ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on March 24, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER 30 YEARS
Turkey and Greece will join Cyprus talks, which will take place in Burgenstock resort city of Switzerland, in the level of foreign ministers. Today's talks will be the first meeting after second Cyprus Peace Operation which had started with the password ''Ayse Goes to Holiday''.
Ankara and Athens meet in Switzerland today for the first time after second Peace Operation in 1974.
The meeting, which will start in ministry level, will later turn into a summit with the participation of prime ministers on March 29.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul arrived in beautiful resort city of Switzerland, Burgenstock, on Tuesday for the four-way talks which is the second phase of intercommunal talks that started in Cyprus on February 19.
TRNC President Rauf Denktas does not participate in the meeting. Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat and his aide Serdar Denktas represent TRNC at the meeting.
Greek Cypriot side attends the meeting with a delegation led by Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos.
EU summit in Brussels on March 25-26 will affect the course of the four-way meeting. Response of Europe to the assurances which the Turkish side called for derogations will be clarified. In case the assurance, which the Turkish side wanted aiming to prevent disruption of the agreement within a few years on charges that it does not comply with European Law is not considered as sufficient, cold winds may blew in Burgenstock Summit.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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WE WILL HAVE FOUR DEMANDS IN FOUR-WAY TALKS
Turkey, during the four-way summit, will exert efforts to prevent the agreement from disruption, for bizonality, soldiers and citizens on the island.
The four-way summit will start today in Burgenstock, Switzerland, under U.N. supervision and with the participation of Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides. Ankara will also expect for a decision to be issued in the EU Summit in Brussels. Ankara wants assurances to be given so that the agreement that would be reached could not be changed by the European courts.
The meetings, which will start with the participation of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and Greek Foreign Minister Petros Moliviatis, will continue in prime ministry level between March 29 and 31.
In case the sides fail to reach an agreement in Switzerland, Annan will put a new plan, which he will prepare by considering the views of the sides, to referendum.
Ankara will exert efforts for acceptance of its four demands.
-Disruption of agreement: Preventing European judicial organs to lift limitations which will be brought in the plan regarding return of Greek Cypriots to Turkish region, political rights and exchange of property.
Bi-zonality: Turkey wants rate of Greek Cypriots who will be allowed to return to Turkish founder state to be dropped and also wants whole of the 24 chairs, what will be given to Turkish state in senate of joint state, to be elected from Turks.
Presence of Turkish soldiers: Turkey wants presence of Turkish soldiers, even limited, after EU membership.
Turkey will also call for strong guarantees from the U.N. side to prevent disruption of tranquillity of those who will have to leave their homes.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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GUL HOPEFUL BUT CONCERNED
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said, ''Cyprus will turn into Kosovo in case a permanent solution can not be reached.''
While leaving for Switzerland for the four-way meeting, Gul made a call to the European Union (EU) to prevent the agreement to be reached on Cyprus from any amendment. ''There should not be any way of amending the agreement in the future with any excuse or through European Union law; otherwise, there is no meaning in exerting such effort to reach an agreement,'' Gul emphasized.
Gul voiced his concern that Cyprus may turn into Kosovo in case a permanent solution can not be found.
Gul said, ''those experienced in Kosovo strengthened Turkey's several concerns. I hope U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan will take those into consideration and in the end Turkish and Greek Cypriot peoples will be presented a plan which they can accept. Turkish side will do its best for this. A solution can be reached in case the other side has the same understanding. However, we definitely do not aim at a solution whatever the cost will be.''
FOURTH ANNAN PLAN
According to Greek Cypriot press, recent Annan plan, which would satisfy Greek Cypriot side on administration, territory and economy, and the Turkish Cypriot side on bizonality is ready.
Greek Cypriot Politis newspaper said: A new plan will be given to the sides in Burgenstock. This will satisfy both sides.
The newspaper claimed that United Nations officials prepared a new plan for the sides to reach a solution. The newspaper said the solution proposal would be given to the sides during four-way talks in Switzerland.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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GEN.OZKOK: WE HAVE NOWHERE TO GO
Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, who evaluated the developments in the Middle East, said, ''we are living in Anatolia geography. We have no other homeland.''
