ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on April 9, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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DENKTAS: ''UNITED NATIONS SHOULD POSTPONE REFERENDUM''
President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said that the United Nations should make a new assessment and postpon the referendum, which was scheduled to be held in the island on April 24, 2004. When recalled by journalists that Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos had called on his people to say ''no'' to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan, President Denktas said, ''the United Nations should make an assessment. I think that it is the end of the process.''
''TURKISH SOLDIERS WILL NOT GO TO IRAQ''
The recent escalating tension in Iraq has been high on agenda of the telephone conversation between Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. When asked about news stories claiming that the United States had requested Turkey to send soldiers to Iraq, Gul said, ''dispatch of Turkish soldiers to Iraq is out of question. Earlier, we proposed to send soldiers to Iraq. However, our proposal was rejected.'' Upon a question about clashes between the U.S. forces and Shiite groups in Iraq, Gul expressed their deep concerns about developments.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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TURKEY SAYS 'NO WAY' BEFORE REQUEST FOR TROOPS TO IRAQ
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul denied claims which said that the United States faced difficulties in settlement of stability in Iraq and it would ask Turkey to send troops there. Gul said, ''now, sending soldiers is out of question.'' New York Times columnist William Safire who is known with his close ties to the ''falcons'' at the White House said two days ago that Ankara is one of the leading capital cities that the United States can knock on its door. Safire made a call for approval of the decision that the Turkish parliament made in October 2003 on sending of troops to Iraq after bringing it onto the agenda again. The same day when Safire said these, U.S. Chief of Joint Staffs Gen. Richard Myers attended Turkish-American Council meetings and likened relationship between Turkey and the United States to ''marriage''. Meanwhile, one day after Safire's column, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell telephoned Gul and informed him on latest developments. Yesterday morning, Gul denied harshly the claims about U.S. request for Turkish troops to Iraq. Gul said, ''we once offered dispatch of Turkish soldiers to Iraq but it was not considered appropriate. We had already taken such an authority from the parliament. We mutually gave up this job. From now on, sending of Turkish troops is out of question.''
AKEL TO SAY YES CONTRARY TO PAPADOPOULOS
''Address to nation'' of Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos who invited in tears Greek Cypriots to vote ''no'' in the referendum drew reaction in the Greek Cypriot side. Greek Cypriot press accused Papadopoulos of ''speaking like Makarios to influence people''. Andros Kipriyanu, the press spokesman of the big partner of the Greek Cypriot government communist party AKEL which has four ministers in the cabinet and is expected to announce its decision on ''yes'' on April 14, announced that they did not agree with several words of Papadopoulos. Kipriyanu said that AKEL did not think that Annan's plan made division of the island legal, on the contrary it believed it encouraged federation. Kipriyanu who said that they did not agree with the opinion that Turkey's right to intervene in the island increased, stated that there had been positive developments in comparison to 1960 agreements.
PUBLIC SURVEYS IN GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE: ''NO''
Sixty-four percent of those who participated in public surveys by Metron Analysis in the Greek Cypriot side between April 2-6 said ''no'' when they were asked what they would say in the referendum for Annan's plan while 13.3 percent of them said ''yes'' and 22.7 percent of them said, ''I don't know''. 73.2 percent of Greek Cypriots believe that there can't be a solution with Annan's plan. Meanwhile, in the latest public survey in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), 59.5 percent of people will say ''yes'' while 22.1 percent of them will say ''no''.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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FRENCH EMBASSY IN ANKARA: ''BARNIER'S STATEMENT WAS MISUNDERSTOOD''
The French Embassy in Ankara has said that French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier's statement about Turkey's membership to the European Union (EU) was misunderstood. Embassy officials defended that Barnier did not say that France would oppose to Turkey's EU membership. Meanwhile, French diplomats said that President Jacques Chirac of France had been supporting Turkey in its EU membership process.
ANNAN REPROACHES DENKTAS AND PAPADOPOULOS FOR MISSING OPPORTUNITY
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has called on President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos to approve the plan in the referendum to be held on April 24, and not to miss such an historic opportunity. Releasing a written statement, the United Nations said on behalf of Annan that President Denktas's opposition to the plan had already been known, but Papadopoulos's opposition disappointed Annan.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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''FUNDAMENTALISM DEVELOPS SLYLY''
11th Infantry Brigade Commander General Hamit Tekkanat has reacted harshly to appearance of women and men wearing Islamic clothes at administrative and judicial offices in western province of Denizli. He stressed, ''some circles have been violating Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's reforms and principles and the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey by trying to create a life style with such outdated clothes.''
