Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-11-16

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ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

16 NOVEMBER 2000 Thursday

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

[02] EU-MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE

[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

10 POLICEMEN SENTENCED
The ten policemen who were tried for five years for torturing 16 high school students in western Manisa province were finally sentenced to jail for torturing a group of young people, giving them 10 months each for every person they had abused. The sentences ranged from five to 10 years. The police had been convicted of torturing up to 14 people, mainly teenagers, while they were in custody. The victims were rounded up in 1995 on charges of belonging to an outlawed leftist group. They were sentenced to jail for illegal activities but that sentence was later overturned.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

Sending letters to the prime ministers of the European Union (EU), Premier Ecevit said that ''a more cruel embargo is imposed on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) than the one imposed on Iraq. We can't permit that.'' Premier Ecevit also requested the premiers of the EU member countries to take out the Cyprus issue from the Accession Partnership Document, adding that they can't make Cyprus another Bosnia.

COOPERATION IN TRADE WITH JORDAN
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who is currently in Jordan on an official visit, said that the embargo imposed on Iraq has to be lifted. Turkey and Jordan which are the victims of the embargo on Iraq, decided to make cooperation.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

QUAKE SHAKES EASTERN ANATOLIA
An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale and whose epicenter was Semdinli township on Iraqi border, panicked the citizens living in eastern provinces of Hakkari, Van and Bitlis provinces. The earthquake caused no casualties.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

''OUR RELATIONS WITH THE EU WOULD BE WEAKENED''
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit reacted harshly to the decisions that had been included in the Europan Parliament's report on Turkey later. Ecevit said that those decisions did not have a dimension to take seriously. ''Such irresponsible attitudes do have the characteristic to weaken the Turkey-EU relations. Turkey will always be pestered.'' The Foreign Ministry said that the allegations stemmed from the complexes about Turkey. Ecevit accused some EU countries of bringing the Cyprus issue to deadlock. ''The Turkish Cypriots will never surrender to the Greek Cypriots. The whole world should be aware of this. If we are deceived by the game of the western countries, Cyprus becomes worse than Sarajevo and the security of both the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey is endangered. We never allow this.''

IMF'S INFLUENCE IN 2001
According to the agreement reached following the IMF delegation's contacts, the sale of Telekom will be finalized by March of 2001. The total privatization amount in 2001 will be 6-7 billion U.S. dollars. The current deficit will be decreased below three percent of national income.

TEN TORTURER POLICEMEN IMPRISONED
The ''torturer policemen'' case which has continued for five years in Manisa was concluded. The ten policemen who tortured ''young people of Manisa'' were sentenced to imprisonment terms ranging between five years and ten years and ten months. Those young people had said that they were exposed to sexual harassment and torture by those policemen.

RADIKAL (LEFT)

JUSTICE IN MANISA CASE AT LAST
The ten policemen were sentenced to totally 85 years of imprisonment for torturing 16 young students in western Manisa province. The students were taken into custody in 1995 as they were accused of being the members of an illegal organization. The court firstly acquitted the policemen, however this verdict was repealed by the Supreme Council of Appeals.

YENI BINYIL (LIBERAL)

POLITICS DEPRIVED OF BANK
Management of Ziraat Bankasi, Halkbank and Emlakbank was transferred to the Treasury in accordance with the World Bank's demand. The first step to privatize these three banks was taken yesterday. The Parliament legalized the government bill which foresaw to grant these three banks ''autonomous'' structure. The Treasury Undersecretariat will represent the public shares of these banks. Thus, the banks were saved from every political influence.

KAPLAN SENTENCED TO FOUR YEAR IN PRISON
The Dusseldorf State High Court sentenced Metin Kaplan, the son of Cemalettin Kaplan who was known as the ''Black Voice'', to four years in prison. Kaplan who declared himself as the caliph was sentenced on charges of inciting people to murder his opponent in Berlin.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

COTTARELLI SEEMS HOPEFUL
Carlo Cottarelli, the IMF Turkey Desk said in a press briefing he held together with the Treasury Undersecretary Selcuk Demiralp that important economic results were taken in 2000 and the lowest inflation rate has been witnessed in Turkey since 1986.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

EASTERN ANATOLIA SHAKEN
Eastern Anatolia was shaken by two earthquakes: a 5.5-magnitude quake in Hakkari at 05:05 p.m. and a 3.7-magnitude earthquake in Van at 09:30 p.m. yesterday.

