ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on March 28th, 2005. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
NBC APOLOGIZES TO TURKEY
HURRIYET- American NBC television channel apologized to Turkey for showing Turkey as a country ruled by Shariah in an episode of the ''West Wing'' series. Two separate letters were sent to Turkey's Ambassador to the United States Faruk Logoglu by NBC television's president Jeff Zucker and the producer of the serial John Wells and they said, ''please accept our apology.''
CLERIDES: SIGNING IS NOT RECOGNITION
HURRIYET- Glafcos Clerides, former leader of the Greek Cypriot administration, disproved the Greek Cypriot claims about the meaning of the signing of the additional protocol of the Ankara Agreement by Turkey. Speaking on Antena television channel, Clerides said, ''signing of protocol is one thing and its implementation is another thing.''
PEOPLE IN TIME MACHINE
MILLIYET- According to a research, Armenians do not give up their prejudices. Director of the research Dr. Ferhat Kentel said, ''the project showed the ignorance and the prejudices based on this ignorance.'' The research showed that after Ataturk, Armenians mostly knew Enver Pasha and Talat Pasha who was shot by an Armenian in Berlin in 1921. This situation is assessed that Armenians stuck on history. Also, Armenians do not want to be examined by Turkish doctors in hospital and they oppose to marriage of their daughters with Turkish men. Armenians are against the existence of Turks in their neighborhood, apartment and business places. On the contrary, Turkish people do not have much prejudices. 51.2 percent of Turkish participants have an Armenian friend while 28 percent of Armenians have a Turkish friend.
BAKU-CEYHAN COMPLETED, IT'S TURN OF KAZAKH OIL
MILLIYET- Turkish Tekfen company which built the terminals under Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline project won the contractor tender for Kashagan Oil Refinery which is the second biggest project in the region. The tender was awarded to Tekfen-Gama-Bateman consortium in return for its bid of 800 million USD.
SNATCHING CANNOT BE OVERCOME EASILY
SABAH- Istanbul Police Chief Celallettin Cerrah told Sabah daily, ''gang crimes which know about the legal vacuum, use children below 18 for stealing and snatching crimes. Under the laws, we can't interrogate children but we hand them over to the prosecutor. 14,874 children were arrested last year for committing such crimes. But, only 1,224 of them faced legal procedures. Others walked away from courts. We arrested a girl for snatching but the court released her. She committed the same crime two days later.''
IMPRISONED FOR NOTHING
SABAH- Washington Post daily said it was known that Turkish citizen Murat Kurnaz had no link with the terrorist organization al-Qaeda. The daily said, ''the intelligence reports saying so were ignored.'' Kurnaz who was innocent was kept in Guantanamo Base for two and a half years.
FLAG CASE
CUMHURIYET- Reactions escalated against the attempt of burning Turkish flag by two children during Nevruz celebrations in southern city of Mersin. People displayed their reactions in nearly 20 towns and more than 40 cities on Saturday by marching with Turkish flags on their hands.
EU NOT KEEPS PROMISE
CUMHURIYET- The EU, which promised to support Turkish Cypriots after Greek Cypriots voted against Annan Plan during referendums, has not taken any steps to lift isolation although nearly one year passed since the referendums. The regulation which envisages direct trade with Turkish Cypriot side and was prepared by European Commission was shelved upon initiatives of Greece and Greek Cypriot administration. Most of the EU members gave up their insistence on implementation of the regulation.
PATH TO PRISON OPENS FOR THOSE WHO DISCUSS CYPRUS
RADIKAL- You cannot discuss Cyprus or Armenian issues after the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK) takes effect. This law means a political suicide. If changes are not made, EU process would be suspended.
GAME FOR FRIENDSHIP 50 YEARS LATER
RADIKAL- Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot soccer teams played a game for peace and friendship for the first time in the last 50 years. Nea Salamina of Greek Cypriot side defeated Yenicami of Turkish Cypriot side 6-0 in the game played in Larnaka.
GREEK CYPRIOT CRISIS OVERCOME
TURKIYE- The European Union (EU) accepted Turkey's condition that ''we will sign the protocol, but this does not mean that we will recognize the Greek Cypriots.'' EU accepted two reservations put by Turkey before signing of the Ankara Agreement which will expand the Customs Union so that it will also cover the Greek Cypriot administration. European Commission sent a letter to Ankara the previous day in which it said, ''a compromise has been reached on acceptance of your condition.''
DEBT SUFFERING
TURKIYE- Despite its domestic and foreign debts, Turkey has paid 970.8 billion USD in ten years, including the principal money and its interest. According to a report prepared by Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO), Turkey had 780 billion USD of domestic debt, and 165 billion USD of foreign debt in the mentioned period.
'GO ON' MESSAGE TO TURKISH BUSINESSMEN IN KYRGYZSTAN
ZAMAN- Turkish businessmen whose business places were destroyed during looting incidents in Kyrgyzstan requested help from the Turkish government. The delegation sent by Ankara told those businessmen that they shall not give up.
WASHINGTON POST: MURAT KURNAZ KEPT IN JAIL UNJUSTLY
ZAMAN- U.S. Washington Post newspaper wrote that Murat Kurnaz, a Turkish citizen who was brought to Guantanamo after he had been arrested in a bus in Pakistan on charges of having links to Al Qaida, has been kept in jail unjustly since 2001.
NEGOTIATIONS TO BEGIN WITH SCIENCE
YENI SAFAK- Negotiations with the European Union (EU) are expected to begin with science and research, education, small and medium scale enterprises, culture and telecommunication.
20 MILLION USD LOOTED
YENI SAFAK- It has been revealed that 25 workplaces belonging to Turks were looted in Kyrgyzstan after Akayev was ousted. A Turkish hotel was seized in this country. The cost of damages to Turkish workplaces are estimated to be around 20 million USD.