ANNAN PLAN RESTRICTS TURKEY
After United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan is accepted, the problem of continental shelf will emerge between Turkey and the United Cyprus Republic. The ''Hydrocarbon Law'', which was included in the plan, will end Turkey's license to explore and extract oil, natural gas and the other natural resources in Cyprus.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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TALAT: ''WE SHOULD SAY YES TO ANNAN PLAN''
Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has said, ''we should say 'yes' to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan in the referendum. Otherwise, embargoes imposed to the TRNC will become heavier.'' Referring to Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos' efforts to postpone the referendum, Prime Minister Talat said, ''if the referendum is postponed, Cyprus will enter the European Union (EU) on May 1 with its current status quo. We have to be careful. We should not allow the Greek Cypriot side to reach its intentions. Despite President Rauf Denktas and Papadopoulos, the possibility of approval of the plan is still high.''
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION INCREASES
The industrial production, which was 3.3 percent in February of 2003 rose by 15.6 percent in the same period this year. Earlier, experts estimated in increase of 10.2 percent in the industrial production. Meanwhile, manufacturing industry production rose by 17.5 percent; and electricity, gas and water production climbed by 7 percent while mining industry production dropped by 4.1 percent.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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ISTANBUL TO HOST WORLD
Istanbul will host five important political and art organizations in May and June of 2004. Istanbul will host the 49th Eurovision Song Contest and the 57th World Newspaper's Congress in May; the 2nd Conference of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Ministers for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMSEs), the 31st Conference of Foreign Ministers of Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and NATO Summit in June.
Singers from 36 countries will participate in the 49th Eurovision Song Contest to be hosted by the Turkish Radio and Television Corp (TRT). Athena Band will represent Turkey at the contest with their song ''For Real''.
The 57th World Newspaper's Congress will be held between May 30 and June 2 with the participation of more than a thousand leading journalists from all around the world. Meanwhile, Uzbek journalist Ruslan Sharipov, who was sentenced to four years in prison, will be presented with WAN Press Freedom Golden Pen Award.
The 2nd Conference of OECD Ministers for SMSEs will be held between June 2 and 6 with the participation of nearly 80 ministers and many businessmen.
Ministers of more than 70 countries will attend the 31st Conference of Foreign Ministers of OIC between June 14 and 16.
NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government will be held between June 28 and 29. The summit will bring together leaders of the world including U.S. President George. W. Bush.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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DENKTAS: NEGOTIATIONS AGAIN...
Majority of people in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will say ''yes'' to Annan's plan while TRNC President Rauf Denktas maintains his opposing attitude ''like Papadopoulos''. When also Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos said ''no'' like himself, Denktas defended that negotiations which were scheduled with a limited period, should resume, and made a call to the United Nations. Defending that they did not have to say ''yes'' to the plan as Greek Cypriots said ''no'', Denktas reiterated that the plan ignored rights of Turkish Cypriots. ''I wonder if we say 'no' to the plan if it protects our state, gives us equality, respects our sovereignty, does not make us migrants again and does not bring Greek Cypriots to north and burden us with them.''
GREEK CYPRIOTS GET CONFUSED
Greek Cypriot newspapers brought Papadopoulos's speech to headlines while media split into two about this issue. Following the speech, Greek Cypriot television channel RIK broadcast a live public survey through telephones and 85 percent of people said 'no' to Annan's plan. Big partner of the Greek Cypriot government communist AKEL party announced that it did not agree with Papadopoulos's opinions to larger extent. Main opposition DISI party has an increasing tendency towards ''yes'' while EDI officially decided to say 'yes' yesterday.
ANKARA TAKES PAPADOPOULOS TO ''WITNESS''
Ankara which thinks that the plan is much in favor of Turkey considers latest speech of Papadopoulos as mainstay of its opinion. Text of Papadopoulos's speech was delivered to non-EU member countries' mission chiefs in Ankara. Sources said that Ministry of Foreign Affairs Deputy Undersecretary Baki Ilkin told mission chiefs who were summoned to the ministry that the speech clearly proved that it was the Greek Cypriot administration which stood against Annan's plan. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul stressed that words defining the plan ''worse that the Sevres Treaty'' was an heroic statement. ''Those who say this have not read either the Sevres or the speech. They should say 'no' if they believe we would reach a better point than the current one.''
(UK-MS) 09.04.2004