ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on August 13, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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PARLIAMENT TO TAKE DECISION ON SENDING SOLDIERS TO IRAQ
A summit meeting on sending soldiers to Iraq was held in Presidential Palace on Tuesday. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer who listened to the government and the military in the meeting said, ''if you function democratic process and reach a decision, I cannot say anything on the issue.'' Sezer left the decision on sending soldiers to Iraq to the government. President Sezer stated that there should be regular flow of information and coordination between Presidential Office, the government and General Staff during that process. A certain timetable on the motion process was not formed in the summit meeting.
TRNC PRESIDENT DENKTAS SAYS TRNC DOES NOT ACCEPT GREEK CYPRIOT PASSPORT
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said that TRNC did not accept passports given by Greek Cypriot administration. Stressing that every country had its own passport regime, Denktas said that TRNC did not accept passports of Greek Cypriot administration whose name had not been 'Cyprus Republic' since 1963. Denktas said that TRNC citizens took passports of Greek Cypriot side since they thought they could use passports in the future and stated that but it was impossible to enter and leave TRNC with this passport. ''A person who leave TRNC with passport of TRNC and who enter Turkey with this passport cannot say that 'I will leave Turkey with passport of Greek Cypriot administration.' The person leaves the country with passport with which he/she enters the country. Thus, everyone should first learn passport regime of a country to which he/she will go and then he/she should travel according to it. If people have some problems without learning the passport regime of a country where they travel, they should not incite people,'' he stated.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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SEZER CONVINCED
Whether or not Turkey would expend support to stability force, that would be set up in Iraq, was discussed in Cankaya Palace on Tuesday. The meeting was identified as ''persuasion of Cankaya Palace'' because of its insistence for international legitimacy. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer listened to the reasons of the government and General Staff, and pointed out that Parliament would utter the last word. In the statement which was made after the meeting, decision of United Nations was not mentioned. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, National Intelligence Organization and Foreign Ministry undersecretaries, and Turkey's Ambassador in Baghdad Osman Paksut participated in the summit.
HAPPINESS OF AK PARTY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL MAJORITY
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) targets to have two happiness together by reaching majority of vote which would change constitution in the second anniversary of its foundation. Three parliamentarians, who resigned from Republican People's Party (CHP), and the Motherland Party (ANAP) are expected to join AK Party. Celebrations to mark second anniversary of the foundation of AK Party will take place on August 14. Cemal Kaya and Nezir Nasiroglu, who resigned from CHP, and Mustafa Zeydan who resigned from ANAP, are expected to join AK Party during the celebrations. With the participation of three parliamentarians, AK Party will reach the majority in the Parliament to change the constitution.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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EU COMES LIKE A REMEDY
Reforms in field of health are made one after another as a result of adjustment with the EU. After the state hospitals started to accept Social Security Agency (SSK) patients, institution hospitals like Post, Telegram, Telephone (PTT), Police and Railways (TCDD) will be gathered under single frame. Thus, number of patients at SSK hospitals will be decreased. Besides, queue torment for getting medicine at SSK hospitals will end. Also SSK patients can get the medicine from pharmacies like the Pension Fund for the Retired (Emekli Sandigi). To this end, SSK will sign an agreement soon with all pharmacies in Turkey. These are all mentioned as commitments in the Economic Program that will be sent to the EU Commission.
SEZER NOT INSISTENT, DECISION UP TO PARLIAMENT
The result of the summit at the Presidential Palace was not the ''international compromise'' on which President Ahmet Necdet Sezer insisted but ''national interest''. The decision which will be given shape at the National Security Council (NSC) will be taken by the parliament. Positive opinion was expressed at yesterday's summit on sending soldiers to Iraq. When President Sezer did not insist on his opinion of ''international legitimacy should be sought under the U.N. umbrella'' in the light of the developing conditions, the participants agreed on the opinion of continuing negotiations with the United States on sending troops to Iraq. If those negotiations end positively, a motion will be prepared on dispatch of troops to abroad and it will be brought to the parliament.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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COUNCIL OF MINISTERS TO CONVENE IN SAKARYA
Council of Ministers meeting, which was earlier announced to take place at 17.00 local time on Tuesday, was postponed with a statement made at the last minute. Council of Ministers meeting is expected to take place in Sakarya on August 18, 2003 on the 4th anniversary massive earthquake on August 17, 1999.
