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Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-05-21Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.com.tr/>Anadolu AgencyANADOLU AGENCY NEWS 21 MAY 2001 Monday CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCANThese are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on May 21, 2001. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.HURRIYET (LIBERAL)HERO STEWARDESSDriver Mehmet Ates, 56, died of a sudden heart attack as he was driving a passenger bus from southern province of Mersin to Istanbul. The passenger bus with a speed of 90 km/h hit the barriers. Serap Atli, the stewardess, took the control of the bus, and saved 17 passengers from death. RELATIVES OF 118 SAILORS WHO DIED IN KURSK SUBMARINE, IN ANTALYA KOC: ''ELECTION LAW SHOULD BE CHANGED'' MILLIYET (LIBERAL)CASA-TYPE PLANES SCARE CEMCASA-type planes are not used only by military personnel. Pillars of the state use these planes during their visits to foreign countries from time to time. Foreign Minister Ismail Cem who paid an official visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in April, is one of them. The CASA-type plane carrying Cem started to shake suddenly during the journey. Military technicians aboard the plane checked the wings of the plane. They said that pieces of ice in the air entered the engine. At last, the problem was removed. As soon as the plane landed at Ankara's Esenboga Airport, Cem has given instructions to Foreign Ministry officials not to use CASA-type planes in foreign visits any more. WORLD'S FINANCE GIANTS TO COME TOGETHER IN ISTANBUL STATE MINISTER DERVIS PLANS TO TOUR ANATOLIA SABAH (LIBERAL)NATION LIKES THEM VERY MUCHThe Turkish nation liked Catherine Stachniak Dervis, the wife of State Minister Kemal Dervis, very much. When Dervis was asked to predict about Turkey's appearance a year later, he said, ''we will get revived a year later. Turkey will start to grow. But, we should seize this opportunity. Everybody should tolerate each other.'' Catherine Dervis started to learn Turkish immediately. Kemal Dervis will start to visit the cities of Turkey this week. KOC: ''DERVIS WAS SENT TO TURKEY'' CUMHURIYET (LEFT)TELEKOM TRICKThe letter of intent sent to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) put forward that the foreigners can seize the administration of the Turk Telekom. The foreigners will have at least 51 percent share in the strategic partnership which will buy the majority of the shares of Telekom. In such a case, even if the share of the foreigners does not exceed 45 percent but stays at 26 percent in compliance with the law, those who buy the majority of the shares of the institution will have the authority to give the decision due to their share in the strategic partnership. CLOSE PURSUIT TO LOTTERY WINNERS TOURISM WITHOUT VISA RADIKAL (LEFT)KOC SPEAKS CLEARLYRahmi Koc, a leading businessman, said, ''Turkey has been using its last chance. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) sent Kemal Dervis to Turkey. After he has been appointed as the State Minister for Economy, all necessary laws were adopted one after the other. We should extend full support to him. If we fail to implement the new economic program, Turkey will become an underdeveloped country.'' TENSION ESCALATES BETWEEN YILMAZ AND TANTAN TURK:''THERE ARE NEARLY 5 THOUSAND APPLICATIONS TO ECHR AGAINST TURKEY'' TURKISH DAY PARADE HELD IN NEW YORK TURKIYE (RIGHT)DERVIS TO GO ON A TOUR TO ANATOLIAState Minister Kemal Dervis will visit Anatolia to explain the new economic program. When he returned from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Ministerial Meeting, Dervis had told reporters that he wanted to visit some cities in Anatolia to learn their views about the new economic program. INTENSIVE AGENDA CHAMPION TO BECOME DEFINITE IN LAST WEEK OF TURKISH DIVISION ONE ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)OPERATION IN BINGOLSix terrorists were killed in Yedisu township of eastern province of Bingol. Clash erupted between security forces and a group of terrorists in a rural area near Yedisu. Six terrorists were killed in the clash. Operations are under way in the region. ZDF PROMOTES TURKEY [02] A RALLY HELD IN ISTANBUL TO PROTEST ALLEGATIONS ON SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDEISTANBUL - A rally was held in Abide-i Hurriyet Square in Taksim district of Istanbul on Sunday to protest allegations on so-called Armenian genocide.Speaking at the rally, Prof.Dr. Haydar Bas from the Baku State University underlined importance of politicial independence. Prof.Dr. Bas stressed that Turkey should follow a serious foreign policy because of it geographical position connecting Asia and Europe to each other. ''Turkey should review its