ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on March 7th, 2005. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
TALAT TO REPLACE DENKTAS
HURRIYET- Democratic Party (DP) leader Serdar Denktas said that (Republican Turkish Party-CTP leader and current Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus-TRNC) would declare his candidacy for presidential elections. Denktas announced that CTP Secretary General Ferdi Sabit Soyer would become the new prime minister of TRNC in case Talat won the presidential elections.
COUNTERFEIT RAKI KILLS TWO MORE
HURRIYET- Two more people who drank counterfeit raki in (Turkish commercial hub of) Istanbul died at the hospital, increasing the death toll to 19.
ONE OUT OF EVERY TWO POLICEMEN FACES ALLEGATIONS ON BREACHES OF LAW
MILLIYET- Turkish police sources have told that in the past five years, out of a total of 172,000 policemen and policewomen 83,000 have been through a legal screening on allegations of corruption. 5,172 police officers are currently waiting for trial in Turkish courts.
TSUNAMI MAY HIT THE MARMARA REGION
MILLIYET- General Nazim Cubukcu of the Turkish Naval Forces has stated that tsunami may hit the Marmara region in the future. ''Waves that are 2.5-3 meters could hit the Marmara region, based on our research. General Cubukcu indicated that the ocean maps prepared by Turkish military engineers have been sold to all countries globally. General Cubukcu works as the head of the Oceanography Department of the Turkish Navy.
WOMEN'S DAY CELEBRATED WITH PEPPER GAS
SABAH- Police intervened in a group of people who gathered at Istanbul's Beyazit Square to mark International Women's Day and who wanted to read out a statement, claiming that the demonstration was illegal. 68 people were detained, while three women fainted due to pepper gas.
TEZETA RECORDED IN HISTORY
SABAH- Turkish athlete Tezeta Dengersa won a silver medal in women's 3,000 meter event in the European indoor athletics championships held in Madrid. This was the first time that Turkey won a medal in an indoor championship. Tezeta was recorded in history with her successful performance.
WOMEN NOT FREE
CUMHURIYET- Women are celebrating the March 8th International Laborer Women's Day under economic, social, cultural and religious pressure again. ''Women'' don't know their rights. Women, who don't have the right to speak, who are ignorant, and who submit to violence, are not aware of the laws passed for themselves. Although (Great Leader) Ataturk took a giant leap forward to achieve his goal to bring Turkish women to the level of contemporary civilization, women in Turkey are still made a tool for politics with ''headscarf'' problem. Although the Shariah understanding which is involved in today's policy within the framework of freedom of belief, aims to exclude women from social life, Anatolian women used to have some rights which can be a model for today's world. Women in those days could become a mayor or religious official, establish foundations for education, totally restructure cities, and deal with arts despite the patriarchal society.
PRIVILEGED PARTNERSHIP PROPOSAL
CUMHURIYET- 90.8 percent of delegates participating in the national convention of the ruling People's Movement Union (UMP) of France voted to support the EU Constitution. The delegates asked to propose ''privileged partnership'' to Turkey in one article adopted in the same text.
CYPRUS HIGH ON AGENDA AGAIN
RADIKAL- The European Union (EU) Troika meeting to be held in Ankara will be a ground in which Cyprus will bargained again. The Troika, established by EU Acting President Luxembourg, forthcoming president Britain and the European Commission, will meet Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in Ankara today. The aim of the meeting is to prepare a road map to be followed till October 3rd when negotiations with Turkey would be opened. The Troika will ask Turkey not to be late in signing the adjustment protocol of the Customs Union and to lift its veto on Cyprus in EU-NATO relations. On the other hand, Ankara will bring forth regulations prepared to lift the isolation of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
CHAMBERS CHANGE BY 20 PERCENT
RADIKAL- Zafer Caglayan was re-elected as the Chairman of Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO), while Sinan Aygun won the elections at the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO). The chamber elections were closely monitored by the ruling Justice & Development Party (AKP). On the other hand, Rifat Hisarciklioglu, the Chairman of the Union of Chambers & Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), was chosen as a delegate of the ATO general board in these elections and guaranteed his candidacy for TOBB chairmanship. Hisarciklioglu said that the administrations of chambers throughout Turkey had changed by 20 percent.
PM ERDOGAN: ''NO TRIPS, NO FRIENDS''
TURKIYE- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated yesterday (Sunday) that if experts in the political, commercial and social areas do not travel globally, then it would be almost impossible to make friends. Erdogan was very strongly criticized for his recent visit to South Africa. ''Gone are the days when Turks have been ''advised'' to stay home without interfering in global issues. When you make friends succeed, they help you succeed,'' told Erdogan.
AYGUN AND CAGLAYAN, AGAIN
TURKIYE- Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) and Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO) held their elections yesterday (Sunday) to determine the new chairmen of their respective organizations. Based on the number of votes they received, both incumbents, Mr. Sinan Aygun of ATO and Mr. Zafer Caglayan of ASO have been re-elected.
JURISTS UNEASY
ZAMAN- The new Turkish penal and execution laws will be put into force on April 1st. These two new laws envisage reduction of punishments given to children on charges of snatching and usurping. Children younger than 15 years old who are involved in snatching crimes will be freed after being kept in reformatories for five months under the new execution law. If child below 15 years kills a person on purpose, he/she will only serve 1 year and 24 days in prison. Under the amendment to the Juvenile Courts Law, children below 15 can't be arrested. All these new amendments aim to protect children. However, jurists think that gangs will force children to commit crimes since these amendments reduce their punishment.
GUL: REFORMS CONTINUE
ZAMAN- Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, who met European Commissioner for enlargement Olli Rehn and EU Acting President Luxembourg's FM Jean Asselbor in Ankara, said reforms would continue. Rehn and Asselbor are in Ankara to attend EU-Turkey Troika meeting.
ESAD: ''THE ONLY SOLUTION FOR MIDDLE EAST PROBLEMS IS DIALOGUE''
YENI SAFAK- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's wife Asma al-Assad has told Yeni Safak daily that the only solution for Middle East problems is dialogue. ''A new war in the Middle East, regardless of where or when it may take place, will only result in chaos, as in the case of Iraq. We hate wars and love peace.''
KURODA: ''TURKS HAVE DEMONSTRATED AN INCREDIBLE ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE''
YENI SAFAK- President of the Asian Development Bank Haruhiko Kuroda has stated that the Turks of Anatolia have demonstrated an incredible economic performance in the past three years. ''No doubt, if Turkey continues on the same economic path as it did in the recent past, Turkey will one day become a full member of the European Union,'' remarked Kuroda, or as is closely known as Mr. Yen.