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Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-07-12Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.com.tr/>ANADOLU AGENCYNEWS 12 JULY 2000 Wednesday CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCANThese are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on July 12, 2000. The Anadolu Ajansi does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.HURRIYET (LIBERAL)ANKARA DGM DEMANDS DEATH SENTENCES FOR NINEHamza Keles, Ankara State Security Court Prosecutor completed his indictment pertaining to the defendants, captured within the framework of the 'Hope Operation'. The prosecutor demanded capital punishment for 9 of the 17 defendants for having ''attempted at pulling down the secular, constitutional system by means of acts of violence', and said that the mysteries behind the assassinations of Ugur Mumcu, Bahriye Ucok, and Ahmet Taner Kislali had been brought into light. Keles demanded prison sentences for the remaining 8 defendants, for setting up an illegal armed gang, being a member of an outlawed organisation, and for partaking in its acts of violence. DOGAN TASDELEN BECOMES CHIEF ADVISOR TO ECEVIT BAKU-CEYHAN: THE FIRST TARGET MILLIYET (LIBERAL)TDK TO TAKE CARE OF 'INTERNET TURKISH'The Turkish Linguistic Institution (TDK) is in an effort to find original Turkish names for the terms that have entered our everyday life with the extensive use of internet. The TDK has always sought original Turkish words to replace terms, even phrases adopted from other languages. Now, observing its 68th foundation anniversary, the TDK is to try and find Turkish names for the English terms that Turkish people have started using in their everday speeches. Professor Ahmet Bican Ercilasun, Chairman of the TDK said that a commission consisting of Microsoft and TDK officials were working on a linguistic project to develop an 'internet Turkish'. GENDARMERIES RECEIVE ENVIRONMENT AWARD SABAH (LIBERAL)CHIBBER:''TURKEY IS ON THE RIGHT PATH''World Bank Turkey director Ajay Chibber said the World Bank's approval of Turkey's second letter of intent was an important indication that Turkey is proceeding on the right path. Chibber said disinflation programme and structural reforms are continuing steadily in Turkey and defined the government's economic programme as ''excellent.'' Turkey had sent its second letter of intent to the IMF on June 22. The IMF Executive Directors Council approved the letter on July 6 releasing to Ankara a third trench of loan which is 295 million U.S. dollars. TURKEY WORLD'S 22ND BIGGEST ECONOMY CUMHURIYET (LEFT)CAPITAL PUNISHMENT SOUGHT TO NINE DEFENDANTSThe first stage of the ''Umut (Hope) Operation'' which was launched to capture assassins of journalist-writer Ugur Mumcu, was completed. Hamza Keles, the Republican Prosecutor of the Ankara State Security Court (DGM), concluded the indictment and submitted it to the court. The 61-page indictment sought capital punishment to nine of the 17 defendants under Article 146/1 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). FIRST STEPS TAKEN FOR AZERBAIJANI OIL 11 IMAMS DISMISSED RADIKAL (LEFT)ERBAKAN'S FILE IN DIYARBAKIRThe Appeals Court Republican Prosecutorship sent the notice pertaining to the approval by the Appeals Court Criminal Department No. 8 of Necmettin Erbakan's prison sentence, and Erbakan's file to the Diyarbakir State Security Court (DGM) Prosecutorship. The Diyarbakir DGM Prosecutor will communicate the notice to Erbakan. After that, the lawyers of Erbakan will have one month to request a correction of verdict if they wish, and appeal to either the Diyarbakir DGM, or the Appeals Court Republican Court prosecutorships. THREE-STAGE OFFER YENI BINYIL (LIBERAL)UNCOLLECTED TAXES TOTAL TO 5.2 QUADRILLION TLFinance Minister Sumer Oral said the uncollected taxes of the government total to 5.2 quadrillion TL in the last ten years. He noted that 2.6 quadrillion TL of these uncollected taxes belong to the private sector while the rest is owed by the public sector. Oral also stated that the earthquake taxes will terminate by the end of 2000. EXPERTS WARN CELL PHONE USERS ABOUT RADIATION TURKIYE (RIGHT)TURKEY COMES ON THE 22ND PLACE AMONG 174 COUNTRIESTurkey came on the 22nd place among 174 countries with its Gross National Product (GNP) of 220.5 billion U.S. dollars. According to the 1998 data issued in the ''Human Development Report 2000'' of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the U.S. comes on the