foreign policy as soon as possible. It should not ask permission from other countries. Then, Western world will respect to its decisions. The western world does not consider us important with our current situation,'' he emphasized. Prof.Dr. Bas said, ''in fact, Armenias massacred 1.5 million Turks. They have overstepped the limits by putting forward allegations on so-called Armenian genocide.'' Meanwhile, Ahmet Gedik from the Yeni Mesaj Newspaper, claimed that Turkey could not develop policies in line of its own benefits. Noting that Turks had been living in peace with people from different ethnic backgrounds and religious faiths for centuries, Gedik said that the Western world's policy of ''World Domination'' was the real factor in the allegations on so-called Armenian genocide. ''Seljuks rescued Armenians from the Byzantine Empire's atrocity. Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror allowed Armenians to establish a patriarchate. The lies of the Western world contradict with the historical facts,'' he added. Meanwhile, tight security measures were taken in Abide-i Hurriyet Square. [03] ISRAELI ECONOMY NEWSPAPER GLOBUS TO PROMOTE GAPSANLIURFA - Globus, an economy newspaper in Israel, will promote Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP).A statement of the GAP Regional Development Administration said on Monday that Levi Morav, a reporter of Globus, will come to southeastern Sanliurfa province to write an article about the economic and commercial relations between Turkey and Israel. The statement noted that Morav will be briefed on the latest situation in the project, adding that Morav will visit the GAP region, especially the Ataturk Dam. [04] TESK LAUNCH AN AID CAMPAIGN FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY FLOOD DISASTERANKARA - Dervis Gunday, the Chairman of the Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Artisans (TESK) said on Monday that they had launched a campaign with the aim of assist those who were affected by flood disaster in southern provinces of Hataly and Osmaniye.Releasing a statement, Gunday said, ''we will not leave the tradesmen and artisans who have suffered a serious loss due to flood disasters, alone. We have started to assess damage in the region through local chambers.'' He said, ''we have sent 25 billion Turkish liras (TL) to tradesmen and artisans in Hatay, and 10 billion TL to tradesmen and artisans in Osmaniye.'' Gunday called on all chambers to participate in their aid campaign. [05] CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR SERDENGECTI SAYS TURKEY WILL ENTER INTO REHABILITATION PROCESS IN A SHORT TIMEISTANBUL - Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti said on Monday that Turkey will enter into rehabilitation process in a short time.Speaking in the opening session of the Precious Metals Conference held in Istanbul by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), Serdengecti noted that gold is not only a traditional investment means in Turkey but also a metal which is mainly consumed in Turkey. Serdengecti said that gold has an important place in Turkish culture and that gold reserves have vital importance for the developing countries. Gold provides liquidity in markets when the economy is floating, Serdengecti stated. Serdengecti stressed that gold is still important for the developed countries and that gold has an important place in the reserves of central banks. The Central Bank of Turkey has 116.3 tons of gold reserve, Serdengecti said, adding, ''the most important element of the new economic program is the banking reform. The structural reforms also have a priority. Also, price stability will be provided as the Central Bank becomes autonomous and Turkey will enter into a rehabilitation process in a short time.'' Serdar Citak, the chairman of the Istanbul Gold Exchange (IAB), said that he is very pleased to see the representatives of many international gold banks, central banks, gold institutions, mining companies, commercial banks, refineries, and the precious metal transportation companies in Turkey. Citak noted that gold is a vital element in Turkish culture, stating, ''gold was the symbol of wealth during the Ottoman era and was one of the important saving means. The precious metals sector started to get more developed since 1980s. The liberalization of economy had a serious impact on the gold trade.'' The establishment of the IAB was an important step in the reconstruction of the Turkish gold sector, Citak stated. Citak pointed out that the IAB acts as a bridge between the precious metals and financial sector and that the differences between the local and international prices decreased since it was set up. Turkey will overcome the recent crisis by its new economy and will become strong again, Citak added. Martin