ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on September 23rd, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
PERSUASION DAY
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who left for Brussels, will be in an effort to convince the European Union (EU) officials to adjust the relations which adultery crisis tensed prior to announcement of Progress Report on October 6th.
Erdogan, who stressed that his attitude in Brussels would be compromising, brought together with him the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) draft which was withdrawn because of adultery crisis.
ALEMDAROGLU REMOVED FROM OFFICE
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer removed Istanbul University Rector Prof. Kemal Alemdaroglu from office.
Higher Education Board (YOK) had applied to President's office on charges that Alemdaroglu did not put into force court decisions.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
ERDOGAN: ''WE WILL MAKE OUR STEPS AFTER MEETING OUR INTERLOCUTORS''
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will meet European Union (EU) Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen in Brussels following discussions on Turkish Penal Code, made a statement at the airport and said, ''our visit is important. We will make clear statements on the issue after meetings with our interlocutors. We will review our assessments and make our steps accordingly.''
BABACAN: ''WE DO NOT WANT FINANCIAL SUPPORT FORM U.S. AND EU''
''We will hand over our new 3-year Economic Program to (EU) officials between October 1st and December 1st,'' Turkish State Minister Ali Babacan said on Wednesday.
Addressing a seminar on ''Turkey: Country of Opportunities'', jointly organized by Dutch Embassy in Ankara and Turkish Young Businessmen Association, Babacan said the new program would be finalized and announced before December 17th.
''But this economic program will not depend on possible financial aid from the European Union,'' Babacan stressed. He said their main goal would be to reduce the inflation rate to a single digit figure and subsequently maintain this ratio.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
''I PRAY FOR THEM''
Judea Pearl, the father of journalist Daniel Pearl who was beheaded by Al Qaida terrorists in Pakistan two years ago, sent a letter to Turkey in a bid to support 10 Turkish workers, who have been abducted in Iraq. I pray for them, he said in his letter. Noting that killings in Iraq had proved that the terrorists targeted the whole humanity, Pearl called on religious officials to condemn all kinds of acts of terrorism.
NEW IMF PROGRAM TO BE MADE PUBLIC BEFORE DEC. 17
State Minister Ali Babacan for Treasury said that the new program to be signed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would be made public before the European Union (EU) summit on December 17. Meanwhile, remaining 1.3 billion U.S. dollars portion of the current Stand-by deal between Turkey and the IMF will be added to the new Stand-by deal.
GUL INFORMS EU MINISTERS
Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul held bilateral talks with his Portuguese, Italian and Dutch counterparts in New York and informed them on the draft Turkish Penal Code (TCK). Gul said, ''the draft is composed of 348 articles. The former TCK was quite prohibitory. But the new draft is based on individual freedoms. The article about adultery envisages one-year imprisonment sentence upon complaint of one of the spouses. Some circles wrongfully claimed that the proposal meant a state intervention in marriage. We consider disputes over the article normal since it was commented greatly in a wrong way.''
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
ERDOGAN TO MEET VERHEUGEN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet European Union (EU) Commissioner Guenter Verheugen in Brussels later in the day. The proposal criminalizing adultery and the Turkish government's decision to withdraw the draft Penal Code (TCK) are expected to be high on agenda of the meeting.
OZTURK DIES
Mustafa Ozturk who was seriously injured in derailment of a high-speed train near Pamukova town of northwestern province of Sakarya on July 22nd, 2004, died in hospital increasing the death toll to 39.
TCDD DIRECTOR GENERAL KARAMAN DISMISSED
Turkish State Railways (TCDD) Director General and Executive Board Chairman Suleyman Karaman was dismissed. According to Wednesday's Official Gazette, Karaman was appointed as adviser of the Ministry of Transportation. TCDD Deputy Director General and Executive Board member Kemal A. Erguvenc was also dismissed. Karaman faced strong criticisms after 39 people were killed and nearly 80 others were injured when a high-speed train derailed near Pamukova town of northwestern province of Sakarya on July 22nd, 2004.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
FIRST POSITIVE SIGNAL FOR DRAFT TCK
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc met Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan before setting a date for the Republican People's Party's (CHP) request for an extraordinary convention at the parliament. Prime Minister Erdogan asked Arinc to wait for his return from Brussels. Meanwhile, Arinc told reporters, ''according to my point of view, if a legislative action will be taken about the draft Turkish Penal Code (TCK), it should be done before September 30th.''
ALEMDAROGLU DISMISSED
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer ratified decision of the Higher Education Board (YOK) to dismiss Istanbul University Rector Prof. Dr. Kemal Alemdaroglu.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
ERDOGAN TO HOLD CRITICAL TALKS IN BRUSSELS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to meet European Union (EU) Commissioner Guenter Verheugen in Brussels later in the day. Results of the meeting in which the proposal criminalizing adultery will be high on agenda, will have a significant impact on the new Progress Report of the EU Commission to be released on October 6th.
''LET'S USE ROUTES THROUGH SYRIA'' Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim proposed Turkish truckers to use routes through Syria for shipments to Iraq following a surge of kidnappings and attacks targeting Turkish drivers. Yildirim said that they were looking for alternative routes for Turkish drivers.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
THREE POSSIBILITIES WAIT FOR ERDOGAN IN BRUSSELS
Tension with the European Union (EU), which was experienced because of Turkish Penal Code (TCK), will be discussed in Brussels today.
Erdogan, during his talks with the EU officials, will convey that the arrangement considering adultery as crime did not contradict European norms.
Erdogan will say TCK draft law was passed from the General Assembly according to the legislation system of Turkey, and only enforcement was delayed for sometime.
The EU side focuses on three scenarios based on three possibilities; approval of TCK before October 6th without ''adultery'', commitment of the government that the law will pass till December 17th, and Erdogan's insistence on ''adultery'' issue.
LAGENDIJK: EU EXAGGERATED ADULTERY
European Parliament (EP) member Joost Lagendijk called on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen for restraint.
Lagendijk, who is also the Turkish Parliament-EP Joint Parliamentary Commission Co-Chairman, issued a written statement prior to Erdogan's scheduled contacts in Brussels on Thursday.
Lagendijk said ''talks on Turkey's entry negotiations and initiatives pertaining to inclusion of adultery issue to Turkish Penal Code (TCK) led to exciting days,'' stressing that, ''both Turkey and the EU need time so the excitement could calm down.''
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
-------------------------
TURKEY IS SUCCESSFUL IN PREVENTING TORTURE
Human Rights Watch issued a report examining human rights in Turkey.
In the report Human Rights Watch said Turkey made very important steps in preventing torture.
The report said zero tolerance policy against torture and legal limitations were important steps in this respect.
NEW IRAQI AMBASSADOR IN ANKARA AL-DULAIMI PRESENTS HIS LETTER OF CREDENCE TO SEZER
New Iraqi Ambassador in Ankara Jameil Umran Essa Al-Dulaimi presented his letter of credence to Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
Al-Dulaimi also introduced his secretariat to Sezer.
Prior to the meeting a journalist reminded Sezer that attacks towards Turkish citizens increased in Iraq and Turkish companies withdrew from there one by one.
Sezer in reply said he would convey the difficulties to the Iraqi Ambassador.
(UK-AY) 23.09.2004