ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on June 6, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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GO ON TURKEY! YOU ARE MAKING IT THROUGH MEMBERSHIP!
European Parliament (EP) adopted Turkey report and said that they believed that Turkey would be ready to start negotiations if it fulfilled reforms with determination. The Parliament changed the expression in the former shape of the report that ''Turkey is not ready to start negotiations yet'' and registered that negotiations would start after reforms. The European Parliament rejected the motion for a change that ''Turkey and EU countries should recognize so-called Armenian genocide.''
WHO IS THE PERSON LIVING IN MANSION AND THAT HAS EMPTIED BANK'S COFFERS?
State Banks Joint Executive Board Chairman Zeki Sayin said that people who were still indebted to banks were traveling by planes and yachts and living in mansions. Sayin said, ''is there anyone who has seen that a person who has bankrupted is living in a 100 square metres house? When I went to a mansion for collection of debts and take the mansion, that person says that the mansion doesn't belong to him.'' Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) Chairman made a statement saying, ''bankruptcy law should be amended. Some things should be made so that an official can seize properties.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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LAST BOMB FROM AK PARTY! COASTS TO BE CLOSED TO PEOPLE
The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, which is the architect of projects to sell forested areas and open areas under protection to construction, is getting prepared to enable private ownership in the coasts. The AK Party government will lay the groundwork for ''private ownership in the coasts'' by an amendment to the Article 43 of the Constitution and the law concerning coasts. According to information given by Environment Engineers' Chamber Chairman Ethem Torunoglu, ''coasts are under the rule of the state. Public benefit is regarded priorly when benefiting from coast lines surrounding the sea, lake and river. Conditions of people's benefiting from these coasts are regulated by laws.'' This last sentence will be changed as, ''conditions of people's benefiting from these coasts and conditions and principles of giving ownership right to people on certain areas on condition that this does not contradict with the above mentioned principles are regulated by laws.''
HE PRAISES ARMY
European Union (EU) Commissioner Kretschmer told Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Turkish army came to the fore. Erdogan responded as saying, ''the army undertook a very important role in the first years of the Republic.''
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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'ADJUSTMENT' SUPPORT TO GOVERNMENT
A total of 13 institutions, including the Union of Turkish Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) and Association of Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen (TUSIAD), released a joint statement and gave support to the sixth adjustment package and all steps that would bring Turkey to the European Union (EU) membership. Leading institutions of Turkish business world supported steps of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) towards EU with a statement prepared by the leadership of Economic Development Foundation (IKV). The statement which was released by TOBB, TUSIAD, Economic Development Foundation (IKV), Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB), Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO), Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ISO), Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), Confederation of Turkish Employers Unions (TISK), Confederation of Rights and Workers Unions (Hak-Is), Foreign Economic Relations Board, International Transporters Association, Foreign Capital Association and Turkish Travel Agencies Association emphasized that the Sixth Adjustment Package and all steps that would carry Turkey to EU membership were supported.
SPECIAL INVITATION TO GIRL STUDENTS
National Education Ministry and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) are starting a campaign for girls who are at the age of going to schools in ten provinces where number of schools are few. The protocol of the campaign which was started with the slogan of ''Girls, let's go to school'' was signed between National Education Minister Huseyin Celik and Turkey Representative of UNICEF Edmound McLoughney.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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EUROPE WANTS TRANSPARENT TURKEY
European Parliament adopted the report which evaluates Turkey's membership to the European Union (EU). It was emphasized that more transparent society in fight against corruption and bribery, free press, independent jurisdiction and effective jurisdiction system were important in the report which was stating that full membership negotiations could start in the end of 2004, if reforms were fulfilled with determination. Necessity of effective measures in fight against torture was noted in the report and recovery in the conditions of prisons was asked from Turkey. It was also stated in the report that Muslim population in Turkey was not an obstacle for full membership to EU.
GUL: ''THERE IS NO NEED FOR NSC PERMISSION''
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that forming an atmosphere that they would take permission from National Security Council (NSC) for the Sixth Adjustment Package would mean that Turkey was not ready for the European Union (EU). He said that there could be problems in sharing the authority during the membership process to EU, adding that those were normal.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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TASTE OF SUGAR IS VERY BITTER
Turkseker will sell sugar which costs 600 U.S. dollars at 200 U.S. dollars. The reason is very simple: International prices are so. Supreme Board of Planning gave permission to Turkseker, which the Treasury has stopped supporting as a necessity of the program, to sell sugar at international price to end the stocks. If Turkseker sells the sugar which is produced at a cost of 500-600 U.S. dollars per ton, at 200-220 U.S. dollars, the loss will be 125 million U.S. dollars, equivalent to 200 trillion Turkish liras (TL). If it doesn't sell, the loss reaches 1 quadrillion TL with 544 trillion TL of stock cost.
AMNESTY TO THOSE WHO OCCUPY LAND BELONGING TO FOUNDATIONS
Amnesty will be issued for those who ''occupy'' lands belonging to foundations besides those who occupy Treasury lands and who build shanty houses. The period of renting foundation buildings will be extended. Lands of foundations which are occupied will be transferred to municipalities to be sold to the occupiers.
TURKIYE
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LOOK AT THE COMEDY!
Producers who want to make Adapazari Sugar Factory, which has been closed for four years, become operational, can't overcome bureaucracy. A total of 532 workers of the Adapazari Sugar Factory, which was closed because it was damaged in the earthquake, continue to be paid 1.5 billion Turkish liras (TL) of wage every month although they don't work for four years. The loss of the factory which was 14 trillion TL in 2000 is stated to rise to 32 trillion TL in the last two years. Adapazari Beet Producers Cooperative, which owns 49.56 percent shares of the factory, wants to buy the shares of the state to operate the factory. However, Directorate General of Sugar Factories has decided to liquidate the factory. Cooperative Chairman Alisan says, ''liquidation means death. Give it to us and we will record profit. Thus, neither the worker nor the producer will be unjustly treated.'' As the judicial process prolongs, the loss of the state increases every year.
SUPPORT FROM EU
European Parliament, which adopted Turkey report, said that Turkey could start full membership negotiations with the European Union (EU) in case it continued reforms. The European Parliament also noted that Muslim population was not an obstacle for the EU.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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DREAM IS ALMOST FULFILLED
First weld to pipes, which were in length of 1760 km and would be on the line of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey within the scope of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) Oil Pipeline Project, was made in BTC Sea Terminal in Ceyhan town of southern Adana province.
KADEK IS NOT INCLUDED IN NEW TERRORIST LIST OF EU
Interior Ministers of the European Union (EU), who convened in Luxembourg, did not take KADEK in the list of terrorist organizations. Turkey had been demanding EU to include KADEK in the list and launching intensive initiatives. The efforts of Ankara did not bring a result until now.
(GC-BRC) 06.06.2003