EXTERNAL DEPENDENCE IN ENERGY INCREASES
The Energy and Natural Resources Minister said that the external dependence in energy would gradually increase and reach 76 percent in 2020.

[02] EU-MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE

Sources said that Foreign Minister Cem, in those separate meetings, asked the EU foreign ministers to exclude those phrases from the Accession Partnership document that was expected to be approved next week.

Foreign Minister Cem said that the phrases about Cyprus overshadowed the EU's respect to laws.

Cem stressed that those phrases included legal inconsistencies and contradicted with the decisions taken at the Helsinki Summit.

Cem said that Turkey couldn't accept a connection between its EU candidacy and the Cyprus issue.

Sources said that Cem had a meeting also with his Israeli counterpart on the Middle East peace process.

The EU-Mediterranean Conference will end on Thursday.

-OIL PRODUCTION IN SOUTHEASTERN ADIYAMAN
-TPAO REGIONAL DEPUTY DIRECTOR YAPAN: ''WE FOUND OIL
IN THREE OF THE NINE WELLS WE DRILLED THIS YEAR''
ADIYAMAN - Turkish Petroleum Incorp. (TPAO) Regional Deputy Director Kadri Yapan said on Thursday that the daily contribution of the oil strike in southeastern province of Adiyaman to the economy was 445 thousand U.S. dollars.

Speaking to the A.A correspondent, the daily average of oil production at the 169 wells of the TPAO Adiyaman Regional Directorate was 16,500 barrels.

He said that the oil produced by the TPAO in the region was of 27.5 gravity and one barrel crude oil was 27 U.S. dollars.

Stating that they had found oil in three of the nine wells they drilled this year, Yapan said, ''we have made 21,107 meters drilling since the beginning of 2000. A new drilling has started in Arsus, Iskenderun. Our works will continue till the end of the year.''

-COUNCIL OF MINISTERS CONVENES
ANKARA - The Council of Ministers convened on Thursday at the Prime Ministry building under chairmanship of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit.

State Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen will brief the Council of Ministers on the revenues of the Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) in the meeting that started at 11:05 a.m.

Labor and Social Security Minister Yasar Okuyan will give information about the preparations for a draft law arranging labor permission to foreigners.

State Ministers Mehmet Kececiler and Hasan Gemici, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, National Education Minister Metin Bostancioglu, Transportation and Communications Minister Eniz Oksuz and Environment Minister Fevzi Aytekin are not attending the meeting as they are currently abroad; State Ministers Suayip Usenmez, Ramazan Mirzaoglu, Sukru Sina Gurel and Yuksel Yalova are not participating in the meeting as they are attending the parliamentary discussions on the 2001 year draft budget, and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Cumhur Ersumer is also not attending the meeting as he is currently in Istanbul.

-SWEDISH FOREIGN MINISTER LINDH TO VISIT ANKARA
ANKARA - Anna Lindh, the Foreign Minister of Sweden, will arrive in Turkey on Friday.

The Swedish Embassy in Ankara said on Thursday that Lindh was touring all European Union (EU) candidate countries as Sweden would take over the EU Term Presidency as of January 1, 2001.

It said that Lindh would be received by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and meet with Foreign Minister Ismail Cem.

The statement added that Lindh who would leave Ankara the same day would stage a press conference prior to her departure.

-ACTING PARLIAMENT SPEAKER SOKMENOGLU:
''TURKEY WON'T ACCEPT ANY METHOD OF SOLUTION ON ISLAND
WHICH TRNC ADMINISTRATION DOES NOT ACCEPT''
ANKARA - Murat Sokmenoglu, the Acting Parliament Speaker said on Thursday that Turkey won't accept any method of solution which the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) administration does not accept.

Sokmenoglu said that the solution of the Cyprus question which was brought to the Accession Partnership document as a precondition shows this was done on purpose.

