ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on September 17, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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WE WANT ACTION, NOT PROMISE FROM U.S. REGARDING PKK
The surprise meeting of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. Ambassador in Ankara Eric Edelman could not solve the problem of PKK/KADEK terrorist organization. The United States could not give clear answers regarding the eradication of PKK from Iraq. Ankara emphasized that the motion should not be expected to start the activity in the region. Prime Ministry said in a statement that Erdogan noted that Turkey, which gave nearly 40 thousand victims in fight against terrorism, was expecting concrete steps, not promises, in fight against terrorism not only in regional but also in international aspects.
FISCHER: WE WANT TO SEE TURKEY IN EU
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said that they were in favor of a broad European Union (EU) which was also including Turkey. Noting that they were supporting the positive attitude of term president Italy towards all EU candidate countries, Fischer said, ''we are planning to receive 25-28 countries which are also including Turkey to the EU. Europe should enlarge.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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WE WOULD ENTER IN IRAQ
Turkey had decided to enter north of Iraq during Ecevit government when U.S. had intervened in Iraq. Yet the government changed, and the plans changed. It was the beginning of October 2002, when the U.S. asked Turkey for permission to pass to Iraq. A summit was held in which President Sezer, former Prime Minister Ecevit, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and former Deputy Prime Minister Sukru Sina Gurel participated. At the end of the meeting, high ranking officials had decided to increase the number of troops in north of Iraq to prevent negative results for Turkey's security.
'SPECIAL SESSION' FOR DEP CASE
After President of the European Parliament (EP) Pat Cox called Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, EP decided to discuss the Democracy Party (DEP) case in a special session. The issue will also effect the Commission's Progress Report on Turkey. European Union prepares to bring onto agenda again the DEP case which continuously constitutes a problem between Turkey and EU. DEP case comes among the top issues that negatively affects EU Commission's Progress Reports on Turkey since 1998. EU started to deal with the case again as retrial in DEP case was made, but the result didn't change.
EUROPE DOES NOT ALLOW ANYTHING TO BE SAID AGAINST KADEK
European Union (EU) has again disappointed Turkey which wants KADEK to be taken to the list of terrorist organizations. EU which updated its list of terrorist organizations, left KADEK out of the list, while HAMAS was included to it. EU earlier noted that it didn't regard KADEK as a terrorist organization as KADEK was not involved in any act of violence. In fact, no consensus was reached among EU countries about KADEK. There are only PKK and DHKP-C in the EU list of terrorist organizations.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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KADEK CRITICISM TO EU
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that the European Union (EU) had not given a good test on considering KADEK a terrorist organization. Gul returned from Georgia to Turkey. Upon questions of reporters, Gul said that the EU, which considered HAMAS a terrorist organization, did not include KADEK in list of terrorist organizations and added, ''the EU hasn't given a good test on this issue. I am sure that it will be aware of this and take a decision we expect.''
TURKISH SOLDIERS SHALL COME AND WE RETURN TO HOME
American soldiers in Baghdad are positive to Turkey's sending soldiers to Iraq in many aspects. All the American soldiers in the region said that they wanted to see Turkish soldiers in Baghdad and some of them said that deployment of Turkish soldiers in the region would give the chance to return to home and for this reason they were looking forward Turkish soldiers to come.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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GUL IN SCHOOL OF GULEN
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul visited at the last minute Special Demirel School, a school which is close to sect leader Fethullah Gulen, during his visit to Tbilisi, Georgia. Gul who visited the school with an accompanying delegation, praised the school management and its activities. Minister Gul also promised to extend support to the school.
BAYKAM PUTS FORWARD HIS CANDIDACY FOR CHP LEADERSHIP
Former member of the Republican People's Party (CHP) Party Assembly Bedri Baykam, who is also a famous painter, announced his candidacy for CHP leadership. Baykam said that his target was to ensure unity among leftist parties.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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DECREASE IN NUMBER OF TOURISTS
The number of tourists, who visited Antalya since the beginning of year, reached 3.5 million. Culture and Tourism Provincial Directorate stated that a total of 336 thousand 269 tourists came to Antalya by airways in the first half of September and 3 million 493 thousand 911 tourists visited Antalya since the beginning of the year. The number of tourists decreased seven percent when compared with the previous month and five percent when compared with the same period of last year.
CONFIDENCE WARNING FROM GUL TO KURDS
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that Turkey always stood by Kurdish group's side in difficult times and protected them from massacres. He added that Kurdish groups should understand that it would be for their advantage to win the confidence of Turkey in the long term.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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GUARANTEE ON DEPOSITS TO BE LIFTED
Finance Minister Kemal Unakýtan said that they would lift 100 percent state guarantee on bank deposits, adding that ''the issue will come to the agenda of the parliament when the parliament opens. It is not yet certain if we will lift state guarantee at once or gradually. We don't have to carry the burden of swindlers anymore.'' Responding to questions of economy correspondents, Finance Minister Unakýtan said that there was the fact of bankrupt banks in Turkey. ''But does it mean that all banks are bankrupt? Definitely no,'' he added.
U.S. SOLDIERS WAIT FOR TURKISH SOLDIERS
U.S. soldiers who are charged in Baghdad, are warm to the idea of deployment of Turkish soldiers in Iraq. All U.S. soldiers told Turkish correspondents that they wanted Turkish soldiers to come to Baghdad, while some of U.S. soldiers jokingly said that if Turkish soldiers were going to come to Iraq, they could have the chance to return to their homes.
FIRST AGREEMENT WITH GREECE
Turkey and Greece signed an agreement about Aegean within the scope of developing relations. Turkish and Greek officials signed an official agreement in Canada which regulates air traffic over Aegean and which brings maximum air security for 2004 Olympic Games in Greece.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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'SOLDIER' MESSAGE FROM EDELMAN TO ERDOGAN
U.S. Ambassador in Ankara Eric Edelman, who visited Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said that they respected Turkey's decision-taking period on sending soldiers to Iraq and added that they conveyed all information which would help this. Replying questions after his meeting with Erdogan, Edelman said that they did not talk about details in the meeting and they discussed reconstruction of Iraq within the scope of unity of Iraq and ending all type of terror stemming from Iraq.
AMERICAN SOLDIERS ARE WAITING FOR TURKISH SOLDIERS FOR RETURN
American soldiers in Baghdad are positive to Turkey's sending soldiers to Iraq in many aspects. Many of American soldiers in Baghdad said that they needed the help of other countries in Iraq and Turkish soldiers could provide this help. Some of them said that Turkish soldiers could have better relations with Iraqi people as they were Muslims. Some American soldiers said by joking that deployment of Turkish soldiers in the region would bring the chance to return to home for them.
(ÖÞ-GC-AÖ) 17.09.2003