ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on May 1st, 2005. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
TURKEY REMOVES SWITZERLAND FROM THE RED LIST...BUT THE SWISS PUT A TURK ON THE RED LIST
HURRIYET- Turkey has ended its 'Red List' that it applied in defense tenders due to its harmonization efforts with the European Union. Accordingly, Switzerland, on which an embargo applied previously, has been taken out of the red list. However, Swiss authorities have placed a Turkish professor Yusuf Halacoglu on their list of red bulletin. Halacoglu has been found guilty for making a statement last year that there was no Armenian genocide.
TURKISH FURNITURE MARKET REACHES A TOTAL VOLUME OF 3.5 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS
HURRIYET- The increase in the number of residences has made a positive impact on the sales of furniture items throughout Turkey. The furniture industry grew by 20 percent in the last four years and reached a total trade volume of 3.5 million U.S. dollars. Furniture giants IKEA and Adress have entered the Turkish market.
TITLE DEED GESTURE TO PALESTINE
MILLIYET- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a historic gesture to Palestine before his two-day visit to Middle East covering Israel and Palestine. Title deed registrations, showing latest owners of Palestinian territories in the Ottoman Empire period were given to Palestinians.
GUL: THERE SHOULD BE COOPERATION FOR BORDER SECURITY
MILLIYET- Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, who announced the final statement of the 8th meeting of countries neighboring Iraq in Istanbul, stated that neighboring countries supported the newly founded government in Iraq stressing that they would be pursuing the political process.
Gul said everybody in the region should have more cooperation for border security, and noted that the borders should be secured in the best way.
TIKTIK: ''WE WILL SEE DECREASE IN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE THIS YEAR''
SABAH- Turkish State Planning Organization Director General Ahmet Tiktik defended that rate of unemployment would drop this year.
Tiktik said public investments would increase 20 percent for the first time this year, and stated that employment would increase in construction sector.
Meanwhile, World Bank Turkey Director Vorkink said, ''unregistered employment is a serious problem. More than half of the employment is unregistered.''
TURKEY TO MODERNIZE JORDAN'S F-16 PLANES
SABAH- Turkey will modernize Jordan's F-16 planes.
TUSAS Aviation and Space Industry (TAI), who won the tender opened by Jordan's Air Forces, will modernize 17 F-16 planes.
Jordan's technical personnel will be trained in TAI facilities in Ankara within the scope of the project. The project is expected to be completed within 1,5 years.
NO ELECTION PRIOR TO THE ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT
VATAN- Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy Chairman Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat has stated that an early election is out of the question prior to the election of the president. ''The Turkish parliament will elect the new president of Turkey,'' said Firat.
APPOINTMENT CRISIS
VATAN- American news agency, AP, has remarked that the U.S. president George Bush has not given Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan an appointment although Erdogan has been waiting for one for the past four weeks. A high level U.S. diplomat indicated that Erdogan wants good relations with the U.S.. ''Erdogan believes that Israel can help repair relations with the U.S.. It is for this reason that Erdogan is in Israel today,'' said the American diplomat.
DSP LEADER SEZER: ''ECONOMY IS IN A POOR CONDITION''
CUMHURIYET- Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Zeki Sezer said Turkish economy was in a poor condition, stating that, ''the government failed to record a development for 2.5 years.''
Sezer stressed that there were 2,5 million unemployed.
MAY 1ST LABOR DAY TO BE CELEBRATED
CUMHURIYET- May 1st Labor Day will be celebrated throughout the country. A demonstration will take place in Kadikoy, Istanbul for the first time following the demonstration in 1996 where three people lost their lives.
There will be celebrations in Ankara in Tandogan Square. The celebration in Aegean city of Izmir will take place in Gundogdu Square.
BOMB EXPERT DIED AS HE ACTS HASTILY
RADIKAL- Upon a tip-off about a suspicious package near a statue of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in Kusadasi town of western Turkish city of Aydin, security forces rushed to the area.
The bomb went off as security forces were trying to cordon off the area. Police officer Yasar Aykac, 50, died and five policemen were injured in the explosion.
ISRAEL TO TURKEY: BECOME OUR BRIDGE BETWEEN ARABS
TURKIYE- Israeli Foreign Ministry has remarked that cold relations with the Arabs can only be improved with the assistance of Turkey. ''Turkey can become our bridge between Arabs and Israelis,'' stated a high level Israeli diplomat.
IRAQ'S NEIGHBORS: ''IRAQ SHOULD NOT BE DIVIDED''
TURKIYE- The Meeting of Iraq's Neighbors ended with a communique that Iraq's territorial integrity should be preserved. ''Iraq should not be divided. A divided Iraq would pose a threat to global peace,'' said Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
FACE TO FACE MEETING COMING UP SOON
ZAMAN- After sending a letter to the Armenian president Robert Kocharian on the so-called Armenian genocide, Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan is preparing to take another new step. ''Erdogan and Kocharian will meet face to face in international meetings in May,'' said Turkish diplomatic sources.
ERDOGAN: ''IRAQ HAS BECOME TRAINING GROUND FOR TERRORISTS''
ZAMAN- The 8th Meeting of the Neighbors of Iraq was held in Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace yesterday. Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan has indicated that Iraq has become a training ground for terrorists. The next meetings of Iraq's neighbors will take place in Iran and Bahrain.
ERDOGAN: WE WANT PEACE IN IRAQ
YENI SAFAK- ''Iraq's national harmony, peace and stability concern not only Iraqi people, but also everybody. We all expect Iraq to establish its order in peace with its neighbors and world,'' said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Erdogan inaugurated the 8th meeting of countries neighboring Iraq in Istanbul on Saturday.
Erdogan said, ''many things have changed in Iraq and these developments had important reflections on the region and international relations. Regional countries pursued their attitude in determination to protect and strengthen unity and territorial integrity of Iraq as well as regional peace and stability.''
ERDOGAN WILL BE IN ISRAEL TODAY AND IN PALESTINE ON MONDAY
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a crowded delegation including parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and businessmen, will go to Israel today.
During his visit to Jerusalem, Erdogan will firstly meet Israeli President Moshe Katzav. Following his visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, Erdogan will meet Israeli deputy premiers Shimon Peres and Ehud Olmert. Erdogan will also meet Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon and Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom the same day.
Erdogan will proceed to West Bank on May 2nd and visit Mausoleum of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. He will then meet President of Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas.
Erdogan will address Palestinian and Turkish businessmen at Culture Palace together with Palestinian Premier Ahmed Qurei. Erdogan will then open Ramallah office of Turkish International Cooperation Agency (TICA).