After returning to Ankara on Wednesday night after participating in the 17th foundation anniversary ceremonies of the TRNC, Sokmenoglu issued a written statement on EU Accession Partnership document and the Cyprus issue.

''The main interlocutors regarding the installation of permanent peace and stability atmosphere on Cyprus are clear. The problem will be solved by negotiations between the TRNC and the Greek Cypriot side. Turkey's attitude and policy is certain on this issue and this is a national policy, it can't change and it is known by everybody,'' said Sokmenoglu.

Sokmenoglu pointed out that TRNC launches efforts together with Turkey for finding of a solution that will take under guarantee the existence and security of both peoples on the island. Stressing that the Greek Cypriot side and Greece didn't give up their Enosis target and their policy of returning back to the pre-July 20, 1974 period.

The acception of the Greek Cypriot side's application for EU membership blocks the way to solution on the island, said Sokmenoglu.

''Today, there is the fact of two states on the island due to the vioation of the Zurich and London Agreements by the Greek Cypriot side and the efforts of them to annihilate the Turkish people. No solution can be found on the island without accepting this reality. No permission will be granted to the violation of legitimate rights and interests of the TRNC including its state status and security and the guarantorship rights and strategic interests of Turkey will always be protected. The parliament's full support to the TRNC will always continue,'' he added.

-TURKEY TO OBTAIN ALMOST ONE BILLION U.S.
DOLLARS LOAN FROM WORLD BANK AND IMF
ANKARA - Turkey will obtain almost one billion U.S. dollars loan from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the review meetings with the IMF delegation were concluded and the Parliament approved the government bill on granting public banks autonomous structure.

Turkey will obtain 600 million U.S. dollars from the IMF as the third and fourth tranches in accordance with the stand-by deal, and 390 million U.S. dollars from the World Bank in accordance with the Financial Sector Adjustment Loan (FSAL) after the boards of these organizations take the final decision.

The third and fourth review meetings which were held by the IMF delegation headed by IMF's Turkey Desk Chief Carlo Cottarelli in Turkey and lasted for twenty days were concluded on Wednesday, November 15, and Turkey is expected to send the third supplementary letter of intent to Washington D.C. by end of November witihn framework of the stand-by deal.

The IMF Board is expected to convene in second half of December and approve the 600 million U.S. dollar third and fourth stanches witihn framework of the third and fourth review.

Besides, the World Bank is expected to approve 390 million U.S. dollar part of the 1.5 billion U.S. dollar FSAL in its meeting at the end of November as the Parliament passed the draft law on privatization of public banks.

-FOREIGN MINISTER CEM MEETS WITH HIS ISRAELI COUNTERPART BEN-AMI
MARSEILLE - Foreign Minister Ismail Cem who in currently in Marseille, France, to attend Europe-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference, met late on Wednesday with his Israeli counterpart Sholomo Ben-Ami.

Diplomatic sources quoted Cem as saying following the meeting that the sides in the Middle East should put an end to acts of violence, and return to the negotiation table.

At the meeting in which recent developments in Middle East was taken up in detail, Ben-Ami informed Cem on Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak's meeting with U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Meanwhile, addressing a dinner hosted on Wednesday within framework of the Europe-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference, Cem stressed that Turkey attributed great importance to settlement of peace and stability in Middle East.

Cem will hold several bilateral contacts on Thursday.

During the contacts, he will explain Turkey's uneasiness about inclusion of Cyprus issue in the Accession Partnership Accord.

Within framework of the letters sent by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit letters to prime ministers of the European Union (EU) countries, Cem will stress that inclusion of the Cyprus issue was wrong and illegal.

The Europe-Mediterranean Conference was first held in Barcelona five years ago as a result of initiatives launched by France and Spain.

The Europe-Mediterranean Conference was formed in order to develop cooperation among 15 EU members and 12 Mediterranean countries in the fields of policy, security, economy and environment.

