ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on July 16, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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SURPRISING LETTER
Report of Turkish-American Joint Investigation Commission was announced by General Staff on Tuesday morning. U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld sent a letter to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan 24 hours before this announcement. U.S. sources told Hurriyet that Rumsfeld said in his letter that he wrote this letter on behalf of U.S. President Bush. Rumsfeld's letter to prime minister of Turkish Republic was considered strange in Ankara due to diplomatic procedure. Rumsfeld said in his letter that they were sure that information which they had about Turkish forces' activities in northern Iraq was true and added that such incidents should not recur in the future.
MEMBERSHIP OF COMMANDERS TO NSC CONTINUES
While the government has been giving final shape to the seventh adjustment package which was planned to be submitted to the parliament the following week, it took a backward step in decision on ending force commanders' membership to the National Security Council (NSC). The package which was submitted by bureaucrats under the chairmanship of Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal was also sent to the General Staff. When Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that they aimed to enact the package on July 31, thought about force commanders' being excluded from members of the NSC was given up.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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AGAIN SURTAX TO COME
During last night's Economy Summit held under chairmanship of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, implementation of a package worth nearly 2.5 quadrillion Turkish liras (TL) to increase incomes and decrease expenditures. According to information gotten from economic bureaucrats, measures which should be taken to reach 6.5 percent of primary budget target had been discussed at the meeting. Under those new measures, special transaction taxes and education contribution share costs will increase by 60 percent. This 60 percent increase is estimated to provide 200 trillion TL supplementary income to the budget. Meanwhile, it is mentioned that there might be an increase in several taxes including the special consumption tax taken from fuel oil products due to decrease in foreign currency and other reasons. Besides, it is also mentioned that a consensus had been reached during talks with the IMF on increase in taxes.
THERE IS SORROW, BUT NO APOLOGY!
Expected statement was made. In the joint statement on bringing of Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq with handcuffs, the United States did not make an apology, but expressed sorrow.
EVEN AMERICANS REACT
A group of Congressmen in the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and criticized detention of eleven Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq by U.S. forces.
DOES MIT INFILTRATE INTO FBI?
Sibel Edmonds, a U.S. citizen of Turkish origin who worked for the FBI as a translator, claimed that Turkish Intelligence Organization (MIT) units had infiltrated into the FBI and the U.S. State Department and Defense Department.
CAN IT BE COINCIDENCE?
Three different forest fires erupted in just one week in Bodrum town of Mugla province in Aegean region. The forest fire which started in Konacik hamlet rapidly spread under strong winds and threatened settlements. The fire continues.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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AYCELL-ARIA TO BE PROTECTED AS SEPARATE TRADEMARKS
New company which would be established by Aycell and Aria within two weeks which have merged their powers is getting prepared for a boom in the sector in 2004. Aycell Marketing Director Cuneyt Aksakal said that merger would create a big synergy and stated that they aimed to have 6 million subscribers in May 2004. Stressing that the names of two trademarks would be protected in merger, Aksakal said that they were getting prepared to move to Istanbul.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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SERIOUS BLOW ON NSC
The seventh package that was prepared by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government with the purpose of adjustment with the EU includes rules which make the National Security Council (NSC) non-functional. According to the draft document, seven separate paragraphs which also include issues of 'protecting constitutional order, taking measures in line with Kemalist thought and principles and revolutions of Ataturk' are taken out of the mission definition of the NSC under an amendment to Article 4 of the Law on NSC and NSC Secretariat General. According to the draft document, the mission of the NSC is limited with 'taking recommendatory decisions on the State's national security policy under the definition mentioned in its law'. Besides, duties of the NSC Secretariat General mentioned in nine separate paragraphs are lifted. Under this, the secretariat general's authorities of 'follow-up, control, orientation and coordination' are annulled and the NSC is envisaged to fulfill only secretariat services.
