ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on June 22, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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BIN LADEN IN WAZIRISTAN
NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan Hikmet Cetin said, ''(Osama) Bin Laden is in mountainous Waziristan region at Afghanistan's border with Pakistan. Even if he is captured, Al Qaida and Taleban won't come to an end.'' Cetin explained Al Qaida as follows: ''Al Qaida is now an ideology. An ideology without a state, but attacking values of the modern world. It has undertakers in Islam countries. They are developing terror projects.'' Waziristan, where Bin Laden is hiding, is 150 kilometers east of Kabul and on the Tora Bora mountains. Al Qaida is communicating through persons. Using telephones, freeing pigeons, singing songs, and whistling are banned. Those who are doing all these are killed.
PUK LEADER DENIES NEWS THEY ARE COOPERATING WITH ISRAEL
Jalal Talabani, the leader of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), denied news that Israel was training Kurdish commandos in north of Iraq immediately after he came to Ankara. PUK leader defined research of Pulitzer-winner Seymour Hersh on the backstage of tension between Turkey and Israel as ''false news.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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SECRET PLANS IN UNITED STATES
The U.S. State Department searched for a response to the question what Turkey would do if Kirkuk was given to ethnic federation. Here are the views of experts who participated in the meeting. Steven Cook, a foreign relations expert, said that Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) would harshly react to a move giving Kirkuk to Kurdish ethnic federation and the Turkish army would lose its confidence in the United States. Cook noted that soldiers were not in the position to prevent Kirkuk from being given to Kurdish control and commented that therefore, a military operation was not an alternative. Hakan Yavuz, a lecturer at Utah University, said that the Islamite did not have Kurdish problem in general and therefore, neither the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) nor the Islamists would react to any move in Kirkuk. Judith Yaphe of the U.S. National Defense Academy said that Turkey's strategic thinking mechanism was being divided, and noted that the prime minister and foreign minister were trying to continue with their advisers. Yaphe said that red lines of Turkey in Iraq were disappearing one after the other. Henri Barkey, former State Department expert, said that AK Party might react just to calm down soldiers and nationalists.
AKSOY CAN'T HIDE ITS BANK
Erol Aksoy, the former owner of Iktisat Bankasi, taken under the control of the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (SDIF), tried to prevent assets of his bank in the United States from being taken under control, by selling his bank. However, SDIF prevented this move of Aksoy. Thus, SDIF for the first time followed assets abroad and gave the message to owners of sunken banks who refrain from reaching an agreement that they should not think that they can pave their ways of being followed by sending their money abroad.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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PUNISHMENT TO STATE ON CHARGES OF NEGLIGENCE
The Health Ministry will pay compensation worth of 300 billion Turkish liras (TL) for a patient who died in surgery in a private hospital. This is a first in Turkish law and an important step on the road to the European Union (EU). The state was fined for the first time in a case filed on charges that it did not control and supervise hospitals.
MURAT DEMIREL'S ACQUITTAL REVERSED
The Supreme Court of Appeals Criminal Department reversed the decision of a heavy criminal court about Yahya Murat Demirel and his four friends. The Supreme Court of Appeals upheld acquittal of other suspects. Istanbul Heavy Criminal Court had acquitted Yahya Murat Demirel and his friends in the case filed on charges that they swindled Halk Bankasi.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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GREEN LINE TO AUTONOMY
Ankara has taken action against occurrence of possible chaos and possible unilateral movements of Kurdish groups after sovereignty is transferred to the Iraqi people as of June 30. Turkish government conveyed its message that it wants to improve relations by recognizing the current status of Kurdish groups, but warns that it won't be indifferent to steps which will deteriorate Iraq's integrity and cause fait accompli in Kirkuk. The government is getting prepared to recognize autonomous status of the Iraqi Kurds on condition that Iraq's political unity and territorial integrity are preserved. Ankara, which gave such a message to Iraqi Kurdistan Democracy Party (IKDP) leader Barzani last week through Turkey's Special Envoy to Iraq Osman Koruturk, will express its views to Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Talabani, who is in Ankara.
NEW PACKAGE FOR EU ADJUSTMENT
Under the ninth adjustment package, the General Staff won't appoint a representative to the Higher Education Board (YOK). The new package abolishes death penalties in Turkish Penal Code (TCK). The new arrangements are expected to be made till mid-July.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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ABDULLAH GUL: WE ARE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that Turkey would not permit any fait accompli in north of Iraq. Responding to claims that Israel acted together with the Kurds, Gul said, ''we are following the developments. We won't permit any fait accompli especially regarding Kirkuk.''
NEW MAYOR OF IZMIR IS KOCAOGLU
Aziz Kocaoglu, the Mayor of Bornova town of western Izmir province, was appointed as the new Mayor of Izmir after Izmir Mayor Ahmet Piristina died last week. Justice and Development Party (AK Party) also supported the new mayor.
NATO SUMMIT TO TENSE
Fight against terrorism will be high on agenda during the NATO summit to be hosted by Turkey. Turkey will ask NATO allies if they perceive only Al Qaida as terrorist. If NATO member countries decides to take joint action against terrorism, Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will call on the allies to take terrorist organization PKK as a target.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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GUL'S NORTH OF IRAQ MESSAGE: WE WON'T PERMIT ANY FAIT ACCOMPLI
Ankara is angry at Israel's cooperation with peshmerges and its Kurdistan efforts. Upon news of New Yorker magazine that ''Israel is training Kurdish commandos'', Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that Turkey was closely following the developments. Gul said that Turkey had warned concerned parties about Israel's cooperation with Kurds in the north of Iraq and developments about a federative Kurdistan. Gul said that Turkey had told everybody that it would never permit any fait accompli in Kirkuk.
SIX PERCENT RISE IN SALARIES
Salaries and pensions will be increased by 6 percent as of July 1. After salaries and pensions are risen by 6 percent, the lowest salary will be 481 million 400 thousand Turkish liras (TL).
TOURISM BOOMS
Reservations in holiday resorts rose by 100 percent in a week. After schools were closed, domestic tourism boomed. Thirty-two thousand tourists came to southern Antalya province by planes yesterday. The number of tourists coming to Antalya in June 2004 rose by 28 percent when compared with June 2003.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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COMPREHENSIVE OPERATION LAUNCHED IN SOUTHEAST AGAINST TERRORISM
Turkish Armed Forces, which deployed special troops in eastern and southeastern provinces of Tunceli, Bingol, Diyarbakir and Sirnak in recent days, staged one of its most comprehensive operations within the last 15 days in Tunceli the previous night. Five terrorists, including a woman, were killed in the operation. One private was slightly injured in the operation. Security measures have been tightened since the security forces received a tip-off that the militants will stage an attack on a police station in Tunceli.
F-16S TO BE ALERT DURING NATO SUMMIT
Several measures have been taken for the NATO summit to be held in Istanbul between June 28 and 29. 45 kilometers of air space is being closed to traffic in Istanbul against air attacks. F-16 aircraft will control a region starting from the west of Bakirkoy district to the east of Umraniye district. F-16 planes will force any flying object violating this air space to lad. Two Awacs early warning aircraft will also come to Istanbul for the summit. Awacs will inform F-16 aircraft about any flying object violating the closed air space.
(BRC-AÖ) 22.06.2004