ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on March 6th, 2005. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
60 TURKISH FIREMEN IN ABU DABI
HURRIYET- 80 percent of 60 Turkish firemen, working for United Arab Emirates Interior Ministry, are university graduates. Monthly salary of the fireman is 690 US dollars. They do not pay rent. They work for 12 hours and rest for 24 hours. Bulent Eksi, one of the firemen said, ''I can work for 10 more years under those conditions. I sent 400 US dollars to my family in Turkey every month.''
US: ''TURKEY SHOWED IT ADMINISTERED ECONOMY WELL''
HURRIYET- US State Department Turkey did not take the one billion US dollars aid which the US allocated to meet the probable economic loses of Turkey that may be caused because of the Iraq war, noting this showed success of Turks in economy.
US State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said it was seen that Turks, who did not feel the need to use the loan, progress well, noting this showed Turks administered economy well.
TURKISH SOFTWARE COMPANY TO ASSIST SIKORSKY HELICOPTER PROJECT
MILLIYET- Sources told yesterday (Saturday) that Turkish engineers will directly provide software programs for the military Sikorsky helicopters. The Turkish software company, namely Milsoft, will make public its new projects in the upcoming weeks.
'BOLLYWOOD' VISITS TURKEY
MILLIYET- Indian film sector, as is generally called 'Bollywood,' has made Turkey a base for the production of new Indian films. A Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism official stated that Turkey and India share decades of cultural, social, economic and diplomatic relations. ''We are very happy and proud of welcoming Indian film makers to Anatolia.'' The Indian film industry is considered to be one of the world's major film industries.
''GREEK CYPRIOTS DO NOT WANT SOLUTION''
SABAH- Alvaro de Soto, the former special envoy of the UN Secretary General to Cyprus, said that the Greek Cypriots do not want solution since they became a member of the EU. According to news reports in Greek Cypriot press, De Soto said that the Greek Cypriots are not ready to accept political equality of the parties and share of authority envisaged in UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan. De Soto added that the Turkish Cypriots, on the contrary, displayed their will for a solution both in the referendum and in the latest elections.
A TURKISH DRIVER KILLED IN IRAQ
SABAH- Gunmen killed another Turkish driver near northern city of Mosul in Iraq. Witnesses said that assailants began shouting saying they belonged to al-Qaida in Iraq, and that they shot the driver because he was carrying supplies to American troops. The driver could not be identified yet.
DEATH TOLL RISES TO 16
CUMHURIYET- Number of those who died in Istanbul because of fake raki rose to 16.
A person, alleging he was poisoned because of raki, was taken under treatment in hospital.
100 sacks of empty raki bottles were found in Dudullu district of Istanbul.
ANOTHER TURK KILLED IN IRAQ
CUMHURIYET- Another Turkish driver was killed near Mosul city of Iraq on Saturday.
Witnesses said that assailants began shouting saying they belonged to al-Qaida in Iraq, and that they shot the driver because he was carrying supplies to American troops. The driver could not be identified yet.
TURKEY TO BECOME CENTER OF OIL TRANSPORTATION IN 2010
RADIKAL- Turkey will become one of the most important crossroads of oil market in 2010 as a result of Kirkuk-Yumurtalik, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Samsun-Ceyhan and Trans-Thrace crude oil pipelines.
TEARFUL FAREWELL
RADIKAL- Fatih Devravut and Fatih Keskin, the pilots of the military plane which crashed in northern city of Karabuk, were laid to rest. Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, General Staff Chief General Hilmi Ozkok, high-ranking military officials and relatives paid their last tribute during the funeral. The F-16D plane crashed in mountainous region, 15 km south of Karabuk, shortly after taking off from the Fourth Air Jet Command in central city of Eskisehir due to an unknown technical failure.
COSKUN: ''WE ARE NOT AFRAID OF THE CHINESE ECONOMY''
TURKIYE- Appearing in a live tv program on the Turkish TGRT channel, Turkish Minister of Industry and Trade Ali Coskun stated that the Turkish economy has shown remarkable development in the past three years. ''Surely, we are not afraid from economic cooperation coming from the Chinese. We would like to be more visible in China and can serve the needs of the 1,5 Chinese citizens. We have had excellent relations with the Chinese for centuries. Now is the time to promote our relations in the commercial sector. We have plans of creating new projects with the Chinese that will be mutually fruitful and helpful....In fact, we want an economic scenario whereby both the Chinese and Turks will win, as in the ''win-win'' concept of global political scientists,'' remarked Coskun.
BBP LEADER YAZICIOGLU: ''LET US BE THE COMMERCIAL LEADER IN CENTRAL ASIA''
TURKIYE- Turkish Grand Unity Party (BBP) leader Muhsin Yazicioglu has stated that Turkey is a sleeping giant, in terms of its commercial potential.
''Countries in the region have had warm and good relations with the Turks for centuries. We are ready to do whatever is necessary to make the Turkish dream come true in the economic arena in the region,'' told Yazicioglu.
DYP LEADER AGAR: ''TURKEY MUST ACT CONFIDENTLY AND PREPARE TO START ACCESSION TALKS WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION ON OCTOBER 3''
TURKIYE- Turkish True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar has told yesterday (Saturday) that the EU's decision last year to start entry talks in October, 2005 was an historic occasion. ''As Turks, we must continue to make the essential reforms in the judicial, economic, educational and political sectors. Turkey will be a rising star in the upcoming decades,'' stressed Agar.
KRETSCHMER TELLS GUL: ''NOTHING''
ZAMAN- Hansjoerg Kretschmer, the head of delegation of the European Commission to Turkey, replied to Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, who said, ''I will not answer Kretschmer as a foreign minister. Who does he think he is?'' Kretschmer implied that he did not want any polemics with Gul. Kretschmer said that his reply to Gul was ''nothing''.
FIVE MESSAGES TO TROIKA
YENI SAFAK- In the Turkey-EU Troika meeting that will start on Monday, Ankara will convey its expectations under five main topics. Cyprus problem, framework document, screening process, negotiation delegation and reform process will be discussed.
-Financial and commercial regulations should be approved to remove economic isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
-Framework agreement, which will determine the structure of negotiations, should be issued immediately.
-Turkey, with eight sub-committees, has completed the examinations regarding the EU acquisitions.
-Turkey continues preparations to appoint members of the negotiation delegation.
-Turkey has completed legal arrangements mentioned in the 2004 Progress Report to a great extend.