ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on May 4th, 2005. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
SWISS AMBASSADOR MARRIED TO A TURK
HURRIYET- Swiss Ambassador in Ankara Walter Gyger, who is passing through a difficult period as an investigation has been opened against Prof. Yusuf Halacoglu, is married to a Turkish citizen.
As Walter Gyger speaks, he said, ''alleged genocide'' and insistent to say that, ''Halacoglu may go to Switzerland. There is not any arrest warrant against him.''
FULL MEMBERSHIP TO EU DEPENDS ON TURKEY
HURRIYET- German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said European Union (EU) full membership depended on Turkey, not others.
Chatting with the reporters aboard the plane on his way from Bosnia-Herzegovina to Turkey, Schroeder said, ''a decision has been made for Turkey to start EU entry talks on October 3rd, 2005. Negotiations will start in case conditions, including signing of Additional Adjustment Protocol, are met.''
Schroeder said both parties should fulfill their duties till the start of negotiations, and noted that, ''it is not possible to expect the society to adopt the reforms requiring mentality change to be adopted in a few days.''
SALE SHAKING TURKEY
MILLIYET- Fiba Holding sold chain store ''Gima'' to Carrefoursa, whose one of partners is Sabanci Holding. Migros, owned by Koc Holding, also wanted to purchase ''Gima''. Koc Group strongly reacted to this sale. Carrefoursa paid 120 million USD for Gima.
CRITICAL ARRANGEMENT TO TCK
MILLIYET- Significant amendments are being made to Turkish Penal Code (TCK). Imprisonment up to 10 years will be asked for foreigners who say that ''there is genocide'' and make use of this claim.
SCHRODER ADMITS THE EU MADE A MISTAKE ON CYPRUS
SABAH- German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder has admitted that the European Union (EU) made a mistake on Cyprus. ''The EU did not keep its promises vis-a-vis Cyprus. We will do our best in the future on Cyprus,'' said Schroder. Schroder came to Ankara yesterday with 600 German businessmen.
KURODA PRAISES TURKISH ECONOMY
SABAH- Chairman of the Asia Development Bank (ADB) Haruhiko Kuroda has indicated that the Turkish economy has become one of world's fastest growing economies. ''There is now new confidence in the Turkish economy coming from both local and foreign investors,'' told Kuroda. Kuroda elaborated on Turkish State Minister Ali Babacan's prominent role in taking the Turkish economy further.
MARKET WARS
VATAN- Fiba Holding's owner Husnu Ozyegin was bargaining with Koc Holding's Migros to sell chain stores ''Gima'' and ''Endi'', and wanted 140 million USD for these two stores. On the other hand, Koc Holding offered 115 million USD. Sabanci Holding's CarrefourSA intervened in the bargaining and offered 132.5 million USD. Thus, CarrefourSA became the new owner of Gima.
PRODUCER AND CONSUMER PRICES INCREASED
VATAN- The producer prices increased by 1.21 percent in April, while the rise in consumer prices was 0.71 percent. According to information received from Turkish Institute of Statistics (SIS), the annual producer prices increased to 10.17 percent, while the annual consumer prices rose to 8.18 percent.
BAYKAL: ''NO ABUSE OF POWER WILL BE TOLERATED''
CUMHURIYET- Turkish Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that the Turkish parliament speaker Bulent Arinc can not close the Constitutional Court. ''You may have received 34 percent of the total vote in the elections. You may have two-thirds of the vote in the parliament. Yet no abuse of power will be tolerated. You can not take a decision in favor of closing the Turkish Constitutional Court,'' told Baykal.
NEW BORDER CROSSING WITH BULGARIA
CUMHURIYET- Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov has indicated that Turkey and Bulgaria are close allies in NATO. ''We want to become good partners in the European Union,'' told Purvanov. A new border crossing will soon be opened between Turkey and Bulgaria.
SUPREME COURT: WE RULE FOR DIVORCE OF PEOPLE WHO CHAT ON INTERNET
RADIKAL- ''Chatting on the internet'' is a reason for divorce. The Supreme Court of Appeals has found right the woman who has wanted to divorce her husband after she proved that her husband chatted with other women on the internet, and communicated with these women through e-mail.
SCHROEDER IN TURKEY WITH 600 BUSINESSMEN
RADIKAL- German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder arrived in Turkey with 600 German businessmen to attend ''Turkish-German Economy Forum''. Schroeder said, ''I have no doubt that Turkey will continue reforms on road to EU (European Union).''
JUSTICE MINISTER CICEK CRITICIZES SWITZERLAND
TURKIYE- Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said ''law cannot be built on lies'' criticizing Switzerland that started an investigation against President of Turkish Historical Society Halacoglu for his words disproving Armenian allegations of genocide.
OTTOMANS ARE INNOCENT
TURKIYE- British National Archives is providing documents to researchers disproving allegations of an Armenian genocide. Great powers influenced the activities of all nations in the Ottoman Empire and were responsible for the pain suffered.
ZAMAN- LET HISTORIANS EXAMINE ALLEGATIONS OF GENOCIDE German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who has arrived in Ankara as the official guest of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, expended support to Turkey on Armenian issue and European Union (EU) membership.
Schroeder and Erdogan discussed economic, political, commercial and cultural relations with Turkey as well as the EU, Armenia, and Cyprus.
Schroeder told Erdogan that Germany expended support to Turkey's proposals on Armenian issue like setting up a joint commission comprising of the historians to examine the allegations. Schroeder said, ''we also favor opening of the archives and examining of the issue by the historians and experts.''
The German Chancellor praised the steps taken by Turkey as regards to the EU.
TURKISH SOLDIERS PROTECTED US AGAINST ATTACKS DURING RELOCATION
ZAMAN- Armenians, who had migrated from Anatolia to Lebanon as a result of painful incidents on the Ottoman territories in 1915, set up a new life for themselves.
Leaving the past to the historians, Armenians living in Beirut do not have enmity against Turkey on the contrary to Armenian Diaspora.
Yeghisapet Kesabyan, an old woman at the age of 105, living in Bekaa Valley, was heard singing a Turkish song.
She was the latest witness of the relocation. She was 15 years old when they were coming from Hatay to Lebanon via Syria in 1915. Kesabyan said, ''we had to walk for days. The Turkish soldiers were with us to protect us from the attacks.''
TURKEY: CENTER OF ATTRACTION
YENI SAFAK- Last week, Investment Advisory Council meeting was held in Istanbul. And, Meeting of Governors of Asian Development Bank was held yesterday (Tuesday). Today, 600 German businessmen are coming to Istanbul for investments.
TURGAY CINER: NEW MEDIA EMPEROR
YENI SAFAK- Turgay Ciner, who bought Sabah daily and private channel ATV in return for 435 million USD, has become the new media tycoon as he owns some other media organizations.