ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey`s press on December 2, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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WE MADE A GOOD BEGINNING
Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) which decreased by 7.3 percent and recessed on November 20 when bombings took place near Britain`s Consulate General in Istanbul and in front of HSBC headquarters in Levent district made a good beginning on Monday. IMKB increased to 9.5 percent. IMKB National-100 Index increased 1.390 points to 16,007. Treasury Undersecretariat held an auction to sell state debenture bonds denominated in Turkish liras (TL) coupon payment once in every three months. The composite interest became 33.39 percent. The Treasury sold 823 trillion Turkish liras (TL) of nominal valued bonds. In this auction, the total bid had been 925.3 trillion TL while the net sale became 874.8 trillion TL.
ECEVIT TO GIVE UP POLITICS AFTER ELECTIONS
Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit announced that he would give up politics. Ecevit earlier gave messages that he would quit his post in DSP before November 3 elections. Ecevit was expected to speed up this process after DSP did not win November 3 elections. However, Ecevit who did not want to cause any problem in his party said that he would not quit his post in DSP after Izmir Mayor Ahmet Pristina resigned from the party. Ecevit who made a written statement on Monday said that that he would quit his post in DSP convention that would take place after local elections. Convention is expected to be held by the end of April.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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BRAIN-WASHING SCHOOL IN DAMASCUS
Security units have revealed that 16 women aged between 15 and 30, who were repatriated by Syria to Turkey together with Hilmi and Leyla Tugluoglu, were sent to Damascus to get special training. These women wearing Islamic-style clothes, have stayed in a three-story building in Damascus. Meanwhile, the link between Hilmi Tugluoglu and Azad Ekinci, who is believed to have been the mastermind of Istanbul bombings, was proved. Tugluoglu confessed that he had help Ekinci to purchase the pickup trucks containing the bombs which were used in suicide attacks in Istanbul.
OZKOK: ``SUICIDE ATTACKS HAVE RELIGIOUS MOTIVES``
General Staff Chief General Hilmi Ozkok has said that Istanbul bombings were staged on religious grounds. Describing religion and politics as two hazardous elements that should not be brought together, General Ozkok said, ``similar events also occurred in Christian and protestant societies. These suicide attacks have proved once again the real value of secular system.``
LANDMINE CLAIMS LIVES OF FIVE SOLDIERS
Five soldiers were killed and five others were wounded when their vehicle hit an anti-personnel landmine in rural area between Nusaybin and Midyat towns of southeastern province of Mardin. The soldiers were patrolling in the area in search for terrorists.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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GOVERNMENT POINTS TO AL-QAIDA LINKS IN ISTANBUL BOMBINGS
The Council of Ministers convened yesterday with Istanbul bombings on top of its agenda. During the meeting, members of the cabinet discussed all intelligence reports about the suicide attacks in which 57 people were killed and 712 others were wounded. Following the meeting, the government made its strongest statement to date linking al-Qaida terrorist network to the quadruple suicide bombings in Istanbul. State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener told reporters that preliminary evidence showed that both the bombers and their accomplices had ties to the network. Sener said that 133 people were detained and 21 of them were arrested in connection to the bombings.
