ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on December 9, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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TEZIC ASSIGNED AS YOK CHAIRMAN
Prof. Dr. Kemal Guruz's term in office as the chairman of Higher Education Board (YOK) ended. Galatasaray University Rector Prof. Dr. Erdogan Tezic was assigned as the chairman of YOK. Sources said that President Ahmet Necdet Sezer spoke to Tezic by phone and offered Tezic chairmanship of YOK on the phone. Tezic was also an expert on the constitution like President Sezer. Erdogan Tezic graduated from Istanbul University Law Faculty. After he became professor, he contributed to preparation of 1961 and 1982 constitutions. He became rector of Galatasaray University in 2000.
BESIKTAS'S TARGET IS GROUP LEADERSHIP
Besiktas had defeated Chelsea 2-0 in Britain two months ago. Besiktas will have a match with Chelsea in Germany on Tuesday evening. If Besiktas beats Chelsea in Tuesday's match in Gelsenkirchen city of Germany with support of 60 thousand Turkish people, Besiktas will be the group leader in the Champions League.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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''HUNTER'' AFTER UZANS
Famous policeman named Senturk Demiral with a nick name ''hunter'', who followed traces of fugitives like Alaattin Cakici, Tevfik Agansoy and Kursat Yilmaz, is after the Uzans now. A special working group is formed in the Directorate General of Security to capture Kemal and Yavuz Uzan, who are wanted in 178 countries by Interpol with red bulletin, and Hakan Uzan, for whom a warrant of arrest is issued. Senturk Demiral, who has captured many famous fugitives so far, has become the head of the group.
AIM IS TO LEARN ISLAM
There are many Turks in Feth-ul Islam Institute in Syria, some students of which were detained after attacks in Istanbul. These Turkish students are generally having education in Islam Law Department which is named as ''shariah'' in Syria. A student named Murat Aykac aged 21 says that he is going to this institute to learn Islam better. A student named Bekir aged 22 says a link between Islam and terrorism cannot be established.
FIVE PERCENT TARGET BEING EXCEEDED
Industrial production increased by 12.3 percent in October. The production index is at its highest level with 124.2 percent. These figures show that 5 percent growth rate target will be exceeded.
LET US RUSH INTO STREETS TO CELEBRATE VICTORY
Besiktas soccer team of Turkey will play a ''match of fate'' with Chelsea of Britain in the Champions League. The match which will take place in Germany due to the ''terrorism'' pretext of Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) will start at 9.45 p.m.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION INCREASES BY 12.3 PERCENT IN OCTOBER
Growth in industrial production also continued in October. Industrial production increased 12.3 percent in October of 2003 over to the same month of the previous year. State Institute of Statistics (SIS) announced the monthly industrial production index. At the level of sub-sectors of industry, manufacturing industry production increased by 12.6 percent, mining industry production increased by 9.1 percent, electricity, gas and water production increased by 10.8 percent in October of 2003 over to the same period of the previous year. Total industrial production increased by 8.9 percent in the first ten months of 2003. Industrial production had rose by 8.8 percent in the same period of 2002.
PRIME MINISTER ERDOGAN SAYS THEY ARE AWARE OF SCENARIOS WHICH WERE PREPARED
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that they were aware of scenarios which were prepared against Turkey. Erdogan put emphasis on Turkey's European Union (EU) target in the opening ceremony of Fifth International Ataturk Congress held in Ankara. Erdogan said that EU target was the continuation of the contemporary Turkey project of Ataturk, the Founder of Turkish Republic.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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FILES BEING OPENED
Parliamentary General Assembly will debate investigation motions about former prime minister Mesut Yilmaz and former ministers Gunes Taner, Husamettin Ozkan, Recep Onal, Cumhur Ersumer and Zeki Cakan. At the end of the secret ballot which will follow the discussions, the parliament will decide whether or not to form an investigation commission. Zeki Cakan will use his right to defend under parliamentary by-laws.
REJECTION FROM ANKARA TO TEHRAN
Iran told Turkey that it could consider KADEK as the terrorist organization. But, Iran wanted Turkey to send two delegations. One of the delegations was invited to Iran to take up cooperation in fight against terrorism and the other to discuss cooperation in energy. Ankara rejected this demand.
