ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on July 09, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION SHOULD BE MERCILESS
General Staff Second Chief Gen. Ilker Basbug defined corruption as the main problem. ''There should be absolute, unhesitant and merciless fight against corruption.'' Speaking at a briefing, Gen. Basbug said, ''the Turkish Armed Forces takes every necessary measure within its command structure. We formed a special unit. We have been informing the jurisdiction on necessary matters.''
PRODUCTION BREAKS RECORD IN INDUSTRY
Industrial production set a new record in May 2004 and reached the ever highest monthly rate of 16.5 percent. Also the production index set a record with 125.5 percent. The previous highest rate of production index was 123.7 percent in December 2003. The rate of increase in production was 12.6 percent in mining sector, 17.7 percent in manufacturing sector and 7 percent in utilities (electricity, gas and water) sector. Meanwhile, the average monthly industrial output in first five months of 2004 was 13.2 percent.
TWO TURKISH DRIVERS KILLED IN IRAQ
Two Turkish truck drivers were killed in a fire opened on a convoy of oil tanker trucks outside Samarra city in north of Iraq. AFP quoted Major Nasr al-Samarray from Iraq police as saying that the two truck drivers were killed in gunfire opened on their trucks outside Samarra, 125 km north of Baghdad were Turkish. Samarray showed passports of Turkish drivers and said bodies would be sent to hospital and they would inform the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad on the killing. A driver in the convoy of eight oil tanker trucks said gunmen in black strafed a truck, killing the two Turkish truck drivers inside and causing the vehicle to flip over.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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ANOTHER SHAME GOING TO BECOME THING OF PAST
''Virginal check'' nightmare of girls is going to end. Parents and teachers can no more take girls freely to virginal control. Those who do it without a decision of judge and prosecutor will be sentenced to imprisonment terms of 3 months up to 1 year. Under an article in bill on amendment to the Turkish Penal Code, sending and taking girls to ''genital examination'' will only be possible on condition of court decision. The parliament is expected to discuss the bill before recess.
2.5 BILLION LIRAS BILL TO MUFTI'S OFFICE FOR ACCESSING ADULT WEB SITES
The Mufti's Office in Yalova received nearly 2.5 billion Turkish liras bill. It was claimed that the costly bill was the outcome of accession to adult web sites in the internet from computers in the Office. Yalova Mufti Tacettin Sevinc declined to answer questions about the issue. The Religious Affairs launched investigation into the matter.
AMERICA HAS DONE NOTHING AGAINST PKK
General Staff Second Chief Gen. Ilker Basbug said, ''it is obvious that the United States has not carried out an active and clear act against the terrorist elements and has not met our expectations so far. Under Article 8 of the UN Security Council resolution dated May 28th, 2004, the multinational force in Iraq has been given additional duties to prevent and dissuade terrorist movements. Within this framework, the multinational force in Iraq has still have the responsibility for fight against terrorism.''
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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THEY TAKE AWAY SUSPECT FROM POLICE BUILDING
Undercover police officers detained Hamit Bayram, the son of former parliamentarian Mustafa Bayram, on charges of illicit drug smuggling in eastern province of Van two days ago, and took him to Police Department's Maintenance Branch. During his detention there, Hamit Bayram somehow telephoned his men and informed them on the developments. Later, 25 men raided the building and beat one police officer and took the suspect away. In the chase, police captured seven of those men. Prosecutor interrogated former parliamentarian Mustafa Bayram.
REPRESENTATIVES OF MONOTHEIST RELIGIONS TO MEET IN ISTANBUL
Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew said that an important gathering will be held between October 10 and 12 in Istanbul, where representatives of three monotheist religions will attend. Bartholomew said that they expected Pope Jean Paul II to pay a visit to Turkish this year.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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OCALAN ENDS CEASE-FIRE
Patriotic Union of Iraqi Kurdistan (PUK) Jalal Talabani said that terrorist groups who started to clash with security forces in Turkey were acting under the orders of Abdullah Ocalan. Talabani said that his new ''Kirkuk proposal'' that he brought to Ankara was welcomed. Speaking on CNN-Turk, Talabani said, ''there are people who clash upon orders and instructions of Ocalan''. He said that PKK/Kongra-Gel has nearly 4-5 thousand terrorist mititants in north of Iraq . Talabani stressed that Kurds no more want war. ''Kirkuk should be a province which has a special status and a mayor. Administration of Kirkuk should be held in rotation for one-year periods by Turkmen, Arab and Kurdish mayors.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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10-YEAR-OLD HEAVY WORKER
Kucukpazar neighborhood in Eminonu district is the first address of people who migrated from Anatolia for work in Istanbul. 10-year-old Gokhan Simsek is one of the thousands of people, mostly children staying at public houses in the neighborhood. After his grandfather, his father and older brother he came to Istanbul. Gokhan Simsek left the primary school in Ilkomsu village in Malazgirt town of eastern province of Mus a month ago. He said he wanted to continue his education but his older brother Selcuk who shares a room with eight people, including his elder brother said, ''you are lucky. I never went to school.'' Gokhan wakes up at 7 in the morning and works at a shirt workshop for 12 hours a day. He is paid 200 million (nearly USD 133) per month.
BASIC MATTERS: PKK AND IRAQ
General Staff deputy Chief Gen. Ilker Basbug reacted to former DEP deputies' call for PKK to ''extend the cease-fire for another six months''. ''There is Article 31 of the Turkish Penal Code. Laws should be implemented,'' he said. Basbug who proposed a special status to keep the ethnic composition of the Kirkuk city intact, said ''Turkish Armed Forces will remain in Iraq until the PKK elements will be disbanded.'' Basbug's words about the United States: ''our expectations about terrorism have not been met. It is not true that the United States demanded new bases. And Incirlik is a Turkish base.''
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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GEN. BASBUG WARNS FORMER DEP DEPUTIES
General Staff Second Chief Gen. Ilker Basbug said, ''it is very important for all units of the State and non-governmental organizations to clearly display their determination in fight against terrorism. However, shortly after their release from prison, former deputies of the outlawed DEP, whose court process has not finished yet, organized a tour with the leader of a political party during which they did not speak the official language of the country during mass meetings. They even dared to advise the separatist terrorist organization to halt its acts for six more months, in another sense, they made use of the hesitations of the bureaucracy. It is very important for all units of the State to enact with determination legal measures within the scope of the laws .''
SEZER REQUESTS SUPPORT
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer briefed Romanian President Ion Iliescu on the latest developments on the Cyprus issue and asked for the support of Romania which is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, for the lifting of restrictions and embargoes imposed on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The two leaders also discussed terrorist organization PKK/Kongra-Gel issue. President Sezer said that PKK carried out activities in Romania from time to time and asked that Romania took necessary measures against such activities.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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TURKEY ADOPTS TRANSPARENCY STEP BY STEP
Turkey which swiftly advances on the European Union (EU) path is getting transparent together with its all institutions and organizations. The government took the initial step on the understanding of democratic governance by adopting the Law on Getting Information. Turkey was brought to European standards when the military expenses of the Turkish Armed Forces were to be supervised by the Government Accounting Bureau. Studies in this respect will gain a new dimension after the Public Management Reform law is enacted. Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc is preparing to open the Parliament Speaker's Office to supervision. Meanwhile, Chief of the General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok ordered ''transparency'' at the Turkish Armed Forces regarding all military expenditures and bids.
(MS-ULG) 09.07.2004