Stokes, the chairman of the LBMA, said that gold sector is developed in Turkey and that to this end, they chose Istanbul as the city to host the conference. [06] TUSIAD RELEASES ITS REPORT ON ''PERSPECTIVES ON DEMOCRATIZATION IN TURKEY 2001''ISTANBUL - Tuncay Ozilhan, the Chairman of Executive Board of Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) said on Monday, ''on numerous occasions, TUSIAD stressed that Turkey should fulfil some political reforms. These reforms suit the European Union's (EU) political criteria. Unfortunately, the governments and the parliament has not been willing and determined in fulfilling these political criteria.''TUSIAD's report on ''Perspectives on Democratization in Turkey 2001 and the EU Copenhagen Political Criteria - Views and Priorities'' was unveiled at a press conference. Speaking at the meeting, Ozilhan said, ''Turkey has been experiencing a serious economic crisis for the last three months. A new period has begun after announcement of Turkey's letter of intent for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last week. After macroeconomic frame and foreign source become clear, Turkey's economy will be reconstructed to prevent new economic crises in the future.'' ''Economic crisis has been high on the agenda of Turkey for a long time. Copenhagen criteria and the National Program including our adjustment commitments, have been relegated. If we want to resolve Turkey's long- standing problems, we have to take up this transformation process as a whole,'' he stressed. Ozilhan said, ''according to our point of view, taking up economy independently from political and social issues is not an appropriate approach. A paralyzed political structure will have negative impacts on economic stability. Current economic crisis did not stem from only economic imbalance, but from the deadlock in political system and weakness of administration. A reform in political structure will re-arrange relations between the state and the private sector. The state will not intervene in economic life any more, and return to its main duties such as education, health, jurisdiction, infrastructure, regional development and social security. Meanwhile, the private sector will concentrate on activities such as production, investment and employment. It will use its savings to finance its own investments instead of covering the public deficits. Institutionalization of relations between the state and the private sector will make an important contribution to social compromise and settlement of a new understanding of administration.'' ''On numerous occasions, TUSIAD stressed that Turkey should fulfil some political reforms. These reforms suit the European Union's (EU) political criteria. Turkey has to fulfil these criteria to start full membership negotiations with the EU. Unfortunately, the governments and the parliament have not been willing and determined in fulfilling these political criteria, '' he said. Ozilhan added, ''unfortunately, Copenhagen political criteria was not included appropriately in the National Program approved by the Council of Ministers in past months. All these developments have casted a long shadow on politicians's sincerity to increase democratic standards. All of us are aware of the fact that transformation was a difficult and painful process. But we have to fulfil these transformations before it is too late. It is time for us to understand that rules of both economy and democracy are universal and that we do not constitute an exemption.'' [07] QUAKE SURVIVORS BEGIN TO MOVE TO PERMANENT DWELLINGSADAPAZARI - Quake survivors in Adapazari township began to move to permanent dwellings, despite the deficiencies.People began to move to the permanent houses in Karaman village, which were delivered in a ceremony in which Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit attended. Despite the electricity and water problem, the quake survivors believe that the deficiencies will be overcome soon. Miktat Yilmazoglu (70), who firstly moved to his house, said he had lived in a tent after his house collapsed, and noted that, ''I liked my house very much. I expect the officials to overcome the deficiencies soon.'' A total of 7,000 dwellings will be constructed in the region within the scope of the project, which targets moving Adapazari to a solid base. Meanwhile, it was reported that construction of houses, which were built by the World Bank, continues. Economic crisis slows down the construction of the houses. Officials said works to distribute electricity and water continue. [08] STATE MINISTER GUREL RETURNS FROM U.S.ISTANBUL - State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel returned from the United States to Turkey on Monday.Holding a press conference at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, Gurel