ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on April 27th, 2005. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
CELIK: NEW SCHOOLS WITH FREE FOOD PROGRAMS COMING SOON
HURRIYET- Turkish Minister of National Education Huseyin Celik has stated that new nursery schools will be opened in eastern and southeastern Turkey. Nursery schools will provide free breakfasts and lunches. Local administrations will supply the buildings that could be used as schools. The project will kick-off in June.
DERVIS BECOMES HEAD OF UNDP
HURRIYET- Turkish Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy from Istanbul Kemal Dervis has announced yesterday (Tuesday) that he has been appointed United Nations Development Program's (UNDP) new chairman. The United Nations General Assembly will conduct a voting to ratify Dervis' new post.
702,905 TURKS WERE RELOCATED
HURRIYET- Talat Pasha's note-book indicates that, in 1915 and 1916, 702,905 Turks were relocated and that the Armenians were not the only group who got relocated. Turks were relocated due to the Russian invasion in eastern Anatolia. Most of the Turks got relocated to Mosul.
CAT ON THE EU DESK
MILLIYET- The 44th meeting of the Association Council, the highest level organ of assessment between Turkey and the European Union (EU) was held in Luxembourg yesterday. During the meeting, the EU listed its priorities as implementation of reforms and the Cyprus issue. Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's suing cartoonist Musa Kart for portraying him as a cat, and decision of a local official to seize books of Orhan Pamuk were also discussed at the meeting.
DERVIS BECOMES CHIEF OF UNDP
MILLIYET- Kemal Dervis, the former State Minister for Economy, became new chief of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the world body's largest agency with a nearly 3 billion U.S. dollar annual budget. Dervis, chosen by Secretary-General Kofi Annan after a lengthy review process, will be the first UNDP administrator from a recipient rather than a donor nation.
MEETING WITH ARNIE TO BE RECONSIDERED
MILLIYET- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was planning to meet Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor of California, during his scheduled meeting to the United States in June. However, Erdogan decided to reconsider the meeting after Schwarzenegger declared April 24th as the day of commemorating so-called Armenian genocide.
DERVIS CHOSEN AS UNDP CHAIRMAN
SABAH- UN Spokesman said yesterday that Kemal Dervis, a deputy from the Republic People's Party (CHP) was elected as the head of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). UN General Assembly will vote the election of Dervis. Dervis is expected to resign from CTP deputyship in the coming days. Dervis was chosen among six candidates.
GUL'S FIRST WARNING PACKAGE TO EU
SABAH- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul warned EU officials in Turkey-EU Association Council meeting yesterday and gave the messages to EU that ''please don't use the media for the things you want us to do, don't offend us. The ball is on EU's yard about Cyprus.'' Gul stressed that Turkey did the things it had to do regarding Cyprus and the additional protocol. Gul said that the critical threshold was overcome in the Turkey-EU relations, adding that yet there was a communication problem between Turkey and the EU.
DEAL OF 1.1 BILLION USD
VATAN- Turkey and the United States have reached a 1.1 billion U.S. dollars deal to upgrade 117 Turkish F-16 warplanes, Turkish National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul and U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Eric Edelman said at a joint news conference. The modernization plan will be carried out by U.S. aircraft maker Lockheed-Martin in Turkey. It is to start this summer and will involve 117 F-16s throughout 2012. The modernization of another 100 F-16s will be considered later.
SUPPORT FROM RECTORS
CUMHURIYET- Rectors of universities extended full support to Constitutional Court Chief Judge Mustafa Bumin, who said that Islamic-style headscarf could not be allowed at universities. Middle East Technical University (METU) Rector Prof. Dr. Ural Akbulut said that the statement of Bumin made them feel relieved. Meanwhile, rectors of Ondokuz Mayis, Gazi, Inonu and Dicle universities said that they would never make any concessions from principles of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern and secular Republic of Turkey.
RESPONSE FROM ARMENIA
CUMHURIYET- President Robert Kocharian of Armenia conditionally backed Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's proposal to set up a joint commission to investigate allegations of so-called Armenian genocide. Kocharian said that the proposal would work only if better relations were first established between Turkey and Armenia. Earlier, Prime Minister Erdogan suggested opening up the countries' state archives for experts from both countries to resolve the issue.
WHAT A PITY FOR THIS NATION
RADIKAL- The State Institute of Statistics (SIS) announced that the population of Turkey over 15-year was 50.3 million. 20.8 million are employed, however, 10.1 million work without any social security. Illegal employment causes the state to suffer an annual financial loss of nearly 19.4 billion YTL.
''WE CAN CONFRONT THE HISTORY''
RADIKAL- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Armenia and all other third countries to open their archives to reveal the historical facts, stressing, ''we have opened our archives. If we have to face up to our history, we will do so. But other countries must also face up to the same history,'' Speaking at a conference hosted by the Economist Group, Prime Minister Erdogan said, ''no one has the right to defame our country with such baseless allegations.''
WHAT KIND OF FRIENDSHIP IS THAT?
TURKIYE- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey was left alone in its fight with terrorism and complained about the lack of a sincere solidarity against terrorism in the world. Erdogan said in the Economist Conference yesterday that terrorism was terrorism everywhere and it threatened all humanity and economies. ''All countries should form a common platform against it. Many people died in Turkey because of terrorism, but we couldn't get the support we expected from our friends in that fight. Still the terrorist organization gets its funds from European countries,'' Erdogan said.
ANZAC'S CYPRUS SUPPORT
TURKIYE- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Australian Prime Minister John Howard in Istanbul yesterday. Erdogan and Howard mainly discussed the remembrance ceremonies held in Canakkale. Howard stressed that the activities were organized in a better way this year. At the meeting Cyprus issue also came to agenda and Howard told Erdogan that Australia would do its best to support a lasting peace on the island. Erdogan asked for lifting of the embargoes imposed on TRNC and Howard responded to that saying they would evaluate that request.
KOCHARIAN: ''YES, WE CAN MEET''
ZAMAN- Armenian President Robert Kocharian has informed the Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he accepts Erdogan's proposal to form a committee comprised of historians and other experts to study the incidents of early 20th century. Kocharian implied that the past could not be discussed without taking into consideration today and tomorrow. In his letter, Kocharian did not use the term ''genocide.''
OIC TO SEND A SATELLITE TO SPACE
ZAMAN- The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) will send a satellite worth 8 million U.S. dollars to space in 2 years. The satellite will be utilized to determine religious holidays.
NO DELAYS IN BAKU-CEYHAN OIL PIPELINE
YENI SAFAK- Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister Abid Serifov has indicated that the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline construction will be completed on time. ''Everything's going as planned,'' said Serifov. Oil will be filled in tankers as of the fourth quarter of 2005.
TAXES INCREASE
YENI SAFAK- The Special Consumption Tax (OTV) amount on caviar, perfumes, leather goods and pornography related items has increased to 20 percent from 6.7 percent earlier. Items such as televisions and refrigerators have not been affected by the rise in OTV.