ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on November 17th, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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ANOTHER TURKISH DRIVER KILLED IN IRAQ
Another Turkish driver was killed in a rocket attack on his truck in the northern Iraqi city of Baiji. Gunmen attacked the fuel tanker with rockets, knocking it onto its side and setting it ablaze. The dead driver, who was carrying a Turkish passport and papers, was taken to a hospital in nearby Tikrit.
61 PEOPLE DIE IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
A number of traffic accidents occurred throughout Turkey during the four-day religious holiday. Despite all measures taken to prevent accidents, 61 people died and 10 others were injured in the traffic accidents.
ISTANBUL TO HOST MEDIACAT FORUM
Leading names of the marketing world will convene at the MediaCat Forum in Istanbul between November 24th and 25th. The theme of the forum was announced earlier as ''Brand New Marketing''.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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BABACAN: ''WE WILL SUBMIT OUR PROGRAM TO EU''
State Minister Ali Babacan said that they would submit the pre-accession economic program to the EU on December 1st the latest. He noted, ''we will maintain the positive progress in our economy whether or not the EU decides to open entry talks with Turkey.''
MINIMUM WAGE FIXING COMMISSION TO CONVENE
Turkish Minimum Wage Fixing Commission will convene on Thursday, November 18th to set the new minimum wage which will be valid as of January 1st, 2005. Labor & Social Security Minister Murat Basesgioglu is expected to attend the meeting in which employee and employer parties will explain their views about the new minimum wage. The current minimum wage is net 318,233,475 Turkish liras (TL) for workers above 16 years old, and net 270,837,000 TL for workers below 16 years old.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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ERDOGAN LEAVES FOR LUXEMBOURG
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan left for Luxembourg which will hold the rotating EU presidency as of January 2005. Erdogan told reporters at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport prior to his departure, ''during the Copenhagen Summit in 2002, the EU Council decided to open entry talks with Turkey without any delay after fulfillment of the Copenhagen political criteria. According to my point of view, the expression of 'without delay' means opening of entry talks between Turkey and the EU in the first months of 2005.''
TURKISH AND GREEK COMMANDERS TO MEET
Turkish and Greek commanders will convene for the first time after the crisis of ''violation of territorial waters'' in the Aegean. Greek Naval Forces Academy will participate in the 8th International Maritime Contest for the first time. The commander of the Greek Naval Forces Academy will come to Istanbul on November 22nd. He will meet Turkish Naval Forces Academy Commander Admiral Ibrahim Akin. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Greece, the United States and Turkey will join the three-day contest.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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ECHR FAVORS TEKELI AGAINST TURKEY
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) upheld a complaint from a Turkish woman who said she had faced discrimination in Turkey through laws that obliged her to adopt her husband's surname. The ECHR held unanimously that there had been a violation of Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) of the European Convention on Human Rights in the case of Ayten Unal Tekeli. Tekeli took her husband's surname after their marriage. As she was known by her maiden name in her professional life she continued using it in front of her legal surname. She could not use both names together on official documents however. The court in Turkey dismissed her request on the ground that, under the Turkish Civil Code, married women had to bear their husband's name throughout their married life. She applied to the ECHR in 1995. The ECHR awarded her 1,750 euros (EUR) for costs and expenses.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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EP TO HOST CONFERENCE ON ''EU, TURKS AND KURDS''
The European Parliament will host a conference on ''The EU, Turks and Kurds'' between November 22nd and 23rd. Representatives of Turkish non-governmental organizations will attend the conference.
STRUCK DUE IN TURKEY
German Defense Minister Peter Struck will come to Ankara today as the official guest of Turkish National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul. Leopard-II tanks will be high on agenda of Struck in his scheduled meetings in Turkey. Earlier, Struck said that he was ready to approve sale of tanks to Turkey.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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IRAQ SUMMIT IN ANKARA
The recent developments in Iraq will be discussed in Ankara today. The meeting will be chaired by Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul. Attending the meeting will be high level Turkish bureaucrats from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
BAYKAL-SARIGUL FIGHT
Bribery claims have rocked the leadership fight between Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Deniz Baykal and Sisli Mayor Mustafa Sarigul. According to CHP Secretary General Onder Sav, Mustafa Sarigul has received 300,000 U.S. dollars bribery in return for an illegal construction permit.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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PRIVATE AIRLINES TO OVERCOME ''DEAD'' SEASON WITH RELIGIOUS TRIPS
Private airlines will overcome ''dead'' travel season with trips to Saudi Arabia for Islamic pilgrimage. Onur and Fly Airlines will lease 13 airplanes to Saudi Airlines for the holy pilgrimage trips.
WINDS OF DIALOG IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
The annual general assembly meeting of the Dialog Eurasia Platform will take place between November 17 and 22 in Antalya. 110 delegates and scholars from 10 countries will attend the meeting which will be held at Tekirova Rixos Hotel. The platform aims to facilitate dialog between Eurasians and better understanding. The general assembly will be headed by Rixos Hotels CEO Fettah Tamince. Among the selected guests will be Antalya Mayor Menderes Turel.
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
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TURKEY RAPPORTEUR HARSHLY CRITICIZED
Members of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee discussed Turkey at a session on Monday. The report of Dutch Parliamentarian Camiel Eurlings about Turkey drew strong criticisms during the meeting. Parliamentarians criticized the report as it did not take into consideration reforms in Turkey and it did not give an obvious message about start of entry talks with Turkey. French Socialist parliamentarian Michael Rocart said that it is not fair to impose different criteria on Turkey which were not imposed on other EU candidate countries. Upon criticisms, Eurlings said that he was ready to make necessary corrections in the report.
(UK-ES-AÖ)