ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on April 11, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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GOOD BYE MY ''AGA'' (LANDLORD/MASTER)
Sakip Sabanci, the senior representative of Turkish industry, passed away at Istanbul's American Hospital, where he was receiving treatment, at 5.55 a.m. on Saturday. Hasan Insel, doctor of Sabanci, who celebrated his 71st birthday at the hospital two days ago, announced that Sabanci died of metastasis of a renal tumor to his liver. All Turkish people felt deep sorrow over demise of Sabanci. A funeral will be held at Sabanci Center at 11.00 a.m. on Monday. After the funeral, Sabanci will be laid to rest in Istanbul's Zincirlikuyu Cemetery.
LIST OF TRNC PEOPLE OF TURKISH REPUBLIC ORIGIN HIDDEN LIKE SECRET
The list of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) citizens of Turkish Republic origin comprised of 45 thousand people including many famous personalities is being hidden like secret. The list prepared by the TRNC government to be presented to the United Nations (U.N.) was given its final shape the previous day. TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said, ''only four people, including me, knows the names in the list. TRNC Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas wanted it but, I did not give the list to him either. This list won't be unveiled.'' Asked about the names of famous personalities in the list, Talat said, ''whoever they are is not important because those who don't reside here will be erased from the list.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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TWO LAST WISHES OF SABANCI
Leading Turkish businessman Sakip Sabanci, who died on Saturday, had two last wishes before he died. He asked his family to complete the construction of Culture and Congress Center in Ayazaga, Istanbul and to invest 40 million U.S. dollars for the project. He asked Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan not to sell the Gaziosmanpasa School in Ortakoy district of Istanbul which had burnt and told Erdogan that he would send him 10 trillion Turkish liras (TL) for repair of the historical school.
DENKTAS: ''WE WON'T SIGN''
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas evaluated recent developments in Cyprus issue at the Topkapi Eresin Hotel in Istanbul held by Turkish World Solidarity Group. Denktas said that it was his duty to say ''no'' to United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan for Cyprus. Denktas noted that he would not sign any agreement which considered Turkey's rights on Cyprus non-existent.''
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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OZKOK POSTPONES HIS PRESS CONFERENCE DUE TO FUNERAL OF SABANCI
Turkish Chief of General Staff Hilmi Ozkok postponed the press conference he would held on Monday to Tuesday due to funeral of famous Turkish businessman Sakip Sabanci, who lost his life early on Saturday, the General Staff said on Saturday. A statement of General Staff said that the General Staff had felt deep sorrow over demise of Sabanci. The statement added that Ozkok would hold his press conference at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday instead of Monday due to Sabanci's funeral.
SABANCI'S LAST INHERITANCE
Sakip Sabanci, who lost his life early on Saturday, left a letter as inheritance saying that Turkish government should solve the Cyprus issue. Sabanci wrote letters to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He stated that he supported the government's efforts for a solution. Sabanci noted in his letter that Turkey should join the European Union (EU).
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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AK PARTY'S TARGET IS PRESIDENTIAL PALACE
The Turkish government has pressed the button for a package of constitutional amendments which is planned to be brought onto parliament's agenda after the local elections held on March 28. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said that the package would be comprised of 16-17 articles and was prepared by Turkish Parliamentary Constitution Commission Chairman Burhan Kuzu. Sahin defended that Turkey would firstly be champion in the second league and then be admitted to the first league by the European Union (EU) thanks to that constitutional amendment package. The package foresees that State Security Courts (DGMs) should be turned into courts of specialization, expenditures of Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) should be taken under control of the Government Accounting Bureau, authorities of the President to appoint persons to certain positions particularly to the Constitutional Court should be limited, system of electing members to the Constitutional Court should be changed, and appointment of a representative of the General Staff to the Higher Election Board (YOK) should be prevented.
DENKTAS: ''I WILL WITHDRAW IF AFFIRMATIVE VOTES MORE IN REFERENDUM''
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said that he would not run his candidacy for the elections to be held in Cyprus on June 13 if affirmative votes were more than negative votes in the referendum to be held on United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan for Cyprus on April 24. Denktas said, ''I will quit as a person who has protected his state till the very end.'' Denktas said, ''if the party of my son says ''yes'' to the plan, I will be very disappointed. But, I don't have the right to ask anybody why he/she votes so.''
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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MOURNING FOR SABANCI
Turkey has lost its leading businessman. Sakip Sabanci, Turkish leading businessmen and the Executive Board Director of Haci Omer Sabanci Holding, died at age 71 in Istanbul on Saturday. Many people including politicians and artists offered their condolences to Sabanci family. Sabanci family's doctor Hasan Insel said that Sakip Sabanci, who was receiving treatment at the American Hospital in Istanbul, died at around 5.55 a.m. on Saturday and stated, ''we decided last week that Sabanci should have medical treatment at the hospital. He lost his life as his heart and respiration ceased.'' Sakip Sabanci was hospitalized on March 30 due to common cold and celebrated his 71st birthday two days ago.
OK: ''JUDICIARY IS UNDER DANGER''
Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor Nuri Ok said that Constitutional Court was elected as pilot area for politicization in judiciary. Ok criticized proposals for legal amendments concerning the structure of Constitutional Court and said that political window that was wanted to be opened in the Constitutional Court would form a door for judiciary.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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VISIT TO JAPAN
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by a crowded delegation of ministers, businessmen and journalists, went to Japan last night. Erdogan will sign agreements in this country.
VORKINK SAYS ECONOMIC REFORMS OF TURKEY IMPRESSING
World Bank Turkey Director Andrew Vorkink said that Turkish government had an impressing performance in making structural reforms. Turkish State Minister Ali Babacan, Vorkink and Treasury Undersecretary Ibrahim Canakci held a joint press conference at the Treasury Undersecretariat. Vorkink said that the World Bank had released 375 million U.S. dollars of loan tranche for Turkey since Turkey had met conditions necessary for that economic reform loan. The World Bank foresaw that 1 billion U.S. dollars of loan would be granted to Turkey as financial sector and public sector adjustment loan under its agreement with the Treasury Undersecretariat of Turkey, Vorkink noted. Vorkink stressed that it was one of the highest loans provided by the World Bank.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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U.S. SAYS IF GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE VOTES ''NO'' TO ANNAN PLAN, THEY WILL NOT MAKE TURKISH SIDE VICTIM OF ITS RESULTS
United States said that if Greek Cypriot side voted ''no'' to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan for Cyprus in referendum which would be held on April 24, they would not make Turkish Cypriot side victim of results stemming from this situation. A high-level U.S. diplomat told Zaman that if Greek Cypriot side voted ''no'' to the Annan plan and if Turkish Cypriot side voted in favor of the Annan plan, it was obvious that Turkish Cypriot side would be in a very difficult situation and added that the United States would do what was necessary for Turkish Cypriot side to prevent it from suffering from its results.
(EÖ-BRC) 11.04.2004