first place with its GNP of 7 trillion 903 billion U.S. dollars. THIRD ROUND OF CYPRUS PROXIMITY TALKS CONTINUE ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)GOVERNMENT RECESSES PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS DUE TO EXTREME HEATPrime Minister Bulent Ecevit that they decided to recess public institutions due to extreme heat on Thursday and Friday. ''The Ministry of Health made an application about the issue. We found it appropriate. The heat is expected to further increase. It will be holiday on Thursday and Friday,'' said Ecevit to reporters. Ecevit said that the cabinet meeting will be held on Wednesday rather than Thursday, adding the increase in the wages of civil servants foreseen for the second half of the year will be discussed during the meeting. FOREST FIRE IN SANLIURFA [02] TURKCELL SHARES CLOSE AT 17.625 POINTS IN NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGENEW YORK - The shares of Turkcell Communication Inc., which is the first Turkish company to enter the New York Stock Market, gained by 0,34 percent after being put on sale on Wednesday.11,092,700 shares changed hands, with one lot opening at 18 dollars. The Turkcell shares reached a peak value of 18.625, in only 30 minutes time, and plunged down to a minimum of 17.625 dollars after an hour. In the second session, Turkcell shares started gaining value again, and towards the close, it reached 17.687, but closed at a lower value of 17.625. Turkcell shares transactions totalled to 13,327,100 in the first day. Cuneyt Turkkan, Director General of Turkcell said his company's shares had better been considered for a long term. [03] EXPORTS TO EU COUNTRIES FROM GAP REGION INCREASE BY 12,1 PERCENTGAZIANTEP- Agricultural and animal goods exports from South East Anatolia Project (GAP) region to the European Union countries increased by 12,1 percent in the first six months of the year as compared to the same period of 1999, reaching a worth of 72 million 175 thousand U.S dollars, a Southeast Anatolian Exporters Union statement said on Wednesday.Last year's exports in this same period had totalled to 65 million 219 thousand U.S dollars. The share of EU countries in the region's total exports reached 26,8 percent in 2000, from a 24,6 percent in 1999. Exports from the GAP region to EU countries consisted of 887 thousand U.S dollars worth of animal products, 784 thousand dollars worth of cereals and grains and products, 9 million 739 thousand dollars worth of dried fruits, and 61 million 765 thousand dollars worth of textiles. Italy is the major exporter from GAP with 21 million 976 thousand dollars, and is followed by Germany with 14 million 84 thousand dollars, and Britain with 11 million 745 thousand dollars. Dried apricots, cotton threads, synthetic threads, cotton and synthetic textiles and plastic sacks are among the major goods that EU countries export from the GAP region. [04] PRESIDENT SEZER VISITS MARTYRS' CEMETERY IN AZERBAIJANBAKU - President Ahmet Necdet Sezer who is currently paying an official visit to Azerbaijan, visited on Wednesday the Martyrs' Cemetery.Sezer laid wreaths to monuments constructed out of respect to Turkish and Azerbaijani martyrs, and observed a minute of silence in memory of them. Sezer also visited a monument which was constructed out of respect to 1,130 Turkish soldiers of Turkish-Caucasian Army who lost their lives as they were fighting for Azerbaijan's independence under the commandership of Nuri Pasha during the Caucasus Movement in 1918. Sezer signed the special book of the monument saying, ''we commemorate with great respect these martyrs who had sacrificed their lives for the sake of independence of our friend Azerbaijan in that difficult period when Azerbaijan was under occupation and Turkish territories became a target of foreign forces' attacks. Your bravery became a legend, and it brought forth Azerbaijan's independence. Rest in peace with your Azerbaijani brothers in arms. Because this country for which you had sacrificed your lives, will be independent forever. We will always remember you with great gratitude.'' [05] GREEK AVIONIC AIRLINES TO START DIRECT FLIGHTS BETWEEN IZMIR AND ATHENSIZMIR - A private Greek airlines company will start direct flights between Izmir and Athens on July 14. Turkey Travel Agencies Union (TURSAB) Co- chairman and Aegean Travel Agencies Association (ESAD) chairman Alex Baltazzi told A.A correspondent that cancelling direct flights between Izmir, Turkey's third biggest city, and