``SUICIDE BOMBERS MADE THEIR PLANS IN ANKARA``
The real target of suicide bombers who blew themselves up in gory attacks on Jewish and British targets in Istanbul, was embassy compounds in Ankara. They had changed their mind at the last moment due to tight security measures in and around these buildings. During the investigation into Istanbul bombings, security forces have unveiled that the attacks were planned in Ankara. Azad Ekinci, who is believed to have been the mastermind of the bombings, met with suicide bombers in Ankara on October 12. A high-level security official speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Sabah, ``they first decided to stage a car-bomb attack on embassy compound of an important country in Ankara. We could not find yet a certain clue about vehicles, which were prepared for attacks in Ankara. We have searched 70 thousand vehicles so far. We have also revealed that suspects gathered in Incesu and Kecioren districts of Ankara.``
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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``RELIGION SHOULD NOT INFLUENCE POLITICS``
General Staff Chief General Hilmi Ozkok has said that Istanbul bombings in which 57 people were killed and 712 others were wounded, had religious motives. ``Religion and politics are just like two chemicals that should not influence each other. When people try to reach political targets through religion, such a brutality emerges instead of real values of religion. The suicide attacks in Istanbul have proved once again the real value of secular system.``
``SYNAGOGUE BOMBINGS WERE STAGES A WEEK LATER THAN PLANNED``
Security officials investigating Istanbul bombings, have unveiled that synagogue attacks were staged a week later than planned. According to officials, terrorists were planning to attack on Istanbul`s two main synagogues on November 8; however, they postponed the attack due to lack of appropriate conditions. Meanwhile, it was revealed that six-member cell of al-Qaida terrorist network, which organized the gory attacks, fled Turkey with false passports just before the attacks.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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``THOSE WHO WERE INVOLVED IN ISTANBUL BOMBINGS WERE LINKED TO AL-QAIDA``
State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener has said, ``according to the information we have collected so far, both those who were involved in the terrorist attacks as suicide bombers, and those who had relations with them, were linked to the al-Qaida terrorist organization.`` The suicide attacks in which 57 people were killed and 712 others were wounded topped agenda of yesterday`s meeting of the Council of Ministers. Holding a press conference following the meeting, Sener said that 133 people were detained and 21 of them were arrested. He noted that interrogation of 16 people had still been continuing.
SECURITY DIRECTOR GENERAL SPEAKS AT LAST
Security Director General Gokhan Aydiner has talked for the first time since the suicide attacks in Istanbul on November 15 and 20, 2003. Noting that Turkey had experienced a wave of terror of foreign support. He vowed to eradicate terrorism. ``It is quite difficult to prevent suicide attacks. Such attacks occur even in the most experienced countries. Our police department has recorded a significant progress in the investigation into bombings in a short period of time,`` he said. Describing Turkey as one of the most secure countries in the world, Aydiner added, ``in its geo-political environment, Turkey constitutes an important model with its secular, democratic and pluralist system. Turkey is more secure than many western countries in many aspects.``
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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FEAST JOY OF HASAN ONAL AND HIS FAMILY
Turkish engineer Hasan Onal, who had been kidnapped by Taliban forces in Afghanistan about one month ago and then was freed on Saturday, came to western Izmir province on Monday by a plane belonging to Prime Ministry. Onal who spent Sunday night in Turkish forces headquarters in Afghanistan underwent medical examination. Onal who had breakfast with Turkish soldiers there came to Turkish Embassy in Kabul and paid a farewell visit to Ambassador Mufit Ozdes. Onal who came to Izmir was welcomed by his wife, daughters and his brother. Onal said that he was very pleased to be home and thanked Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and other state officials for their effort. Onal said that Turkey had a great power in the region and added that his returning home showed it.
STATE TO PAY
State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said that the ``suicide bombers`` who were involved in bomb attacks in Istanbul and those who had relations with them seemed to have connection with terrorist organization al-Qaida. Sener stated that necessary measures would be taken soon to compensate losses of owners of work places, who suffered from terrorist attacks. The meeting of Council of Ministers which was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan lasted for nearly four and a half hours. Terrorist attacks in Istanbul was the main agenda item of the meeting. Sener said that terrorist incidents were discussed in the meeting and noted that ministers also took up draft laws on the agenda of the parliament.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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11-MONTH EXPORTS EXCEED USD 43 BILLION
Turkey`s exports increased by 9.9 percent to 4 billion 40 million 317 thousand U.S. dollars in November 2003. Turkey`s exports reached 43 billion 39 million 637 thousand U.S. dollars in eleven months of 2003. Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) chairman Oguz Satici who touched on attacks in Istanbul said that determination and solidarity in society would overcome terrorism. Satici said that those kind of attacks would not discourage them and stated that figures of exports showed it.
POLICE SAY BOMBERS FLED ABROAD
Police who have been investigating suicide bombings in Istanbul gain new information every day. Police who have raided more than 100 places found out that Habib Aktas, the leader of organization which planned suicide bombing, and his assistant Azad Ekinci fled abroad. According to police, four bombers who also planned to stage other two twin attacks fled Iran, Georgia and Syria.
(UK-EÖ-AÖ) 02.12.2003