ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on October 18, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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TCK VICTORY OF WOMEN
''Discrimination'' claims regarding articles like sexual intercourse in marriage without consent of women, rape and violence of the draft Turkish Penal Code (TCK) which has been submitted to parliament will be re-discussed. Women have won their struggle launched for the draft TCK. The expression that ''raping the youngsters with their consent'' will change. The draft will write that children below 15 can't be matured to consent anything and punishment for this crime will be increased. Chapters on sexual intercourse during marriage without consent of women will be re-discussed. Considering such intercourse rape and increase of punishment for this crime will be discussed again. Punishment for bosses and chiefs who commit sexual crimes will be increased.
''WE ARE NOT PASSIONATE ABOUT SENDING SOLDIERS''
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that Barzani should not make politics on them, adding, ''our intention is clear and open.'' Gul harshly responded to Barzani who said that ''he would resign from the Iraqi Interim Governing Council if Turkish soldiers came to their country.'' Gul said, ''our intention is very clear and open. We are not obliged to send soldiers to Iraq.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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OZKOK'S IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ATHENS
Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok made some statements to a Greek journalist. Ozkok said that if Turkey became a member of the European Union (EU), all problems between Ankara and Athens would be solved. Stressing that Turkish military was not against the EU, Ozkok said that 2004 was not a deadline for solution of problems between the two countries.
ANKARA DGM REJECTS REQUEST OF FORMER DEPUTIES OF DEP FOR RELEASE FROM PRISON
Ankara State Security Court (DGM) rejected again requests of former deputies of the Democracy Party (DEP), which was banned by the Constitutional Court, for release from prison. Hatip Dicle and Leyla Zana, the former deputies of the DEP from Diyarbakir province, Orhan Dogan and Selim Sadak, the former deputies of the DEP from Sirnak province, and their lawyers attended the eighth hearing at the Ankara DGM. The ninth hearing will take place on November 21, 2003. Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy Cavit Torun, who watched the hearing, said that DEP case was of great importance for adjustment to the European Union (EU).
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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THREE BIRDS WITH ONE STONE
Firstly, the ''motion'' maneuver raised Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's points: Loan is on the way, ''it seems'' soldiers are not going, and the United States is again strategic partner. Justice and Development Party (AK Party) became stronger as the United States refrained from making the Iraqi Interim Governing Council angry and had hesitations in deployment of soldiers. The possibility that former prime minister and president Turgut Ozal's expectation from the First Gulf War ''to gain more than your efforts'' can be true is increasing for Erdogan's government. The government used a different method in this motion. It got the authorization to send soldiers and then gave the message to the United States that ''it had kept its promise'' instead of firstly bargaining with the United States and having problems before the discussions on the motion. The United States did not have any reason to block the 8.5 billion U.S. dollars of loan this time. But, now Washington is also facing difficulties. The United States is trying to make Turkey give up its decision to send soldiers to Iraq rather than a quarrel with the Iraqi Interim Governing Council, who say that ''Turkish soldiers should not come to their country.'' If this happens, AK Party will please two sides, including France and Germany when entering the most critical year on its road to European Union (EU) and also the voters before the local elections.
OUR REPORT WILL BE FAIR AND HONEST
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with European Union (EU) Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen in Brussels. Verheugen assured Erdogan that the progress report to be announced on November 5 would be ''fair and honest.'' He said that the final opinion on giving a negotiation date would be given place in the report of 2004.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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UNITED STATES CONFUSED MINDS
Diplomatic sources in Ankara who criticized the U.S. officials of giving messages through press instead of talking to their Turkish interlocutors said, ''now the ball is in the court of the United States.'' Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that Turkey was not passionate about sending soldiers to Iraq. In the backstage, it was stated that Bremer, the U.S. administrator in Iraq, recommended that dispatch of Turkish soldiers to Iraq should be given up. Upon the instruction of the United States, businessmen who are carrying more than 10 thousand U.S. dollars on them, are not permitted to cross border between Iraq and Turkey. The Foreign Ministry sent a note to the United States regarding the issue which meant de facto end of trade with Iraq but it has not received any response yet. State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said that their initiatives continued regarding the matter. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer gave information about Turkey's general policy regarding Iraq during the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) summit. Sezer said that parliament had taken a decision but it was the government who would decide whether or not to fulfil requirements of that decision. Sezer gave the message that if a decision was made to send soldiers, soldiers would go there to help Iraqi people and that Turkey did not have any political intention.
MEMBERS OF DEP NOT RELEASED
Ankara State Security Court (DGM) continued the trial of Leyla Zana, Hatip Dicle, Orhan Dogan and Selim Sadak, who were the former deputies of Democracy Party (DEP), which was banned by the Constitutional Court. Some European parliamentarians also watched the trial. The court rejected the request of the suspects to be released.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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ERDOGAN'S HOPE IS TURKISH CYPRIOT OPPOSITION
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is waiting for the results of elections which will be held in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in December in order to see the future of Cyprus issue. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who participated in the EU summit and Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels, faced some suggestions of the leaders of Cyprus issue. Erdogan said that Cyprus issue could gain a difference with a new administration profile after December 15 elections in TRNC. Erdogan reiterated that U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan on Cyprus issue could be negotiated.
IMF: POSSIBILITY OF ECONOMIC CRISIS DECREASES
International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that a possibility of Turkey's passing through an economic crisis decreased now when compared to the previous years. According to expert report on the fifth review, floating exchange rate policy has a function which protects Turkey against external shocks.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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FOREIGN MINISTER GUL: ''WE ARE NOT IN A HURRY''
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul who replied to questions of reporters in Malaysia said that Turkey would go to Iraq not as occupier, but to save the Iraqi people, adding that he explained all foreign officials he met in Malaysia that ''the Turkish government only got the authority and the government would decide when to use that authority.'' Regarding sending soldiers to Iraq, Gul said, ''Turkey is not in a hurry, it is the Iraqi people who are in a hurry. We don't have such a powerful desire, we are not obliged or passionate about sending soldiers.''
DENKTAS SAYS GREEK CYPRIOTS WANT TO TAKE TURKISH CYPRIOTS TO SLAUGHTERHOUSE
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said, ''Greek Cypriots and Greeks want to take Turkish Cypriots to 'slaughterhouse' where our rights, freedom and state will be slaughtered.'' Denktas said that the elections to be held in TRNC in December was one of the ways of rescuing the TRNC from slaughterhouse, adding ''we have our state, which was founded with honour.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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TURKEY'S RIVALS IN UEFA CUP DETERMINED
Genclerbirligi soccer club of Turkey will take on Sporting Lisbon of Portugal in the second round of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Cup. Gaziantepspor, the other Turkish soccer club competing in the UEFA Cup, drew with Lens of France. The first matches will be played on November 6.
(EÖ-BRC) 18.10.2003