ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on August 17th, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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BIG PROFIT THROUGH FICTITIOUS ACCOUNT
It has been revealed that Erol Aksoy, the owner of Iktisat Bankasi, the management of which was seized by the state, had caused 447 million U.S. dollars of loss for the state with fictitious accounts opened in the name of several institutions. The Turkish Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA), which had found out the fictitious profit, has indicted Aksoy to Sisli Prosecutor's Office. The Office has revealed the fraud made in Trade and Deposit Bank, an off-shore branch of Iktisat Bankasi in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
IRAQ STARTS VISA PROCEDURES FOR TURKS
Iraq's Head of State Ghazi al-Yawer, who paid his first official visit to Turkey yesterday by a military plane sent by Turkey, shocked Ankara. Al-Yawer announced that his country would ask for visa from citizens of many countries including Turkey. This decision, said to be taken in order to prevent terrorist incursions, shocked Ankara.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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WE DIDN'T YIELD
Heavy rainfall which was expected to hit Istanbul at 6.00 p.m. started at 10.00 p.m. Although there were some reports of flood in some places of the city, measures taken by the greater municipality prevented a disaster. Yesterday, Istanbul was on alert against the heaviest rainfall of the last decade. Houses were evacuated in regions that could have been flooded while barricades were set against flood.
ATASAGUN VISITED ERDOGAN
Senkal Atasagun, the Undersecretary of the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) who had to cut his vacation short, visited Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and informed him about developments regarding Cakici scandal.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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OZKAYA FILE TO BE PRESENTED TO BOARD
File regarding Eraslan Ozkaya, the Chief Judge of the Turkish Supreme Court of Appeals who is mentioned together with Cakici investigation, will be sent to the Supreme Court of Appeals Chairmanship Board soon. Mater Kaban, the Supreme Court of Appeals Deputy Chief Judge, will send Ozkaya file to this board after he examines it. The board will charge a person to carry out a pre-investigation if it considers it necessary. After a report is prepared at the end of the pre-investigation, the board can either shelve the file or charge a new person to conduct the investigation. The Chairmanship Board will assess the report of this member and may decide either to try Ozkaya or to shelve the file.
FIRST VISIT AND WARNING FROM IRAQ AFTER WAR
The only concrete message of Iraq's Head of State Ghazi al-Yawer, who faced Ankara's message to ''put an end to PKK'', was, ''don't intervene in our internal affairs.'' Al-Yawer, who was elected Iraq's Head of State after June 28th, when sovereignty was transferred to the Iraqi people, drew attention to sensitivities of both his country and Ankara, but did not make any promise in his first official visit to a foreign country.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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NO COMMITMENT FOR PKK
Iraq's Head of State Ghazi al-Yawer refrained from making a strong commitment to fight against PKK in his meetings in Ankara. Ankara warned that any of the groups in Iraq should not try to possess Kirkuk on their own. Al-Yawer gave Ankara the message that ''it should not intervene in Iraq's internal affairs.''
ALPOGAN TO BE APPOINTED AS NSC SECRETARY GENERAL
The government decided to appoint Yigit Alpogan, who is currently Turkey's Ambassador to Greece, as the Secretary General of the National Security Council (NSC). If President Ahmet Necdet Sezer approves the decree, Alpogan will be the first civilian NSC Secretary General.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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HOW CAKICI ESCAPED WHEN POLICE WAS AFTER HIM?
Everything demonstrates that police was following mafia boss Alaattin Cakici and all his connections. It's as if the police had only watched Cakici escape. Recently acquired information shows that police was prepared against Cakici's attempt to run abroad months before he escaped. The question is: How a person who was preparing to run abroad escaped when he was so closely being followed?
AL-YAWER WARNED AGAINST PKK
Ghazi al-Yawer, who was elected Iraq's Head of State after sovereignty was transferred to Iraqi people at the end of June, paid his first official visit to Ankara. PKK, Kirkuk and security matters were discussed during al-Yawer's meetings. Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said that Turkey expected the Iraqi administration not to shelter PKK on its soil.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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PROMISE FROM IRAQ
PKK was high on agenda during meeting between Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Iraq's Head of State Ghazi al-Yawer, who paid an official visit to Ankara. Sezer said that Turkey expected the new Iraqi administration to put an end to the presence of the terrorist organization PKK/KONGRA-GEL on its soil.
NOW, IT'S MY TURN
Turkish sprinter Elvan Abeylegesse said, ''after Halil and Nurcan (two Turkish weightlifters who won gold medals in Olympic Games), I will also win a gold medal.'' Abeylegesse went to Greek capital Athens for the Olympic Games. Elvan's coach Hatipoglu said, ''medals won by Halil and Nurcan have encouraged Elvan more.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS-MIT RELATIONSHIP TO BE INVESTIGATED FULLY
A full investigation will be launched regarding claims that National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and Supreme Court of Appeals had meetings related with Alaattin Cakici case. Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor Nuri Ok sent file about Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Judge Eraslan Ozkaya to First Deputy Chief Mater Kaban. He sent the file regarding Deputy Secretary General Ercan Yalcinkaya to the Justice Ministry. But, it is said that telephone conversations could not be considered evidence since they had not asked for permission before to tap Ozkaya's telephone. MIT will prepare a report about MIT External Operations Department Head Kasif Kozinoglu, who was claimed to meet Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Judge and asked him to suspend Cakici case. MIT will then send this report to the Prime Ministry. Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office is carrying out the investigation about contractor Hakki Suha Sen, who was also claimed to be involved in the case.
HALIL MUTLU: I WILL OVERTAKE NAIM SULEYMANOGLU
Turkish weightlifter Halil Mutlu, who became the Olympic champion for the third time, has set a new target. He wants to compete also in the Beijing Olympic Games due in 2008 and became the first Turkish weightlifter who becomes the Olympic champion for the fourth time. Mutlu, who joined Turkish predecessor Naim Suleymanoglu and two Greek weightlifters as three-time weightlifting gold medallists, said, ''I will be 35 at 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. My new target is to be the first sportsman becoming the four-time weightlifting gold medallist and record my name in the Olympic history.''
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
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URGENT ACTION PLAN FOR ISTANBUL
Istanbul is preparing for a possible earthquake. Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas, who said, ''we don't have any moment to lost'', got borrowing authority from the parliament for loans. Topbas said that the greater municipality was giving priority to make citizens more conscious, strengthen the infrastructure, and create new settlement areas. Topbas speeded up projects to build quake-resistant houses. 85,000 shanty houses will be evacuated as a first step.
WE HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN AUGUST 17
We can still see the traces of the August 17 devastating earthquake which hit our citizens when they were sleeping five years ago. Thousands of buildings were damaged in Adapazari, Izmit, Yalova and Istanbul in the earthquake in which around 20,000 people lost their lives and tens of thousands of others were injured.
(BRC-AÖ) 17.08.2004