ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on September 15, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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CLEAN SCHOOL IF YOU DON'T HAVE MONEY
The National Education Ministry says that schools can't ask students to pay money when they want to be registered to classes. However, no allocation is extended to schools. As a result, a mother is obliged to clean a school with her two children since she can't pay the money asked to be paid when registering her children to school. Ulku Tasci, a mother who can't pay 100 million Turkish liras (TL) to register her children to school, is now cleaning the school. The headmaster is desperate.
WE ARE INFORMED ABOUT VISIT OF RECTORS
The Office of General Staff stated that developments in national education system were carefully monitored, adding that the Office was informed about the visit of rectors to Land Forces Commander.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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SAMPAIO: RELIGION IS NOT AN OBSTACLE TO EUROPE
Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio who arrived in Turkey as the guest of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer told Milliyet, ''the European Union (EU) will become stronger when it makes Turkey a member. Copenhagen criteria should be fulfilled to start negotiations. Solution of Cyprus issue will also help this.'' He said that army had an important role in Turkey to make progress in becoming modern and he added that he was sure that Turkish army would consider Turkey's EU membership as further strengthening the reformist activity which was started by Ataturk.
RUMSFELD: TURKISH SOLDIERS WILL RESTORE ORDER IN IRAQ
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who called Turkey as their biggest ally in the Middle East, said that they would like to work jointly with Turkey in Iraq and defended that the previous events would not affect relations. Rumsfeld said, ''procedures regarding sending soldiers are about to be completed. Turkish soldiers will restore justice and order in Iraq.''
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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GUL TO START A WORLD TOUR
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul will pay important visits to many places of the world as of next week. The agenda items of the tours are Turkey's membership to the European Union (EU) and developments in Iraq and Israel-Palestine. Gul, who will go to Georgia today, will attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York between September 21 and 27. He will hold bilateral meetings with nearly 30 ministers.
NON-INTEREST SURPLUS WORTH OF 5 QUADRILLION TL SURPRISES IMF
Non-interest surplus, which remained under the figures of 2002 with 10.4 quadrillion Turkish Liras in January-July period, made a surprise in August. Non-interest surplus target which is considered as one of the most important indicators of economic program, caused a surprise in August. The figures, which remained under January-July period of the last year with 10.4 quadrillion TL, increased five quadrillion TL in August. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had asked for a non-interest surplus worth of 16.2 quadrillion TL until the end of August.
WHAT SOLDIERS WANT HAPPENS
The government found views of General Staff on Higher Education Board (YOK) law appropriate. National Education Minister Huseyin Celik said that they had decided not to make any change. Celik said, ''views of the General Staff don't disturb us.'' Celik noted, ''in the draft, we conditioned that the member to be proposed by the General Staff should be a professor. They asked us to lift this condition. And, the prime minister found this request appropriate.''
DEFENSE FROM BRSA
Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) Chairman Akcakoca responded to criticisms of Imar Bankasi. Akcakoca said, ''we sent 15 auditors to Imar Bankasi. If double registration could be seen, we would have seen it. How can a non-existent registration can be audited? The Parliamentary Investigation Commission can't reach any outcome.''
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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SEZER'S MESSAGE OF EDUCATION
Around 14 million students of elementary and higher education will start the new school year today. Parents and students are asked to be careful since infrastructural works in metropolises have not been completed yet. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer released a statement on the new school year and said that education was the basic means to progress on the path illuminated by principles and reforms of Ataturk and to reach targets set by him. Initiatives will be launched in order to stress importance of education of girls.
SYRIAN BORDER ON AGENDA
The Washington administration which wants Turkish soldiers to serve in Sunnite regions like Fallujah, Baghdad and Tikrit, where conflicts occur the most, has shown Iraqi-Syrian border as an alternative to this region during ongoing talks. The United States, which wants Turkish soldiers to take security measures in these regions, stress the thesis that borders are important for security of a country. However, Turkey does not want to be face to face with Syria, with whom it has recently further improved its relations. Turkey, which especially wants to prevent terrorists to go to Syria and Iran in case the terrorist organization PKK/KADEK is sent away from northern Iraq, doesn't want to tense its relations with these countries and thus, pursue such a policy. Ankara also recalled the United States the length of Iraq-Syria border.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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BELLS OF SCHOOLS TO RING
Around 14 million students and 600 thousand teachers will welcome the new school year today. One million 300 thousand children will start school this year.
OUR DEPUTIES ARE THE RICHEST
Turkish deputies who earn 61 billion Turkish liras (TL) a year are ranked the 14th in the list of salaries of parliamentarians. When the salary is compared with the national income per capita, Turkish deputies are ranked the first in Europe. According to a survey conducted by the Parliamentary Library Service, Italian parliamentarians earn the highest salary worth of 131 thousand 688 Euro among 19 European countries while the lowest salary of 12 thousand Euro is that of the Albanian parliamentarians. Turkish parliamentarians who earn 39 thousand 576 Euro a year are ranked the 14th in this list. But, when the salaries are compared with the national income per capita, everything changes. National income per capita is 2 thousand 865 Euro in Turkey. That is, one Turkish parliamentarian earns 14 times more of the national income per capita. There are not any other parliamentarians in Europe who earn more than Turkish parliamentarians when the ratio of salary per national income per capita is taken into consideration.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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TREASURY TO HOLD THREE AUCTIONS
Treasury will hold three auctions this week. Treasury will auction 91-day discounted reference bonds denominated in Turkish lira (TL) today. Treasury will sell on Tuesday 371-day discounted debenture bonds and state notes with floating interest payment once in every three months.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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EU STANDARD TO BE BROUGHT TO EDUCATION
National Education Ministry aims to end professional direction discussion in 2003-2004 education year. The practice includes direction form which aims to direct students to a profession in elementary school as it happens in Europe. Students will be given a form in which their attitudes and abilities are evaluated with their diploma after they graduate from elementary school. The school administration will send a copy of form to the high school which the student is registered. The form will include academical education, professional and technical training and fine arts. The student will be suggested one of these alternatives according to observation reports.
RUMSFELD IS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT DECISION FOR SOLDIERS
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said that he was optimistic about Turkey's sending soldiers to Iraq. Noting that sending soldiers was not an easy decision to take, Rumsfeld said that he was in favor of what would be good for Turkey.
(BRC-GC-AÖ) 15.09.2003