ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on September 1st, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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11 TERRORISTS KILLED IN HAKKARI
11 terrorists were killed in operations against the terrorist PKK/Kongra-Gel organization. Two people from security forces died in operations.
Hakkari Governor Erdogan Gurbuz said security forces had started an operation in Ferasin Region in Hakkari-Van-Betussebap triangle against the terrorist organization. He said 4,000 soldiers and village guards participated in the operation.
Gurbuz said a heavy blow was put on the terrorist organization in the operation which is backed by helicopters.
Gurbuz said 11 terrorists were killed and two people from security forces died in the operation.
Gurbuz said, ''many ammunition, documents, blankets and foodstuff were also found in shelters belonging to the terrorists.''
Governor Gurbuz added that operation continue in the region.
BABACAN: ''DON'T BE AFRAID OF ACCOUNT DEFICIT''
''It is very wrong to talk about the current account deficit as a serious issue,'' Turkish State Minister Ali Babacan said.
Babacan said, ''nobody should wonder that it (the current accounts deficit) is monitored very carefully''.
Babacan told a news conference at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport before leaving for the Netherlands, the first round of a tour aiming to brief international entrepreneurs, that ''Turkish economy was going through a very serious and deep-rooted structural transformation''. He said everybody should be aware of this.
Babacan said, ''peculiarities and parameters of the Turkish economy in this process should not be compared with any other period of the past,'' and noted that, ''today we are in a different aura. A different economic situation is prevailing. We are in the middle of a serious structural transformation. Turkish economy changes, thus I think that the analysis should be done according to actual conditions.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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IF ONLY I'D COME AS A TOURIST
''I fell in love with Antalya where I had my holiday for three times. Ordinary people I met there changed my idea about Turkey. All of them were very good people,'' Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
May be the captain and his two crew, who took Putin on a tour of Antalya with their boat, do not remember Putin. Possibly, they did not think the modest Russian tourist in their boat would one day be President of Russian Federation. However, Putin still remembers them and clarifies his friendly ideas about Turkey with the ''sincere friendship'' of those three secret heroes.
''Saying I liked there will not be a sufficient statement. I fell in love with Antalya. I am very sorry now that I will not any more have the opportunity to visit Antalya as an ordinary Russian tourist. All my ideas about Turkey changed after my three visits to Antalya. Dialogue with ordinary people changed my ideas about Turkey,'' Putin said.
EU: 'YES' BUT 'HOW'?
European Union (EU) Commission will call for full membership talks to start with Turkey in its report that would be issued in October.
According to the EU officials, the problem is not to propose starting of talks but how this would be formulated.
It has almost become definite to shed green light to full membership negotiations in the Progress report which the EU Commission would issue on October 6 for Turkey.
''It is almost definite to propose talks to start with Turkey in the Progress Report,'' a high level official of the Commission said, and noted that they were trying to make the formula they would find to satisfy member countries.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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ERDOGAN IS MAN OF HIS WORD
Russian leader Vladimir Putin gave friendly messages before his historical visit to Turkey and appreciated Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan: ''I have seen that he keeps his promise under every condition.''
Putin, who is scheduled to pay a visit to Turkey on Thursday, said, ''I know Erdogan as a man of his word. He did not give me a promise, but I saw that he does not change his stance on specific issues under every condition.''
Putin said this characteristic of Erdogan is very important in relations between the states rather than personal issues.
Saying ''the two countries may do more than this,'' Putin gave signs of strategic partnership in many areas and noted he was interested in privatization.
WORLD OF INFORMATICS 2004
CeBIT Eurasia Informatics Fair, described as the biggest information and communication technologies fair of Eurasia, opened its doors on Tuesday.
''CeBIT Informatics Eurasia'', which is the second ring of the World CeBIT chain, opened in Beylikduzu Fair & Congress Center in Istanbul.
Companies will display their most recent products in the fair which was staged by HIFAS, the joint venture of Deustche Messe AG (DMAG) and Interpo.
More than 800 companies from the United States, Canada, Britain, Italy, Greece, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Romania, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Czech Republic and China as well as Turkey attend CeBIT Informatics Eurasia fair.
Around 160,000 people from 65 countries are expected to visit the fair.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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MESSAGE FROM GUL
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Turkey would feel itself deceived if a negative decision is issued from the European Union (EU).
Gul warned that this would lead to dangerous results.
Stating that the United States was not at the point of launching an operation against terrorist PKK organization, Gul said, ''we know how to cope with our terrorists.''
CALL FROM PUTIN FOR COOPERATION
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who spoke prior to his scheduled visit to Turkey, stressed that Turkey and his country have joint interests, and noted that broad targets could be reached in cooperation.
Showing the Blue Stream as example, Putin said, ''we can fulfill successes that seems impossible.''
