ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on June 18, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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WE WILL ACT TOGETHER THIS TIME
As U.S. administration is extremely pleased over the concrete proposals made by Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal on Iran and Iraq, a high level official said, ''we have opened the doors. Turks entered.''
Visit of Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal put the Turkish-U.S. relations on recovery route. Ziyal conveyed the messages to Washington that, ''we support you on Iran issue. We want you to be successful in Iraq.''
Turkish-U.S. relations, which had been seriously damaged because of second motion quake, started to recover with the visit of Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal to Washington.
U.S. officials said, ''the Turkish side comes with concrete proposals, and we give them positive response. Our relations are not like it had been before March 1. We should improve relations. We have mutual targets extending from the Middle East to the Caucasus.''
DEBT BINDS TURKEY, WE WILL BE WITH IMF TILL 2008
Even if Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says, ''we will continue on our path without the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after 2004,'' this plan will not be able to be implemented till our debts to IMF finish because Turkey used three-times more source than its quota so far. Turkey pledged that it would not disrupt its commitment till its debt ends. This ends at the end of 2007.
Turkey's getting rid of the IMF will only be able in 2008 although Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would not sign new stand-by agreement with IMF after 2004, and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul stated that they would be in an effort not to sign a new stand-by agreement.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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VISIT OF IRANIAN GENERAL POSTPONED
General Staff's initiative to start bilateral military relations with Iran by hosting Iranian Legal Army Commander General Muhammad Salimi was postponed after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warning that the United States could misunderstand this visit. Following the military action against Iraq, the U.S. administration has increased its pressure on Iran. The United States called on Turkey to warn Iran.
NUMBER OF SOLDIERS IN NSC TO BE DEBATED
The government plans to decrease number of soldiers in the National Security Council (NSC) to the minimum in the seventh European Union (EU) adjustment package. Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said earlier that the seventh package could be enacted within two months. Under the package, a civilian name will be appointed as secretary general of the NSC.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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TUSIAD'S REPORT UNDERLINES BURDEN OF TAXES ON BANKING SECTOR
According to a report entitled, ''proposals on restructuring of banking sector'' which was prepared by the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD), banks transferred 9 billion U.S. dollars to the state through transaction taxes last three years. The report underlined burden of tax and similar duties on banking sector. The report said that Turkish banking system which has 15 billion of U.S. dollars of source transferred 9 billion U.S. dollars from its direct and indirect sources to the state last three years.
FINAL STEP ON PATH OF EU
The government which is getting prepared for the sixth adjustment package to be passed from the parliament is working to take the final step on path of the European Union (EU) with seventh package. The package which is being prepared currently includes significant issues such as re-determination of structure of National Security Council (NSC). The government is working for the final package when four months left till announcement of EU's Progress Report about Turkey. The package also foresees decrease in the number of soldiers in NSC.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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NEW PACKAGE TO SENSITIVE ISSUES
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is getting ready to put arrangements, regarded with decreasing effectiveness of General Staff and National Security Council (NSC), to the 7th package under the name of ''adjustment with the EU democracies''.
Views, which the AK Party expressed so far regarded with ''opening of military expenses to control of Parliament'' will enter the adjustment package as arrangement.
Prime Minister Erdogan said they would be in an effort to search for consensus with the General Staff and Cankaya Palace for the package.
U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: TURKEY IS OUR STRATEGIC PARTNER
U.S. State Department Spokesman Phil Reeker said Turkey was a strategic partner of the United States, noting that this was a strong partnership.
When a journalist wanted ''strategic partnership'' concept in Turkish-American relations to be clarified, Reeker said Turkey was a strategic ally of the United States. He said Turkish-U.S. relations are spread to a strong and wide area. Reeker said, ''we have a long and deep joint history, and we have many things to do in the future.''
The Spokesman said visit of Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal was a part of regular consultations between the two countries.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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BURN ME DOWN, BURN EU MEMBERSHIP DOWN
While Turkey has been endeavoring to enter the European Union (EU), the jurisdiction has decided to destroy four books on the basis of two articles of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). Courts decided to annihilate Marquis de Sade's ''Philosophy in the Bedroom'', Erje Ayden's ''Crazy Green of the Second Avenue'' and ''I Get on a Train from Hauptbahnof'' within 15 days. Last year, the same decision was taken for Dragan Babic's ''Last Exile''. Publishers of these books were also sentenced to pay fines.
NATIONAL PROGRAM NOT TO INCLUDE NSC
The revised National Program, which was submitted to the government, does not include clear expressions about the National Security Council (NSC). The Secretariat General for the European Union (EU) submitted the draft national program to Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul. The draft includes some commitments such as prevention of torture, provision of gender equality and consolidation of civil society.
ZIYAL MEETS WITH ARMITAGE, GROSSMAN AND WOLFOWITZ
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal, who is currently in the United States, met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. Ziyal expressed his satisfaction over statement of Grossman who described Turkey as the strategic partner of the United States.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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SUPPORT FROM ANKARA TO OUSTED PRINCE
Turkey's Ambassador in Iraq Osman Paksut met former Iraqi King Faisal's grandson and leader of Constitutional Monarchy Movement Prince Sharif Ali Hussein.
Speaking after the meeting which took place closed to the press, Paksut said Turkey would support ''constitutional monarchy'' movement in Iraq on condition that it is adopted by people of Iraq. Paksut said, ''Ali Hussein defends idea of parliamentarian monarchy in western Europe style.'' Paksut said Ali Hussein knew the world, cover the incidents, and a friend of Turkey.
GUL: ''6TH PACKAGE IS OKAY''
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul met President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and discussed the 6th Adjustment Package which caused uneasiness between the military wing and the government.
The meeting lasted for nearly an hour. It was reported that foreign policy agenda was discussed at the meeting.
Gul conveyed President Sezer that 6th Adjustment Package would be passed from the Parliament this week. Gul once again evaluated with President Sezer the steps which have been taken and should be taken on the way to the EU.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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ERDOGAN: ''GENERAL STAFF LEAVES FINAL DECISION ON EU ADJUSTMENT PACKAGE TO US''
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made significant statements to reporters on last day of his visit to Pakistan. Erdogan said that they did not get any letter which included objections regarding the sixth adjustment package from National Security Council (NSC) Secretariat General and added, ''General Staff told us that you will give the final decision on the European Union (EU) adjustment package.'' Underlining that adjustment and implementation was very important for EU, Erdogan said that the sixth package would be passed from the parliament as soon as possible.
LAGENDIJK SAYS CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATION SHOULD BE ABOVE ARMY
Turkey-European Union (EU) Joint Parliamentary Commission Co-President Joost Lagendijk said that civilian administration should be above army and stated that they wanted to see changes in functions of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and in civil authorities. The 50th meeting of the Commission at Istanbul's Conrad Hotel ended. Lagendijk quoted Turkish parliamentarians as saying, ''despite reservations of the TSK on the sixth adjustment package, the package was submitted to the parliament in line with the government's views. The TSK put forward is opinion clearly. However, it did not affect preparation of the package.'' Noting that the TSK should not put forward such sound opinions in the future, Lagendijk said that the NSC was a consultative institution.
(AY-UK-EÖ-AÖ) 18.06.2003