gave information about his contacts in Washington D.C. and New York. Noting that he had held contacts with the new U.S. administration and Turkish-American Council officials and representatives of Turkish civil organizations in Washington D.C., Gurel said Turkey's problems and especially the issues about Turkey's foreign policy had been discussed at the meetings he had attended. Recalling that he had also joined the recent years' most magnificent ''Turkish Day Parade'' in New York, Gurel said, ''the parade and the open- air meeting were magnificent. Thousands of people joined them.'' Stressing that the Turkish society in the U.S. had a ''sound and indispensable'' position, Gurel added that the Turkish society would be influential also over science, arts and politics. [09] CONFERENCE ON BASIC TARGETS AND SOLUTION PROPOSALS IN THE 100TH YEAR OF REPUBLICGAZIANTEP - ''Education'' will be discussed on Tuesday within the scope of ''Solution to Turkey's Problems Conference,'' which has been arranged since 1997 by universities, vocational institutions and voluntary institutions.The first conference, ''Turkey's Problems,'' took place in 1997, the second, ''Acquisitions of the Republic,'' the third, ''Turkey in the 21st Century, '' took place in the year 2000, the third one, ''Turkey in the 21st Century.'' The fourth one, ''Basic Targets and Solution Proposals in the 100th year of the Republic,'' started today in Denizli, Izmir, Sanliurfa, and Istanbul with programs. The program is carried out with the support of 12 universities, 22 vocational and voluntary insitutions including Anadolu Agency, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep Chamber of Industry, Gaziantep Chamber of Trade, and Gaziantep Young Businessmen Association. [10] SECURITY FORCES INTERCEPT 58 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTSEDIRNE - Security forces intercepted 58 foreigners in Ipsala township of northwestern province of Edirne in the last two days as they were trying to proceed to Greece illegally.Sources told the A.A corresponde on Monday that security forces captured 58 illegal immigrants including 35 Afghans, 20 Iraqis, two Iranians and an Egyptian. The immigrants were taken into custody for violating the Turkish borders and the passport law. They will be deported once the legal proceedings are completed. [11] DERVIS TO START HIS ANATOLIA TOUR WITH GAZIANTEPANKARA -State Minister Kemal Dervis for Economy will start his Anatolia tour by visiting firstly southeastern province of Gaziantep on Tuesday.State Ministry said on Monday that State Minister Dervis would go to Gaziantep late on Tuesday to hold meetings with real sector representatives and explain the new economic program. Dervis who would hold contacts in Gaziantep on Wednesday would return to Ankara early on Thursday, State Ministry added. Dervis had said when he returned from Paris after attending OECD Ministers Council meetings that he wanted to tour Anatolian provinces insofar as it's possible to get opinions of real sector representatives about the new economic program. [12] INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION SEMINAR STARTS -FOREIGN MINISTRY DEPUTY UNDERSECRETARY OZSOY: ''TURKEY TAKES PLACE AMONG REGIONS WHERE REGIONAL CLASHES ARE INTENSE''ISTANBUL - An inter-regional seminar, entitled, ''International Cooperation International Implementation/Confirmation Processes,'' which is staged with the contribution of Organization on Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, started in Istanbul on Monday.Sencar Ozsoy, the Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary, who addressed the opening of the seminar, pointed out that ban on nuclear tests constituted an important place in international agenda, noting that Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was important to halt the development of nuclear weapons. Pointing out that development of nuclear weapons was not possible, Ozsoy stressed that Turkey attributed a special importance to nuclear disarmament due to its region. Recalling that that Turkey signed the Treaty on September 24, 1996, the time when it was opened to signature, Ozsoy said, ''Turkey is among the regions where regional clashes are intense. To this end, our country actively takes place in efforts to overcome the nuclear threat.'' Ozsoy said 160 countries signed the agreement so far, noting that approval procedures of 76 countries were completed. A total of 75 high level diplomats and scientists from 40 countries attend the seminar which will end on May 24. [13] PARLIAMENT SPEAKER HASIPOGLU OF TRNC: ''IF GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE ENTERS EU UNILATERALLY, THIS FORMS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR FOR DESTRUCTION OF AGREEMENT GROUND IN