ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on September 21st, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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ERDOGAN TO GIVE TCK ASSURANCES TO EU
Turkish-European Union (EU) relations were discussed during Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Central Executive Board meeting on Monday.
Erdogan said, ''we have prepared a Turkish Penal Code (TCK) bringing innovations like reforms. However, this was overshadowed because of adultery issue. We will convey all those realities to our interlocutors from the first hand. I believe that everything will be normal.
ARMED ATTACK ON TURKISH RED CRESCENT CONVOY
Red Crescent convoy, transporting aid to Turkmens in Tal Afar, was attacked in Mosul, while returning to Irbil.
Two Red Crescent officials and two journalists of Ihlas News Agency were injured. One of the Red Crescent officials is reported to be in serious condition.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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GUL: ''EU WILL GIVE A DATE FOR NEGOTIATIONS''
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that he did not have any difference of opinion with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the draft Penal Code (TCK). Referring to relations with the European Union (EU), Gul said, ''we expect to get an unconditional date from the EU for entry negotiations.''
POSSIBILITY OF A NEW LIST
European Union (EU) Commission sources said that the EU could prepare a new list for Turkey unless Ankara adopted a reform of its penal code (TCK). Meanwhile, Jean-Christophe Filori, the spokesman of EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen, said that entry negotiations between Turkey and the EU could not start unless important parts of the draft TCK were enacted.
CICEK: ''WE ARE PLANNING TO OPEN TENDERS FOR TELEKOM AND TEKEL''
Justice Minister and government spokesman Cemil Cicek said, ''we are planning to open tenders for the privatization of the Turkish Telekom and for the General Directorate of Tobacco, Tobacco Products, Salt and Alcohol Enterprises (Tekel) in October. Also, efforts are under way for a public offering of state-run Turkish Airlines (THY) in November.'' Holding a news conference following weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers, Cicek said, ''works on the process of a public offering of THY shares to be launched on November 17 are continuing with speed.''
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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GUL: NEGOTIATIONS WILL START
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul spoke from Chicago: ''We expect to get a start date from the EU for entry negotiations without any condition.''
''Turkish Parliament comprised of representatives of the people will make the best decision regarding Turkish penal code (TCK),'' Gul said.
LOBBY FROM U.S. TO LIBERALIZE MEAT IMPORTS
Turkish Agriculture & Rural Affairs Minister Sami Guclu met U.S. Ambassador in Ankara Eric Edelman.
The meeting was closed to the press.
U.S. affirms that Turkey's policy not allowing meat imports and imposition of tariff quotas on rice imports violated the principles of World Trade Organization (WTO).
U.S. wants meat imports to be allowed and customs taxes to be reduced after lifting tariff quotas on rice imports. U.S. states that the issue could be brought to the WTO, in case talks with Turkey do not reach to an agreement. Talks are underway between the Turkish and U.S. officials since March.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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ARMED ATTACK ON RED CRESCENT CONVOY
Gunmen attacked on the Turkish Red Crescent convoy carrying humanitarian aid to Turkmen people in Tal Afar, Iraq. Three workers of the Turkish Red Crescent and two correspondents of the Ihlas New Agency (IHA) were wounded when gunmen opened fire on their vehicle near Mosul.
EU'S LAST WORD
The European Union (EU) Commission officially stated that the entry negotiations between Turkey and the EU could not start unless important parts of the draft Penal Code (TCK) were enacted. Jean-Christophe Filori, the spokesman of EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen, said, ''if this central element of reform, that is the new penal code, is not adopted, negotiations cannot start.''
MILITARY VEHICLE OVERTURNS INJURING TEN SOLDIERS
A military vehicle overturned in southern province of Kahramanmaras, injuring ten soldiers. The cause of the accident is still unknown. The injured were hospitalized.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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ERDOGAN SAYS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME THING
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan assessed the tension with the European Union (EU) to German Deutsche Welle television prior to progress report of the European Commission which will be announced on October 6th.
