ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on April 8, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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LETTER OF COMMITMENT SENT TO UNITED NATIONS
Turkey and Greece have sent their letter of commitment to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. In their letter, Turkey and Greece accepted resorting to referendum in Cyprus. Turkey sent two copies of the letter signed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the guarantor powers Britain and Greece. The letter also included the commitment that if the referendum in Greece resulted positively, the Annan Plan will be submitted to the Turkish parliament for approval.
BABACAN: ''FOREIGN CAPITAL HAS INCREASED CONSIDERABLY''
Turkish State Minister Ali Babacan has said, ''more than a thousand company of foreign capital were established in Turkey in the second half of 2003.'' Holding a press conference before leaving for French capital Paris to sign a loan of 200 million euros provided by the Council of Europe Development Bank for small and medium scale enterprises (SMSEs), Babacan said, ''number of companies of foreign capital was under 200 in the first half of 2003 when the law about foreign capital was enacted. In the second half of the year, more than a thousand company of foreign capital were established in Turkey. We believe that the year 2004 will be more positive than 2003.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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FRENCH DAGGER
French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier delivered a speech at Parliament yesterday and said that they would oppose to Turkey's European Union (EU) membership in current conditions. Barnier, who was appointed as foreign minister last week, claimed that Ankara did not meet necessary conditions to enter EU. He said that although Turkey was preparing to meet the requirements, it was not sufficient to join the EU.
'THIS IS WHAT WE CAN DO IN CONSTITUTIONAL LIMITS'
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas spoke with Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok by phone and they evaluated the last National Security Council (NSC) meeting. Ozkok told Denktas that this was what they could do within constitutional limits regarding the statement of NSC meeting.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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TURKEY TO PRESENT A NEW REPORT ABOUT PKK TO UNITED STATES
Turkey has prepared a new report about terrorist organization of PKK's activities in northern Iraq to be presented to the United States after the European Union (EU) decided to add the new names of the PKK to its list of terrorist organizations. In the report, it was stressed that the PKK's central committee was disintegrated and a new executive council was formed. The executive council was formed by Osman Ocalan, Cemil Bayik, Murat Karayilan, Duran Kalkan, Riza Altun and Nizamettin Tas. The report said that the PKK had nearly five thousand militants in nine separate camps in northern Iraq. The report also detailed PKK's connections both in Europe and the world, and its commercial relations.
POWELL: ''MY WORDS ARE MISUNDERSTOOD''
U.S. Secretary of States Colin Powell has called Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul on the phone, and said that his statement in which he described Turkey as an Islamic Republic, was misunderstood. Powell said that he did not have an intention of questioning the political system in Turkey. Meanwhile, the Cyprus issue was also high in agenda of the conversation. Powell conveyed encouraging messages to Turkey on the Cyprus issue.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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''FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM REQUIRES INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION''
Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu has said that fight against terrorism required international co-operation. Slovenian Interior Minister Rado Bohinc came to Ankara as the official guest of Aksu. Aksu and Bohinc will sign a text of understanding today.
TURKEY SIGNS UNITED NATIONS PROTOCOL ON LIFTING OF DEATH SENTENCE
Turkey has signed the second optional protocol to the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on lifting of death sentence. Turkey's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Umit Pamir signed the protocol on behalf of Turkey. Turkey became the state party to all of the six basic United Nations human rights treaties by ratifying the ''International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights'' and ''International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights'' which are called ''twin covenants'' on September 23, 2003. Turkey signed the first optional protocol to the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on February 3, 2004.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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END OF LEGEND OF NINE-THOUSAND PAGES
Those who are opposed to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan, claimed that even they could not read the plan of nine thousand pages and that the people would cast their votes in the referendum without having appropriate information about the plan. However, their allegation is, in fact, baseless since the report was prepared jointly by technical committees and the United Nations during the negotiation process in the island. Actually, the core of the plan is given in only 350 pages.
VISA WARNING OF UNITED STATES
The U.S. Embassy in Ankara has announced that the embassy could not provide visa services between June 14 and 30, 2004. Releasing a statement, the U.S. Embassy said that visa services could not be provided due to NATO Summit in Istanbul on June 28 and U.S. President George W. Bush's visit to Ankara between June 26 and 27.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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TALAT: WE ARE ENCOURAGED
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said that recent statements of Turkish government and National Security Council (NSC) were encouraging. He said that the decision of NSC was right and modern and it gave the responsibility to the government. Noting that the basic of Annan Plan was 200 hundred pages and he also did not read whole of it, Talat said that main text of the plan with the constitutions of United Cyprus Republic, Turkish Cypriot state and Greek Cypriot state was important.
MYERS: TURKEY IS OUR REAL FRIEND
U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard Myers said that Turkey and the United States needed cooperation on every level and this cooperation should be made not only in military field, but also in every field of politics and in commercial field. Delivering a speech at American-Turkish Council meeting, Myers said that if cooperation of two countries were increased, joint strategy and its results would be successful and effective.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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SOLUTION FOR CYPRUS OFFICIALLY STARTS
While the European Union (EU) has started act of adaptation process in Cyprus, Turkey and Greece conveyed their letter of commitments to the United Nations. EU sent act of adaptation which it accepted unanimously to EU Council for approval.
GUL: LAST WORD IS GOVERNMENT'S FOR CYPRUS ISSUE
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul who made a speech at Justice and Development Party (AK Party) group meeting said that the responsibility was the government's in Cyprus issue and the final word would be said by civilian authority.
POWELL PHONES GUL FOR 'ISLAMIC REPUBLIC' FAULT
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell phoned Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and said that his words which described Turkey as 'Islamic Republic' were misunderstood.
(UK-GC-AÖ) 08.04.2004