ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on March 4, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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HERE IS THE EVIDENCE
Family of Flight Lieutenant Nail Erdogan whose plane was shot by a Greek Mirage plane during a dog fight over the Aegean Sea in 1996 and crashed into waters of the Aegean killing him has filed a lawsuit at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against Athens by presenting a photograph of a Greek magazine as an evidence. Relatives of Erdogan asked the ECHR to sentence Athens to pay a moral compensation of 625 thousand Euro and an additional 4 million Euro to be used to find missing body of Erdogan. The Greek magazine published a photograph of the Greek Mirage that shot Erdogan's plane, showing that the Greek pilot had a Turkish flag printed on the nose of the plane in accordance with the air battle traditions.
INFLATION DECREASES TO ONE-DIGIT NUMBERS
Inflation rates have decreased to one-digit numbers after a period of 28 years. The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) announced yesterday that wholesale prices rose by 1.64 percent, and consumer prices increased by 0.55 percent in February of 2004.
DISCUSSION BETWEEN COX AND CICEK ABOUT ZANA
A discussion has taken place during the dinner hosted by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in honor of European Parliament President Pat Cox about Leyla Zana, the former deputy of the Democracy Party (DEP) which was closed down by the Constitutional Court. Cox brought the issue onto agenda. In response, Prime Minister Erdogan said that they provided re-trial of Zana and her friends as they had promised before coming to the political power. He noted that the process was up to independent judiciary. When Cox said that release of Zana from the prison would have a symbolic value for Europe, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek was involved in the discussion. Cicek said that Zana insulted judges at hearings.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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ONE MORE STEP FORWARD FOR CYPRUS
If the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Greek Cypriot side cannot reach a compromise in the negotiation process aiming to find a fair and lasting solution to the Cyprus issue till March 22, Turkey and Greece will participate in the negotiation process. Turkey has proposed that guarantor states should be represented at the negotiation table by their prime ministers or foreign ministers having political will in order to come to a conclusion.
A MESSAGE TO ISRAEL
The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government criticizing the harsh policies of the Israeli government led by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, has decided to sign the water agreement between Turkey and Israel on the level of undersecretaries instead of ministers. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal will sign the agreement worth of 200 million U.S. dollars. Despite all intense pressure of Israel, neither Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan nor Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul have paid an official visit to Israel for 14 months. They also refrained from visiting Israel to sign the water agreement which will further strengthen strategic co-operation between Turkey and Israel.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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GOVERNMENT PLANS TO AMEND CONSTITUTION
The government has decided to accelerate its works to amend the Constitution following the local elections to be held on March 28. Holding a press conference following yesterday's meeting of the Council of Ministers, Justice Minister and Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek said that they had completed the necessary legal arrangements in the European Union (EU) adjustment process. Reminding that the other arrangements required constitutional amendment, Cicek said that the constitutional amendment had become a social requirement.
WESTON: VICIOUS CIRCLE IN CYPRUS SHOULD COME TO AN END
The government has asked the United States to take action noting that the Greek Cypriot side has been trying to postpone finding a solution to the Cyprus issue till May 1 when it would officially become a member of the European Union (EU). U.S. State Department's Special Envoy to the Cyprus Thomas Weston said that the vicious circles between the two sides in the island should come to an end. Weston added that the United States would take action whenever it was necessary.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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NATIONAL CONSCIOUS FORMS LINE
The Kemalist Thought Association organized a panel discussion to mark the 80th anniversary of ''Abolition of the Caliphate and Settlement of Unity of Education''. The Turkish Armed Forces commanding delegation, a number of democratic mass organizations, labor unions and university representatives participated in the panel discussion. As all of nearly seven thousand citizens could not enter the hall, most of them listened to speeches outside the building. Representatives of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), True Path Party (DYP) and Democratic Left Party (DSP) participated in the panel discussion to which the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) was not invited.
THEY MARCH FOR CYPRUS
Groups of people who set off on a journey from ten different locations in Turkey to extend support TRNC President Rauf Denktas have arrived in Ankara under an initiative launched by the Labor Party (IP). The group that reached two thousand people with participation of the CHP, DYP, MHP and DSP will join the group that will welcome Denktas today. Denktas who will attend a conference on Cyprus will be welcomed by Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) Chairman Sinan Aygun and chairmen of other institutions.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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CYPRUS PRESSURE
While Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Greek Cypriot side could not make any considerable progress in the negotiation process aiming to find a fair and lasting solution to the Cyprus issue, relevant countries have begun putting more pressure on them. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said that if the Greek Cypriot side said ''no'' in the referendum, they would represent only the southern part of the island and positive attitudes of both Turkey and TRNC would be appreciated.
