ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on March 10, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
SECRET INSTRUCTION FROM SOLDIERS: COLLECT INTELLIGENCE ABOUT SOME MEMBERS OF SOCIETY
Land Forces Command sent a note to the offices of subgovernors and asked these offices to collect intelligence about ''people who are in favor of the European Union (EU) and the United States and the high society.'' In the directive it sent to military units and offices of subgovernors, Land Forces Command demands collection of information about persons and institutions who carry out ''separatist and destructive'' activities. People who are supporters of EU and the United States, artists, high society groups, Satanists, Masonic groups, minorities, and internet groups are among people about whom the Land Forces Command wanted to receive information. Istanbul Second Armored Brigade Command sent the note to Kadikoy, Maltepe, Kartal and Sultanbeyli Subgovernors' Offices and announced the people about whom it wants intelligence as, ''minorities, and those who tend to see themselves as minority like Circassian, Romanian, Abkhazian, Albanian and Bosnian groups, high society groups, groups of artists, groups formed by children of rich families, sects, Satanists, Ku Klax Klan, Masonic groups, internet groups, sexual groups, drug groups, and meditation groups.'' The directive asked the offices to search for intentions, financial sources, actions, and connections of these groups. The directive also wanted information about authors and intellectuals who work against Turkey.
LIVE BOMB AT MASONIC LODGE
Two live bombs turned Masonic Lodge in Istanbul into a bloodshed last night. One of two terrorists who detonated the bombs on them died while one waiter lost his life in the suicide attack. Six others were injured.
FAMILY FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN ERDOGAN AND PARTY OF CARAMANLIS
There is a family friendship between rime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and New Democracy Party leader Costas Caramanlis, who won Sunday's parliamentary elections in Greece. While Erdogan talks about Costas Caramanlis, whom he met for three times before Caramanlis won the elections, saying ''my friend'', Erdogan's son Necmettin Bilal is a friend of Costas, the son of Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyannis, one the most important personalities in the New Democracy Party.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
THOSE SCOUNDRELS AGAIN
One assailant and one person were killed and six people - three of them seriously - were injured in an armed and bomb attack on the Free and Accepted Masons Association in Kartal, Istanbul last night. Two terrorists staged an attack at about 10.30 p.m. on the association. Terrorists who shot the security guard at the front door in his feet later entered the association's restaurant and shattered the windows and volleyed bullets into the crowd. Later, one of the terrorists cried ''God is almighty'' and detonated two bombs he had on him. The explosion turned the restaurant into a pool of blood. During the explosion, there were almost forty people in the restaurant. Waiter Huseyin Kurgul was next to the suicide bomber when the bomb detonated and both of them were killed. Six people who were sitting at tables close to the suicide bomber were injured and rushed to hospital. Doctors said three of them were seriously injured. Meanwhile, the other terrorist who called himself ''Abdullah Islam'' was taken to hospital nearly 1.5 hours after the explosion. Sources said his arm was ripped off and his guts spilled out. Meanwhile, Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler said there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
PLAN OF INTRANSIGENCE
With a document they put on the table, Greek Cypriots rejected all proposals of TRNC President Rauf Denktas. In response to the proposals of the Turkish Cypriot side, Greek Cypriot administration leader Tassos Papadopoulos said, ''concept of two peoples is a newly invested Turkish concept. Sides are not the joint owners of the island. Besides, Turkey's EU membership to which derogations are bound is unknown.'' Papadopoulos harshly rejected the Turkish Cypriot side's proposals of revisions in Annan's plan. The written response of the Greek Cypriot side to the Turkish Cypriot side's proposals which will also constitute the road map of give-and-take process, briefly says, ''changes prepared by Denktas are outside the U.N. Secretary General's letter and parameters of Annan's plan. The paper which constitutes the Turkish stance is against the principles that constitute the EU's basis. This document is unacceptable. With his proposals, Denktas clearly rejects accession to the EU on May 1 as united Cyprus.''
CICEK: TWENTY ARTICLES OF CONSTITUTION WILL BE AMENDED
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that between 15-20 articles of the Constitution would be amended after local elections on March 28 as they were not appropriate to the EU acquis. Speaking on NTV, Cicek said they wanted to win a date in December for opening of accession negotiations with the EU. Constitutional amendments which Cicek said to be an ''display of determination'' prior to the EU Summit in December are as follows:
-Gender equality will be included in the Constitution as an article.
-Expressions which refer to death sentence in articles 15, 17, 38 and 87 will be removed.
-General Staff representative will be taken out from the Higher Board of Education.
-State Security Courts will be closed.
-Designation of the Supreme Court judges by the jurisdiction will be improved.
-Discrimination of civilian-military jurisdiction will be removed.
-Article 90 on international agreements will be amended. Thus, agreements will be valid in case international agreements contradict the Constitution.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
JUSTICE ON AN EMPTY STOMACH
Report of the European Union (EU) delegation who came to Turkey to examine the judicial system revealed that five thousand judges are trying to administer justice with a salary under poverty level. Two exports from the EU prepared a report comprised of 210 pages after meeting with judges, prosecutors, lawyers and government officials in Ankara, Istanbul, western Izmir and southeastern Diyarbakir provinces. The most striking part in the report was the low salaries of these people. Even a 10-year judge is paid 1 billion 24 million Turkish liras (TL) of salary which is equal to 620 Euro. A judge who graduates from school and starts to work in EU countries is paid 2 thousand Euro a month. Salaries of judges in Turkey is under the poverty level which is 1.3 billion TL.
DON'T BECOME ILL FOR TWO DAYS!
