ANKARA - President Ahmet Necdet Sezer returned on Friday the law no: 4960 enabling sale of fields which lost their characteristics of being forest to the parliament for reconsideration.
Releasing a statement, the Presidential Press Center said that President Sezer returned the law to the parliament to be debated once again.
The law in question envisages sale of areas which lost their characteristics of forestry.
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO ACCEPT VIEWS OF PRESIDENT SEZER IN SENDING BACK AMENDMENT ABOUT FORESTY LAW
Minister of Environment and Forestry Osman Pepe said on Friday that he didn`t accept the views of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer in sending back the constitutional amendment about selling off deforested land.
Pepe asserted that there was nothing to encourage or reward any persons in the law, adding that it was yet within the appreciation of President Sezer to return the law.
Pepe said he didn`t share the argument of President Sezer who noted that the constitutional amendment would encourage destruction of forests. Pepe noted that those lands were already plundered and used by citizens for years, adding that the state could not get any revenue from that in return.
When asked if the government would bring the issue to the agenda of the parliament again, Pepe said that ``this amendment should be again discussed in the parliament, adopted and presented to President Sezer.``
President Sezer sent back the amendment to the parliament the same day for reconsideration saying that the changes would encourage destruction of forests.
(Öª-UK-AÖ) 15.08.2003