ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on July 23, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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SECRET AGREEMENT WITH UNITED STATES BASELESS
Foreign Ministry said that news stories claiming that a secret agreement was signed between Turkey and the United States were baseless. Releasing a statement, the ministry said, ''a news story was published in the Aydinlik magazine on July 20, 2003 claiming that a secret agreement was signed between Turkey and the United States during visit of U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell to Turkey on April 2, 2003. This news story is totally baseless.'' Foreign Ministry said, ''the issues on which an agreement was reached between the two sides were announced to the public opinion at a joint press conference held by Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and U.S. Secretary of State Powell. These issues include establishment of a logistic supply line in order to meet requirements of coalition troops in Iraq via Turkey and cooperation between Turkey and the United States to sent humanitarian aid to Iraqi people.''
TREASURY SELLS 91-DAY DISCOUNTED STATE NOTES
Treasury Undersecretariat held an auction on Tuesday to sell 91-day discounted state notes denominated in Turkish lira (TL). The total bid had been 2 quadrillion 187.4 trillion Turkish liras (TL) while the Treasury sold 1 quadrillion 940.8 trillion TL of nominal-valued bonds. The net sale became 1 quadrillion 797 trillion TL. The composite interest rate was 36.05 percent and the simple interest rate became 32 percent. The bonds will be repaid on October 22, 2003. Treasury will repay 1 quadrillion 648 trillion TL in domestic debt and 85.6 million U.S. dollars in foreign debt this week.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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12 THOUSAND FICTITIOUS AMOUNT
A high-level official of the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) said that Turkey had come face to face with the event of fictitious banking in the case of the Imar Bankasi, a private bank owned by the Uzans which was shut and seized control by the BRSA. It was revealed that number of depositors which was declared as 168 thousand in official records, is in fact 380 thousand. The system in the Imar Bankasi includes official and coded amounts.
SOLDIER TROUBLE IN AK PARTY
Some deputies of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) raised their objections to the United States request for dispatch of Turkish soldiers to the stability force to be deployed in Iraq. Deputies recalled that the U.S. soldiers had raided bureau of Turkish special team in northern Iraq and detained 11 Turkish soldiers by shoving plastic bags over their heads and handcuffing them with plastic cuffs, and stressed that the United States did not have the right to make such a request after this event.
POWELL TO OFFICIALLY ASK TURKEY TO SEND SOLDIERS
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul will start holding meetings with U.S. officials in Washington D.C. later in the day. Gul is scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. During the meeting, the United States' request for dispatch of Turkish soldiers to Iraq is expected to become official.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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GOVERNMENT INSISTS ON CHANGE IN NSC
The Ministry of Justice submitted the seventh European Union (EU) adjustment package to the Prime Ministry Office. The government insisted on the arrangement restricting duties of the secretary general of the National Security Council (NSC). Under the package, the NSC will convene once in two months. The secretary general of the NSC will be appointed with proposal of the prime minister and approval of the president.
GUL TO MEET WITH HIGH LEVEL U.S. OFFICIALS
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul will have intense meetings during his four-day visit to Washington D.C. Gul will first visit the Washington Post. Later, he will partake in a luncheon to be hosted in his honor by Turkish-American Council. After holding meetings at the U.S. Congress, Gul will meet with members of the United States-Turkey Friendship Group at the Congress. On Thursday, Gul is scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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NSC SECRETARY GENERAL KILINC SAYS IMAGINATION HAS NO LIMITS
National Security Council (NSC) Secretary General Tuncer Kilinc said regarding work of the government on changing structure of NSC that ''imagination had no limits''. Kilinc said that structure of NSC should not be changed due to special conditions of Turkey. Kilinc attended the farewell reception of Chinese Ambassador in Ankara Yao Kuangyi at Sheraton Hotel. When asked whether a comparison was made between NSC in Turkey and the institutions which were similar to NSC in other countries, Kilinc said that every country had different needs. Noting that Turkey certainly needed this institution, Kilinc said that this need would exist in the future as well.
GOVERNMENT AND WORKERS REACH CONSENSUS IN COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
The government and TURK-IS (Turkish Labor Unions) have reached a consensus in collective agreement concerning 454,000 public workers late on Tuesday. According to protocol which was signed, it was decided to make an increase worth of 55 million Turkish Liras (TL) in salaries of public workers on equal terms for the first six months.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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''WE NEED TURKISH SOLDIERS''
During his meeting with General Staff Chief General Hilmi Ozkok last week, U.S. Central Command Chief General John Abizaid confessed that thay had some difficulties in Iraq. Noting that they had made some mistakes in Iraq, General Abizaid described Turkey as a main factor in the region. Recalling that Turks had ruled the region for centuries, General Abizaid said that Turkey knew the region and its peoples very well. Stressing that they needed Turkish soldiers, General Abizaid added that Turkish and U.S. soldiers should work shoulder to shoulder.
GUL: ''THERE IS NOT ANY CHAOS''
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul left for the United States to hold a series of meetings with high-level U.S. officials. Before his departure, Gul told reporters that there was not any chaos about the request for dispatch of Turkish soldiers. Noting that the United States had not made an official request yet, Gul said that participation in the stability force to be deployed in Iraq on several levels was in question.
NSC OBJECTS
National Security Council (NSC) Secretary General Tuncer Kilinc reacted to the seventh European Union (EU) adjustment package envisaging restriction in duties and authorities of the NSC. General Kilinc stressed that Turkey needed the NSC. General Kilinc noted that the NSC had not been an executive council. ''Each country has its own requirements due to its geographical position and its sensitivities. Therefore, Turkey needs the NSC. The NSC is a consultative council,'' he added.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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DISAGREEMENT IN AK PARTY
Upon questions regarding sending of Turkish soldiers to Iraq, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said that he could not make any individual statement on the issue without state authorities' discussing it. When asked whether or not there were any demand on the issue, Sahin said, ''I do not know. High-ranking military officials came here. We have not received any detailed information about the issue from relevant ministers so far because we did not hold the Cabinet meeting since then.'' Upon questions on the same issue, State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said that after the issue became definite, they would discuss it. Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commission Chairman Mehmet Dulger said that he was against sending of Turkish soldiers to Iraq.
GUL SAYS SENDING TURKISH SOLDIERS TO IRAQ IS NOT OUR DEMAND, UNITED STATES DEMANDED IT
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that ''it was wrong to create an impression'' in Turkey ''as if there was a turmoil'' about participation of Turkish soldiers in a stabilizing force in Iraq. Gul stated that U.S. military officials who visited Ankara unofficially confirmed their wish to act together in Iraq and that issue was being discussed in several levels. Prior to his departure for the United States upon invitation of U.S. State Secretary Colin Powell, Gul told reporters that he would take up sending soldiers to Iraq, relations with the Balkans, Caucasus and Transatlantic, economic relations and fight against terrorism during his visit. Gul said that it would not be right to perceive his visit only related with sending soldiers to Iraq. He pointed out that sending soldiers to Iraq would be evaluated within the framework of Constitution, the United Nations (U.N.), NATO, neighborhood and alliance.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST UZAN
Chief Prosecutor's Office in northwestern province of Bursa has filed a lawsuit against Young Party (GP) leader Cem Uzan in accordance with Article 159 of the Turkish Penal Code because of his speech he delivered at a rally in the province. In his speech, Uzan criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who also acts as leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) saying, ''you are a deceitful man. You have gone astray. You are incorrigible. You do not have any fear of the God. You are merciless.'' The office requested six-year imprisonment for Uzan.
(EÖ-UK-AÖ) 23.07.2003