ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on July 10, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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SURPRISING DECISION
The Parliamentary Corruption Inquiry Commission has decided to form an investigation commission against 18 former deputies including former Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, former State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli, former State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and former State Minister Kemal Dervis on charges of ''causing the state to suffer a serious loss in privatization implementations''.
CHENEY TAKES ACTION AGAINST RESOLUTION ON SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Egemen Bagis, a deputy of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) who is currently in Washington D.C. to attend NATO Parliamentary Assembly meeting, said, ''U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney has taken action to prevent approval of the resolution on so-called Armenian genocide.'' Bagis added that U.S. President George W. Bush was not positive about the resolution.
PRESIDENT ALIYEV BACK IN GATA
President Haydar Aliyev of Azerbaijan came to Ankara by a private plane late on Tuesday. He has been taken under medical treatment at Gulhane Military Medical Academy (GATA). 80-year-old Aliyev received treatment at GATA nearly a month ago.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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TERRIBLE SUSPICION
The Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) stated that it could not reach official accounting records of the Imar Bankasi, a private bank owned by Uzan family which was transferred to the Savings Deposits Insurance Fund (SDIF). Meanwhile, Uzan Holding claimed that all documents were handed over to the BRSA. This development created a serious suspicion whether or not the Imar Bankasi has official records of many bank accounts.
IMPOSSIBLE
While the Republic of Turkey has been experiencing the most important military crisis of its history, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan have not met or held a telephone conversation for a week. The crisis, which erupted with detention of 11 Turkish soldiers by U.S. soldiers in northern Iraq, could not melt the ice between Cankaya Presidential Palace and the government. The tension between President Sezer and the government has escalated when President Sezer vetoed the arrangement in the sixth European Union (EU) adjustment package lifting Article 8 of the Anti-Terrorism Law.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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MOGHADAM: ''TURKEY SHOULD BALANCE RISKS''
After holding meetings with representatives of the Turkish business world International Monetary Fund (IMF) Turkey Desk Chief Reza Moghadam came to Ankara under the fifth review of Stand-by deal between Turkey and the IMF and met with Treasury Undersecretary Ibrahim Canakci and State Minister Ali Babacan. Meetings of Moghadam focused on acceleration of structural reform laws. He was informed on rapid growth in the first quarter of the year, beginning of negative inflation period, increase in imports and exports, tax performance, budgetary developments, measures to strengthen banking sector and privatization. Meanwhile, Moghadam stressed that Turkey should balance risks.
SOLUTION PROPOSAL
Developments about detention of 11 Turkish soldiers by U.S. soldiers in northern Iraq were taken up in detail at the General Staff Headquarters. During the meeting, it was stressed that those, who were responsible for the detention should be found, and a mechanism should be formed to prevent such developments. General Staff Operation Department General Koksal Karabay headed the Turkish delegation at the meeting while the U.S. delegation was led by Supreme Allied Deputy Commander General John Silvester.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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CONDITION ABOUT DETENTION
The United States does not consider detention of Turkish soldiers by U.S. soldiers in northern Iraq a mistake. The United States displayed its attitude by ordering release of Turkish soldiers with the condition of being under detention. Meanwhile, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government that defended that the event was local and occurred by mistake hid this condition of the United States from the public opinion.
SIXTH EU ADJUSTMENT PACKAGE TO BE DEBATED BY PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION
The sixth European Union (EU) adjustment package will be debated at the Parliamentary Justice Commission later in the day. Earlier, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer returned the package to the parliament to be debated again. President Sezer vetoed Articles 19 and 21 of the package lifting Article 8 of the Anti-Terrorism Law.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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IMPORTANT CLAIM OF U.S. SOLDIER
U.S. Captain Andy Mordago in northern Iraq claimed that they detained Turkish soldiers because they had been staging some illegal activities. Another U.S. officer defended, ''they were up to some pretty shady things. And this time, they got their hands caught in the cookie jar. While U.S. officials do not make a clear statement about the detention, Captain Mordago said in an interview with a newspaper that bureau of Turkish soldiers was a unit of terrorism. Meanwhile, the senior member of the Turkish outpost, a 38-year-old captain who would only identify himself as Aydin, said he was shocked when he saw U.S. troops pounding on the iron gate of the courtyard. ''I heard a commotion in the front of the building, and I heard shots and shouts. I heard the men shouting in English, so I thought the Americans were in some kind of trouble and coming here for help. When I ran to the gate, the Americans broke through the locks and entered the premises. I said, in English, 'We are Turkish troops here. We have no arms.' That's when a bullet passed by my head. The other men and I were forced to the ground and handcuffed with plastic cuffs. Soldiers then shoved plastic bags over our heads and nudged us out into the street and onto trucks.''
