ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on February 26, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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REQUEST FOR PRESS BLACKOUT
During yesterday's conversation with journalists, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he expected that the press would show careful attitude ands take joint steps with the government to prevent the talks in Cyprus from breaking off. While expressing this request, the Prime Minister said, ''here, I don't have any intention of acting upon an opinion of such a ban on our mass media. We cannot think about such a thing. Besides, we don't support such an understanding.'' Later, Erdogan said, ''there have been such words and statements about the negotiations that they may incite and annoy the other side, and there may be a break-off'' and he made this request: ''even I think that our mass media should censor several statements issued even in northern Cyprus and introduce them in this way. It is my request from you and my opinion. Because I don't think that explaining everything within this process would be very beneficial.'' When a journalist asked him whether TRNC President Rauf Denktas's news conferences could not be reported according to his request, Erdogan said, ''I don't have the right to say it. We expect same sensitivity from both administrations there. Similarly from Mr. Denktas, his son and Mr. Prime Minister Talat. We tell this also to the Greek Cypriot side. Same situation exists in the south of the island, also they report those statements. However, you should see that neither Turkey nor Greece intervene in this matter much. It is very sensitive. I call on the sides.''
FIFTH ATTACK IN ONE YEAR
Football world was shaken by the fifth armed attack in one year. Football commentator and former FIFA referee Ahmet Cakar was wounded in an armed attack yesterday morning. An armed attack was staged on Cakar while he was getting out of his car at 9:10 a.m. in Mecidiyekoy, Istanbul. The assailant who approached Cakar with a bunch of narcissus in his hand fired five bullets on him. It was the fifth armed attack on soccer columnists in Turkey in last one year. Cakar who underwent surgery told reporters, ''the triggerman may have been hired and incited by a person or persons due to my words and criticisms during sports programme on television channel.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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ERDOGAN:''WE ARE NOT OPPONENTS, BUT KINFOLKS WITH DENKTAS''
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters yesterday that people wanted solution in Cyprus, adding that it was the task of the TRNC administration to resolve the issue. Prime Minister Erdogan stated that ''we gave hand in hand with TRNC President Denktas from the beginning of the issue, we are not opponents, but kinfolks of each other.'' According to Erdogan, the foundation of a united Cyprus was the most ideal scenario for the Turkish government. Erdogan said that in such a case, embargo on the north of the island would end, and use of Turkish language in EU meetings would also be a very important step. ''Flag, national anthem will also be accepted. If bizonality and guarantor rights are strengthened, and if the map is smoothened, this will be to the advantage of Turkish Cypriot Republic,'' he added.
TURKEY IS CLOSE PARTNER OF RUSSIA
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov who had more than three hours meeting with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday, gave messages of friendship. Ivanov said that Turkey was a good neighbour and close partner of Russia. Speaking in the joint news conference with Gul, Ivanov said that both countries knew what terrorism meant, because citizens of them were killed in terrorist attacks. Ivanov stressed that the two countries decided to strengthen common fight against terrorism. Russian Foreign Minister also signaled that Russia could support Turkey's temporary membership in U.N. Security Council between the years 2009-2010.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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POWELL: FIND MURDERERS OF BIRTAN
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell warned Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul by sending him a letter regarding the case on death of Birtan Altunbas due to torture which could not be concluded for 13 years. In his letter, Powell referred to the fact that police officers who were tried for causing the death of university student Birtan Altunbas in 1991 as a result of torturing him, were not sentenced yet. Powell noted that the case could become invalid due to lapse of time soon, adding that human rights practices should be speeded up for the EU Commission report's on Turkey to be positive in October this year.
TURKEY'S HOMEWORK FOR ITS EU BID HAS NOT FINISHED YET
For fulfillment of Copenhagen criteria, some legal amendments still have to be done by Turkey. The structure of State Security Courts (DGM) has to change, so that these courts will be turned into specialized courts. Regional Appellate Courts will be founded which will work between the Supreme Court of Appeals and local courts. The structure of Higher Board of Judges and Prosecutors will be changed and Justice Minister and his Undersecretary will withdraw from the Board. The law on Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) will be amended so that broadcasting in mother tongue at the regional level can also be possible. The existing structure of Higher Board of Education, which is criticized for not giving autonomy to universities and for not being democratic, will be changed.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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ERDOGAN ORDERS TO STOP TALKING
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a breakfast meeting with the editors of major newspapers and the directors of leading TV stations and their correspondents in Ankara yesterday. Criticizing comments which showed him as if he were the enemy of TRNC President Rauf Denktas, Erdogan said, ''we (Denktas and he) can only be political relatives.'' However, the Prime Minister did not refrain from criticizing Denktas by saying, ''if only the content had not been announced'' about the negotiations in the island. The Prime Minister also asked for auto-censorship from the mass media. He said, ''we cannot put pressure on the mass media, of course, but announcing the content and speaking about it can be provocative. This situation may cause a break-off. We think that the TRNC and Turkish media should censor it.'' Erdogan said that the parliament would approve a solution after referendum.
