ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on January 13, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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''TURKEY WILL BRING SUN TO EU''
EU Commission President Romano Prodi who will pay a visit to Turkey made positive statements about Turkey's membership to the EU. Prodi said that Turkey would bring sun to the EU. Stating that he would leave the decision about Turkey to EU leaders, Prodi said that photograph of Turkey would be taken in the report which would be issued in October 2004. He said that the report would not include ''binding'' expressions. Prodi said that he hoped that solution would be found on Cyprus issue before May 1. Prodi who has a key position in Turkey's starting negotiations with the Union would start his visit to Turkey on January 15. Speaking at a program on private CNN Turk TV, Prodi said that Turkey's accession to the Union would bring benefits to it and reiterated that Cyprus was not a precondition in opening membership negotiations with Turkey. He added that a solution should be found by May 1.
F-4 TRAGEDY: TWO PILOTS DIE
F-4 military plane which took off the First Main Jet Base Command in central province of Eskisehir crashed near Selendi township of southwestern province of Manisa. Two pilots died in accident. The accident took place at about 10.40 local time. Captain Mehmet Ali Yandim and Flying Officer Mehmet Ata died in the accident. It was claimed that F-4 military plane which crashed in Selendi was one of planes which were renovated under modernization of F4 Phantom military planes between Turkish Armed Forces and Israel.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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TRANSFER OF U.S. SOLDIERS STARTS
It was revealed that the United States has already begun using Incirlik Air Base in southern province of Adana for rotation of its soldiers in Iraq. A total of 700 U.S. soldiers have been transported from Iraq to the United States via Turkey since January 7, 2004. The United States will transport 120 thousand soldiers between January 1 and April 30, 2004.
MILITARY PLANE CRASHES IN MANISA
An F-4 military plane crashed near Selendi town of southwestern province of Manisa after taking off from the First Main Jet Base Command in central province of Eskisehir due to a technical failure. Two pilots of the plane lost their lives in the crash. Flights of F-4 war planes were suspended for a short period of time last year.
PROTOCOL FOR A SOLUTION BEFORE MAY
The coalition government headed by Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Mehmet Ali Talat of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has given priority to find a solution to the Cyprus question before May 1, 2004 and to resort to referendum. The coalition government of the CTP and the Democrat Party (DP) is determined to carry out the negotiation process in harmony with President Rauf Denktas.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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PRESIDENT DENKTAS WAITS FOR NSC MEETING
President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has said that negotiation process over the plan of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan would be given its final shape in line with the result of the next meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) on January 23, 2004. ''Finding a solution to the Cyprus question is essential, however, we cannot give up our sovereign state,'' he emphasized.
''THERE WILL NOT BE A MORE APPROPRIATE PERIOD FOR A SOLUTION''
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, ''there will not be a more appropriate period for a solution to the Cyprus question. During yesterday's meeting of the Council of Ministers, Prime Minister Erdogan gave information about his meeting with President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Stressing that they had a historic opportunity to find a solution to the Cyprus question, Prime Minister Erdogan said, ''the whole world has concentrated on the Cyprus question. There will not be a more appropriate period for a solution to the question. We will try to do our utmost to find a solution.''
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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TRNC GOVERNMENT TO FIND A SOLUTION BEFORE MAY
The coalition government of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and the Democrat Party (DP) entitled as ''Social Compromise and Solution'' has announced its prior target as finding a solution to the Cyprus question at the end of a negotiation process on the basis of the plan of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, and resorting to referendum on a date to be set by the sides. Meanwhile, Ankara has decided to resume the negotiation process after the new government of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) gets vote of confidence of the parliament.