Erdogan said, ''the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK) is not a part of the Copenhagen Criteria. It is a step which we took by ourselves.''
Erdogan said, ''Verheugen told me that studies were completed in Ankara, and that adultery was not in connection with the report. If EU does not want us, we will put the name of this 'Ankara political criteria' and continue on our path.''
MEMBERS OF GREEN PEACE AFTER SUNKEN SHIP
Greenpeace activists held a demonstration in front of Turkish Environment and Forestry Ministry to protest the neglect towards the toxic waste in the ship ''M/V Ulla'' that sank in Turkish port of Iskenderun.
The activists gathered before the minister's office early in the morning carrying placards saying ''Minister Waits, M/V Ulla Poisons''.
Banu Dokmecibasi, who read out a statement on behalf of the activists, said no initiative has been taken so far although 15 days passed since the sinking of the ship. Dokmecibasi defended that negligence of Turkish Environment & Forestry Minister Osman Pepe was in question.
Dokmecibasi said toxic waste in the ship poisons the Mediterranean.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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INHUMAN ACT
Hostile acts against Turkey have risen to the maximum levels in Iraq recently. Gunmen opened fire on a eight-vehicle convoy of the Turkish Red Crescent carrying humanitarian aid to Turkmen people in Tal Afar, Iraq. The assailants attempted to set fire to the vehicles, however they failed. Five people were wounded in the heinous attack.
BRUSSELS AWAITS ERDOGAN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to attend meeting of the European Parliament in Brussels on September 23rd. He is expected to deliver a critical speech during the meeting in which we will explain the proposal to criminalize adultery. He is expected to tell the EU parliamentarians that the proposal's goal was to protect the family and to increase social status of women in Turkey.
CICEK: ''IF EU DOES NOT GIVE A DATE, WE WILL NOT SIT AND CRY''
Justice Minister and government spokesman Cemil Cicek said, ''suppose that the EU does not give a date for negotiations on December 17. What will we do? We are not going to sit and cry. We will and should continue on our path. We attribute importance to the EU. Because of this importance, we have made many important reforms in the last twenty-two months. The EU is an important issue, but it is not the only issue on Turkey's agenda. There are many issues on our agenda. We attribute importance to all these issues, and we handle them in a balanced way.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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BABACAN MEETS IMF DELEGATION
Turkish State Minister Ali Babacan met International Monetary Fund (IMF) Turkey Desk Chief Reza Moghadam. IMF delegation, led by Moghadam, is currently in Turkey to discuss new 3-year program.
Before the meeting with IMF, Babacan met a technical team, called ''macro framework team'', comprised of bureaucrats and assessed the studies.
The teams were formed under the names: ''Balance of Payments'', ''Budget'' ''Finance'', ''Tax Reform'', ''Social Security'', ''Banking Reform'', and ''Monetary Policies.''
AMBUSH TO RED CRESCENT CONVOY IN MOSUL
An attack was launched on the Turkish Red Crescent team which brought aid to people of Tal Afar who received damage in U.S. operation.
Two Red Crescent officials and two journalists of Ihlas News Agency were injured under gunfire.
Releasing a written statement, the Red Crescent said, ''unidentified gunmen attacked the Red Crescent team near Mosul. Two Red Crescent workers and two IHA staff were wounded when gunmen opened fire on their vehicle.''
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
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''I WILL CONVINCE EU''
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who will meet the EU officials on Thursday, said, ''they are giving misinformation. I will convey all the realities. I will convince them.''
Erdogan said withdrawal of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) to the commission would not mean it was shelved, noting that adoption of the execution and enforcement articles could be done in one day in the parliament.
IMF: CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT WILL NOT BE A PROBLEM
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Turkey Desk Chief Reza Moghadam said great success was reached in macro indicators, stating that any danger in current account deficit was not in question.
(UK-AY) 21.09.2004