ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on September 22nd, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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ERDOGAN TO SURPRISE VERHEUGEN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will leave for Brussels later in the day. He will meet European Union (EU) Commissioner Guenter Verheugen during his visit to Brussels. Jean-Christophe Filori, the spokesman of Verheugen, said at a news conference that the meeting would take place at 11.00 a.m. on September 23rd. Prime Minister Erdogan is expected to surprise Verheugen by saying that they would give up the proposal criminalizing adultery.
VINSAN FREEZES ITS ACTIVITIES IN IRAQ
Vinsan Executive Board Chairman Ali Haydar Veziroglu said yesterday that the company had frozen all its activities in Iraq until all those unfair treatments against the firm and 10 Turkish workers, who were abducted in Iraq, came to an end.
''WE WILL CONTINUE SUPPORTING YOU''
Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, who is currently in New York to attend the 59th session of the United Nations General Assembly, met his Greek counterpart Petros Molyviatis. During the meeting, Molyviatis said that the Greece would continue supporting Turkey's European Union (EU) membership. Molyviatis stressed that Turkey's membership to the EU would have very significant effects for the whole Europe.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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''WE CANNOT MISS SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY''
Republican People's Party (CHP) asked the Parliament Speaker's Office to convene the parliament on September 28th to debate the remaining two articles of the draft Turkish Penal Code (TCK). Holding a news conference at the CHP headquarters, Baykal said, ''the failure to enact the draft TCK has started a negative tendency towards Turkey. We cannot allow that such a process continue. Turkey should not miss the third opportunity in its European Union (EU) bid. Therefore, we should remove all hesitations on Turkey before October 6th.''
A GOOD PROPOSAL
Energy & Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler met U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham yesterday. During the meeting, Guler proposed sale of Iraqi oil and natural gas via Turkey. Meanwhile, Abraham said that Turkey would become a center of energy in its region soon. He stressed that the U.S. government was ready to cooperate with Turkey in energy.
TOP RELEASED
Tahsin Top, a Turkish hostage in Iraq whose company withdrew from Iraq, was released by his kidnappers. Top had been abducted north of Baghdad on August 5th by kidnappers who threatened to behead him if his Turkish employer did not withdraw from Iraq. Top's company, Atahan Lojistik International, later withdrew from Iraq.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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LAST TANGO IN BRUSSELS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will leave for Brussels later in the day. It is going to be the longest 20 hours in Turkey's European Union (EU) membership process. Prime Minister Erdogan will meet EU officials for the first time after escalation of tension due to the disputes over a proposal criminalizing adultery and the government's decision to withdraw the draft penal code.
BODY OF TURKISH DRIVER FOUND IN MOSUL
Body of a Turkish driver was found early on Tuesday near Mosul city of Iraq. The body was identified as Akar Besir. Besir had been employed as a driver for a firm working for the U.S. military and was kidnapped on Saturday.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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GUL'S BUSY PROGRAM IN NEW YORK
Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, who represents Turkey at the 59th session of the United Nations General Assembly, had a busy program. He held bilateral talks with Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath, Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Ali Aboul Gheit, Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, Portuguese Foreign Minister Teresa Gouveia, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot.
LEHTOMAKI VISITS TURKEY
Foreign Trade & Development Minister Paula Lehtomaki of Finland is currently paying a visit to Turkey together with Finnish businessmen. Lehtomaki said that Nokia, a leading telecommunication company, could be interested in Turkish GSM operator Telsim.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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DOUBLE PRESSURE ON ERDOGAN
While the European Union (EU) officials has been waiting for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's scheduled visit to Brussels on Thursday, the Republican People's Party (CHP) asked the Parliament Speaker's Office to convene the parliament on September 28th to debate the last two articles of the draft Turkish Penal Code (TCK).
SHOCK FOR DENKTAS
Grandson of President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) requested passport from the Greek Cypriot side to continue his education in Britain. Earlier, President Denktas described those who requested passports from the Greek Cypriot side as ''traitor''.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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POSITIVE SIGNALS FROM EU
Leaders of the member countries to the European Union (EU) reacted to views against Turkey which were brought onto agenda after a decision of the Turkish government to withdraw the draft penal code. Foreign Minister Franco Frattini of Italy said that they are in favor of starting entry negotiations between Turkey and the EU. In an interview with the German Bild Newspaper, Frattini expressed their wish that the EU heads of state and government would make a positive decision in December about Turkey and initiate entry negotiations with Turkey.
VINSAN FREEZES OPERATIONS IN IRAQ
Vinsan, a Turkish construction company, announced that it was halting operations in neighboring Iraq in a bid to save the lives of 10 employees kidnapped by militants. The Ankara-based Vinsan said in a statement that it was freezing operations and added that its 10 kidnapped employees were innocent and were trying to support their families. In his statement addressed to the Iraqi people, Vinsan chairman of board Ali Haydar Veziroglu said that his company was not involved in any partnerships with any U.S. firms and was working on a road project. Veziroglu called on Iraqi clerics to intervene.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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DYP SUPPORTS CHP'S REQUEST FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY SESSION
Republican People's Party (CHP) asked the Parliament Speaker's Office to convene the parliament on September 28th to debate the remaining two articles of the draft Turkish Penal Code (TCK). The True Path Party (DYP) supported the CHP's request for an extraordinary session at the parliament. DYP leader Mehmet Ali Agar said that Turkey had been expending great efforts for 43 years to become a member of the EU, stressing that all those efforts could not be wasted in a day.
HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS TO CONVENE IN ANKARA
New tactics about human rights will be discussed at an international symposium to be held in Ankara on September 29th. Nearly 400 people from 85 countries are expected to attend the symposium.
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
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TURKEY AND GREECE ANNOUNCE DEAL TO CANCEL MILITARY EXERCISES
Turkey and Greece announced a joint decision to cancel all military exercises on Cyprus to create a climate of trust. The joint decision was announced by Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and his Greek counterpart Petros Moliviatis after a half-hour meeting in New York. ''We have agreed to cancel the exercises in line with our determination to maintain good neighborly relations and to contribute to the current climate of trust,'' Gul said.
''IF TURKEY RESPONDS POSITIVELY TO CRITERIA HOW CAN WE SAY NO?''
Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, the incoming chief of the European Union (EU) Commission, said, ''If Turkey responds positively to the criteria that have been established, I don't see how we could say no.''

(UK) 22.09.2004