PRESIDENT SEZER REACTS AT LAST
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer reacted to detention of Turkish soldiers by U.S. soldiers in northern Iraq five days after the crisis. Describing detention of Turkish soldiers as an aggressive act, President Sezer said that such an act could not be explained with any reason and could not be tolerated. President Sezer noted that the event hurt feelings of Turkish people and created an unfortunate situation in relations between Turkey and the United States. Referring to criticism about his late reaction, President Sezer said, ''there is the freedom of criticism.''
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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BOMBARDMENT OF MESSAGES
Turkish people reacted harshly to the resolution on so-called Armenian genocide, which is expected to be debated at the U.S. Senate. Turkish people living in the United States and the other countries, sent e-mails and letters to U.S. President George W. Bush's administration and called on the U.S. administration to prevent the resolution.
TURKEY'S CULTURAL TREASURES TO BE DISPLAYED IN JAPAN
The exhibition of ''Three Great Civilizations in Turkey'' will be displayed in several cities of Japan under ''2003 Turkey Year'' activities. Nearly 200 historical works belonged to Hittite, Byzantine and Ottoman eras including a worldwide famous dagger, which was decorated with emeralds, will be displayed in the exhibition. The Exhibition of Three Great Civilizations in Turkey aims at bringing together works of three great civilizations in the history of Anatolia and promoting them to Japanese people. Nearly 200 historical artifacts will be collected from 14 separate museums including Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul Archaeology Museum, Anatolian Civilizations Museum, Turkish-Islam Museum and Izmir Archaeology Museum, and displayed in the exhibition. One of the most important artifacts to take place in the exhibition is the Emerald Dagger. The dagger was made by Ottoman Sultan Mahmud I to be presented to Nadir Shah of Iran as a gift. On May 11, 1747, Sultan Mahmud I sent an embassy with valuable gifts including the dagger to Nadir Shah. About the time the Turkish embassy crossed the Iranian border, news reached them that Nadir Shah had been assassinated in his headquarters at Fethabad. With nothing left to do, Ahmed Pasha, the leader of the embassy, decided to return immediately so as to prevent the gifts from being plundered. All the gifts which they had brought with them were handed over to the Ottoman Treasury. The dagger is 35 centimeters long. On one side of the sheath, there are large, clear emeralds the size of pigeon's eggs, and it is for this reason that it has become famous as the ''Emerald Dagger''. At the point of the handle, there is an octagonal cover of emerald, which reveals a small watch when lifted. The cover and the handle are decorated with enamel and diamonds. The dagger's sheath, made of gold, has a separate beauty and richness of its own. The enameled flowers and diamonds each constituting a separate motif dazzle the eye. Earlier, the dagger was displayed in the United States. It was the theme of an American film ''Topkapi'' made in 1964. The dagger was insured for 50 million U.S. dollars.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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KERKUKLU: ''I DID NOT MAKE ANY DENUNCIATION''
Deputy Governor Irfan Cemal Kerkuklu of Kirkuk, who is claimed to have made a denunciation to U.S. officials that Turkish soldiers were planning to assassinate Governor Abdurrahman Mustafa of Kirkuk, defended that such allegations were baseless. Earlier, Governor Mustafa said that he did not have any information about the event. Kerkuklu claimed that he did not made such a denunciation. Meanwhile, sources said that Kerkuklu was known with his close relations with Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani.
(UK-AÖ) 10.07.2003