CYPRUS''CANAKKALE - Parliament Speaker Ertugrul Hasipoglu of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Monday, ''if the Greek Cypriot side enters the European Union (EU) unilaterally, this forms the most important factor for destruction of agreement ground in Cyprus.''When asked of his opinion on the rumors about an increase in number of incidents in Cyprus in case Greek Cypriots enter he EU, Hasipoglu said, ''yes, it is true. If the Greek Cypriot side enters the EU unilaterally, this forms the most important factor for destruction of agreement ground in Cyprus, agreement is absolutely removed and two separate states are formed.'' ''The reasonable act is to reach an agreement on the basis of two states in Cyprus. There is peace in Cyprus now. However, this is expressed in a very wrong way like 'settlement of peace in Cyprus'. What is the meaning of peace? It means that there is no war. The level of prosperity in both communities has increased. This means that there is peace in Cyprus. Several bridges should be set up on the basis of two states in order to reach an agreement. When these are achieved, the real peace comes to Cyprus. Otherwise, even a little flare causes big fire,'' he said. Hasipoglu said that Greek Cypriots had reached the EU as a result of their current level of prosperity and reached the point of entering the EU. ''If Greek Cypriots are wise, they spread this to whole island because both sides suffice each other. Greek Cypriots should give up their desire to own whole Cyprus. It is impossible for them to make this desire real while there are Turkish soldiers in the island and we are supported by 70 million Turkish people. Thus, the reality of life is to make the true thing concrete with an agreement. Otherwise, it will be dangerous for both sides, Turkey, Greece and whole world,'' he said. [14] TREASURY TO REPAY 76.8 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS IN FOREIGN DEBT THIS WEEKANKARA - Treasury will repay 76.8 million U.S. dollars in external debt this week.The total external debt repayment since the beginning of the year reached 3 billion 572.1 million U.S. dollars. Treasury Undersecretariat said on Monday that Treasury would repay 4.4 million U.S. dollars today, 36 million U.S. dollars on Tuesday, 25.4 million U.S. dollars on Wednesday, 1.3 million U.S. dollars on Thursday and 9.8 million U.S. dollars on Friday in foreign debt. Total external debt repayment was 503.9 million U.S. dollars in January, 804.9 million U.S. dollars in February, 631.2 million U.S. dollars in March and 1 billion 168.6 million U.S. dollars in April. Treasury repaid 235.7 million U.S. dollars in first week of May, 137.4 million U.S. dollars in second week of May and 90.4 million U.S. dollars in third week of May in foreign debt. [15] BSECPA UKRANIAN DELEGATION'S CONTACTS IN ANKARAANKARA - State Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen received the Black Sea Cooperation Parliamentary Assembly (BSECPA) Ukranian delegation members who came to Turkey on Monday as official guests of the parliament.Speaking at the meeting, Yucelen said that Turkey did not have any political problem with Ukraine but the bilateral trade volume which was nearly 1 billion U.S. dollars was against Turkey. Yucelen said that they wanted to balance the bilateral trade volume which was 700 million U.S. dollars in favor of Ukraine, and that several meetings would be held with this objective. Olexander Puhkal who heads the Ukranian parliamentary delegation said that they would discuss development of commercial relations between Turkey and Ukraine. [16] TUSIAD RELEASES ITS REPORT ON ''PERSPECTIVES ON DEMOCRATIZATION IN TURKEY 2001'' (2)ISTANBUL - The Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) released on Monday its progress report on ''Perspectives on Democratization in Turkey 2001 and the EU Copenhagen Political Criteria - Views and Priorities''.The report said, ''the 'List of Priority Demands' essentially comprises the initiatives necessary for Turkey's democratization program. This list also prioritizes the necessary reforms and changes in relation to the benefits expected from them. It is useful to examine previous studies in this area in evaluating this list of priorities.'' The 'List of Priority Demands' can be stated as follows: [17] INVIOLABILITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL - THE RIGHT TO LIFE1) The practice of capital punishment should be limited to conditions of war or imminent threat of war, as stated in the Appendix Protocol No. 6 of European Convention on Human Rights. Turkey has not carried out any death sentences since 1984. Many countries, in the process of abolishing the death penalty, have experienced a 'transitional stage' similar to that which Turkey has undergone in this period. It must be acknowledged that long-term or life imprisonment is not necessarily less onerous than capital punishment-provided that populist sentiments and abuse of amnesty laws do not dilute such punishments. It is not necessary to legislate a new Criminal Code in order to abolish capital punishment outside conditions of war or imminent threat of war; approval of Appendix Protocol No. 6 of European Convention on Human Rights and the enactment of a law outlining the nature of the transformation to be applied in connection with existing capital punishment legislation will be sufficient in achieving the desired goal.