on the Palestinian authority and territories. Meanwhile, pressures on Palestinians and Arafat is gradually increasing,'' he said.

''As you know that the Gaza Airport was destroyed by Israel. This airport was the main exit of Mr. Arafat. Now, he faces difficulties in reaching the world. However, a compromise and a just agreement between Israel and Palestine is very important for the Middle East. If the situation turns into a war, especially our region faces more dangerous situation than the one in Afghanistan,'' he said.

''So I feel concern. I recommend both leaders to come together within a constructive understanding. Besides, I believe that the United States' more effective and influential role is beneficial and even obligatory,'' Ecevit said.

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