ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on June 11, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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FIRST POSITIVE SIGNAL
The repercussions of the release of four former deputies of outlawed DEP were widespread in the West. Council of Europe (COE) Secretary General Walter Schwimmer who earlier had intention of ousting Turkey said, ''many obstacles in front of Turkey were removed.'' Schwimmer who paid a one-day visit to Ankara said he believed 'monitoring procedure' for Turkey would be closed in the vote at the COE on June 22 after release of former deputy Leyla Zana and her friends.
DON'T USE TURKEY
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to the newspaper ahead of European Parliament elections in which 300 million Europeans are going to cast their votes. Erdogan made warnings to those who are planning to exploit Turkey's EU membership while he called on European Turks to ''vote''. Giving message to voters of Turkish origin, Erdogan said, ''it is not true to differ political parties of other countries and to make recommendations to voters of Turkish origin. Everybody is going to vote on free will. We can know about how the stance of parties and candidates towards Turkey was influential in formation of that will when results of the election are announced.'' Meanwhile, Erdogan noted, ''I want to make a call to parties which excessively exploit the issue of Turkey in their election campaigns in several EU countries: 'what you are doing is wrong. Spreading a negative atmosphere against Turks and Turkey with populist words to win more votes does not serve dialogue and cooperation of the international community, but it serves approaches which target racism and clash of civilizations. Discuss Turkey, but be objective and don't highlight opinions based on wrong information and prejudices. Don't sacrifice honesty for short-lived achievement expectations. At the moment, our target is to start negotiations as soon as possible. During this process, we have taken very serious steps for adjustment to the EU. I hope that our good-will and satisfactory steps would be responded positively. Let's not exploit an important values project like EU for small domestic policy purposes. Let's altogether contribute to further enlargement of this bloc and further enhancement of European identity. European identity is not an identity that is given shape by a single language, race and political opinion, but it is a ground of compromise and cooperation of people from different cultures who attribute importance to universal values and meet around European ideal. EU project has been advancing on basis of a culture which acknowledges differences as riches, and we think that this mentality should be improved.''
SURPRISING LUNCH WITH ISRAEL IN ANKARA
Turkish Ambassador in Tel Aviv Feridun Sinirlioglu and Turkish Consul General in Jerusalem Huseyin Avni Bicakci met with Israeli Ambassador in Ankara at lunch and they tried to overcome the recent tension between Turkey and Israel. It was mentioned that meeting of three diplomats at the Israeli Embassy in Ankara two days ago could be an important step to overcome the chill in relations between the two countries after Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of committing ''state terrorism''.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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TURKEY TO ACT AS CO-PRESIDENT OF DEMOCRATIC AID DIALOGUE MECHANISM
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the G8 Summit in the United States as a ''democratic partner''. During the summit, G-8 countries started an initiative for progress and future of Middle Eastern and North African countries under leadership of U.S. President George W. Bush. The initiative envisages support to development of freedom, democracy and welfare in Middle Eastern and North African countries. A ''democratic aid dialogue'' mechanism was formed under the structure of the G-8 for Middle Eastern and North African countries. Turkey as a ''democratic partner'', Italy on behalf of G-8 and Yemen on behalf of regional countries became co-presidents of the mechanism.
PRIME MINISTER ERDOGAN TO ATTEND FUNERAL OF REAGAN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will attend the funeral of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan in Washington D.C. later today. Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, was 93 when he died Saturday of pneumonia, as a complication of Alzheimer's disease. After attending the funeral, Prime Minister Erdogan will proceed to Chicago to attend a meeting of the Academy of Achievement.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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CIRCASSION PEOPLE LIKE TRT'S BROADCAST IN THEIR LANGUAGE
Nearly 7 million Circassion people living in Turkey expressed their joy with Turkish Radio and Television Corp's (TRT) transmission of a program in Circassian. TRT started the transmission under its broadcasts in different languages and dialects used traditionally by Turkish citizens in their daily life. The program entitled ''Our Cultural Heritage'' will be broadcast every week day at 10.30 a.m. at TRT-3 with different languages and dialects. The first program consisted of foreign and domestic news summaries and sports events. Radio-1 and TRT-3 will broadcast programs in Bosnian on Mondays, Arabic on Tuesdays, Kirmanji on Wednesdays, Circassian on Thursdays and Zaza on Fridays.
DEPPLER: ''WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT TURKEY''
International Monetary Fund (IMF) European Department I Director Michael Deppler said that they would continue to support Turkey. Deppler said that Turkey did not need to act quickly for the new economic program, stressing that the IMF was ready for all kinds of options. He expressed his belief that the government would maintain financial discipline by consolidating its with structural reforms.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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A SEARCH FOR A PARTNER
After the resolution of the United Nations, foreign forces' mission in Iraq under the umbrella of NATO has come to agenda of the world. Turkey is not positive about the proposal which was clearly rejected by France. Turkey plans to orientate its military soldiers to Afghanistan instead of Iraq.
OZKAYA: ''OUR DECISION IS LEGAL'' Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Judge Eraslan Ozkaya said that the decision of the Supreme Court of Appeals Criminal Department no: 9 to release former Democracy Party (DEP) deputies was totally legal. He stressed, ''Turkish jurisdiction has never made any decision for political purposes. The Supreme Court of Appeals Criminal Department no: 9 made its decision in line with rules of law, international conventions and its conscience.''
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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STRAITS TO BE CLOSED TO TRAFFIC FOR TWO DAYS
Turkey will close the Istanbul Strait to traffic for the first time since 1936 for NATO Summit to be held in Istanbul on June 28 and 29. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent information to the International Maritime Organization and leading oil companies such as BP and Amaco. Heads of state and government of 46 countries are expected to attend NATO Summit. Tight security measures will be taken during the summit.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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YOU'RE A GREAT MAN
U.S. President George W. Bush shook hands with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan before family photograph with leaders of the G-8 and guest nations and told him, ''you are a great man'' while Erdogan requested support to the Cyprus issue and told him, ''now it's your turn as we fulfilled our responsibilities. We will discuss it in detail at NATO summit.''
HISTORIC ROLE TO ANKARA
By taking a historic responsibility, Turkey undertook co-chairmanship duty of the ''democratic assistance dialogue'' mechanism that was formed under the Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative at the G-8 summit.
YES, THERE IS NO EXCUSE LEFT
Release of former deputies of the closed DEP from prison and permission to Kurdish broadcasting the same day caused great pleasure in Europe. In this way, EU countries which put forward release of Leyla Zana and Kurdish broadcasting as condition on every occasion lost their last remaining pretexts. Council of Europe Secretary General Walter Schwimmer said that they should close monitoring procedure for Turkey as they did not have any excuse while EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen said Turkey proved that it completed Copenhagen criteria. German parliamentarian Claudia Roth said Turkey was now very close to EU.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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TWO SECURITY OFFICIALS KILLED IN ARMED ATTACK IN GERCUS
One police officer and one night-watchman were killed in an armed attack on lodging of sub-governor's office in Gercus town of southeastern province of Batman. Batman Governor Efkan Ala said that two assailants fled away after opening fire on the lodging. Police officer Savkan Yavuz and night-watchman Mehmet Ali Atilgan were killed in the armed attack, he said.
(UK-MS-AÖ) 11.06.2004