ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on April 13, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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TURKEY MOURNS FOR ITS SAKIP AGA
Prominent businessman Sakip Sabanci, who died of cancer on Saturday, was laid to rest in Istanbul. Nearly 100 thousand people including politicians, businessmen and artists attended the state funeral to pay their last tribute to Sabanci. Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, Presidential Secretary General Kemal Nehrozoglu, Acting Prime Minister Abdullah Gul were among those who were in attendance at the funeral.
2.4 THOUSAND PEOPLE EXCLUDED FROM LIST
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) government has submitted the list of TRNC citizens of Turkish origin to the United Nations. 2.4 thousand people were excluded from the list since they did not spend a whole year in Cyprus in the last five-year period.
PRESIDENT DENKTAS TO ADDRESS PARLIAMENT
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc who held a telephone conversation with President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), invited him to address the Turkish parliament on April 15. Meanwhile the conference to be organized by the Turkish Parliamentarians' Association with the participation of President Denktas was cancelled. The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government was not positive about President Denktas's address since such an event could affect the process on the island.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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ARINC'S SURPRISE
TRNC President Rauf Denktas to whom Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, ''do it in Cyprus if there is something you want to do'' will address the parliament on April 15 as the guest of Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc. Arinc who said during his visit to Syria, ''I evaluate it when I return'' in reply to Turkish Parliamentarians Union which asked him to permit Denktas to address AK Party Parliamentary Group on April 15, faced statement of Erdogan who said, ''Denktas should not deliver speech in Turkey'' when he returned to Ankara. However, Arinc told Denktas that he could address the parliament, saying, ''we don't want your name to be a tool for domestic politics in Turkey.''
Meanwhile, Denktas said that he wanted to give information on the Cyprus issue and stressed that it might be ''farewell speech''. Arinc who telephoned Denktas yesterday said they would be appreciated with seeing him in the parliament and invited him to deliver speech on April 15. Meanwhile, AK Party Parliamentary Group Deputy Chairman Eyup Fatsa criticized this development and said, ''everybody is speaking. But now such statements should be made in the place where people will cast their vote. Denktas should make statements in Cyprus. It is wrong to make propaganda in Turkey.''
HE DEFENDS HIS FATHER
TRNC Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas said yesterday that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's words about his father saying, ''do it in Cyprus if there is something you want to do'' were unacceptable. Serdar Denktas said that his Democrat Party would announce its stance towards referendum on April 16 and they would take Rauf Denktas's opinions into consideration at the current stage.
UNITED STATES: ''THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE TO PLAN''
U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told a news conference yesterday that Annan's plan was the sole and final plan and there was no alternative to the plan that U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan presented on March 31. Either this solution is approved in the referendum or there won't be solution, Boucher said and noted that they hoped all political leaders and peoples in Cyprus would consider serious, historical consequences of missing such a resolution chance.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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ERDOGAN: ''I HAVE TOLD EVERYTHING NECESSARY''
In a response to the statement of President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) who said that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was deceived on the Cyprus issue, Prime Minister Erdogan, who is currently in Japan on an official visit, said, ''I have told everything which is necessary.''
JAPAN ASKS FOR TURKEY'S ASSISTANCE TO RESCUE OF JAPANESE HOSTAGES
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is currently paying an official visit to Japan, met with Emperor Akihito Mikasa of Japan and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. During the meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi asked for Turkey's assistance to release of three Japanese citizens who were taken hostage in Iraq. Prime Minister Koizumi said that Turkey could reach intelligence about Japanese hostages as a result of its neighborly relations with Iraq.
ATALAY: ''IT IS THE MOST LIBERAL PRESS LAW''
State Minister Besir Atalay described the new Press Law, which was prepared in line with the European Union (EU) norms, was the most liberal press law of the last five decades. The law was submitted to the parliament. Parliamentary commission will start debating the law this week.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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SCENARIOS AFTER APRIL 24
-When Turkish Cypriot side votes 'yes' and Greek Cypriot side votes 'no': southern Cyprus joins the EU on May 1 as 'Cyprus Republic' on behalf of whole island. Formula of 'annexation of northern Cyprus to Cyprus Republic' like the formula of 'East Germany' comes onto the agenda of the EU for resolution.