SPAUTZ PLEDGES TO SUPPORT TURKEY IN ITS EU PROCESS
Parliament Speaker Jean Spautz of Luxembourg has eulogized the reform process in Turkey and pledged to support Turkey in its European Union (EU) membership process. Spautz held talks with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday. Reminding that Luxembourg would take over the EU term presidency in 2005, Spautz said that if the EU Commission took a positive decision, they would make all kinds of contributions to Turkey.
FRANCE APPROVES BAN ON ISLAMIC-STYLE HEADSCARF
A bill on secularism which envisages a ban on religious symbols and clothing at state schools was approved by 276 votes against 20 at the French Senate. The law which will take effect in next education year prohibits students from entering classrooms by wearing headscarf, kippa (traditional hat) and big cross necklaces.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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''WE SET A DATE AT THE END OF THE YEAR''
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said, ''we have once again decided that Turkey and Britain will be in close cooperation in fight against terrorism.'' Gul and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw held a joint news conference at the Conrad Hotel in Istanbul yesterday. British Secretary Jack Straw stressed that Turkey had recorded significant progress in human rights and other legal fields, adding that he always underlined how much the situation of political institutions in the ten countries that were going to join the European Union soon was worse than the situation of political institutions in Turkey. Straw stressed that EU member countries supported Turkey's membership as much as Britain. Asked what kind of arguments he wanted to make against the countries which did not want to see Turkey in the EU, Straw said he actually heard very few arguments against Turkey and consequently, heads of state and foreign ministers of EU members had decided on setting a date for opening of accession talks with Turkey through the end of the year.
WE SEE ALSO THESE DAYS
The chronic high inflation against which we have fought for years gave in at last as a result of the stability and determination in the economy and we saw a one-digit inflation figure for the first time since 1970. Figures which are described as ''historical record'' show that annual inflation as of February was 9.14 percent in wholesale prices (WPI) and 14.28 percent in consumer prices (CPI). In February of 2004, WPI increased by 1.64 percent and CPI rose by 0.55 percent. In the first two months of 2004, inflation rate was 4.31 percent in WPI and 1.29 percent in CPI. Meanwhile, inflation rate in private sector manufacturing industry rose by 0.1 percent in February.
HOOLIGAN FINED FOR FIRST TIME
A football fan was fined 115 million Turkish liras (TL) by the Prosecutor's Office in central province of Kayseri for swearing at players during a second division soccer match. Ferit Sayin said the fine should be an example to other fans. ''On Valentines Day on February 14, I went to the stadium to watch soccer match between Kayserispor and Izmirspor. When I got mad at visitor players, I swore at them. There was a police officer sitting next to me. He heard my swearing and took my identity card and took me to the police station. I was later released but the prosecutor's office notified me that it fined me 114 million 904 thousand liras.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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ANOTHER REGISTRATION OF TURKISH REFORMS FROM EUROPE
The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (COEPA) Monitoring Committee decided to close the monitoring procedure over Turkey. Turkey has been under close monitoring since 1996 with the pretext of existence of problems in democratization field and continuation of human rights violations. With the decision, Turkey has taken an important step on fulfillment of the Copenhagen criteria prior to the ''December Summit'' which has critical importance in terms of Turkey's EU membership. EU officials stress that it was difficult to open accession talks with a candidate country that was under COE monitoring. Turkey reports which were approved at yesterday's COEPA Monitoring Committee meeting will be debated and put to vote at COEPA's general assembly meeting in April.
STRAW: ''TURKEY'S MEMBERSHIP DEFINITELY BENEFITS EU''
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said that accession of Turkey to the EU definitely benefited the bloc. Noting that they supported the process, Straw said they thought Turkey had been fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria quite good and they hoped it could win a date for start of negotiations until the end of 2004. Meanwhile, speaking on CNN-Turk, Straw said that Greek Cypriots joined the EU as representative of only the southern Cyprus if they said 'no' in referendum.
(MS-AY) 04.03.2004