-ALLEGATIONS ON SO-CALLED GENOCIDE ON ARMENIANS
-KUTAN OF FP SENDS LETTER TO PRESIDENT CHIRAC OF FRANCE, PRIME
MINISTER JOSPIN OF FRANCE AND PONCELET, SPEAKER OF FRENCH SENATE
ANKARA - Recai Kutan, the leader of the Virtue Party (FP), sent on Thursday letters to President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Lionel Jospin of France, and Daymond Forni, the Speaker of French Parliament, and Christian Poncelet, the Speaker of French Senate, saying, ''I hope that the French Senate's wrong resolution regarded with allegations on so-called genocide on Armenians would be corrected.''

Kutan sent the letters through Bernard Garcia, the French Ambassador to Turkey.

In the letters, Kutan stressed, ''the French Senate has made a historical mistake. It has also subordinated France's benefits by approving the resolution.''

Pointing out that there had been relations between Turkey and France for 500 years, Kutan said that national friendship and interests were based on experiences and expectations for the future.

Kutan said, ''historical facts can only be understood and revealed by fastidious works of historians and researches. Politicians do not have the right to take decisions on issues which are unknown to them, and also to judge history for their own political purposes. The French Senate can take more fair political decisions by studying details of historical events instead of taking a decision which does not have any historical basic.''

''War in Algeria between 1954 and 1962 which claimed many lives, is a good example to this end. The Turkish parliament has never debated or voted the issue of Algeria so far. If Turkey assumes the same attitude with France, France will have to scrutinize mutual benefits and bilateral relations. The FP protests this resolution,'' he emphasized.

Kutan noted, ''the French Senate has made a big unfairness by approving the resolution. A genocide has never taken place in Turkey. Armenian people living in Istanbul, Izmir and other provinces continued their daily lives during the period when so-called genocide was claimed to occur. If the word of 'genocide' means a planned, systematic and intentional massacre, the Ottoman Empire had never carried out such an act.''

''During the period in question, The Ottoman Empire was fighting against Russia. Some Armenian groups supporting Russia attacked on Turkish villages and massacred thousands of people. Therefore, these Armenian groups were forced to migrate to Syria and Lebanon,'' he said.

Kutan expressed his profound sorrow over using the issue for political purposes under the influence of Armenian lobby in France.

He stressed that the resolution on so-called genocide on Armenians would damage France's national interests, and added, ''I hope that the French Senate's wrong resolution regarded with allegations on so-called genocide on Armenians would be corrected.''

-FOREIGN MINISTER CEM DUE TO ISRAEL
MARSEILLE - Foreign Minister Ismail Cem will pay an official visit to Israel next week.

Foreign Minister Ismail Cem who is currently in Marseille, France, to attend Europe-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference, met late on Wednesday with his Israeli counterpart Sholomo Ben-Ami.

Sources said on Thursday that Cem had accepted Ben-Ami's invitation to Israel.

At the meeting, Cem said that the sides in the Middle East should put an end to acts of violence, and return to the negotiation table.

-STEPS TOWARDS JUDICIAL COOPERATION WITH BELGIUM
-BELGIANS INTERROGATE OCALAN, HEAD OF TERRORIST PKK
-TURKS WANT TO INTERROGATE FEHRIYE ERDAL
BRUSSELS - After Belgian delegation interrogated Abdullah Ocalan, the head of terrorist organization PKK, this week Belgium is expected to shed green light to arrival of Turkish officials in Belgium to interrogate Fehriye Erdal, a member of the illegal Revolutionary People's Liberation Party- Frant (DHKP-C) and one of the suspects of assasination of businessman Ozdemir Sabanci in 1996.

Judicial sources said on Thursday that a seven-member Belgian delegation, including National Prosecutor Michele Conninx and Interrogating Judge Jeroen Burm, went to Turkey for one-week contacts.

Sources said that Ocalan was interrogated by the Belgian delegation within the framework of the visit.

The Spoutnik Operation in Belgium in 1996 under the supervision of Prosecutor Conninx, targeted terrorist organization PKK and its sub- formations.

During the operation, offices of Med-TV, the broadcasting organ of the terrorist organization PKK, and many PKK offices were raided, and a number of supporters of PKK were detained.

The Prosecutor dwelt upon the crimes of money laundering. Ocalan was interrogated by the Belgian delegation to this end.

The Belgian judicial officials visit to Turkey was based on international judicial conventions.