-When Turkish Cypriot side votes 'no' and Greek Cypriot side votes 'yes': this result doesn't prevent Greek Cypriot side from accessing to the EU on May 1 as 'Cyprus Republic'. As the Greek Cypriot side is at the table, EU-Turkey relations can be tensed up. Greek Cypriots will try to turn the issue into a problem between Turkey and the EU.
-When Turkish Cypriot side votes 'no' and Greek Cypriot side votes 'no': Annan's plan is considered 'invalid' without need to decision of guarantor states. Greek Cypriots join the EU on behalf of whole island as 'Cyprus Republic'. United Nations, United States and EU will try to seek several alternatives including new referendum.
-When Turkish Cypriot side votes 'yes' and Greek Cypriot side votes 'yes':
Guarantor states Turkey, Greece and Britain will complete domestic approval procedures until April 29. Following completion of procedures, United Cyprus Republic will join the EU. If approval procedures are not completed, the plan is considered invalid.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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FAREWELL TO SABANCI
A state funeral took place in front of the Sabanci Center in Istanbul, out of respect to prominent businessman and Sabanci Holding Executive Board President Sakip Sabanci who died of cancer on Saturday. About 100 thousand people attended the funeral to pay their last tribute to Sabanci. They burst into tears and laid flowers on his coffin. Following the funeral, Sabanci was laid to rest in Zincirlikuyu Graveyard in Istanbul.
ALIYEV DUE IN TURKEY
President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan will come to Turkey on Wednesday on an official visit. The issue of opening of Turkish-Armenian border is expected to be high on agenda of President Aliyev's meetings with Turkish officials. President Aliyev is expected to underline that Turkish government's keeping its border gate with Armenia close would play an important role in the process of putting an end to Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories. President Aliyev is scheduled to meet with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Acting Prime Minister Abdullah Gul. He will address the Turkish parliament.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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DENKTAS: THEY DECEIVED PRIME MINISTER
TRNC President Rauf Denktas said that every information on Annan's plan was not given to the Turkish government and defended that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was deceived about the Cyprus issue. They would not accept Annan's plan, Denktas said and noted, ''Greece wants Turkey to give in. Is Turkey obliged to do everything that Greece wants for sake of accession to the EU? It is not Turkey's official policy. According to me, the Prime Minister has been deceived about the Cyprus issue.''
ERDOGAN: I AM NOT DECEIVED
In a response to Denktas, Erdogan said, ''yes, Denktas is the master of this job. We respect him. However, we did not start politics yesterday. I have been involved in it since my childhood.''
JAPAN ASKS FOR HELP
Prime Minister Erdogan who is currently in Japan met with his Japanese counterpart Junichiro Koizumi. During the meeting at the Japanese Prime Ministry Office, Koizumi requested Erdogan to help release of three Japanese citizens who were taken hostage in Iraq by resistants. An official from the Japanese Foreign Ministry said that Koizumi told Erdogan, ''we have tapped all our efforts for rapid release of hostages. Can Turkey cooperate with us in any field including gathering of information?'' The official said Erdogan told Koizumi, ''I don't hesitate cooperating with you if there is something we really can do.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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THREE SOLDIERS DIE IN CLASHES WITH TERRORISTS
Clash erupted between security forces and a group of terrorists in the rural area between southeastern province of Sirnak and Eruh town of neighboring province of Siirt. Three soldiers lost their lives in the clash, and five others were injured. Meanwhile, six terrorists were killed in the clash.
THE GUARDIAN EULOGIZES PRIME MINISTER ERDOGAN
The Guardian, one of the leading dailies of Britain, described Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as ''a historic struggler''. Peter Preston, one of the columnists of the Guardian, said, ''for Turkey, under the democratic Islamic party as under the secular government that preceded it, is fervent in its pursuit of European Union (EU) membership. Seventy million or so souls knocking on our door. And remember that we - not just Blair and Straw, but the whole European council - have already said yes, in principle you're welcome. And that the track for negotiating business opens this year. Papadopoulos says the Turks can't be trusted. To the contrary, they're delivering. It is the union they want to join which swallows its last promises before breakfast, which papers hard choices over with soft words, which oozes insincerity. What are we building in Iraq? Why, supposedly an Islamic nation that can be a beacon of western democratic values. But Erdogan has trodden that road already. He is a beacon, a historic struggler. And we shame ourselves if we let him down.''
(MS-AY) 13.04.2004