ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on January 9, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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''WE ARE READY FOR A SOLUTION''
A historical summit meeting was held at the Cankaya Presidential Palace yesterday. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, General Staff Chief General Hilmi Ozkok, and Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul were in attendance at the summit meeting presided by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. During the meeting, some important decisions were taken. Negotiations will be resumed as soon as the new government of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is formed. Turkey will support the plan of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan after some changes are made. President Rauf Denktas of TRNC will continue carrying out the negotiations, and the new government will work with him.
PRESIDENT ASAD OF SYRIA INVITES TURKISH BUSINESSMEN
President Bashar Al-Asad of Syria, who is currently paying an official visit to Turkey as the guest of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, visited the Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB). Inviting Turkish businessmen to invest in Syria, President Asad said, ''we have opened our doors for you. We expect Turkish bankers, investors and contractors to invest in Syria.''
DIPLOMAT CRISIS
The Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen Association (TUSIAD) and the European Academy will host a breakfast in German capital Berlin this morning. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to partake in the breakfast. However, the invitation sent to Greek Cypriot Ambassador Marnides Leonides as the ambassador of Republic of Cyprus has created uneasiness in the Turkish side. Later, Leonides decided not to partake in the breakfast. Sources said that TUSIAD might take action and convince Leonides in order to prevent a likely scandal.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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THREE CONDITIONS FOR CYPRUS
The content of package of proposals has become definite at the summit on Cyprus issue which was held at Cankaya Presidential Palace. The document which will be put at the table, will be comprised of proposals for some changes in U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan. Protection of bizonality, equality of two peoples, and free movement of Turkish soldiers on the island are among changes which are wanted to be made on Annan's plan. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and high-level civilian and military officials attended the summit which was held under the chairmanship of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
TARGET IN IRAQ USD 6 BILLION
The United States has started to get bids for 5 billion U.S. dollars from 18.6 billion U.S. dollars of source for reconstruction of Iraq. A total of 168 companies participated in tenders. A total of 55 Turkish companies gave bids for tenders. Turkish companies expect to get 6 billion U.S. dollars of share from tenders. Those tenders will be concluded on March 1, 2004.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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ERDOGAN TO ASK U.S. PRESIDENT BUSH TO SUPPORT THEIR PROPOSAL
Turkish Ambassador to the United States Faruk Logoglu said that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan would ask U.S. President George W. Bush to support the proposal of the Turkish side about efforts of finding a solution to the Cyprus question during their scheduled meeting on January 28, 2004. In an interview with Reuters news agency, Logoglu said that the Turkish government hoped to agree soon on proposals making 'limited but important' changes to the plan of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.
DEMIROZ APPOINTED AS DIRECTOR GENERAL OF TRT
Senol Demiroz has been appointed as new director general of the Turkish Radio and Television Corp. (TRT). President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has approved the decree about appointment of Demiroz.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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''ROAD MAP ON CYPRUS ISSUE TO BE DETERMINED IN NSC''
A summit on Cyprus issue was held at Cankaya Presidential Palace. Foreign Ministry and General Staff gave separate briefings in the summit. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer underlined the importance of Guzelyurt, while Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok listed his reservations on Annan plan. A consensus was reached on negotiator status of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas in the summit. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with leaders of political parties of TRNC. Erdogan asked leaders to form the government as soon as possible. Erdogan said that Turkish side should not be seen as a side which escaped from the negotiation table and stated that negotiations would be held on the basis of Annan plan. He gave the message that road map on Cyprus issue would be determined in the meeting of National Security Council (NSC).
SYRIAN PRESIDENT AL-ASAD DEPARTS FROM TURKEY
Syrian President Bashar al-Asad departed from Turkey on Thursday. Asad created an atmosphere in Turkey that he wants to start a spring in relations between Turkey and Syria. Concerning the issue of Turkey's acting as a mediator between Syria and Israel, Asad said that they welcomed every proposal which would come from Turkey, and stated that but it was not appropriate to start such a process before elections which would be held in the United States.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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''DENKTAS SHOULD CONTINUE CARRYING OUT NEGOTIATION PROCESS''
A summit meeting was held at the Cankaya Presidential Palace with the participation of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, General Staff Chief General Hilmi Ozkok, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, and high-level bureaucrats. During the meeting, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer stressed that President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) should continue carrying out the negotiation process. President Denktas is expected to come to Turkey on January 11 to meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Meanwhile, the Cyprus question will top agenda of the National Security Council on January 23.
LEADERS OF FOUR POLITICAL PARTIES OF TRNC IN ANKARA
Leaders of four political parties of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) came to Turkey upon invitation of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Mehmet Ali Talat; National Unity Party (UBP) leader and Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu; Democrat Party (DP) leader, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas; and Peace and Democracy Movement (BDH) leader Mustafa Akinci met with Prime Minister Erdogan. Prime Minister Erdogan called on them to form the new government as soon as possible. Meanwhile, President Rauf Denktas of TRNC will come to Ankara on Sunday.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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FIRST STEP TO SOLUTION
Turkey which launched initiatives for a solution in Cyprus discussed new plan in a summit at Cankaya Presidential Palace. Red lines of Turkey become definite in the summit. A consensus was reached that Cyprus issue should be solved through negotiation as soon as possible in the summit. New plan which was prepared by Ankara by referring to Annan's plan was taken up in a summit under the chairmanship of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and with participation of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal, and National Intelligence Agency (MIT) Undersecretary Senkal Atasagun. A consensus was reached in the summit that no concession will be made from the principle of two states and two nations on the island.
LAND-MINE AGREEMENT
State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said that Turkey and Syria have reached a consensus of opinion about purification of the fields in the border region between the two countries from land-mines and using them for organic agriculture. Tuzmen said that talks over the Free Trade Agreement between Turkey and Syria would start in February. He said that some concrete developments were recorded during Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad's visit to Turkey, and stated that one of them was the free trade agreement while the other was establishment of border trade centers. Tuzmen added that the sides reached compromise on these issues.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT RISES 3.9 PERCENT IN NOVEMBER 2003
Industrial production rose 3.9 percent in November of 2003 over to the same month of previous year. The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) announced the monthly industrial production index with 1997 base year. At the level of sub-sectors of industry, manufacturing industry production increased by 4.6 percent, mining industry production decreased by 11.5 percent, and electricity, gas and water production increased by 3.5 percent in November of 2003 over to the same period of the previous year. According to the average of eleven months of 2003 compared with the same period of the previous year, total industrial production increased by 7.9 percent, mining industry decreased by 5.9 percent, manufacturing industry increased by 8.5 percent, and electricity, gas and water industry increased by 8.2 percent.
(EÖ-UK) 09.01.2004