Athens some years ago created big problems. Baltazzi said the two nations can cement their friendship only if they have more transportation alternatives. ''Two nations which stay apart from each other cannot become friends,'' he noted.Currently, planes that depart from Izmir stop at Istanbul before they fly to Athens. The distance between Izmir and Athens is 189 miles while it is 207 miles between Athens and Istanbul, and passengers waste a lot of time in Istanbul before they proceed to Athens. Avionic airlines company of Greece will start flights between Izmir and Athens on July 14 which will be on Mondays and Fridays. Avionic will charge 210 U.S. dollars for a round trip. The company will also organize flights between Izmir and Mykonos, the world famous entertainment island on the same days. Baltazzi said the island can be a good alternative for Rhodos and might attract Turkish people who like the type of entertainment which the Aegean town Bodrum offers. A three day vacation including transportation, accomodation, breakfast, and guide services will start from 285 U.S. dollars. ''2,500 people went to Rhodos from Izmir only during the Sacrifice Holiday. All tourism agencies are responsible for using this potention. Greece will have a share of this cake if bureaucracy decreases and more alternatives are offered in transportation,'' Baltazzi said. Besides air transportation, the two countries should also carry out works to use naval transportation for tourism by decreasng bureaucracy at customs and revising customs fees, he said. Baltazzi also stressed that friendship between Greece and Turkey is not only valuable for the region but it is also important for Europe. [06] WATER LEVEL IN DAMS REGRESS TO CRITICAL LEVELS DUE TO DROUGHTANKARA - The Ministry of Energy is considering addiional measures to prevent a possible energy problem in the wake of a critical regression of water level in electricity producing dams of Keban, karakaya, and Ataturk, officials said on Wednesday.The additional measures include ''importing greater amount of energy, more extensive use of natural gas, and increasing the number of floating power stations'', and if these measures happen to fall insufficient, there could be regular power cut-downs throughout the country, said Dogan Altinbilek, Director General of State Water Works (DSI). Reiterating that the dams had produced excessive amounts of energy over the winter months to compensate the insufficiency of thermal power stations, Altinbilek said that the drought that had been prevailing across the country since the beginning of the summer season eventually pulled down the water level in the electricity producing dams to critical levels, and thus it was now more likely that the nation could suffer electricity cut downs to be made on a regular basis. ''The demand for electrical power increased by 9,4 percent in the first five months of the year, and there is a fragile balance at the moment between the production and consumption. The ministry of Energy is considering certain measures to overcome the problem, and one of them is, unfortunately regular power cut-downs. And it is not hard to predict similar hardships for the forthcoming winter season, '' said Altinbilek. [07] PRESIDENT SEZER MEETS AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENT SPEAKER ALESKEROVBAKU - President Ahmet Necdet Sezer paid a visit to the Azerbaijani Parliament on Wednesday, and there, had a meeting with Parliament Speaker Murtuz Aleskerov.Aleskerov expressed honor and contentment over Sezer's visit to Azerbaijan, and said there were close relations between the parliaments of Turkey and Azerbaijan, and that the Azerbaijani Parliament was making extensive use of the experience of the Turkish Parliament. Sezer expressed gratitude for the hospitality and warm welcome he had received in Azerbaijan. He said that the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project would soon be translated into life, and that the necessary procedures had been completed at the Turkish Parliament, after it had approved the pertaining agreement. Touching on the natural gas issue, Sezer said that Turkey wanted to realize this project with Turkmenistan, and said that Turkmenistan had the final say over the matter. ''In the morning hours, I got together with Turkish businessmen here in Azerbaijan. They told me that the investment opportunities in this country had neared 1,5 billion dollars. But there are certain shortcomings in legal infrastructure. The lack of a