ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on November 12th, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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HE HAS CHANGED FP'S DEFENSE
It was reported that Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul intervened in the draft of the defense text which the government sent to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) about closure of Felicity Party (FP) and the final shape of the defense was prepared in line with the directives of Gul.
With his attitude, Gul contradicted the Foreign Ministry bureaucracy, and it created difficulty within the ministry.
Gul supported the defense sent to the ECHR on Thursday. He said, ''closure of political parties in Turkey is not so easy as it had been in the past.''
The defense demanded rejection of the application by taking into consideration the recent betterment in Turkish legal system.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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''THERE IS NO ENEMY COUNTRY''
Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok said the countries did not pose a threat to each other from now on. He said, ''terrorism is the biggest threat at the time being.''
Speaking at a lunch which was hosted on the occasion of Observer Day of South Eastern Europe Simulation Network (SEESIM), Gen. Ozkok said, ''Turkey, taking into consideration that terrorism is the biggest threat toward all countries, proposed formation of three 'Perfection Centers' aiming to support new NATO command structure arrangements.'' Gen. Ozkok said one of them was counter-terrorism center.
Gen. Ozkok said, ''it had been impossible even to imagine such a cooperation in Southeastern Europe ten years ago. Southeastern Europe became a very safe region with South Eastern Europe Defense Ministerial (SEDM) process.''
NEW STAND-BY AFTER DECEMBER 1ST
State Minister Ali Babacan said new stand-by arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would be signed after presentation of the Pre-Accession Economic Program to the EU on December 1st.
Babacan said the letter of intent would be signed after December 1st, stating that there was no time pressure.
Speaking to press members Babacan said, ''we did not set a timetable with IMF for structural reforms.''
''Process about three-year new economic program continues. We have been discussing the issue with officials in Brussels and Washington as well. We will present pre-accession economic program to the EU. Thus, the important thing is the content of the program,'' he added.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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ERDOGAN AND GUL TO ATTEND ARAFAT'S FUNERAL
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will attend the funeral which will be held in Egyptian Capital Cairo for Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
Erdogan and Gul will leave for Cairo on Friday morning.
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal will also go to Cairo to attend the funeral.
TURKISH FLAGS TO BE FLOWN AT HALF-MAST IN RESPECT TO ARAFAT
All Turkish flags at official spots throughout Turkey and Turkish missions abroad will be flown at half-mast today out of respect to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Turkey's Consulate General in Jerusalem flew its flags at half-mast and stopped visa procedures.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, who will attend the funeral of Arafat, said Palestinian case would continue till peace is settled.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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SEZER: PALESTINIAN CASE WILL CONTINUE
Offering his condolences to Palestinian people over the demise of Yasser Arafat, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said Palestinian case would not be affected by Arafat's absence.
Sezer said, ''I believe that the Palestinian people, getting strength from his determination, will succeed in finding another leader that would lead themselves to independence.''
CALL FROM ROTH TO TURKISH CITIZENS LIVING IN GERMANY
Claudia Roth, co-chairperson of the German Federal Parliament Greens Group, said Turkish citizens living in Germany have to undertake important responsibilities to overcome the prejudices.
Roth, who met the representatives of Turkish associations, stated, ''German people have most of their convictions from the Turkish citizens living in Germany.''
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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2007 INFLATION TO BE FOUR PERCENT
State Minister Ali Babacan said they were close to the end of macro targets in three-year program.
Inflation rate will be four percent in 2007, and the debt stocks will drop under 60 percent.
REACTION AGAINST NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
Greenpeace Mediterranean Office made a statement against the decision which Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler disclosed regarding opening of a nuclear power plant in 2012.
The Greenpeace statement said, ''Turkey is dragged into a disaster with the plans of 'accelerated nuclear'. Greenpeace once again stressed this decision was taken hastily, which was very dangerous.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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UNEMPLOYMENT DISCUSSED WITH GERMAN MINISTER
Turkish Labor and Social Security Minister Murat Basesgioglu, currently in Germany to have meetings, met German Federal Economy and Labor Minister Wolfgang Clement. The two ministers discussed joint studies that could be carried out in the two countries to solve the problem of unemployment.
Basesgioglu said, ''unemployment is an important problem both for Turkey and Germany. Unemployment is an important problem for Turkish citizens living Germany as rate of Turkish workers is more than the other foreigners.''
TREASURY TO REPAY 93.9 BILLION USD IN FOREIGN DEBT BEGINNING IN 2005
Turkish Treasury will begin to repay 93.9 billion U.S. dollars in foreign debt in 2005 including the years after 2010.
There will be intense foreign debt repayments especially in 2005 and 2006. Turkey will repay 15.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2005, 20.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2006 and 10.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2007 in external debt. Thus, these repayments in next three years will constitute 49 percent of total foreign debts of the period after 2005.
Turkey will repay 8.62 billion U.S. dollars in 2008, 4.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2009 and 34.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2010 and proceeding years.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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GENERAL OZKOK: ''OUR NEIGHBORS DO NOT POSE A THREAT''
Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok stated that the biggest threat to nations in the world is ''global terrorism.'' ''Turkey no longer sees her neighbors as threats,'' noted Ozkok.
CIVILIAN POLICEMEN IN TRAINS AGAINST SNATCH-AND-RUN THIEVES
Istanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah informed the media that they have placed policemen in civilian clothings in passenger trains against snatch-and-run thieves. Last week, a college student Ahmet Hakan Candemir was thrown out of a train in Istanbul after snatch-and-run thieves took his cell phone. Candemir's father thanked police chief Cerrah for the quick arrest of the thieves.
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
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20 MILLION NEW PASSPORTS ON THE WAY
The Turkish Interior Ministry will be preparing 20 million new passports. The passports will be re-cycled upon expiration. The new passports will resemble those used in the European Union.
SPANISH INVESTORS COMING TO TURKEY
Organized by the Spanish Foreign Trade Institute (ICEX) and Spanish Office of the Commercial Attache, the ''Turkish-Spanish Investment and Cooperation Forum'' will take place between November 29th-30th in Istanbul.
This will be the first Turkish-Spanish forum of its type in Istanbul. The forum is co-sponsored by the Spanish Commercial and Industrial Boards High Council, Madrid Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Foreign Economic Relations Council (DEIK).
(AY-ES-MS)