WINTER SHOWS ITS REAL FACE
Bad weather conditions negatively affects daily life in Turkey and the world. Schools were closed for one day in Aegean Kutahya province due to snowfall while many houses and workplaces were inundated due to torrential rains in southern Antalya province.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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ERDOGAN STOPS CYPRUS LANDING
The news that ''Ankara would extend support to the government'' shook Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The reality was that State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener was going to TRNC with some ministers without asking anybody. The opposition in TRNC was shaken by a news last week: Some Turkish ministers would visit TRNC, they would give money to the government; that is, they would intervene in elections. There was only the planned visit of Sener on the agenda. Neither the government nor the senior officials of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) or the Foreign Ministry knew anything. It was understood that Sener was getting prepared to go to TRNC with Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim and State Minister Kursad Tuzmen and maybe Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave an instruction to stop this step which might sabotage the new line announced on November 15: Only Sener should go.
GUL: ''UZANS WILL BE BROUGHT TO TURKEY''
The United States answered Turkey who requested extradition of Kemal and Yavuz Uzan saying that ''it did not know the exact place of the Uzans.'' Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said, ''the guilty will be extradited.''
FIRST OFFICIAL PERMISSION TO KURDISH COURSE
The new regulation in line with the law dated August 2002 which permitted teaching of mother tongues bore its first fruit. First permission to a Kurdish course is given in southeastern Sanliurfa province.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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VERHEUGEN TALKS NONSENSE
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said that European Union (EU) Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen ''continuously transferred money to the opposition in TRNC, but was annoyed after he understood that he betted on the wrong horse.'' Denktas evaluated December 14 elections in TRNC. Denktas said, '' I defend myself and the state because Annan plan only meets demands of Greek Cypriots.'' Denktas noted, ''Verheugen and western world spent too much money on the opposition in TRNC. And, they continue to do so. But, they have seen that they betted on the wrong horse and Verheugen got annoyed and started to talk nonsense.'' Denktas said, ''opposition in TRNC visited Recep Tayyip Erdogan before he became the prime minister. But, Erdogan later saw the realities and said that 'he was deceived about Cyprus issue.' As Annan plan is explained to people, the pointer changes. Nationalists will win the elections with 65 percent.''
ERDOGAN: EU IS ORDER OF ATATURK
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who made a speech in the International Ataturk Congress, said that the government accepted its European Union (EU) accession target as a continuation of contemporary Turkey project of Ataturk, the Founder of Turkish Republic. Erdogan said, ''both we and EU will gain in the end.''
SEZER: LET'S FIGHT AGAINST IGNORANCE
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who made a speech in the International Ataturk Congress, pointed out that lasting peace could be restored in whole world as Great Leader Ataturk's view that ''peace at home, peace in the world'' was taken as the basis. Thus, Sezer asked world countries to take Ataturk as their example in lasting peace. Sezer said, ''the real war of Ataturk was against ignorance.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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THREE BIG STEPS FOR EU IN ONE MONTH
When Turkey is approaching 2004 described as critical period for the country's membership negotiations with the European Union (EU), democratization has become the main item of the agenda of the government. Following the meeting of Council of Ministers, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that EU was the most important issue for the government, adding the government focused on it sensitively. Turkey which was criticized as ''it could not record progress in some issues'' in the Progress Report prepared by the European Commission made some important changes in one month. Three important arrangements were completed as of November 5 when the report was announced. One of those important arrangements is change in regulations of National Security Council (NSC). There will be transparency in cadre and assignments of NSC with this arrangement. The provision which said that assignments cannot be published in the Official Gazette will be removed from the NSC and NSC Secretariat General Law.
TURKEY TO COMPLETE EU PROCESS WITH SUCCESS
When whether basic rights and freedoms will be limited or not is being discussed after bombings in Istanbul last month, the government stress that concession will not be made in steps which will develop human rights. Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that concept of democratic administration could not be related only to European Union (EU) membership. Stating that Turkey took significant steps for transparency, Gul said that Turkey recorded important progresses on many issues last one year.
(BRC-EÖ-AÖ) 09.12.2003