ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on May 29, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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SIXTH ADJUSTMENT PACKAGE TO BE TAKEN UP FOLLOWING MEETING OF NSC
The government was planning to submit the sixth adjustment package to the parliament immediately and enact it till August 1. However, the decision which came out from the meeting of National Security Council (NSC) which lasted for six hours changed this plan. The Council of Ministers postponed discussion of the sixth adjustment package. The issue will be taken up at the meeting of NSC next month. To this end, discussion of the sixth adjustment in the parliament will be delayed for a month.
BOLD MESSAGES
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul proposed radical changes to Muslim countries at the meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) 30th Term Foreign Ministers in Iranian capital Tehran. Speaking at the meeting, Gul said ''we should try to determine the deficiencies and issues which constitute an obstacle in front of development of our countries.'' He noted that they owned a moral heritage based on peace, harmony, tolerance and kindness but they also faced strategic risks despite a number of strategic advantages and potential. Gul said, ''we have to act with a fresh and new vision. This should be a vision where better management and transparency prevail, basic rights, freedom and gender equality are regarded as superior values and rude and rhetoric slogans don't have place. Consequently, we should firstly put our domestic affairs in order.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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ISLAMIC-STYLE FASHION SHOW AT STATE GUEST HOUSE
The historical Ankara Palas (State Guest House) in capital Ankara where Ataturk hosted Republic balls will be the scene of an Islamic-style fashion show for the first time in history under auspices of Parliament Speaker's wife Munevver Arinc. The fashion show was organized by Rain of Love Solidarity Association members who call Mrs. Arinc 'their moral mother'. Arinc who took part in the high-level state delegation that saw off President Ahmet Necdet Sezer by wearing Islamic-style headscarf but later could not attend the official reception in the parliament to mark April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Holiday due to her headscarf, will cause a debate again. Speaking to the newspaper about the fashion show at the State Guest House of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 3, Munevver Arinc said, ''my friends from the association told me, 'let's organize such a fashion show and get an income'. Islamic-style clothing will be displayed together with modern clothing. There is not such a fight in the society. We wanted to reflect the situation in the society to this fashion show. It is very wrong to call it a fashion show of Islamic-style wear. We will help poor families with the money we will get from the fashion show.''
NSC BRAKE ON EU PACKAGE
The EU Sixth Adjustment Package which the government plans to send to the parliament was decided to be included in the agenda of the next National Security Council (NSC) meeting. This developments which happened after the NSC Secretariat General's statement in which it expressed its reservations on the package, was interpreted as a ''NSC brake on the package''. In the statement which was released following yesterday's six-hour NSC meeting held under chairmanship of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer at the Presidential Palace, it was said that security and public order issues had been reviewed in the light of security reports on April. It said, ''latest developments about Cyprus and Iraq have been assessed. A general discussion on 'Turkey-EU relations and new Associate Partnership Document' which was presented to the council has been held and works about the EU have been taken up. Besides, the NSC recommendatory decisions on Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) and measures to be taken, developments about the Gelibolu Peninsula Historical National Park development project and sweeping of mines on Turkey-Syria border have been reviewed.'' Also the Aegean issue was discussed at the meeting. Greece's efforts to broaden national airspace by narrowing international airspace were assessed at the meeting during which it was determined that its was tried to have international attention focused on Aegean and get EU's support. It was adopted to convey the warning that those developments might affect relations to the interlocutors. About the Cyprus issue, positive responses to the steps that might be taken by the other side after opening of doors on Cyprus were discussed. Proposals about lifting of embargo on Greek Cypriot-flagged ships and opening of TRNC airspace were brought onto the agenda. At the meeting, it was determined that PKK/KADEK had recently purchased weapons worth of 5.5 million euro. Under this, the ''Repentance Law'' which was prepared by the Interior Ministry was reviewed in order not to get caught unprepared against the U.S.'s steps to disarm the groups in Iraq. Meanwhile, fundamentalism was not mentioned in the statement. It was announced that the NSC would convene in June under ''EU special agenda''.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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BUSINESS IN IRAQ
There is need for many products including satellite dish and mobile phone in Iraq which lived under embargo for 13 years. But it is difficult to make business in Iraq. Turkish businessmen who take risks have entered the Iraqi market already. U.S. officials said that Turkish businessmen who wanted to make business in Iraq should speed up their contacts in this country. The most important problem for companies which want to make business in Iraq is lack of security in this country. U.S. officials and Iraqi businessmen proposed that small companies should enter the market as soon as possible.