This visit can pave way for Turkish officials to interrogate Fehriye Erdal who has been imprisoned in Belgium, in near future.

Belgium rejected extradition of Erdal to Turkey.

But the possibility of trying Erdal in Belgium on charges of crimes she committed in Turkey, is continuing.

Judicial officials of Turkey and Belgium are discussing cooperation in this field.

-ATTACK ON KOZA, ASSISTANT CONSUL IN BURGAS, BULGARIA
-FOREIGN MINISTRY CONVEYS ITS REQUEST FOR CAPTURE OF
ASSAILANTS TO BULGARIA WITH A NOTE
ANKARA - Turkey condemned an attack on Mehmet Koza, the Turkish Assistant Consul in Burgas, Bulgaria, and his wife by unidentified assailants, and conveyed its request for capture of the assailants to Bulgaria with a note.

Releasing a statement, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Turkey's uneasiness about the attack was conveyed to Bulgarian authorities on November 14, 2000 with a note through the Turkish Embassy in Sofia.

The statement said that Stoyan Stalev, the Bulgarian Ambassador to Turkey, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry the same day.

He was told that Turkey expected Bulgaria to capture the assailants as soon as possible.

Mehmet Koza was attacked by unidentified assailants after he had a traffic accident near Sliven on November 12.

Koza and his wife were injured in the incident.

The assailants took identity cards and precious belongings of Koza.

Koza was transferred to northwestern Edirne province's Trakya University Hospital for medical treatment.

-JUSTICE MINISTRY:
-''EIGHT-MEMBER BELGIAN DELEGATION HEADED BY INTERROGATING
JUDGE JEROEN BURM, ATTENDED INTERROGATION OF CONVICT OCALAN
ON NOVEMBER 14 AS A WITNESS''
ANKARA - Abdullah Ocalan, the head of terrorist organization PKK who has been imprisoned on Imrali Island, was interrogated as a witness by Belgian officials within framework of ''Sputnik Operation'' in Belgium.

Releasing a statement, the Justice Ministery said on Thursday, ''the Ministry considered it appropriate to issue a statement about news reports claiming that a delegation from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) visited convict Ocalan secretly between November 15 and 16, 2000.''

The statement said, ''Belgian authorities have launched the 'Sputnik Operation' after obtaining important findings that ROJ Company carrying out broadcasts of Brussels-based Med-TV, was laundering money in Belgium. They requested Turkey to interrogate convict Ocalan as a witness within the scope of the operation upon an instruction of Brussels First Basic Sivil Court's Interrogating Judge's Office.''

It added, ''the authorized Mudanya Republican Chief Prosecutor's Office considered the request appropriate. Eight-member Belgian delegation headed by Interrogating Judge Jeroen Burm, came to Turkey, and attended together with Mudanya Chief Prosecutor interrogation of convict Ocalan as a witness on Imrali Island on November 14, 2000.''

-FIRST INTERNATIONAL OIL AND NATURAL GAS CONGRESS
-ENERGY MINISTER: ''THE KEY TO THE OIL AND NATURAL GAS THAL WILL BE
BROUGHT INTO EUROPE IS THE JOINT WORKS THAT WILL BE CARRIED OUT BY
TURKEY AND CASPIAN REGION COUNTRIES''
ISTANBUL - Energy and Natural Resources Minister Cumhur Ersumer said on Thursday that the key to the oil and natural gas that would be brought into Europe was the joint works that would be carried out by Turkey and Caspian region countries.

Making the opening remarks of the ''First International Oil and Natural Gas Congress'', Ersumer said that with its political stability, balanced international cooperation, infrastructure and safe energy policy, Turkey was a country that was seriously followed by those who were interested in every dimension of oil and natural gas.

Ersumer stressed that nobody doubt that Turkey became a corridor between the East and the West for transportation of Caspian basin oil to the West.

Ersumer said, ''with this respect, Turkey pioneers in the projects that are based on economic criteria. Turkey carries out these projects together with the regional countries. Turkey continues to seek support of world countries and especially finance organizations to these projects. Especially, transfer of hydrocarbons in Caspian basin to the West will offer a new market in the West and enable the regional countries to add these underground economic values to their economies.''