Debts Law and a Trade Law has a bad effect on the investments. Turkey is ready to help Azerbaijan on these problems. If your Parliament works on these issues and issues these laws, it will be much more beneficial for the whole nation,'' Sezer said. [08] INCREASE IN SALARIES OF CIVIL SERVANTS -FINANCE MINISTER ORAL: ''AN APPROPRIATE RATE OF INCREASE WILL BEDETERMINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH ECONOMIC PROGRAM''ANKARA - Finance Minister Sumer Oral said on Wednesday that increase in salaries of civil servants in July would not exceed 10 percent. Addressing journalists before the Council of Ministers meeting, Oral said, ''an appropriate rate of increase will be determined at the Council of Ministers meeting. But it will not exceed 10 percent.'' [09] PRESIDENT SEZER ADDRESSES AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENT: -''OUR COUNTRIES WILL TAKE THE PLACE THEY DESERVE IN THE NEW INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM''BAKU - President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said on Wednesday that Turkey and Azerbaijan will take the place they deserve in the new international system in which the Eurosia will have vital importance. Following his meeting with Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Murtuz Aleskerov, Sezer addressed the Azerbaijani Parliament.Sezer said that Turkey and Azerbaijan have a solidarity ground which is an example for the values that the modern world share, especially peace, stability, democracy, cooperation and prosperity. Sezer stated that he is very pleased to be in Azerbaijan upon the invitation of President Haydar Aliyev and honoured to address the Azerbaijani Parliament. ''I brought the warm fraternal feelings of Turkish nation. My visit is the natural indicator of our relations and the interest and affection that the Turkish nation has for the Azerbaijani nation,'' Sezer also said. Sezer noted that Anatolian Turks and Azerbaijani Turks are of the same nation and that the language, culture, habits, epics, heroes and songs are the same. ''If I can address you from this rostrum in our joint language, if we can share the same destiny and happiness, if our feelings and thoughs are the same, the only thing we should do from now on is to continue this power regularly and efficently with concerted efforts,'' Sezer said. Sezer stated that Ottoman Empire was beside Azerbaijan when it acquired its independence and declared itself as a republic in 1918 and that Republic of Turkey was beside Azerbaijani Republic when it declared its independence for the second time. Turkey was the first country which recognized Azerbaijan, and this recognition was an example for the other countries, Sezer stressed. Sezer emphasized that Turkey extended the first political and economic support to Azerbaijan and that Turkey was the pioneer in directing the interest and attention of other countries in this region. Turkey will continue the same attitude from now on, Sezer said. Sezer continued, ''Azerbaijan should know that when it searches for a helping hand, a friendly hand is and will be beside itself. This strong solidarity arises from a radical relationship which is based on deep affection and closeness and depends on strategical cooperation and common interests.'' That Azerbaijan, 20 percent territory of which is under occupation, more than one million people of which are refugees in their own lands, and which suffered much from war, chose peace and dialogue is an example behaviour, Sezer noted. Sezer stated that the Upper Karabakh dispute continues to be the biggest obstacle which prevents the settlement of peace, stability and security in the region. Turkey attributes vital importance to a lasting and fair solution which protects the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan through negotiations, and it exerts efforts as an active member of the Minsk Group, Sezer stressed. ''As Great Leader Ataturk said, the sorrow of Azerbaijan is our sorrow and its happiness is our happiness. To this end, Turkish nation has the same sensitivity over the solution of the Upper Karabakh dispute peacefully which can be accepted by the Azerbaijani nation, and the return of the refugees to their own lands. We respect to the efforts that Azerbaijan, which is a country that gained its independence in the end of great difficulties and which is a respected member of international community, exerted in the protection of its territorial integrity and in the solution of the disputes