ISO CHAIRMAN KUCUK SAYS SMALL INDUSTRIALISTS SHOULD NOT INCREASE PRICES
Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ISO) Chairman Tanil Kucuk said that small industrialists should not increase prices of products by taking advantage of revival in domestic demand. Kucuk said that they should not protect their competitive power by classical methods. Stating that there was activity in domestic demand currently, Kucuk said that if they wanted to fight against inflation, industrialists should not increase prices.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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INVITATION TO TURKISH SOLDIERS
It was mentioned that Poland which undertook control of Iraq together with the United States and Britain had requested troops from Turkey for peace mission. Warsaw which informed Ankara on the required troops and logistic support is expected a reply before the beginning of next week. Nearly twenty countries including Turkey were invited to send troops for multinational force that is planned to be deployed in An Najaf and Karbala. This force will provide security, distribute aid and support reconstruction efforts in the region. Poland plans to form the force with nearly nine thousand troops. Ministry of Foreign Affairs sources said Turkey welcomed Poland's proposals and mission period might continue for five years.
REPORT OBSTACLE FOR EXTRADITION
Forensic Medicine reports which the ''Ensar Law Bureau'' had sent to Metin Kaplan's lawyers in Germany constituted the basis of release of Kaplan. It was claimed that the Human Rights Association had sent a letter which said, ''there is torture in Turkey. Do not extradite Kaplan'' to German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and this letter had been presented as an evidence.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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INTEREST RATE DISCUSSION
Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti who opposed to some ministers' proposals on decrease of interest rates said, ''statements don't conform to autonomy of Central Bank. We are making assessment on that issue. There can be some decrease in interest rates. But it takes some time.'' Serdengecti gave a briefing to Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal on Wednesday. Serdengecti who touched on demands for decrease in interest rates said that it was out of question to decrease interest rates currently. He added, ''interest rates are not decreased with orders. We deal with the issue. There is not any decrease in interest rates upon demands of markets and politicians.''
SURPRISING CALL FROM TURKEY
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that Islamic countries should act with a fresh and new vision. Delivering a speech at the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) 30th Term Foreign Ministers Meeting in Tehran, Gul who touched on problems in Islamic world said that there was need for reforms in democratization, human rights, woman-man equality and fair distribution of income.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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NSC DISCUSSES EU
External developments were discussed during the meeting of National Security Council which convened on Wednesday under the chairmanship of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. The meeting which started at 13.30 local time at Presidential Palace lasted six hours. NSC made a general assessment about ''Turkey-EU Relations and New Associate Partnership Document'' which was submitted to the Council and it also focused on the studies to be undertaken with EU in the coming period, during the meeting. NSC also evaluated the recent developments about Cyprus and Iraq in the meeting. NSC discussed the progress recorded in Southeast Anatolian Development Project (GAP), the measures to be taken in GAP in the future, recent developments about the Project of Developing Gelibolu Peninsula Historical National Park and NSC recommendatory decisions taken about cleaning off the mine field on Turkey-Syria border.
MESSAGE FROM UNITED STATES
Tuncay Ozilhan, the Chairman of Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD), said that he did not think that visit paid in the high-level from Turkey to the United States would be beneficial, adding that the United States was not ready for that. TUSIAD delegation headed by Ozilhan, who has held contacts with U.S. officials in Washington for two days, told Turkish reporters that there was not any appropriate atmosphere for such a visit. Tuncay Ozilhan said that they perceived that there were some problems in Turkish-U.S. relations from the U.S. side and expressed belief that a visit paid in the level of undersecretary would be appropriate instead of a high-level visit.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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KADEK PREPARES ITSELF FOR ACTS IN PILOT AREAS
It was mentioned that terrorist organization PKK/KADEK was getting prepared for acts of terrorism in pilot regions and cities in eastern and southeastern Anatolia, particularly Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, Mersin and Diyarbakir. In an intelligence report about this issue, it was mentioned that a serious increase in acts of KADEK had been observed and the terrorist organization took the first place in internal threat.
KURDISH GOVERNER TO ADMINISTER KIRKUK
Kurdish candidate Abdurrahman Mustafa won yesterday's elections for Kirkuk Governor with twenty votes. Turkmen candidate Mustafa Kemal Yaycili got ten votes. The thirty-member City Council which was formed two days ago firstly appointed deputy governors. Election at the Governor's Office was held under chairmanship of U.S. general Reymond Odierno. Ismail Ahmed Hadidi of Arab origin was appointed as acting governor while Tahsin Mehmet Kaya of Turkmen origin was appointed as the Kirkuk City Council Chairman. New governor Mustafa said after the election that he was very happy.
(EÖ-MS) 29.05.2003