Ersumer stressed that Turkey was ready to host transfer of considerable amount of natural gas resources in Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan to the West.

Ersumer said that Turkey rapidly continued its works on the European Union (EU) path but several disputes occurred in the international platform.

''A few days ago, the Turkey rapporteur resigned from his mission and said that Europe couldn't continue this hyprocritical attitude. We fully agree with this statement. Europe should immediately give up this hypocritical attitude. Turkey continues its struggle in front of the door to Europe regarding the totally baseless allegation about invasion of Cyprus and totally imaginative slanders against Turkey regarding the resolution on Armenian genocie aimed to distort historical facts,'' he said.

''We hope that the influent position of Turkey, as a part of the EU will continue in the 21st century as a result of solidarity stemming from these works and struggle,'' he added.

Energy and Natural Resources Ministry Undersecretary Yurdakul Yigitguden said in this part that there would be an important increase in natural gas demand in Turkey in 2010.

Noting that rate of the imported energy would reach 72 percent in 2010 and increase to 76 percent in 2020 while crude oil and natural gas production in Turkey would continue to decrease, Yigitguden said that Turkey focused on the reforms on energy sector market and they targeted to adjust the regulations with the EU regulations.

Meanwhile, Minister Ersumer opened the First International Oil and Natural Gas Fair prior to the Congress.

A total of 150 companies operating in oil and natural gas research-explore, transportation and storage, have stands at the fair which will end late on Saturday, November 18.

-ESER, CHAIRMAN OF TURKISH GROUP AT TURKEY-EU JOINT
PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION:
-''WE HAVE DECIDED TO ATTEND COMMISSION'S MEETING IN
ANTALYA BETWEEN NOVEMBER 21 AND 22''
ANKARA - Kursat Eser, the Chairman of Turkish Group at the Turkey-European Union (EU) Joint Parliamentary Commission, said on Thursday, ''we have decided to attend the 46th official meeting of the Commission in Antalya between November 21 and 22.''

The Turkish Group at the Turkey-European Union (EU) Joint Parliamentary Commission convened under the chairmanship of Eser.

Volkan Vural, the Secretary General for the EU, was also in attendance at the meeting.

Addressing journalists following the meeting, Eser said, ''Turkey-EU relations had taken place in a better way in the Helsinki Final Statement. We were shocked with the developments at the European Parliament, the Accession Partnership Accord, and the resolution regarded with allegations on so-called genocide on Armenians. These developments entailed us to make an assessment whether or not we would attend the 46th official meeting of the Commission in Antalya between November 21 and 22. We, as the members of the Commission, have decided to attend the meeting. As you know, issue of Leyla Zana was brought onto agenda during the 45th meeting, and they cancelled it unilaterally. We urged them that this cancellation would not be beneficial for Turkey-EU relations.''

Noting that they did not agree with the issues which were given place in the Accession Partnership Accord, Eser stressed that they also did not agree with the European Parliament's resolution regarded with the so-called genocide on Armenians.

''The EU should be more sensitive on the issues serving solidarity, peace and friendship,'' he said.

-EUROPE-MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE
-CEM MEETS WITH HIS FRENCH, GREEK, PORTUGUESE,
AUSTRIAN, AND LUXEMBOURGER COUNTERPARTS
MARSEILLE - Foreign Minister Ismail Cem who in currently in Marseille, France, to attend Europe-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference, held a series of contacts to explain Turkey's uneasiness about inclusion of Cyprus issue in the Accession Partnership Accord.

Cem met with Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine of France, Foreign Minister George Papendreau of Greece, Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner of Austria, Foreign Minister Lydie Polfer of Luxembourg, and Foreign Minister Jaime Gama of Portugal separately.

During his bilateral contacts, Cem said that the Accession partnership Accord should be in harmony with the resolutions taken at last years Helsinki Summit.

Within framework of the letters sent by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to prime ministers of the European Union (EU) countries, Cem explained Turkey's reaction, and stressed that inclusion of the Cyprus issue was wrong and illegal.

He called on the EU foreign ministers to correct the mistake of the EU Commission.

Later, Cem left Marseille for Turkey after wrapping up his contacts.

