ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on February 19, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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SCHEFFER: ''HIKMET CETIN WORKS VERY WELL IN AFGHANISTAN''
NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer who came to Turkey last night, is expected to start his contacts in Ankara today. Scheffer wrote an article for Hurriyet newspaper about the NATO Summit that will be held in Istanbul in May, 2004 and Hikmet Cetin's mission in Afghanistan. Scheffer said that Afghanistan would be the main issue in NATO Summit in Istanbul, adding that ''Hikmet Cetin works very well in Afghanistan as the senior representative of NATO in Afghanistan.'' Scheffer stated that seven new members would join the alliance in Istanbul summit. He stressed that Turkey was a victim of terrorism, adding that NATO had to win the fight in Afghanistan if countries wanted to win the fight against terrorism.
HURRIYET JOURNALISTS VISIT DENKTAS
Prior to the Cyprus negotiations which will start on the island today, the top journalists of Hurriyet newspaper visited TRNC President Rauf Denktas. Denktas told them interesting memories during New York negotiations. Denktas said that ''during the talks, TRNC Prime Minister Talat started to argue with Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos. I ended their argument and told Talat 'stop, I will beat him, I won't leave the man whom I will beat to you!''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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SOLUTION MARATHON TO START TODAY
Negotiations on Cyprus issue will resume in Lefkosa under the auspices of U.N. Secretary General's special envoy for Cyprus Alvaro De Soto on Thursday. Negotiations will be held within the scope of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan for a united Cyprus to join the European Union (EU) on May 1. Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will be represented by TRNC President Rauf Denktas, Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat and Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas during negotiations which will be held at Lefkosa International Airport. Greek Cypriot side will be represented by Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos, Ambassador Tassos Conis, Greek Cypriot Representative to the U.N. Andreas Mavroyannis and Greek Cypriot representative Nicolas Emiliu in the Council of Europe during negotiations.
SEZER: THERE IS NO OPPOSITION BETWEEN WEST AND ISLAM
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has said that there was no opposition between the West and Islam. Delivering a speech at the Fourth Summit Meeting of Heads of State and Government of D-8 in Tehran, Sezer said that removal of difference between developed and developing countries in both economic and political fields was one of the assurances of peace in the world. Sezer noted that different societies' knowing about each other, overcoming prejudgments and getting rid of prejudices and generalizations constituted the prior steps to be taken to reach this long-term target. ''Within this framework, it should be seen that those who resort to violence in the name of Islam do not represent Islam in order to have the West understand Muslim countries better. The thesis of a contrast between Islam and the West is a result reached by misleading deduction. There are persons in both sides who fell into this mistake.''
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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TURKEY'S FULL MEMBERSHIP IN 2015
The Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot told a Dutch newspaper that he believed Turkey would become a full member of the European Union in 2015. Bot, who earlier seemed to be against Turkey's membership, stated that membership negotiations with Turkey should no longer be postponed. Bot who will come to Ankara today, said that he had positive views about the developments in Turkey, adding the democratic reforms undertaken were impressive.
LEFTIST ALLIANCE AGAINST CHP
Officials of the leftist alliance formed by six leftist parties will compete with opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) during the local elections. The alliance seems sure of winning the votes of people in eastern and southeastern provinces as Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) is also within the alliance.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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SURPRISING MEETING
European Union (EU) Troika delegation will stop by at Ankara's Esenboga Airport for one hour on Thursday. The plane which carries the delegation members who visited India, Afghanistan and Pakistan will stop by Esenboga Airport for technical support. EU Troika delegation including Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen, Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot and EU Commissioner for foreign relations Chris Patten will be hosted by Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul at the airport. EU Troika is expected to pay official visit to Turkey on March 8. Turkish-EU relations and international issues are expected to be taken up during EU Troika's visit to Turkey.
FIRE AGAIN IN A CAFE IN IZMIR
Two people died in a fire which broke out in a cafe in Balcova township of western Izmir province on Wednesday. Five others were injured. Officials said that fire broke out at 7.10 p.m. due to explosion which occurred because of gas compression in the cafe, ''Sarkevi Kafeterya'', on Sakarya Street in Balcova. Five people who were injured in fire were taken to Dokuz Eylul University Hospital. Nine people earlier died in a fire which broke out in a cafe in Bornova town of western Izmir province in November 2003.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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EU'S PROBLEM: QUESTION OF HARMONY
If there is going to be a disharmony between the agreement to be reached in Cyprus and the EU law, the agreement will be considered as the basis during the period of compromise. Ankara thinks that a period of 15 years is rational. The question to which the European Union (EU) tries to find an answer is ''what kind of a sentence should be included in the text of agreement so that the agreement to be reached will be in line with EU law.''
ROMANIA TO APPLY VISA TO TURKEY
Romania which didn't apply visa to Turkish citizens for 36 years, will start to ask visa from Turkish citizens after April 1, 2004. Tourism and transportation companies have complaints about it.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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EVERYTHING IS FOR PEACE
The historic negotiations will start today for finding a solution in Cyprus. Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides which will come together under the leadership of U.N. special envoy Alvaro De Soto at Lefkosa International Airport today, will do their best to amend Annan plan according to their interests. If Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides agree about the amendments in the plan, U.N. will accept it as it is and Annan plan will be re-written. The new peace plan will be submitted to referendum and go into force after being approved by Turkish-Greek parliaments.
FIRE IN CAFE KILLS TWO PEOPLE IN IZMIR
A fire took place in a cafe due to gas compression in Balcova district of western Izmir province yesterday evening. Totally two persons died, while five others were wounded in the fire.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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WESTON SAYS UNLESS THERE HAD BEEN PROPOSAL OF TURKISH SIDE, COMPROMISE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN REACHED
U.S. Special Cyprus Coordinator Thomas Weston who spoke to Zaman before negotiations which will be resumed in Cyprus on Thursday said that he was very impressed by performance of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas. Weston noted that talks on Cyprus issue in New York yielded favorable results due to Turkish side's constructive and promising proposal, adding that a big part of the issue was solved. Weston, who is one of architects of historical compromise in New York, stressed that unless there had been proposal of Turkish side, they could not have reached a compromise.
SIDES IN CYPRUS TO SIT AT TABLE WITH DEMAND OF CHANGE
Negotiations on Cyprus issue will resume in Lefkosa under the auspices of U.N. Secretary General's special envoy for Cyprus Alvaro De Soto on Thursday. De Soto met separately with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos and made latest evaluations on the issue. Sides in Cyprus will sit at the negotiation table with proposals of change in the Annan plan.
(EÖ-Öª-AÖ) 19.02.2004