ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on March 21, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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CANAYDIN RE-ELECTED GALATASARAY CLUB'S CHAIRMAN
Ozhan Canaydin was re-elected the Chairman of Galatasaray Club in the 92nd congress of the famous soccer club. He was elected with 1,353 votes to 1,175 votes won by Mehmet Cansun, another candidate. Canaydin said, ''votes are very close to each other. This is a warning. We will work hand in hand for Galatasaray in its 100th year.'' Meanwhile, Galatasaray soccer club was again defeated 2-1 by Caykur Rizespor. This match was the final match of coach Fatih Terim. Emperor Fatih Terim said, ''I will never be the coach of Galatasaray again.''
ERDOGAN REACTS TO TEZIC: ''BE AWARE OF YOUR POSITION''
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan assumed a severer attitude towards Higher Election Board (YOK). Touching on reaction of YOK Chairman Prof. Erdogan Tezic, Erdogan said, ''this is very ugly. I am a politician. But, he is not a politician. He can't show his reaction to National Education Minister this way. He should be aware of his position.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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MEETING OF MARCH 29
Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy leader Kemal Dervis and some CHP deputies had a secret meeting which lasted for six hours in Istanbul. A total of 17 people who attended meeting discussed developments that would occur if CHP failed in local elections. Dervis said that CHP became a political party which could not be an opposition which contributed to efforts to find solutions. When asked what would happen if CHP failed in local elections, Dervis said, ''we should discuss this issue in the morning of March 29.''
ERDOGAN IN ISTANBUL
Turkish Prime Minister and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan were in Istanbul a week before local elections which will be held on March 28. Erdogan addressed people in Istanbul and explained activities of his party during his speech. Erdogan introduced his party's candidates for mayors to people and asked his supporters to vote in favor of those candidates.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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TUNNEL OF CORRUPTION
Here is the 30-year summary of a corruption among the state, politics and contractors: Seven hundred trillion Turkish liras (TL) has been spent on the Ayas Tunnel of 70 kilometers long which can't be completed yet. The construction of the tunnel started in 1976 as Suleyman Demirel attended the groundbreaking ceremony. But, contractors can't reach the end of the tunnel for 28 years. Ten kilometers of this tunnel will be constructed as a part of Ankara-Istanbul Rapid Railway Project. Only eight kilometers of this part has been dug so far. As contractors saw that the tunnel was on the fault line, the construction was stopped. Ruling parties have spent 700 trillion TL on this ongoing project. Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim said the last word on the project. He noted, ''there is need for 10 billion U.S. dollars and eight years to complete this project. This is unbelievable.''
NOAH'S ARK NOT IN AGRI BUT IN FIRAT
According to a documentary film shot by BBC, Noah's Ark was carrying load on the Firat River. This is a new thesis about Noah's Ark, the traces of which are being searched on the Agri Mountain according to what the holy books write. The thesis told researches to search the traces on Firat. According to experts of BBC, Noah was in fact an administrator dealing with trade and his ship sank in a heavy storm when carrying load between places on the Firat River.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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SEZER: ''NEVRUZ IS A DAY OF FRIENDSHIP''
Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer issued a message to mark Nevruz. He said in his message that relationship among people based on affection, respect and tolerance and cultural and social activities had great importance for restoring and making peace permanent in societies.
DENKTAS TO SUBMIT CURRENT CONSTITUTION TO U.N.
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas announced that his country would submit its current constitution to the United Nations (U.N). Denktas said, ''thus, we don't make a new constitution which will end our state. And, we give them our constitution in practice. An agreement may be reached. After an agreement is reached, we may think of changes we can make in our constitution, taking into consideration the agreement.''
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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DENKTAS'S MESSAGE TO ERDOGAN, OZKOK AND GUL: ''I HOPE TURKEY WILL MAKE A DETERMINED DECISION ON SINE QUA NON CONDITIONS''
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas expressed hope that Turkey would make a determined decision on sine qua non conditions. Denktas said, ''I hope that they will show our people and also Turkish nation that as long as those decisions are not taken, (United Nations Secretary General Kofi) Annan plan can not be accepted.'' Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul had a meeting on Cyprus issue in Turkish capital Ankara on Saturday.
SPRING IN TURKEY
Meteorology officials said that warm weather would be influential across the country as of Sunday after a severe winter. Temperatures will rise by five degrees Celsius throughout the country. Rise in temperatures is expected to last till midweek. Rain is not expected in the country, either.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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'NO' TO THIS PLAN
An American organization conducted a survey in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). According to the survey, 40.8 percent of Turkish Cypriot people will say 'yes' to United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan and 46.3 percent of Turkish Cypriot people will say 'no' to the plan. If there are some critical changes in the Annan plan, 52.3 percent of people will vote in favor of the plan in referendum which will be held on April 20.
UNAKITAN: ''THERE WILL BE NO RISE IN PRICES''
Turkish Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan said that there will be no rise in prices after local elections when reminded of some allegations that there would be rise in prices after local elections. Unakitan, who delivered a speech in a meeting which was held by the Association of Industrialists and Businessmen in Edirne (EDSIAD), said that they did not think of any rise in prices as there was not any budgetary problem.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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ISDEMIR RECORDS PROFIT 15 YEARS LATER AS WORKERS ARE GIVEN SHARE IN COMPANY
Iskenderun Iron and Steel Factories Corp. (Isdemir) is a very striking example for state enterprises which can continue to function with the support of the Treasury since it recorded profit years later. The factory, which recorded its last profit in 1989, could be made lucrative again thanks to initiatives launched by its officials. The number of personnel in Isdemir was reduced from 18 thousand to 6 thousand 500. Thus, the cost of labor force was decreased from 56 to 18 percent. Workers were given 10 percent of Isdemir's shares and thus, they worked more since they had shares in the factory. And, Isdemir recorded 33 million U.S. dollars of profit last year.
CYPRUS SUMMIT IN ANKARA BEFORE QUARTET CONFERENCE
Ankara reviewed its road map before the quartet conference to take place among Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Greek Cypriot side, Turkey and Greece in Switzerland as a part of ongoing Cyprus negotiations. The meeting chaired by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was held at the Prime Ministry building with participation of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Chief of General Staff Hilmi Ozkok and high-level bureaucrats. Participants enumerated ''sine qua non'' conditions related with Cyprus issue in their meeting.
(EÖ-BRC) 21.03.2004