peacefully,'' Sezer said. Sezer added, ''I should reiterate that we will be beside Azerbaijan in its rightful case. Turkey will not accept a solution that is not accepted by Azerbaijan. We put forward our determination not only here but also in every forum.'' President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said that cooperation, compromise and peace have taken the place of hostility and hatred in international arena, adding economic development which will bring prosperity and happiness to states and people can only be undertaken in an atmosphere of peace, stability and cooperation. ''The basic target of the efforts to form a multilateral cooperation forum in Caucasus is to bring peace to the region. This proposal which will be put into practice by the support and self-sacrifice of the participant states will play a great role in bringing happiness to these countries. Azerbaijan is at the centre of the East-West and North-South Transportation Corridors and it has rich natural resources and these make her more attractive for the world.'' ''Azerbaijan's becoming a serious and respected partner of the West depends on her continuation of the reform activities. Azerbaijan has to evaluate this historical opportunity and not lose its speed, it must increase its activities in the economic field and show to the world that it is a democratic and modern world state which respects human rights and freedoms. We believe the coming general elections will be held in a serious and transparent way in Azerbaijan. Acception of its membership to the Council of Europe (COE) on June 28 also shows that the international community shares this view.'' ''Our countries will get the place they deserve in the new international system in which Eurasia will be a great focus. The success of Turkey and Azerbaijan will depend on our efforts and will. Today the Western world is closer to Azerbaijan.'' ''Turkey has acquired all of its successes by itself. It has the 16th biggest economy of the world and it changed from an agricultural country into an industrial country. It has a trade volume of 80 billion dollars and it realized an economic growth of 5 percent on the average in the last 30 years. Turkey has also become one of the first ten tourism countries. Turkish businessmen can make investments particularly in Europe. Turkey will become one of the ten most developed and powerful countries of the world soon.'' Sezer noted that the development of the bilateral relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan also give power to these countries' relations in the world. ''Our bilateral relations and cooperation also serve the development, prosperity and peace of our region,'' said Sezer and noted that the trade volume of Turkish enterpreneurs in Azerbaijan reached hundreds of millions dollars. The Turkish firms in Azerbaijan have created employment for 40,000 Azerbaijanis till today, said Sezer. ''There is no impediment that stands in front of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline which will carry Caspian sea's carbon hydrides to world markets and which will constitute a peace and prosperity bridge among regional countries and peoples. This project is an important part of East-West Energy Corridor and the historical Silk Road. When Trans-Caspian Natural gas pipeline is put into practice in parallel with Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan prjoect, the rich natural resources of Caspian Sea will unite the littoral states of Caspian sea. I would like to reiterate my belief that a great future is waiting for Turkey and Azerbaijan,'' said Sezer. [10] FOREIGN MINISTER CEM TO LEAVE FOR MACEDONIA ON FRIDAYANKARA - Foreign Minister Ismail Cem will leave for Macedonia on Friday to participate in the fourth meeting of the Southeast European Countries foreign ministers meeting.A Foreign Ministry statement said that a delegation composed of high ranking officials of the Foreign Ministry will accompany Cem in the meeting that will be held in Ohrid city of Macedonia. Views will be exchanged in the meeting about the stability, security and democracy in Southeastern Europe and the developments recorded in one year following the adoption of the Southeast European Stability Pact. The meeting carries special importance as it is the first meeting following the signing of the ''Southeast Europe Good Neighbourhood Relations, Stability, Security and Cooperation Charter,'' the statement noted.
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