ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on June 17, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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ONLY PERSON WITH HEAD SCARF: EMINE ERDOGAN
Emine Erdogan, the wife of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was the only person with head scarf in the protocol of president and prime minister during Erdogan's visits to Malaysia and Pakistan. Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, the wife of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, whose head was open, hosted Emine Erdogan during Prime Minister Erdogan's visit to Malaysia. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's wife Begum Sehba Musharraf didn't also wear head scarf during the visit of Erdogan to Pakistan.
SEZER APPROVES DECISION TO SEIZE CUKUROVA AND KEPEZ
President Sezer approved the decision which seized CUKUROVA (CEAS) and Kepez power companies. President Sezer approved the cabinet decision which foresaw the transfer of the two companies from Uzanlar Holding. Only if these companies are privatized again, Uzan group can compete to buy the companies.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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HISTORICAL STEP IN 7TH PACKAGE
A historical step is going to be taken about the National Security Council (NSC) Secretariat General which had joined the Turkish state system with the 1961 Constitution and whose functions were increased with the 1982 Constitution. The government which sent the sixth adjustment package that includes important arrangements about democratization, to the parliament, has taken action to add critical political criteria into the seventh package. It was mentioned that appointment of a civil secretary general to the NSC was the top probable arrangement to take place in the seventh package under the topic of 'getting civilian'. Another probable arrangement is expected to be determination of military budgets by the political authority. The government is also planning to have the General Staff work under control of the Prime Ministry and include this arrangement in the seventh package. Meanwhile, it was mentioned that inclusion of the issue of allowing propaganda in Kurdish language in the seventh package seemed to be not possible.
SECRETARY WITH ISLAMIC-STYLE HEADSCARF AT EU MEETING
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that relations between Turkey and the European Union (EU) did no longer concentrate on problematic points, but had started to focus on fields of cooperation. Speaking at the 50th Meeting of the Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission (JPC) at the Conrad Hotel in Istanbul, Gul said their government was determined to fulfil the Copenhagen political criteria by the end of 2003. Meanwhile, JPC member Saban Disli, a deputy of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), sent his secretary Ayse Sozen who wears Islamic-style headscarf, to the meeting as his representative.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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LESSON ABOUT 'WOMEN' TO PAKISTAN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a discussion on woman rights with Chaudhary Amir Hussain, Speaker of National Assembly of Pakistan which was his second stop in his Asia tour. Reacting to discrimination against women at National Assembly, Erdogan emphasized that women and men were equal in Turkey. Hussain, while giving information about National Assembly of Pakistan, said that they were implementing 33 percent quota for providing women's more active participation in politics. Erdogan said that there was not such a quota in Turkey and everybody were competing in equal conditions during elections. Noting that such a quota was injustice towards women, Erdogan said that women and men were coming to parliament by competing in a democratic election.
STRATEGICAL PARTNERSHIP CONTINUES
Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal, who met with U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, said that they agreed to carry on relations as it was in the past. Ziyal's contacts in the United States started yesterday. He met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Grossman and Wolfowitz. Making an evaluation after his contacts, Ziyal said that they reached an agreement on continuing close relations.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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GENDARME GENERAL COMMANDER CALLS CITIZENS TO ACT AGAINST FUNDAMENTALISM
General Sener Eruygur, the Gendarme General Commander said that fundamentalist organizations intensified their activities which didn't take into consideration the basic values and principles of Turkish Republic. ''It is our citizenship right to protect our descent faithful citizens from enemies of the Republic and democracy,'' he said.
DENKTAS RESISTS
TRNC President Rauf Denktas who met with U.S. Special Coordinator for Cyprus Thomas Weston, said that it was not possible to revive Annan plan. TRNC leader Denktas said that ''EU membership is possible for Turkish Cypriots only after accession of Turkey to the EU.''
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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TRT NOT LISTENS TO ANYBODY
The Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) is on the defensive now. former director general of the TRT Yucel Yener claimed that State Minister Besir Atalay had had information about the issue when the lawsuit had been filed for cancellation of the regulation which arranged principles of broadcast in Kurdish language. Accusing the Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK), Yener said, ''at the summit meeting held together with the Turkey's Secretariat General for the EU and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was decided that the TRT would not make broadcast in Kurdish. The regulation is erroneous, we win the case.'' Meanwhile, as a response to Yener, State Minister Atalay showed a letter he had sent on March 5, 2003 and said, ''since there was a delay, I sent a document saying that they should make haste for implementation while legal work was under way. Such problems should have finished before the release of the regulation and implementation should have started. The TRT is an autonomous institution, it took its decision alone and broadcast did not start.''
ACADEMY WORN OUT
Results of a survey among staff of twenty faculties, nine vocational high schools, five institutes and the presidency of the Gazi University in Ankara: 66.3 percent of them is traditionalist while 37 percent of them has difficulty in understanding what happens around them. 13.9 percent of them can't watch television and read newspaper and magazine. 64.1 percent of them is not a member of a non-government organization. 35.1 percent them does not go to theatre. 21.9 percent of them can't read books except academic publication, and 56.2 percent of them reads only two books in one month.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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FAST PROGRAMME FOR ADJUSTMENT LAW
The programme regarding the discussion of the Sixth Adjustment Package in the parliament has become definite. The government tries to adopt the law before EU Leaders Summit which will be held in Thessaloniki on June 21. Eyup Fatsa, the AK Party deputy group leader said that the bill, which would be discussed in the Parliamentary Justice Commission on Wednesday, could be taken up by the parliament on Thursday. Recalling that a period of 48 hours was necessary for discussion of the bills in the parliament, Fatsa said that ''but if we can agree with Republican People's Party (CHP), there won't be any need for us to wait for that period by the decision of the Consultation Board, and we can discuss the adjustment package on Thursday.''
BYE BYE TO IMF
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that the implementation of the economic programme which was carried out with IMF would finish at the end of 2004, adding that ''after that, Turkey won't need IMF.'' Responding to questions of journalists asking if the government decided to continue the way without IMF as announced by Prime Minister Erdogan in Malaysia, Gul said that ''everybody wishes that. The implementation of economic programme carried out with IMF will be finished at the end of 2004. After that, Turkey won't need IMF. This is a pleasing thing. IMF, World Bank and Turkey wish that.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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DENKTAS: ''WE DO NOT ENTER EU WITHOUT TURKEY''
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas received U.S. State Department Special Coordinator for Cyprus Thomas Weston in his office. Weston said that their meeting was positive and then he met with officials of opposition power. Weston expressed his insistence regarding Annan Plan during his contact with opposition power. Denktas said that Annan Plan was not on their agenda any more and when the changes requested by two sides were taken into consideration, refreshment of plan could not be possible. Denktas emphasized that it was impossible for them to access the European Union (EU) without Turkey and said, ''we can not go on the way to the EU and remove Turkey's right, which is Turkish-Greek balance, with our own signature. This balance protects our rights.''
MUSHARRAF PROMISED FOR SUPPORT TO TRNC
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who proceeded to Pakistan after his visit to Malaysia, met with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. They took up Cyprus and Kashmir issues. Musharraf approached positively to demand of Erdogan who requested full membership of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).
(GC-MS-Öª-AÖ) 17.06.2003