COMPANY FOR BULGARIAN TELEKOM
Turk Telekom General Assembly took a decision for the company which would be set up with Koc Holding for Bulgarian Telekom. A company will be set up in Bulgaria after Council of Ministers gives authorization. 65 percent of shares of the company will belong to Koc and 35 percent of its shares will belong to Telekom.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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AT LEAST 200 SUSPECTS IN IMAR CASE
Six members of the Uzans family, nine high-level managers of Imar Bankasi, directors of 169 bank branches and bank's inspection board members will be tried on charges of dual-registration corruption, selling non-existent bonds and emptying the bank's coffers. It will be the first bank case with so much suspects in Turkey. Three weeks left since the start of the investigation that was opened by the Sisli Prosecutor's Office upon the denunciation of the Banking Regulation and Supervision Board (BRSA) after the Imar Bankasi robbery. The prosecutor's office opened another investigation against the Uzans on charges of money laundering. If the prosecutor's office files a lawsuit against the Uzans on charges of ''forming gang'', suspects will appear at high criminal court, and if the court rules that it was an organized crime, Uzans will be tried by the State Security Court.
PRESIDENTIAL PALACE APPROVAL FOR IRAQ
The summit meeting at the Presidential Palace on a decision on sending troops to Iraq ended with compromise. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer gave up his insistence on a U.N. or NATO decision at the summit in which also Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and General Staff Chief Gen. Hilmi Ozkok participated. At the summit, 'Turkey's interest' was determined as the criterion for sending troops to Iraq. If compromise is reached through coordination of the government and the army, the issue will be brought to the parliament. Response of the United States will be expected for a decision.
GUL: ''DECISION IS TAKEN IN SEPTEMBER''
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that they might not be waiting for a U.N. decision if there was a necessity for sending troops to Iraq in line with Turkey's interests. He said, ''we can make a decision in September in the light of the questionnaire we sent to the United States.''
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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MEETING ON SENDING SOLDIERS HELD
A summit meeting on sending soldiers to Iraq was held in Presidential Palace on Tuesday. A decision which was taken in the meeting is that the parliament will take final decision on the issue. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Undersecretary Senkal Atasagun and Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal attended the meeting which was held under the chairmanship of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer in Presidential Palace. Following the meeting which lasted for about two and a half hours, Presidential Foreign Affairs Chief Adviser Sermet Atacanli made a statement saying that content, quality and framework of Turkey's possible contribution to international efforts to provide stability in Iraq and protect its territorial integrity and political unity would be determined within democratic decision-making process in the form.
TRANSPORTATION MINISTER YILDIRIM SAYS EVERYONE TO TRAVEL BY PLANE
Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim said that they aimed to increase possibility for travelling by plane for all citizens and stated that price of plane tickets would cost double price of bus tickets. Yildirim said that they aimed to start the implementation in pilot regions this year and added that they started to get offer on the issue from companies.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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IF PARLIAMENT SAYS ''YES'' TO SENDING OF SOLDIERS, SEZER WILL NOT OPPOSE
In the summit which was held in Cankaya Palace to convince President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, no reference was made to international legitimacy. Stress was made to international interests. Turkey's sending soldiers to Iraq, with the request of United States, was discussed in the Iraq summit held under the leadership of President Sezer. No definite decision was issued from the summit in this respect. The issue will once again be discussed in National Security Council (NSC) meeting on August 22 after being discussed in Council of Ministers meeting. It was stated that the issue would be given the final shape in NSC meeting before being brought to the Parliament.
TUSIAD: CUSTOMS UNION WITH TRNC TO DELAY SOLUTION ON CYPRUS
Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen Association (TUSIAD) warned that customs union agreement with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) affected negatively the positive developments in the process of Turkey's full membership to the European Union (EU). Turkey signed customs union with TRNC aiming to set up a bridge in entrance of TRNC's goods to the international markets against the obstructions of Greek Cypriot administration which was getting prepared to be a member of the EU in May 2004 as Cyprus Republic. TUSIAD issued a statement and said Turkey took important steps on the way to EU membership with the adjustment laws passed in the Parliament. It said, ''however, signing of customs union in this process caused disappointment which negatively effected those positive developments, created hesitation on Turkey's intentions, and delayed solution of the problem.''
(AY-EÖ-MS-AÖ) 13.08.2003