ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on March 14th, 2008. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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ANSWER TO DTP'S APPOINTMENT REQUEST
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Democratic Society Party (DTP) asked for an appointment from him. Erdogan said, "I will have a meeting with DTP when they declare PKK as terrorist organization."
YILMAZ WARNS
Turkish Central Bank Governor Durmus Yilmaz said there were signals that recent fluctuations in global financial markets had started to affect real sector (in Turkey) as well, citing a prospective "global slowdown" in growth. "The problem we had to deal with until now was liquidity but from now on we will have to deal with the problem of bankruptcy. If the loans are not going to be repaid, it means that interest rates are losing their functions," Yilmaz said.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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LIFE TO STOP FOR TWO HOURS TODAY
Workers from labor unions which protest draft law on social security will quit working across Turkey between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. today. The protest on "right to not work as a warning" is expected to be influential in transportation, cleaning, education and health areas. Municipality services will also be interrupted and public transportation will stop for two hours.
CASHIER OF PKK CAPTURED
Nedim Seven, one of the most important cash keepers of PKK terrorist organization in Europe and was known as "cashier" of PKK, was captured in Rome. He had been captured in the Netherlands in 2006, but then released.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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"FIRST CALL THEM TERRORISTS," ERDOGAN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would not talk to deputies from the Democratic Society Party (DTP) unless it announced the PKK as a terrorist organization. "I will have a meeting with DTP as the prime minister of the Republic of Turkey when they declare PKK as terrorist organization," he said. "DTP is not the representative of my Kurdish citizens. This party is making ethnic discrimination."
UNIONS PLATFORM TO SUSPEND WORK IN PROTEST OF SOCIAL SECURITY LAW
Labor Platform, a gathering of Turkish workers' unions, will suspend work for two hours on Friday to protest the social security and general health insurance bill passed by the Planning & Budget Committee of Turkish parliament on March 6th. The protest is expected to stop transportation, street cleaning, education and health services throughout Turkey from 10 a.m. to noon. The bill gradually raises the retirement age of women and men to 65 (actually 58 and 60, respectively) and the number of days they have to work to retire from 7,000 to 9,000.
VATAN (INDEPENDENT)
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FOREIGN COMPANIES TO BE PROHIBITED FROM ACQUIRING PROPERTY
Upon objection of Republican People's Party (CHP) objection, Turkish Constitutional Court annulled the right given to foreign companies to acquire property in Turkey.
Economy circles were concerned due to the decision as it would have a negative impact on foreign investments.
BAD NEWS TO TURKEY'S RICHEST TURK
Turkish Telecommunication Authority decided that Digiturk, a satellite television provider, shall pay an administrative fine of 4.8 million YTL due to unlawful transfer of license. Such decision paved the way for a "Special Communication Tax" penalty of 300 million YTL for the company.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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WORKERS' STRIKE REHEARSAL
Workers and labor unions showed during demonstrations Thursday that they were ready to suspend work for two hours on Friday to protest a social security law bill. A unions' platform held rallies throughout Turkey and released a joint press statement, saying the workers will not accept the bill which it said was deteriorating workers' rights. The platform will stop transportation, street cleaning, education and health services throughout Turkey from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday.
TURKISH PREMIER REJECTS MEETING WITH DTP
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would not meet with deputies from the Democratic Society Party (DTP) unless they announced the PKK as a terrorist organization. "I told them that I, as the prime minister of the Republic of Turkey, would not talk to them unless DTP announced PKK as a terrorist organization," he said.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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ERDOGAN: WE HAVE NEVER IGNORED POLITICAL PROPOSALS
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "it is impossible for me to meet Democratic Society Party (DTP) which does not declare PKK as terrorist organization." Besides New York Times, Erdogan spoke to German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper. When asked whether his visit of east of Turkey was a beginning for a political solution to Kurdish problem, Erdogan said, "we have never ignored political proposals."
TWO HOURS OF RECESS IN TURKEY
Working life will stop for two hours between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. today within the scope of the protest of Emek Platform (comprised of many labor unions confederations including Turk-Is, DISK and KESK) against social security reform. Labor unions members say "life will stop for two hours today to prevent it from ending in the future."
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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YOU SHOULD DECLARE PKK AS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ralph Gonsalves of Saint Vincent and Grenadines had a meeting and held a press conference in Ankara. Gonsalves extended support to Turkey on several issues. Gonsalves said his country supports Turkey's non-permanent membership to the UN Security Council as well as Izmir's bid to host EXPO 2015. Replying to questions of reporters, Erdogan stated Democratic Society Party (DTP) asked him for an appointment but he could not have a meeting with the executives of the DTP until they declared PKK as terrorist organization.
OPERATIONS UNDER WAY
10 terrorists including a woman were killed in an operation that was launched against terrorist organization PKK/KONGRA-GEL in Bestler-Dereler region in southeastern province of Sirnak three days ago, Turkish General Staff said. Turkish security teams also seized hand grenades, explosives and foodstuffs in the operation. Operations against separatist terrorist organization continue in regardless of weather conditions in order to assure safety of Turkish citizens, General Staff said.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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IT IS IMPORTANT TO WIN PEOPLE'S HEARTS IN SOUTHEAST, GUL
President Abdullah Gul delivered important statements on his way to Senegal where he attends the OIC Summit.
Regarding his meeting with a delegation from Democratic Society Party (DTP), Gul said he told the party members that "DTP should be a part of the solution, not the problem".
Gul also said the fight against terrorism would be carried out with determination, however the problem described as the Kurdish or southeast issue could not be solved with weapons solely. Underscoring the importance of winning the people's hearts, Gul said a democratic proposal would isolate terrorists.
TURKEY HAS COLONY TYPE SECULARISM
Pierre-Jean Luizard, an expert on Middle East and Turkey working at the National Center for Scientific Research of France, said the types of secularism implemented in Turkey and France were different from each other.
According to Luizard, Turkey followed Algeria's method in secularism, not the French type.
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
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DECLARE PKK AS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, THEN WE MEET
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan explained his criterion for a meeting with Democratic Society Party (DTP): "I, as prime minister of Republic of Turkey, meet DTP when they declare PKK as terrorist organization." He also said, "we cannot quit our projects only because of the approach of a single party. Opportunities in western parts (of the country) will be offered in eastern parts too. We are against ethnic, religious and regional nationalism."
8-HOUR APPOINTMENT SUMMIT IN YOK
During the summit of Higher Board of Education (YOK) general assembly which lasted for eight hours, Turkish Board of Statistics (TUIK) Chairman Omer Demir was appointed as acting president.
(DO-GC-EÖ-MS)