The Accession Partnership Accord which was announced by the EU Commission on November 8, is expected to be approved by the EU next week.

-PRESIDENT SEZER RETURNS TO TURKEY
ANKARA - President Ahmet Necdet Sezer who attended the Ninth Heads of State Summit of Organization of Islamic Congerence in Qatar and paid an official visit to Jordan, returned to Turkey on Thursday.

Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi, Kemal Nehrezoglu, the Secretary general of Presidency, and Ankara Governor Yahya Gur welcomed President Sezer at the Esenboga Airport in Ankara.

-TURKEY-EU RELATIONS DISCUSSED IN PARIS
PARIS - The Third Turkey-France Strategic Meeting was held in French capital of Paris on Thursday.

The meeting focused on relations between Turkey and the European Union (EU) after last year's Helsinki Summit.

At the meeting, Bulent Akarcali, a deputy of the Motherland Party (ANAP), Uluc Gurkan, a deputy of the Democratic Left Party (DSP), and Sema Piskinsut, a deputy of the DSP, criticized inclusion of the Cyprus issue in the Accession Partnership Accord which was announced by the EU Commission.

Addressing the meeting, Gurkan stressed that putting forward Cyprus issue as a precondition could not be acceptable.

He noted that conditions which were not wanted from other candidates, were wanted from Turkey.

Akarcali accused the EU of being prejudiced towards Turkey.

Noting that approval of the resolution on so-called genocide on Armenians by the French Senate was a bad example for the European Parliament, Akarcali said that if the resolution was approved by the French Parliament, it would play havoc with relations between Turkey and France.

Meanwhile, Piskinsut stressed that Turkey had recorded important progress in human rights.

Daniel Lequertier, the Deputy Undersecretary of French Foreign Ministry, said that France attributed great importance to relations with Turkey.

Noting that the EU had not discriminated Turkey, Lequertier noted that the EU wanted Turkey to fulfil Copenhagen criteria.

Alain Servanti, who is in charge of Turkey in EU Commission's unit for enlargement, said that there were serious difficulties in Turkey on the issues of human rights and justice.

Robert Del Picchia, the member of the French Senate for Turkey's candidacy process, described approval of resolution on so-called genocide on Armenians by French Senate as a ''misfortune''.

He said that the Senate did not have the right to judge history of another country.

A number of diplomats, scientists, politicians and businessmen atted the meeting which was held under the auspices of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and President Jacques Chirac of France.

-MEETING OF COUNCIL OF MINISTERS ENDS
ANKARA - The Council of Ministers Thursday's meeting presided by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit ended.

The Council of Ministers decided to form working groups for the revenues of the Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) and labor rules for foreign workers.

Making a statement following the meeting, State Minister and Government Spokesman Rustu Kazim Yucelen said that they had assessed the information given by the Governors of Hakkari and Van on yesterday's earthquakes, and that the Council of Ministers was pleased with the fact that there were not any casualties and damage.

Yucelen said that he had briefed the Council of Ministers on the revenues of the TRT, and that a working group composed of him, Finance Minister Sumer Oral, and Recep Onal, the State Minister in charge of Treasury, was formed in order to continue the TRT's autonomous principle and bring its revenues to a realistic level.

Yucelen said that Labor and Social Security Minister Yasar Okuyan had given information on the draft law arranging the labor rules for foreign workers, and that a working group composed of Okuyan, State Minister Recep Onal and Interior Minister Sadettin Tantan was formed to finalize the draft law in question.

Stating that Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit had given information about yesterday's leaders' summit, Yucelen said that all authorities about the banks belonged to the Banking and Regulatory and Supervision Board.

Stressing that the Banking and Regulatory and Supervision Board was continuously supervising the banks and taking necessary measures in accordance with those authorities, Yucelen said that the issue would be brought to court in case of a corruption.

Responding to a question about TV broadcast in Kurdish, Yucelen said that the issue had not been discussed in the meeting. ''The important thing is that the issue is being discussed in the public opinion. The Council of Ministers will either discuss it or not in accordance with the general tendency of the public opinion.''

Responding to a question about amnesty issue, Yucelen said that preparation works on amnesty issue was underway so it had not been discussed in the meeting.

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