RESTRICTION ON TURKEY
With the incident of detention of eleven Turkish soldiers, the United States got the result it wanted in northern Iraq. Through the coordination mechanism that the United States had Turkey accept with the pretext of 'prevention of reoccurrence of such events', the United States will be informed beforehand about all Turkish military activities in the region.
UNITED STATES FORGETS ITS PROMISES TO TURKMENS
Although the Kurdish groups in northern Iraq have not disarmed themselves after the war, they show the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) offices as target with the allegation of armament. The television channel of the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) claimed that many organization in northern Iraq had handed over their weapons, but the ITF had not abided by the decision. Meanwhile, ITF officials said such news were made deliberately by Kurdish groups as propaganda and criticized U.S. forces' 'double-standards' against Turkmens. They said that the United States had forgotten its promises to Turkmens. A high-level Turkmen official said, ''on March 19 in Ankara, the United States, Turkey and Iraqi opposition groups reached an agreement. According to this agreement, all groups would hand over their weapons when the war ends. However, the United States and Kurdish groups do not keep their promises.''
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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GUL: ''WE WANTED EXPLANATION AND GOT RESULT OF IT''
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that a big mistake was made against Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and Turkey. Gul delivered a speech at the parliamentary group meeting of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) since Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was not in Ankara. Gul who evaluated detention of Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq said, ''a big mistake was made against TSK and Turkey. An incident which should not occur between the two allied countries took place. Every kind of contact regarding the incident was provided at the highest-level. We wanted an explanation from the United States. And we received answer from the United States at the highest level.''
RULING PARTY SEARCHING FOR MONEY
It was decided to complete the fifth review and take measures for reaching target of 6.5 percent non-interest surplus in the economy summit which was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday night. The government will prepare a package of measures amounting to 2.5 quadrillion Turkish liras (TL).
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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A DRAMA GOING TO END
The 700-kilometer field of landmines which caused thousands of people to die and become maimed or mutilated for 51 years is going to be swept. The Ministry of National Defense decided to sweep the landmines that had been planted on the Syrian border in 1952 in order to provide security and prevent smuggling. Necessary fund had been provided, and the 3,500,000,000 square meters of area which is 500 meters in width and 700 kilometers in length would be turned into arable fields, sources said and added that an expert team would be assigned for sweeping of landmines which have caused more than three thousand people to lose their hands or legs and killed hundreds of people so far. Vice-Admiral Can Erenoglu said that the priority of the State was to give those fields back to their owners.
TURKS INFILTRATE INTO FBI! SIBEL SHAKES AMERICA
When FBI's former Turkish translator Sibel Edmonds said, ''there are spies working for the Turkish intelligence at the U.S. State and Defense departments'' she became a ''phenomenon'' in the United States. Sibel who was dismissed while she was working for the FBI as a translator said, ''Turkish spies infiltrated into the FBI.'' FBI confirmed it, the United States was shocked.
BODRUM IN FLAMES
Forest fires which have been continuing in several parts of Aegean region spread to Bodrum town of Mugla yesterday. Houses and the Bodrum State Hospital were evacuated when the fire which destroyed 55 hectares of forest spread to civil settlements. Patients were transferred to other hospitals. Gendarmerie detained six people on charges of starting the fire.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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AMERICA EXPRESSES SORROW INSTEAD OF APOLOGY
Expression of only 'sorrow' by the United States for the eleven Turkish soldiers in Sulaimania drew reaction of public opinion. Meanwhile, the United States felt uneasy when the General Staff made a statement without approval of the Washington D.C. The sides agreed to form a contact mechanism to prevent reoccurrence of such events.
DENKTAS: ''WE OPEN MARAS''
President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said that if Greek Cypriots did not accept his proposal for opening of Maras under the U.N. control in return for opening of the Lefkosa International Airport for use of both sides, the region might be opened under Turkish control.
(EÖ-MS-AÖ) 16.07.2003