General Staff Deputy Chief General Ilker Basbug said they expected the United States to take action against the terrorist PKK organization.
FOURTH ANNAN PLAN IS READY
According to the news report of Politis newspaper, published in Southern Cyprus, fourth Annan plan satisfies Greek Cypriot side on function of joint state, territory and security issues and economy. The news report said the Turkish side will have profit on its demand for bizonality.
The news report defends that EU would partly satisfy Ankara on its demands for derogation.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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PRIME MINISTER ERDOGAN HARSHLY CRITICIZES ASSASSINATION ON YASSIN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who earlier criticized Palestinian organizations as they applied to terrorism, now that harshly criticized Israel.
Erdogan evaluated killing of Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin as a bomb which was thrown against peace process in the Middle East.
Erdogan said that the killing destroyed hopes for peace and escalated feeling of revenge.
Erdogan said they could not rejoice over another's misfortunes when terrorist attack is made to somebody else. ''We are a country which paid the cost of vicious circle of violence. Both sides have terrorist attacks. This should be stopped.''
UNITED STATES LIFTS TRAVEL WARNING ON TURKEY
After the United States has decided to lift its travel warning on Turkey, number of American tourists visiting Turkey is expected to increase considerably.
Turkish Culture and Tourism Attache in New York Levent Demirel said that the United States' decision was a significant development for Turkish tourism.
Recalling that Turkey had dropped the visa fee of 100 U.S. dollars to 20 U.S. dollars for U.S. citizens, Demirel said that they expected number of American tourists visiting Turkey to increase considerably as a result of these developments.
''We have decided to start a promotion campaign in the United States as of April 1, 2004. We will give priority to promotion activities in cities such as New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Also, leading TV channels such as ABC, CBS and NBC will broadcast our advertisements,'' he said.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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TURKEY LOSES WHENEVER IT APPLIES TO IMF
Sinan Aygun, President of Ankara Chamber of Trade, said Turkey lost whenever it applied to IMF and called on Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan to review relations with the IMF.
Aygun said IMF was not a remedy to Turkey when the macro balances were considered, and noted that Turkey's 145 billion U.S. dollars debt increased to 350 billion U.S. dollars after greeting IMF.
CYPRUS SHOULD NOT BE KOSOVO
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, who left for Switzerland on Tuesday for a solution on Cyprus, made warnings both to the U.N. and the Greek Cypriots.
Pointing out that they did not have a submissive policy, Gul said, ''those experienced in Bosnia and Kosovo recently strengthens Turkey's concerns. I hope U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos will take this into consideration.
Stating that Turkey always considered the issue with good will, Gul said they expected similar good will from the Greek Cypriot side. Gul pointed out that he was travelling to Switzerland with sincere feelings.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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PRIORITIES OF NORTHERN CYPRUS ARE MORE IMPORTANT
Four-way Cyprus talks will start in Burgenstock, Switzerland today with the participation of Turkey and Greece.
The meetings will start in foreign ministry level this morning.
The meetings will continue in the level of undersecretaries after the ministers's participation to EU summit in Brussels between March 25 and 26.
Turkish and Greek prime ministers will join the talks on March 29.
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan is also expected to join the talks.
Turkey joins the talks with a 22-people delegation, and the guests are hosted in three separate hotels. Gul, who arrived in Burgenstock on Tuesday afternoon, had dinner with TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat and Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas.
Ankara, determining its priorities for a solution, gives primary importance to TRNC's basic conditions.
Serdar Denktas said, ''we will live in Cyprus. Of course, our priorities should have primary importance.''
CONVICT OF SUICIDE ATTACK ON MASONIC LODGE WANTS TO BENEFIT FROM REPENTANCE LAW
Engin Vural, the convict of suicide attack on the Free and Accepted Masons Grand Lodge Association in Kartal district of Istanbul, said he wanted to benefit from Repentance Law.
Istanbul State Security Court (DGM) Prosecutor Bekir Raif Aldemir interrogated Vural, currently receiving treatment in Kartal State Hospital.
Stating that he received training in Pakistan, Vural claimed that he planned the attack together with Nihat Dogruel who died in suicide attack and Adem Cetinkaya, who was reported to murder dentist Yasef Yahya.
(AY-AÖ) 24.03.2004