[18] FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION2) Article 8 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) dealing with 'Propaganda against the Indivisibility of the State' and Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code (TPC), both of which restrict freedom of expression, must be amended. There are no obstacles to the repeal of Article 8 of the ATA, as the existing provisions of the criminal legislation are sufficient to deal with provocation of criminal activity in respect of propaganda in favor of terrorist organizations. Article 8 is aimed solely at punishing crimes of thought and must therefore be abolished. Article 312 of the TPC need not be repealed in its entirety. Similar provisions exist in almost all countries. This Article penalizes the praising of an action that constitutes a legal offence, the encouragement of civil disobedience (first paragraph), or incitement of resentment and enmity on the basis of class, race, religion, sect or regional difference (second paragraph). Article 312 has been the subject of much justified criticism in Turkey because it has been used in prosecuting exploitation of religion ever since Article 163 of the Criminal Code was repealed. The Preamble to the Constitution, as well as its 14 th and 24 th articles, outlaw the abuse of religion and empower the legislature to provide the necessary measures to that effect. Hence, there has to be new legislation specific to the abuse of religion, while the first paragraph of Article 312 should be repealed and the second paragraph reworded to reflect the criteria of the concept of 'clear and present danger'. These alterations would have the desired effect of eliminating 'crimes of thought'. Freedom of expression is not only a legal issue. It also contains educational and philosophical dimensions. In order to accord formal recognition to the principle of 'freedom of thought', the number of Imam-Hatip high schools (imam training schools) should be limited to those necessary to provide the required number of religious functionaries. Female students should therefore not be admitted to such schools.[19] COLLECTIVE FREEDOMS3) Commentary on and critique of the Associations Act are set out in TUSIAD' special report on this matter and in the above-mentioned reports on democratization. Pursuant to the findings of these reports, the existing law should be re-examined in its entirety. A more appropriate solution would be the drafting of a new Associations Act.4) The Law on Assembly and Demonstrations should be amended in order to limit the power of the local representative of the central authority to postpone lawful assembly and demonstrations indefinitely. The period of discretion should be reduced to between 24 to 48 hours. [20] POLITICAL PARTIES AND ELECTIONS5) In terms of its contribution to the improvement of party democracy, the holding of primaries open to all members with mandatory participation should become the rule. Article 81 of the Law on Political Parties (entitled 'Prevention of Creation of Minorities') must be repealed in its entirety. There are various laws sufficient in their effects to assure the integrity of the state. Article 81 has been used as legal grounds for dissolving political parties loyal to the unitary state. Especially after the defeat of the separatist terrorist movement, the repeal of this article will serve to reintegrate some political actors to the system. In fact, in the Democratic Peace Movement Party case, the Constitutional Court did not recognize Article 89 of the Law on Political Parties (title of which is 'Protection of the Status of the Department of Religious Affairs') as sufficient grounds to dissolve a political party. One could similarly reach the same conclusion with regard to Article 81 of the Law on Political Parties. In this case, a radical and democratic solution requires an amendment in the Law to clarify the status of the several provisions which are no longer acceptable reasons to dissolve political parties.6) Two reforms are urgently needed in the area of elections. The first is the removal from the Election Law of prohibitions on cooperation and alliances between