Doctors will go on two-day strike today and tomorrow to protest low salary and with the slogan ''humanly salary and equal and free health right.'' Health personnel will only deal with emergency cases, children, dialysis patients, pregnant women and those who are receiving cancer treatment. Also dentists are getting prepared for a one-day protest.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
AMNESTY SAVES ERDOGAN
It was proved that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who said he could not make a living with 6.5 billion Turkish liras of Prime Minister wage and his only relationship with the state was ''paying taxes'', benefited from the tax amnesty which was adopted by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). It was understood that foodstuffs producer companies Ihsan Gida and Emniyet Gida in which Erdogan has shares had not paid their taxes between 1998-2001 and those taxes were pardoned with the tax amnesty law.
UNITED STATES NOT KEEP ITS WORD
The United States brings new pretexts onto the agenda to delay eradication of the northern part of Iraq from the terrorist organization PKK. The United States which said last year it was waiting for expiration of the ''Reassociation Law'' is now presents Ankara pretexts like ''decrease in number of soldiers'', or ''PKK is about to split so its threatening structure would change''. Commenting on the United States' pretexts about the PKK, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said, ''nobody has one hundred percent confidence in anybody. We won't leave our responsibilities in fight against terrorism to other persons.'' regarding the Greater Middle East Initiative, Gul said that they had told the United States that ''Turkey would not be the sub-contractor'' but they could work together. Meanwhile, it was claimed that radical Shiite groups had built up weapons and militants in Kirkuk and surroundings where ethnic tension had escalated recently. Christian Science Monitor newspaper reported that the tension between Kurds and Shiite Turkmens was ready to explode and nearly 2 thousand militia had been sent to the region to guard Turkmens and Shiite Arabs.
PLAN DEPENDS ON CYPRUS
The United States sees the success of the role it envisages for Turkey under the Greater Middle East Initiative in resolution of the Cyprus issue and EU's starting accession talks with Turkey. U.S. Ambassador in Ankara Eric Edelman said that the United States put its all influence for Cyprus and it would be an important signal for Middle East countries if Turkey won a date for start of entry talks.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
THESE DAYS, POLITICS OPENS OUR HORIZONS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is continuously scolding to the main opposition party. And, main opposition party, namely Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal is responding to him quickly. Programs and promises of the candidate mayors are not apparent yet. Erdogan says, ''there are people who have not yet taken their lesson. They will take their lesson on March 28. They are hiding themselves behind the Republic. What is Republic? Republic is here. This is the ruling of the people. Who is against the Republic? Nobody has such a trouble. They think that they become republican by writing 'Republic' on their name plate. You can't be so by doing so. They are only talking. Nothing can be achieved by only talking.'' In return, Baykal says, ''200 parties have been formed and then closed in multi-party system. They exist today but don't exist tomorrow. CHP has been on its feet for 80 years. He should ask the wages instead of asking the salary of the German Chancellor. Duty of a prime minister is to increase income of people, not his income.''
PROPOSAL FROM ATHENS
Greek Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis, who unveiled his cabinet, laid down a proposal about Turkey. He proposed to establish a Cooperation Council where the prime ministers will meet at least once a year.
WINTER ENDS, REMEDY FOUND
Personnel of Istanbul Municipality who had ''snow course'' in Russian capital Moscow will use calcium chloride instead of sodium chloride against slippery roads. People will be obliged to use snow tires.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
EU SHOULD BE PERSUASIVE
Claudia Roth, the chairwoman of the German government's human rights board, said, ''Turkey sometimes belongs to the EU, but sometimes it does not belong to it. Such a contradiction should end and Turks would join the EU. Turkey and the EU had engagement forty years ago. For my part, Turkey-EU relations which have a forty years of history should reach a conclusion now. Turkey's membership benefits the EU. Turkey sometimes belongs to the EU, but sometimes it does not belong to it. I can't understand it. Turks are citizens of Germany and Turkey should join the EU. Otherwise, the EU loses its persuasiveness.''
IMF INSISTS ON PRICE INCREASE
Increase of natural gas in price by four percent is on the agenda. IMF officials who visited TOBB want increase in price of several items like natural gas under accomplishing the target of 6.5 percent non-interest surplus. TOBB Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu said, ''we expect a four percent increase in natural gas price'' while Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler said, ''any percentage has not become definite yet.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
CARAMANLIS HAVING KARAMAN ORIGIN PROMISES ERDOGAN TO SOLVE CYPRUS AND BECOME CLOSER
People of central Karaman province have started to take new initiatives as New Democracy Party leader Costas Caramanlis, who has Karaman origin, won the Sunday's parliamentary elections in Greece and became the youngest prime minister of Greece. The house where ancestors of Caramanlis were living in Tapucak neighborhood of Karaman before Turkey and Greece exchanged citizens after the Lausanne Treaty will be restored and turned into a museum. Justice and Development Party (AK Party)'s deputy from Karaman, Mevlut Akgun said that Karaman and Athens would be declared sister cities if candidate mayor from AK Party won the local elections due on March 28. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Caramanlis and PASOK leader George Papandreou by phone yesterday. Both Caramanlis and Papandreou promised Erdogan to ''have better bilateral relations in the new era.'' Erdogan stressed importance of taking joint action with Greece in Cyprus issue during his phone talks with Caramanlis while Caramanlis noted that bilateral relations would be further improved.
TURKEY'S WISH BECOMES TRUE, QUARTET MEETING TO BE HELD
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos, who met for the 12th time as a part of Cyprus talks, reached an agreement for the first time ''on a very important issue.'' The referendum which was expected to be held in the island on April 21 under Annan Plan will be held on April 20 since April 21 is the anniversary of military coup in Greece. It has become clear that Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriots sides can't reach a compromise on any issue other than the date of referendum. In this case, quartet meetings between the two sides which will also be attended by Turkey and Greece will be held in the ''highest level'' as of March 22.
(BRC-MS-AÖ) 10.03.2004