Putin expressed readiness of the Russian companies to join privatization process in Turkey.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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PUTIN: LET US BE PARTNERS
Russian leader Vladimir Putin said, ''we had been opponents in the past, but we are going toward cooperation and welfare now. There are many areas which we will work jointly.''
When journalist Mehmet Ali Birand, who interviewed with him asked if he could swim till to Black Sea Trabzon province reminding him that he had swum in the past together with the dolphins, Putin said, ''we are neighbors, I am always remembering this.'' Putin said, ''reaching prosperity for our own citizens and improving our own economy can only take place with joint efforts. Russia and Turkey are neighbors. We have joint efforts. There had been wars and peace in the past in history. I believe that we can make cooperation today and in the future and reach broader targets when we unite our powers. We can fulfill what is impossible.''
GREEN LIGHT FOR NEGOTIATIONS
European Commission Chairman Barrosso said, ''Progress Report will propose negotiations to Turkey.''
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen said, ''negotiations should start within 4-6 months if the reports becomes positive.''
Commission officials said, ''we are discussing how to formulate the talks.''
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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NEW PERIOD WITH RUSSIA
Cooperation and searches for new markets in energy areas is one of the topics of discussion during scheduled visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Turkey.
Russian Gazprom company, which exerts efforts to sell natural gas to Turkey and get a bigger share in this market, continue meetings in Turkey.
A delegation from Gazprom, one of the biggest natural gas sellers of the world, tries to determine the items which will be included in the agreement expected to be signed during Putin's visit. The delegation carries out talks with Botas aiming to encourage bilateral cooperation and promotion of reciprocal investments.
ERDOGAN: CHECHNYA ISSUE SHOULD BE RESOLVED WITHOUT DAMAGING RUSSIA'S INTEGRITY
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey favored a settlement in Chechnya without damaging Russia's territorial integrity.
Speaking to Russian Interfax agency ahead of President Vladimir Putin's visit to Turkey, Erdogan said, ''we want a fundamental solution of the Chechen question in the framework of Russia's territorial integrity and constitutional system, by peaceful means and with due consideration for human rights.''
Turkey believed that there should be no place for terrorism under any circumstances and criticized the phenomenon at the highest level, Erdogan said.
He reaffirmed that Turkey continues to favor the establishment of a sincere dialogue between Turkey and Russia in the sphere of resisting terrorism.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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WE HAVE SET SAIL WITH TURKEY FOR A MUTUAL WELFARE
Russian President Vladimir Putin made statements prior to his historical visit to Turkey on Thursday.
Replying to questions of journalist Mehmet Ali Birand in Manset Program in CNN Turk, Putin said they have left aside the past days and set sail with Turkey for mutual welfare.
Stressing that reciprocal trade reached to a dimension that can not be estimated, Putin said Turkey increased its esteem in international area in the recent period.
Putin said relations should be verified, and noted that they were ready to sell oil to Turkey. He also said there could be cooperation in energy, aviation, military technical cooperation.
IRAQ WANTS TO GET MORE ELECTRICITY FROM TURKEY
Iraqi Minister of Electricity Aiham Alsammarae, who came to Turkey on Monday, launched initiatives to import more electricity and for a cheaper price.
Aiham Alsammarae met Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Hilmi Guler and Energy Market Regulation Board Yusuf Gunay and conveyed the wish to increase electricity import from Turkey.
Iraqi minister said many power plants and transmission lines were damaged during the war, stating that they needed 17,000 MegaWatt electricity. He said they wanted to meet this need from Turkey.
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
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TURKEY PROPOSES MEDIATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Turkish delegation currently in Israel is getting ready for a mission to find a peaceful solution for Israeli-Palestinian problem.
Consultants proposed a Turkish citizen to be in the delegation which will monitor withdrawal of Israel from Gaza.
DENKTAS: ''WHAT GREEK CYPRIOTS WANT IS TO DISRUPT PEACE''
''There is peace on the island for 30 years. Compromise is what is lacking between the two sides,'' President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said.
Denktas said, ''Greek Cypriot side wanted to disrupt this peace and make us accept its own policy''. He went on to say: ''Peace has come to the island with Peace Operation in 1974, We are pursuing a compromise between the two states.''
During his meeting with Turkish Public Works & Settlement Minister Zeki Ergezen, Denktas assessed the ceremony which Greek Cypriots would hold in Hagia Mamas Church in Guzelyurt on Wednesday.
Addressing to those who are for staging joint activities with the Greek Cypriot side under the name of ''Peace festival'', Denktas said this should be called as ''festival of compromise'', as peace has come to the Island with Peace Operation (of Turkish troops in 1974).
(AY-AÖ) 01.09.2004