ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on March 25, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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GREECE AND GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE TRY TO EVADE FOUR-PARTY TALKS
While the world has expected the Cyprus talks to continue on the four-party level with the participation of Turkey and Greece for the first time after a period of 30 years, Greece and the Greek Cypriot side has been trying to evade the four-party talks. Foreign Minister Petros Moliviatis of Greece, who arrived in Buergenstock, Switzerland, yesterday, objected to the four-party talks by claiming that conditions were not ripe enough. Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro de Soto confused members of the Turkish delegation saying that it was not necessary to hold the four-party talks since New York talks did not envisage such a meeting.
ERDOGAN PLANS TO CANCEL HIS VISIT TO ISRAEL
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has harshly criticized March 22's Israeli air strike killing Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin. Describing the action of Israel as an act of terrorism, Prime Minister Erdogan said, ''killing of a person suffering from quadriplegia is nothing, but an act of terrorism. Unfortunately, the recent developments have destroyed the road map about Israeli-Palestinian peace process and mediation process. This air strike has overshadowed hopes to provide peace in the region.'' Meanwhile, Prime Minister Erdogan gave signals that he was planning to cancel his scheduled visit to Israel.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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ANNAN'S TRICK
The first day of the four-party talks to be held among Turkey, Greece, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Greek Cypriot side in Buergenstock town of Switzerland, has resulted in fiasco. The talks could not be held as a result of objections of Greece and the Greek Cypriot side. Meanwhile, the Turkish side was shocked with the United Nations' statement that four-party talks were not necessary by ignoring the compromise reached in New York, the United States, on February 13. Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul who arrived in Buergenstock on Tuesday, waited for arrival of his Greek counterpart Petros Moliviatis till yesterday afternoon. The United Nations proposed to hold bilateral talks between TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos. The Turkish side expressed its uneasiness about the proposal. The bilateral meeting was cancelled later.
MEMBERS OF WORLD PRESS DUE IN TURKEY
Turkey has been getting prepared to host a very important meeting in the coming days. Istanbul will host the 57th Congress of French capital Paris-based World Association of Newspapers (WAN) between May 30 and June 2, 2004. Leading names of world press will attend the congress. During the congress, the most important of problems of journalism will be taken up in detail.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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TUSIAD TO ATTEND EU SUMMIT
The delegation formed by chairmen of UNICE, the institution of European private sector, will attend the European Union (EU) spring-term meeting in Brussels later today. Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) Executive Board Chairman Omer Sabanci will take place in the delegation. Sabanci is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Berti Ahern of current EU Term President Ireland. During the meeting, Sabanci is expected to the give the message that the democratic reform process in Turkey had reached the necessary level for opening of accession talks with the EU.
BERLUSCONI GETS READY TO ENTER TURKISH MEDIA SECTOR
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's Mediaset Group has said that it wanted to enter Turkish media sector. Sources said that the Mediaset Group had been getting ready to enter Turkish media sector by purchasing companies of the Star Group which was earlier transferred to the Savings and Deposit Insurance Fund (SDIF).
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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CRISIS IN SWITZERLAND
The four-party talks, which was scheduled to start in Switzerland yesterday to find a solution to the Cyprus issue, could not start due to disagreements. The Greek Cypriot side advocated that Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was authorized to hold talks, but he was unauthorized to take any decision. Meanwhile, both Turkish and TRNC delegations have objected to Greek and the Greek Cypriot sides' attempts to impose the idea of holding Cyprus talks between the two sides of the island instead of holding a four-party conference.
PRESIDENT DENKTAS: ''SUCH A PRESSURE IS UNACCEPTABLE''
President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has reacted harshly to news stories claiming that cell phones of delegations would be blocked and a strict media blackout would be imposed during the four-party Cyprus talks in Switzerland. He stressed that such a pressure was unacceptable.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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PRESIDENT DENKTAS: ''I KNEW IT''
President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has been continuing to criticize the plan of United nations Secretary General Kofi Annan saying that the four-party conference in Switzerland would not yield any result. ''If I had gone to Switzerland, the result would have not changed. Greece has disrupted the process. Now, the Greek Cypriot side considers our delegation unauthorized to take decision. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan should live in Cyprus for a while to understand what has been happening,'' he said.
''WE ARE IN FULL HARMONY WITH PRESIDENT SEZER''
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the state had been working in full harmony. In an interview with the Radikal, Prime Minister Erdogan said, ''President Ahmet Necdet Sezer replies to our extraordinary requests without any delay. His views about the Cyprus process is already clear. He has been supporting our efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus question.''
WORLD PAYS LAST TRIBUTE TO TERRORISM VICTIMS
A tearful state funeral has taken place in Spanish capital Madrid for 190 victims of March 11's terrorist bombings. Nearly 1 thousand 500 people including leaders of many countries attended the funeral at Madrid's Almudena Cathedral on Wednesday. State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener and State Minister Besir Atalay are attending the funeral on behalf of Turkey. A total of 190 people were killed and more than 1 thousand 800 others were injured when 10 bombs concealed in backpacks ripped through four crowded commuter trains during the morning rush hour of March 11 in Madrid. The attacks were the worst to target a western country since the suicide airliner attacks in New York and Washington on September 11, 2001.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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KRUEGER: ''TURKEY IS AN EXEMPLARY COUNTRY''
International Monetary Fund (IMF) First Deputy Managing Director Anne Krueger has said that Turkey and Argentina had improved their economies as a result of their structural reforms. Krueger said that Turkey and Argentina were the best samples of putting reforms into practice with great determination.
PRIME MINISTER ERDOGAN ASKS PRESIDENT DENKTAS TO ATTEND FOUR-PARTY TALKS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has asked President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to attend the four-party Cyprus talks in Switzerland. Prime Minister Erdogan also spoke with European Union (EU) Commission President Romano Prodi by phone and discussed the issue of derogation. He said that an agreement to be reached in Cyprus should become a part of the primary law of the EU.
BRITISH PRIME MINISTER BLAIR DUE IN TURKEY IN MAY
British Prime Minister Tony Blair will pay an official visit to Turkey in May. During his visit to Turkey, Prime Minister Blair is expected to express his country's support to Turkey's European Union (EU) membership process. Following this visit, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will pay an official visit to Britain between May 27 and 29. Prime Minister Erdogan and British Prime Minister Blair will have the opportunity of meeting again. Prime Minister Erdogan is expected to address students at the Oxford University during his visit to Britain.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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''TURKEY'S MEMBERSHIP IS A VITAL EXAM FOR THE EU''
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said that Turkey's membership was a vital exam for the European Union (EU) in regard to efforts to render ineffective terrorists' target to play havoc with relations between the Muslim and the Christian worlds.
UNITED STATES LIFTS TRAVEL WARNING ON TURKEY
The United States has lifted its travel warning on Turkey due to acts of terrorism. Turkey has been taking place in the list of the United States since Istanbul bombings in November of 2003. In response, Turkey has dropped the visa fee of 100 U.S. dollars to 20 U.S. dollars for U.S. citizens. Meanwhile, Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism has decided to start its promotion activities in the United States as of April 1, 2004.
(UK-AÖ) 25.03.2004