ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on April 21st, 2005. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
TURKEY IS A SECULAR STATE
HURRIYET- Turkish Chief of Staff General Hilmi Ozkok has stated that, although there are circles which would like to portray Turkey as a country with moderate Islam, Turkey is purely a secular state. ''Secularism is one of the most important values of the Turkish republic.''
WORLD CHILDREN AT THE CANKAYA PALACE
HURRIYET- Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has welcomed children from 48 countries who are in Turkey to attend children's day celebrations this weekend. Sezer said that the friendship and brotherhood between these children can be a reflection of the future in our world.
GEN. OZKOK MAKES VERY CLEAR WARNINGS
MILLIYET- Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok said fundamentalist elements adopted a new approach recently.
Taking the floor in a meeting held at the War Academies Command in Istanbul, Ozkok mentioned relations with the European Union (EU), the United States and Greece.
In his statement, Gen. Ozkok said, ''nearly 99 percent of the Turkish population is Moslem, but Turkey is a secular, democratic and social legal state. Turkey is neither an Islam state nor an Islam country.''
ERDOGAN OPENS A NEW PAGE
MILLIYET- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking about the new Pope (Benedict XVI), who clearly stated his stance against Turkey's EU membership, said, ''many statements are made in politics before coming to a position. Those who make the statement consider those statements have not been made. The responsibility requires this.''
CELIK OPENS A NEW SCHOOL FOR THE DISABLED
SABAH- Turkish Minister of National Education Huseyin Celik has remarked that Diyarbakir is the second city in Turkey, after Istanbul, that receives the most funds for education. In an opening ceremony of a new school for the disabled in Diyarbakir, Celik indicated that there are presently 480 schools for the disabled throughout Anatolia. ''This new school in Diyarbakir is the 481st school for the disabled. Schools for the disabled in Turkey have a total student population of over 65,000 students.''
COSKUN: WE WILL MEET WAL-MART EXECUTIVES IN ANKARA
SABAH- Turkish Minister of Industry and Trade Ali Coskun has remarked that his administration has accepted to meet Wal-Mart executives in Ankara. ''Wal-Mart executives will soon arrive in Turkey for a comprehensive meeting.''
OTHER TURKEY IN WORLD BANK REPORT
VATAN- The 2005 report of the World Bank which was published the other day revealed that the distribution of income in Turkey was more injustice than it was believed to be. Turkey was ranked the 55th among the countries where the distribution of income was not fair.
ERDOGAN MEETS KARZAI
VATAN- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that they exchanged views in Afghanistan about education, health, infrastructure and investment. Holding a joint news conference with Afghan President Karzai, Prime Minister Erdogan said that the two countries always supported each other in their fight for independence. ''Our efforts to restore security in Afghanistan within the scope of ISAF will continue,'' Erdogan said.
OZKOK SPEAKS HARSH WORDS
CUMHURIYET- Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok stressed that fundamentalist formations could use the tolerance of the Republican regime and democracy for their own purposes, adding that the fundamentalist organizations intensified their efforts of taking part in public sector. Ozkok also stressed that Turkey was not an Islamic country or state.
AKP VISA FOR INCIRLIK BASE
CUMHURIYET- The Justice and Development Party (AKP) which had earlier prepared a decree for the use of Incirlik base by the US opened it to signature. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul also confirmed that the decree on Incirlik base was opened to signature, adding that the demand of the US for providing a logistic center in Turkey was met with the decree. The government probably wants to prevent the genocide resolution which is pending before the US Congress.
GENERAL OZKOK SENDS MESSAGES
RADIKAL- Turkish Chief of General Staff General Hilmi Ozkok has remarked that the threat from fundamentalists still persist. ''Terrorist organization PKK is using the European Union to reach its goals. The unitary form of the Turkish government is not open to discussions. The EU has not understood Turkey's importance. There is no crisis with the United States,'' said Ozkok.
GUCLU: ''CONSUMPTION OF MILK MUST INCREASE''
RADIKAL- Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Sami Guclu has stated that a new campaign must be organized to encourage more consumption of milk nationally. The milk consumption must especially be increased among young students, said Guclu.
CLEAR MESSAGES FROM GEN. OZKOK
TURKIYE- Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok made very important warnings about the developments inside and outside the country.
Gen. Ozkok said:
-We will review relations if Athens does not make an official apology for ''flag'' incident.
-Attitude of Yerevan causes uneasiness. Its claims are baseless.
-Turkey's membership to the EU is not a grant, both sides have benefits.
-Promises given in northern Cyprus have been forgotten. They should not expect new concessions from now on.
PROMISE FOR AID TO AFGHANISTAN
TURKIYE- Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the first Turkish Prime Minister visiting Afghanistan. Cevdet Sunay, one of the former Turkish presidents, had visited Afghanistan in 1968 lately.
Erdogan, who met Afghan President Karzai in Kabul, mentioned importance of Afghanistan for Turkey.
Erdogan also expressed Turkey's pleasure with extension of activity and mission area of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
RATZINGER TO BE IMPARTIAL BY REMAINING SILENT ON TURKEY ISSUE
ZAMAN- Views of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger started to be observed after his election as the new Pope.
As CNN and BBC pointed out that the new Pope opposed to Turkey's future EU membership, The New York Times daily criticized Ratzinger's opposition to Turkey's EU membership.
The newspaper warned that Pope's being the reason of disagreement at a time when international activities were intensified for compromise of Islam world and the West would be very ''distressing''.
The newspaper also defended that this attitude would also be an opposition to the memory of Pope II John Paul.
TURKEY GIVES POSITIVE RESPONSE TO REQUEST OF UNITED STATES FOR INCIRLIK
ZAMAN- Turkey gave a positive response to the request of the United States to use Incirlik Air Base as ''logistic center''.
The decree about the issue has been opened to the signature of the members of Council of Ministers.
OZKOK'S MESSAGE TO US
YENI SAFAK- Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok criticized the policy of the US which didn't take any steps to fight the terrorist organization PKK in the north of Iraq in the speech he delivered at the War Academies Command. Also referring to the Greater Middle East Initiative, Ozkok said that ''some countries wanted to define Turkey as 'moderate Islam country' in this initiative. Turkey is not an Islamic state or country.'' Ozkok also said that the US and EU included PKK in their list of terrorist organizations, but including them only in the list didn't mean anything in practice.
ARINC: TURKEY IS WHOLE WITH ITS PEOPLE OF ALL ORIGINS
YENI SAFAK- Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said that Turkey was a whole with its people of all origins. Speaking in a symposium on National Sovereignty, Arinc said that ''this country didn't counter internal war in its history, if some people want to provoke our people today, they will never be successful in that.''