DENKTAS: ''I DON'T STOP TALKING''
TRNC President Rauf Denktas said that Erdogan's words did not address him, adding, ''it is our responsibility and duty of conscience to inform our people on what we do every day, the matters we disagree, difficulties we encounter, what we obtained and what we couldn't obtain.'' Stressing that he expressed only realities, Denktas said, ''everybody has the right to ask us, 'what are you doing?' if we start to tell lies and make statements as propaganda.''
AL-QAEDA TRIED
Prosecutor sought life in prison for five suspects and imprisonment terms from 4.5 up to 22.5 years for other 64 suspects of the terrorist attacks in Istanbul. The indictment said that attacks were staged when Al-Qaeda's military flank head terrorist Al-Misri had asked assistance of the terrorist organization's formation in Turkey to stage attacks on the U.S. and Israeli targets in Turkey. It is claimed that attacks had been financed by Al-Qaeda terrorists in Iran and Europe.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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ERDOGAN WAITS FOR GUL
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who talked to journalists yesterday sent a message to both TRNC President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos that they should not issue statements which would sabotage the negotiation process. When informed that Denktas would continue to hold news conferences, Erdogan became uneasy. Erdogan waits for Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to return from his visit to Russia to evaluate the issue. Prime Minister Erdogan favours an agreement on the island without any need for Turkey and Greece to take action.
NO COMMUNICATION ON FOURTH DAY OF CYPRUS TALKS
The Greek Cypriot side didn't come to the fourth meeting between Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos and TRNC President Rauf Denktas. U.N. special envoy Alvaro De Soto called TRNC President Rauf Denktas by phone and told him that Papadopoulos would not come to the meeting as he was working on his response to the proposals of Denktas. Denktas said in his part that he would continue to give information to the public.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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''WE ALTOGETHER HAVE TO BRING IT TO A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION''
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who met with representatives of newspapers and television channels in a breakfast in Ankara said, ''we will altogether bring the Cyprus issue to a successful conclusion.'' Noting that he had felt the need for holding such a meeting after developments in Cyprus, Erdogan said, ''there has been a haste. I wanted to carry out a brief preliminary study on the issue during this breakfast meeting. I believe that the process which will continue until March 29 is at the moment very important for both northern and southern Cyprus. We hope that these talks would reach the desired result during this period, of course.'' Erdogan said that the United Nations would invite guarantor states Turkey and Greece and a new process would start and U.N. Secretary-general Kofi Annan would fill in the blanks in case negotiations would not end in a compromise. Stressing that Turkey wanted resolution of the Cyprus issue before May 1, Erdogan said, ''what will the TRNC obtain here? What do Turkey's high interests require? We have to focus on these. The TRNC is a state which is recognized only by Turkey. However, southern Cyprus does not have such a problem.''
DENKTAS: ''WE WANT LASTING SOLUTION''
Speaking about the negotiations in Cyprus of which fourth session was postponed to today, TRNC President Rauf Denktas said, ''our demands aim at reaching a lasting solution in the island.''
ONE-DIGIT FIGURES IN 2005
Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti said that stability policies should be maintained. Addressing businessmen in Ankara, Serdengecti said that inflation in Turkey had entered a decreasing trend but figures were still high. ''Real interest rates are still high. We can see one-digit inflation rates in April and May. However, permanent one-digit inflation figures will appear in 2005.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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MEDIA SHOULD NOT PROVOKE GREEK CYPRIOTS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that in case of a solution in Cyprus, the Turkish side would gain important benefits. Speaking to journalists in a breakfast meeting, Erdogan said that media organs issued certain news and comments that could cause the Cyprus negotiations to halt. Prime Minister called media administrators to be more careful about news stories and articles that could provoke the Greek Cypriot side.
TURKEY AND UKRAINE TO COOPERATE IN PRIVATIZATION TENDERS
Turkey and Ukraine called each other to take part in each other's privatization tenders. Ukraine particularly called Turkish investors to take part in privatization of its coal and mining. Turkey in its part proposed Ukraine to act together in privatization studies in sectors which complemented each other in Turkey.
(MS-Öª-AÖ) 26.02.2004