political parties. The second is the introduction of a two-round system in the election of mayors. The first has been the subject of several proposed bills. There is broad consensus on the second matter. Finally, the national electoral threshold should be lowered to 5 percent, as in other countries: in the last election the current system resulted in the invalidation of six million votes. [21] TURKISH GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (TGNA)7) Parliamentary irresponsibility and the existing inviolability for parliamentarians should be reformulated under the heading of 'parliamentary immunities'. Parliamentary irresponsibility provides that members of Parliament may not be held responsible for words, statements or votes made in the course of parliamentary activities. The exception in the Constitution in this connection ('unless the Assembly decides otherwise on the proposal of the Presidential Council for that sitting') should be removed and absolute irresponsibility should apply. Parliamentary inviolability, designed to enable members of Parliament to carry out their functions without pressure or threat, should be re-formulated. The shield of inviolability should not be an obstacle to judicial inquiry or legal process. This protection should only be available in the case of arrest, detention and detention on remand, as the function of parliamentary inviolability is to protect members of Parliament so that they may perform their duties unhindered. Beyond this, judicial inquiry and the legal process should not be considered as disrupting the proper duties of members of Parliament.[22] THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL8) In 'Perspectives on Democratization in Turkey' and its Progress Report, it was proposed that the National Security Council (NSC) be eliminated as a constitutional body and its sphere of activity be restricted to national defence (as it was prior to 1960), parallel to the practice in all democratic countries. Although this proposal was not included in the List of Priorities in the Progress Report, the issue is now of immediate importance as there have been increased demands in this direction, originating especially from EU circles. The report 'Reforms Necessary to Achieve Compliance with the Copenhagen Political Criteria', prepared by the Prime Ministry's Supreme Board for Coordination of Human Rights, does not contain a radical solution. It seeks to increase the number of civilian members in the NSC with an amendment to the Constitution, and to change the required legislation (the NSC Law and NSC General Secretariat Law). These measures are appropriate. It is possible to limit the Council's authority without resorting to Constitutional change, by only amending the aforementioned laws.[23] THE JUDICIARY AND THE RULE OF LAW9) Establishment of a judicial police organization, extension of guarantees provided by the Criminal Procedure Law to suspects being tried by State Security Courts, and constitutional changes to provide for an independent judiciary (especially in the context of the Supreme Council of Judges and Public Prosecutors) constitute the priority issues which remain to be resolved.10) Exemptions from judicial review should be revoked, as they are damaging to the rule of law. All administrative acts (especially of the Supreme Council of Judges and Public Prosecutors and the Supreme Military Council) should be subject to judicial review. Constitutional provisions preventing decrees in force in the state of emergency region from being brought before the Constitutional Court should be removed and the final paragraph of provisional Article 15 of the Constitution, which exempts decisions or measures taken under laws or decrees introduced during the period of military rule between 1980-1983 from constitutional jurisdiction, should be abrogated. 11) As discussed in the Report prepared by Prime Ministry's Supreme Board for Coordination of Human Rights, the right to appeal before the Constitutional Court should be more widely available, in particular to political party groups in the TGNA, and other institutions. [24] HARMONIZATION TO SUPRANATIONAL LAW12) In order to fulfill the requirements for full membership in the European Union and other international institutions, a clause has to be added to the Constitution relating to sovereignty and the use of sovereignty by authorized agencies. A similar provision was proposed in the draft written by the Constitutional Committee of the Advisory Assembly, charged with undertaking the preliminary preparations for the 1982 Constitution.13) A bill must be enacted to provide that judgements of the European Court of Human Rights may serve as a basis for retrial and the correction of judgements.''
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