ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on March 30th, 2005. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
USURPATION GANG
HURRIYET- Police caught criminals of a 22-member gang who were involved in 70 crimes like usurpation, purse-snatching and car stealing in Istanbul. Istanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah said that the operation launched against the gang was the biggest one in the recent years. After the operation, the gang collapsed and five stolen cars were found.
SWISS FM MAKES STRANGE COMMENT
HURRIYET- Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey met Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in Ankara. The visit of the Swiss minister to Turkey planned for 2003 didn't take place after the parliament of a western Swiss canton recognized the so-called Armenian genocide claims. During the meeting, Calmy-Rey made a strange proposal to Turkey about the Armenian claims saying that Turkey should be warm to the idea of foundation of an international commission.
COMMON SENSE WINS NINE YEARS LATER
MILLIYET- Kardak islets, which brought Turkey and Greece to the brink of war on January 30th, 1996, became a symbol of common sense this time. The Greeks who detained Mustafa Yilmaz from (Aegean town of) Bodrum who held a protest against his ex-wife on Kardak rocky islet, took a backward step when they realized they violated the moratorium that the region was considered as a ''gray line''. Two parties which refrained from exaggerating the incident told their media that ''the situation was not important''. And, the incident was overcome without crisis.
AKP-CHP ALLIANCE
MILLIYET- The ruling and opposition have taken action immediately to prevent the Motherland Party (ANAP) and the Social Democrat People's Party (SHP) from receiving financial assistance from the Treasury after they entered the parliament. These two parties entered the parliament as some independent parliamentarians joined them. Thus, a bill kept waiting for a year was passed from the parliament. Now, only the political parties which can get 7 percent of votes in the elections can be granted Treasury assistance.
HISTORICAL MISSION FOR PEACE
SABAH- The paper comments that Turkish soldiers have been peace fighters in Afghanistan and they try hard to meet the needs of Afghan people. One journalist from the paper has gone to Afghanistan and tells his impressions in the country saying that peace in Afghanistan was restored significantly by the contributions of Turkish soldiers.
NO OBSTACLE LEFT BEFORE TURKEY'S EU BID
SABAH- Turkey sent a letter to the EU saying that it approved extension of its customs union frame up to 16 EU countries including Cyprus. That was the last obstacle before the start of entry talks between Turkey and the EU on October 3rd.
DE FACTO RECOGNITION
CUMHURIYET- Turkish government adopted the protocol which will include the Greek Cypriot administration in the Customs Union. Ankara sent an official letter to Brussels in which it said that it adopted ''Cyprus protocol'', the precondition before opening of its European Union (EU) full membership negotiations. Under the protocol, Turkey will announce with a declaration that signing of the protocol does not mean ''political recognition''. But, the protocol envisages ''commercial relations'' and ''de facto'' recognition within the framework of the EU. Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul defended that the protocol ''was totally a technical matter'', and said that there would not be any change to Turkey's stance, that is non-recognition of the Greek Cypriot administration.
FIRST STEP TO VIOLATE LAUSANNE
CUMHURIYET- The Reform Follow-Up Committee decided to pass Foundations Law as soon as possible. In its meeting, the Committee decided to expand the right granted to solely the minorities to open schools under the Lausanne Treaty so that it will also cover the Syriacs, Bahais and Turkish Catholics.
SHP IN PARLIAMENT, AKP MEMBERS DECREASING
RADIKAL- Parliamentarians Hakki Akalin, Ahmet Guryuz Ketenci, Ersoy Bulut, Mustafa Sayar and Zuheyir Amber, who resigned from the (main opposition) Republican People's Party (CHP), joined the Social Democrat People's Party (SHP) led by Murat Karayalcin. A ''surprising'' name who resigned from (the ruling Justice & Development Party) AKP was Omer Abusoglu.
LAST POINT IN INCIRLIK
RADIKAL- Turkish Foreign Ministry and General Staff reached compromise on the demand of the U.S. administration to use Incirlik Base. The formula generated at the end of talks with the U.S. officials was presented to the government for political consent. Here is the formula: The United States will not wait for Ankara's consent for every cargo plane. Turkish authorities will inspect the cargo. The cargo will not be hazardous, i.e. weapons, ammunition and explosives are banned.
COOPERATION FOR IRAQ
TURKIYE- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is visiting Tunisia, said, ''we can exert joint efforts with Tunisia to prevent hegemony of one ethnic group over the other in Iraq, and to contribute to territorial integrity of Iraq. This cooperation will assure peace in the Middle East.''
HERE IS DOCUMENT OF ARMENIAN CONFESSION
TURKIYE- Armenian Dashnak Party said, ''we formed gangs after the Russians came, and we massacred 30,000 Turks in (eastern city of) Van.'' Here are some highlights of the report submitted by this party to the Socialist International: ''We tried to kill Sultan Abdulhamid II on June 8th, 1905. 40 people died but we could not reach him. We killed Van Governor as a retaliation. We achieved to gather the Armenians in all villages under a single flag. We formed gangs in villages of Bitlis and Van. The Armenians rebelled after the Russians attacked on Van in 1915. Our rebellion reached its peak in April. We killed 30,000 Muslims in Van in a few days. Russian Czar Nikolai II sent us a 'thank you' message.''
TURKEY CAN DRAW ARAB CAPITAL
ZAMAN- Arab Investors' Union Chairman Al-Bayumi said that Arabs have 1 trillion USD of investments in the west, but Turkey didn't exert sufficient efforts to draw that amount to Turkey. Stressing that westerners opened promotion offices in Arab countries, Bayumi said that Turkey didn't promote itself well in Arab countries.
15 CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH BOOTLEG ALCOHOL DEATHS
ZAMAN- Prosecutors formally charged 15 people in connection with the death of five people who drank bootleg versions of the alcoholic beverage raki. Eleven suspects were charged with endangering lives or causing death through poisoning, and of forming a criminal gang. They face life in prison if convicted. Four suspects were charged with aiding a criminal gang, and face one-year sentences if convicted.
U.S.: OPEN HEYBELIADA SEMINARY
YENI SAFAK- The United States which has one of the poorest human rights record, has announced its annual human rights report. The report claimed that there were serious problems in human rights in Turkey, noting that ''Turkey should open Heybeliada Seminary''.
ONE MILLION DOCUMENTS REFUTING GENOCIDE CLAIMS
YENI SAFAK- State Archives Director General Sarinay said that they had enabled accession of researches to one million documents on the digital environment, stressing that ''we are not afraid of anything.''