ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on August 5, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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POLICEMAN WHO SPEAKS KURDISH DID NOT WARN OTHERS
Official investigation report of police inspectors on a raid of a police station in eastern province of Van leaked to the newspaper. Five policemen will be indicted and eleven others will be heard by disciplinary committee. The report says: ''While he was under police detention, Hamit Bayram telephoned his father Mustafa Bayram and speaking Kurdish, he informed his father. A police officer standing by Hamit Bayram did not intervene although he can speak Kurdish. Mustafa Bayram raided the police facility together with members of his tribe and took his son away. Tribesmen came with long-range weapons. Policemen did not use weapons against them because the tribesmen outnumber the policemen. Tribesmen roughed several police officers up and took Hamit Bayram and Husnu Ozbuz away. Five policemen were beaten.''
THEY KILLED TURKISH DRIVER BECAUSE HE COULDN'T PRAY IN ARABIC IN IRAQ
51-year-old Turkish truck driver Osman Alisan who was transporting diesel oil to U.S troops was killed in Iraq. Witnesses said that a number of drivers including Alisan, were ambushed and Iraqi insurgents rained bullets on them because they could not pray in Arabic. On the other hand, Selahattin Turan, another Turkish driver, was kidnapped.
EUROPEAN WISE MEN: TURKEY IS READY
Wise Men Commission including former French Prime Minister Rocard and Finnish leader Ahtisaari prepared a report recommending the European Union to start negotiations with Turkey.
ACCORDING TO AK PARTY: EVIL EYES ARE GUILTY
The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) defended its minister. A censure motion tabled by the Republican People's Party (CHP) against Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim was rejected by 320 votes against 171, in the parliament. In a speech delivered on behalf of the AK Party, train derailment was caused by ''the evil eyes''. Meanwhile, the Health Department Director in Sakarya who announced the death toll as 139 was forced to resign.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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ONE GOES, TWO STAYS
The parliament rejected the censure motion, tabled by the Republican People's Party (CHP) deputies against Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim after the high-speed train crash in northwestern province of Sakarya on July 22 which killed 38 people and injured many others. A total of 492 deputies attended the vote at the parliamentary general assembly. 320 of them cast their votes against the censure motion while 171 voted in favor. A deputy abstained. The Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which assumed a position in favor of Yildirim and the director general of the Turkish Railways (TCDD), found another responsible for the crash: Provincial Director for Health in Sakarya Aziz Ogutlu, who gave incorrect information about death toll, was forced to resign by Health Minister Recep Akdag.
QUAKE STORM IN WESTERN TURKEY
Tremors jolted western province of Mugla and the adjacent areas. More 400 quakes were recorded in the region. Both Turkish and foreign tourists spent the night outside. Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory and Seismology Institute said that seismic activity would continue in the area for about two more days or longer.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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BUYUKANIT APPOINTED AS COMMANDER OF LAND FORCES
During the annual meeting of the Higher Military Board (YAS), First Army Commander General Yasar Buyukanit was appointed as commander of land forces. YAS' decisions about appointments, promotions and retirement of high-ranking military personnel will be submitted to the Cankaya Presidential Palace for President Ahmet Necdet Sezer's approval. Meanwhile, Second Army Commander General Fevzi Turkeri was appointed as commander of gendarme forces.
POLICEMAN KILLED IN AN ARMED ATTACK
A policeman was killed in an armed attack in Patnos town of eastern province of Agri. Unidentified people opened fire on a police car, killing Can Senca. Meanwhile, policeman Ismet Demir was injured in the attack. Operations have been under way in the town to capture those responsible for the attack.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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PARLIAMENT REJECTS CENSURE MOTION AGAINST YILDIRIM
The parliament rejected on Wednesday a censure motion, which was tabled by the Republican People's Party (CHP) deputies against Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim, after the high-speed train crash in northwestern province of Sakarya on July 22. A total of 492 deputies participated to the vote at the general assembly. 320 of them cast their votes against the censure motion while 171 voted in favor. A deputy abstained. Speaking before the vote, Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal called out to Yildirim, ''how many people must die before you resign?''
QUAKE STORM IN WESTERN TURKEY
Tremors have been shaking western province of Mugla for three days. Nearly 400 tremors occurred in the bay of Gokova, and were also felt in the resort towns of Didim, Fethiye and Datca. People spent another night outside in fear. Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory and Seismology Institute said that seismic activity would continue in the area for about two days or longer.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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GENERAL STAFF RETURNS MHP'S LETTER
The General Staff rejected a letter by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli. In his letter, Bahceli had called on the General Staff to warn the government for its serious mistakes.
DECISIONS OF YAS TO BE MADE PUBLIC
The annual meeting of the Higher Military Board (YAS) will end today. Decisions taken at the annual meeting will be made public after being approved by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
SECURITY FORCES IMPOUND 48 KG OF HEROIN
Security forces impounded 48 kg of heroin in a car at Edirne's Ipsala border gate. Security forces searched the car belonged to a Hungarian tourist. They found 48 kg of heroin hidden in the car with the help of sniffer dogs. Sources said that market price of the heroin was about 7 trillion Turkish liras.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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RESCUING TACTICS
Tribes were involved and later it was announced that Turkish trucks won't go to Iraq and our drivers were rescued. A deadline for Turkish drivers Abdurrahman Demir and Sait Unurlu was set until yesterday. After Murat Yuce, a Turkish truck driver was executed brutally, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul who did not want reoccurrence of such an incident, firstly met officials of Turkish companies employing the hostages. They announced that they halted their activities in Iraq. Later, International Transporters' Association (UND) announced that trucks stopped ferrying U.S. goods to Iraq. Furthermore, Turkish officials in Iraq met leaders of various tribes. Meanwhile, Gul requested Al Jazeera TV channel which is influential on insurgents, to broadcast the news that ''UND won't ferry U.S. goods''. The news report produced their effects and insurgents released two Turkish hostages.
TRIGGERMAN: GURCAN
Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and police analyzed the voices of two Turkish-speaking persons in the video of killing of Murat Yuce. And they revealed that one of them was Istanbul bomber Habip Aktas and he prepared the statement read out by Yuce, while voice and posture of the other one seemed to be those of Gurcan Bac who prepared the pick-ups laden with explosives and used in Istanbul bombings. Gurcan Bac speaks fluent Arabic.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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GREENS WILL OPPOSE TO ''CONDITIONAL YES'' TO TURKEY
European Parliament Greens Group announced that it would oppose to an approach with a formula about Turkey saying, ''yes but...'' at EU summit in December. Greens stressed that negotiations should immediately start with Turkey in case of a positive Progress Report on Turkey that EU Commission is expected to release on October 5. They said that if the report includes unobjective points, they would open those points to discussion at the European Parliament's floor. Greens also stated that they would launch a serious campaign supporting the start of entry talks with Turkey in case of a positive report.
EXPORTERS SWITCH INTO RAILWAY TRANSPORTATION AFTER ATTACKS INCREASE IN IRAQ
After attacks on Turkish truck drivers who transport goods from Turkey to Iraq increased, International Transporters' Association (UND), a Turkish truckers union, decided to stop ferrying U.S. goods to Iraq. In order not to lose Iraq market where they export 792 million U.S. dollars of goods in six months, exporters are seeking alternative transportation ways. Among these, railway transportation has priority in terms of security and cost. Industrialists say that they switched to railway transportation because roads in Iraq are no more secure for drivers. Sent Nakliyat, a transportation company in Izmir, is sending goods to Iraq by train.
(UK-MS-ULG) 05.08.2004