FREEZING TEMPERATURES CLAIM FOUR LIVES
Bad weather conditions claimed four lives. Bodies of Mustafa Cengiz and Ahmet Karaoglu, who had been missing for three days, were recovered in Alanduz village in Buldan town of western province of Denizli and in Osmanbuku village in western province of Aydin. The heavy snowfall has also paralyzed traffic throughout Turkey. A total of 539 village roads have been closed in Eastern Anatolia.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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CONVICTS OF SIVAS EVENTS TO BE RELEASED
The motion submitted to the parliament by Gurol Ergin of the Republican People's Party (CHP) has revealed that those responsible for killing of 37 people in the events in the Madimak Hotel in central province of Sivas on July 2, 1993 had benefited from the Re-association Law. In response to the motion, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said, ''most of 44 convicts were sentenced to death penalty first. Their sentence were commuted to life imprisonment after death penalty was lifted. When the Re-association Law has come into force, the convicts applied to the Ankara State Security Court (DGM) Chief Prosecutor's Office to benefit from it. Applications of 42 of them were accepted.''
TORRENTIAL RAINS CAUSE MAJOR DAMAGE IN ANTALYA
Torrential rains and storm, which have been continuing for the last two days, have caused a major damage in southern province of Antalya, one of tourism centers of Turkey. Nearly 3 thousand cultivated field has been remained under flood water triggered by flood waters. Antalya Governor Alaaddin Yuksel said that torrential rains caused a damage of about 10 trillion Turkish liras.
GOVERNMENT: ''A NEW MOTION IS NOT REQUIRED''
The government has defended that the United States was allowed to use the Incirlik Air Base in southern province of Adana in line with the resolution of the United Nations Security Council no: 1483, and that a new motion was not required. Following yesterday's meeting of the Council of Ministers, Justice Minister and Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek said that a new decision of the parliament and the Council of Ministers was not required for rotation of U.S. soldiers from Iraq to the United States via Turkey.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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INVITATION FROM OECD
Donald J.Johnston, Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), said that primary surplus was 6.5 percent and that there was no reason for direct foreign investment not to come to Turkey. Johnston who came together with representatives of private sector in Istanbul later held a press conference. Johnston said that they held meetings covering many issues with representatives of private sector and stated that Turkey was complaining about not attracting foreign investments. He added that they also discussed what could be done to attract more direct investments to Turkey. When asked how he evaluated decrease in interest rates and inflation rate after coming of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) to power as single party, Johnston said many of the structural reforms could not be fulfilled but that political ruling took steps for reforms. Johnston said he thought this would have a positive influence on future. Johnston said foreign investors were not only interested in political process but the idea of supremacy of law and intellectual property rights. He said every country should make itself attractive stressing that every country has its own advantages.
EU COMMISSION PRESIDENT: ''WE WILL KEEP OUR PROMISE''
EU Commission President Romano Prodi who will pay a historical visit to Turkey on January 15 gave positive messages on Turkey's membership. Speaking to private TV channel CNN Turk, Prodi said that there would not be new criteria for Turkey which wanted the EU to start membership negotiations in December 2004 and stated that the EU would be bound to its commitments. Stating that they would keep their promise, Prodi said that they saw that there was a big progress in Turkey. Noting that Cyprus was not a precondition for Turkey's getting a date to start membership negotiations with the EU, Prodi said that if the issue was solved immediately, it would bring good things to Turkey. Prodi said that they were hopeful about solution of Cyprus issue and stated that they also put pressure on Greek Cypriot side for solution.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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MILITARY PLANE CRASHES: TWO PILOTS DIE
F-4 military plane which took off the First Main Jet Base Command in central province of Eskisehir crashed near Selendi township of southwestern Manisa province. Captain Mehmet Ali Yandim and First Lieutenant Mehmet Ata lost their lives in the accident which took place due to a technical failure. General Staff released a statement and said that the plane crashed due to a technical failure. After the accident, many villagers and gendarme rushed to scene. A helicopter carrying a team took off Cigli Second Main Jet Base Training Center Command in western Izmir province and came to area. Team is exerting efforts to remove wreckage of the plane.
(UK-EÖ-AY) 13.01.2004