ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on February 10, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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SECOND MIRACLE IN KONYA
After sniffer dog Leydi located her place, Yasemin Yaprakci, 24, was pulled out alive from rubble of the eleven-storey building 157 hours after its collapse. She was rushed to a hospital in Konya for medical treatment. After her condition deteriorated, she was transferred to Gulhane Military Medical Academy (GATA) in Ankara by a military plane.
FITCH UPGRADES TURKEY'S RATING TO B+
Fitch Ratings upgraded the long-term foreign and local currency ratings of Turkey from ''B'' to ''B+''. A statement of Fitch said that the outlook for the long-term ratings was stable. At the same time, the agency affirmed Turkey's short-term rating at ''B.'' The statement said that the upgrade reflected progress towards sustaining macroeconomic stabilization, most notably the decline in inflation and interest rates as well as exchange rate stability, underpinned by on-going fiscal consolidation and economic reform under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.
CEM KARACA LAID TO REST
Cem Karaca, one of leading names of Anatolian rock who passed away on Sunday due to hearth failure, was laid to rest in Istanbul's Seyyid Ahmet Graveyard. His relatives, musicians, politicians and a crowded group of his fans paid their last tribute to him during the funeral. Karaca had risen to prominence in Turkey in the late 1960s and made his mark in Europe during the 1970s when he performed with groups such as Kardaslar and Mogollar, innovators of the synthesis that became known as Anatolian rock.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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HERE'S THAT PLAN
According to final version of Cyprus plan of the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, there will be four Greek Cypriots and two Turkish Cypriots in the chairmanship council of the state to be formed. Sides will have equal number of deputies in Senate, while having deputies in proportion with their populations in House of Representatives.
ZIYAL READY FOR NEGOTIATIONS
Delegation which was headed by Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal and will participate in negotiations for Turkey in New York went that city yesterday. Deputy Undersecretary Baki Ilkin and Ambassador Deniz Bolukbasi also took place in the delegation. Ziyal and Bolukbasi had carried on negotiations with the United States on Iraq and had achieved to make the United States put nearly all requests of Turkey to the text.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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THE LONGEST DAY
The United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan will ask Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos ''are we starting?'' in the summit which will find a solution to Cyprus issue and will open the path to the European Union (EU) for Turkey. Ankara, Athens, Lefkosa and capital cities of the world are locked up at Annan Summit. Either a continuation decision will be taken or an insolubility decision that will darken Turkey's EU path will be taken in the summit.
ERDOGAN: GREEK CYPRIOTS SHOULD ALSO EXERT EFFORTS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed one more time during his meetings in South Korea that Cyprus issue should be solved. He added, ''however, this cannot be solved only with the efforts of Turkey and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).''
UNITED STATES PROMISE TO TURKEY FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN IRAQ TENDERS
Turkish delegation which went to Iraq as the guest of Paul Bremer, the top U.S. administrator in Iraq, wanted an infrastructure tender to be given to Turkey as a sign of good will. Bremer promised to show the same attitude to Turkey with Americans in tenders.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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HISTORIC DAY FOR CYPRUS
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan will meet with President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos in New York to resume the negotiation process in Cyprus. Meanwhile, the United States, which did not extend support to the Turkish side's reservations, have increased its pressure on the sides to find a solution to the Cyprus issue.
TOAST CRISIS IN SOUTH KOREA
During the dinner hosted in honor of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan by the president of South Korea, the toast ceremony did not take place. Just before the dinner, the South Korean officials announced that the ceremony would not take place due to Turkey's religious and traditional customs. While Prime Minister Erdogan's advisors Omer Celik and Saban Disli said that they did not make such a request, South Korean officials stated that they got confirmation of the Turkish side to cancel the toast ceremony. Prime Minister Erdogan's visits to foreign countries have damaged Turkey's secular image once again.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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UNWILLING SUMMIT IN NEW YORK FOR CYPRUS
The sides will sit at negotiation table in New York, the United States, later today in an effort to find a solution to the long-standing Cyprus issue. However, neither President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) nor Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos are satisfied with the conditions put forward by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. Sources said that anything could happen during today's meeting. If TRNC and the Greek Cypriot side put the process to trouble, Annan is expected to halt negotiation process. If the sides reach a compromise, the negotiation process is expected to continue in Lefkosa next week.
ERDOGAN: ''OUR EFFORTS WILL NOT BE ADEQUATE''
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is currently paying an official visit to South Korea, has said, ''Greece and the Greek Cypriot side should also display the same determination with the Turkish side to find a fair and lasting solution to the Cyprus issue till May 1, 2004. Our unilateral efforts will not be adequate.''
DEATH TOLL RISES TO 89 IN KONYA
Death toll has risen to 89 in the eleven-storey building which collapsed in Central province of Konya last week.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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FULL SUPPORT FROM POLAND
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that Turkey received the full support of Poland in its bid to be a full member of the European Union (EU). Gul, who paid an official visit to Poland, held a joint news conference with Polish Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz following talks between the delegations. Stating that Turkish-Polish relations improved a lot in recent years, Gul said that he and Cimoszewicz agreed to improve economic relations, increase bilateral investments and touristic visits. He added that Turkey was pleased over Poland's full membership to EU.
OYK APPROVAL FOR TUPRAS
Turkish Oil Refineries Corp (Tupras) was sold to Efremov Kautschuk-Zorlu Group Joint Initiative with 1.3 billion dollars. Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan said that Privatization Administration Board (OYK) approved decision on privatization of Tupras.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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ANNAN TO MEET WITH DENKTAS AND PAPADOPOULOS
The meeting among United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos will take place in New York, the United States, at about 23.00 Turkish local time on Tuesday. President Denktas, who met with Annan's Special Envoy Alvaro de Soto, said that they would held a tripartite meeting. President Denktas added that the sides would explain the changes they wanted to be made in the plan. Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary General Annan will hold separate talks with President Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Papadopoulos prior to the tripartite meeting.
ANNAN CALLS ON TURKISH AND GREEK CYPRIOTS TO URGE THEIR LEADERS TO ACCEPT U.N. PLAN
Ahead of today's meeting with President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has called on Turkish and Greek Cypriots to urge their leaders to accept the United Nations plan. ''I hope the people of Cyprus will press their leaders not to miss this opportunity. I would say to the people of Cyprus that they have a historic opportunity to unify their country and enter the European Union together with great economic and social benefits for them,'' Annan added.
(UK-GC-AÖ) 10.02.2004