ANKARA (AA) - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on May 9th, 2005. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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SEZER: ''EU SHOULD NOT DOUBT ABOUT TURKEY''
Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer issued a message on the occasion of May 9th Europe Day. Stating that Turkey showed great sensitivity on its path to the European Union (EU), Sezer said that they expected a similar attitude from European countries. Noting that Turkish nation's expectation was to start accession negotiations on October 3rd, 2005, Sezer stressed, ''everyone should know that Turkey will do what is required for negotiations to be carried out successfully.''
''TURKEY WILL BE RICH THANKS TO EFFORTS OF TURKISH BUSINESSMEN''
Rifat Hisarciklioglu, the Chairman of the Union of Chambers & Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), said that Turkey would be rich thanks to efforts of Turkish businessmen. Stating that Turkey had a good opposition party which supported enactment of structural reforms, Hisarciklioglu said that ruling and opposition parties enacted those reforms together. He noted that they only had complaints about bureaucracy and law.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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TURKEY TO CONSTRUCT A TERMINAL AT CAIRO AIRPORT
Turkish TAV consortium will construct the third terminal of Egypt's Cairo Airport. Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen and Public Works & Housing Minister Zeki Ergezen were in attendance at a ceremony yesterday in which foundation of the terminal was laid. Passenger capacity of the International Cairo Airport will increase from 9.5 million to 21 million after the terminal is constructed. The project is expected to cost about 350 million U.S. dollars.
DP TO JOIN WITH ANAP
The Democrat Party decided to join with the Motherland Party (ANAP). DP leader Omer Yildirim said that they had decided to join with the ANAP with a majority of votes during the extraordinary congress of the DP.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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INDECISION OF UNITED STATES ABOUT JEWISH AMBASSADOR
The term in office of U.S. Ambassador Eric Edelman in Ankara will end this summer. The United States is expected to announce name of its new ambassador this week. Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow, former U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ross L. Wilson and Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Anthony Wayne are among candidates. Meanwhile, the United States discuss whether the new ambassador should be a Jewish person like Grossman, Abromowitz and Edelman.
HISTORIC ANSWER OF ATATURK TO SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
It was revealed that Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern and secular Republic of Turkey, made a historic statement about relocation of Armenians in an interview with American journalist Clarence K. Streit on February 26th, 1921. Ataturk said that the Relocation Law was adopted after Tashnak committee collaborating with the Russian Army led Armenians to start uprising in eastern Anatolia.
VATAN (INDEPENDENT)
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HISARCIKLIOGLU RE-ELECTED AS TOBB CHAIRMAN
Rifat Hisarciklioglu was re-elected as the Chairman of the Union of Chambers & Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB). In the General Assembly of TOBB held in Ankara on Sunday, Hisarciklioglu gained 1,257 out of 1,265 votes and was re-elected as the TOBB Chairman.
TAV LAYS FOUNDATION OF CAIRO AIRPORT
Turkish Tepe and Akfen Venture (TAV) laid the foundation of domestic and international lines terminal of International Cairo Airport. TAV Executive Board Chairman Sani Sener said that they would complete the construction within 800 days.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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NEW TURKISH CYPRIOT GOVERNMENT WINS VOTE OF CONFIDENCE
The new government of Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) won a vote of confidence. Soyer replaced former premier Mehmet Ali Talat, who took over as president last month. The new government commands 29 seats in the 50-seat parliament. Twenty-eight lawmakers voted in favor of the new government, while 19 voted against it. One lawmaker did not participate in the vote. Soyer, head of the Republican Turkish Party, formed the new cabinet on April 26th along with Talat's former partner, Serdar Denktas, who retains his post as deputy premier and foreign minister.
''IMF TRIGGERS SOCIAL CRISIS''
Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Cevdet Selvi said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) triggered a possible social crisis in Turkey. Selvi criticized IMF First Deputy Managing Director Anne Krueger who said that minimum wage was too high in Turkey.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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''RETRIAL IS ESSENTIAL FOR EU''
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the government on the possible developments concerning a decision to be made by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on retrial of Abdullah Ocalan, head of terrorist organization PKK. Foreign Ministry said that ECHR was likely to make a decision that 90 people including Ocalan should be retried. It stated that if Turkey did not comply with the decision, its EU accession would be under risk. ECHR will hold a public hearing on May 12th to deliver a Grand Chamber judgment regarding the case of Abdullah Ocalan.
RESTORATION OF ISHAK PASA PALACE TO BE RESUMED
Restoration of Ishak Pasa Palace in eastern city of Agri will be resumed. Ishak Pasa Palace, the last big monument of Ottoman Empire, will be restored with the support of TURSAB. Architecture Nur Capa said that they aimed to save the palace, adding that it was not possible to say the cost of restoration now.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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ERDOGAN: ''WE WILL DO WHAT NEW PROGRAM REQUIRES BY COMPLYING WITH FISCAL DISCIPLINE''
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkish government would do what the new program required for 2005-2007 by complying with fiscal and monetary discipline. Erdogan, CHP (main opposition Republican People's Party) leader Deniz Baykal, Industry & Trade Minister Ali Coskun and other senior officials attended the General Assembly of the Union of Chambers & Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) in Ankara. Delivering a speech in the session, Erdogan said, ''this government enacted many structural reforms in the shortest time that had not been seen before in the history of Republic.''
PM ERDOGAN IN RUSSIA
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan left for Russia to attend the ceremonies that will be held on Monday to mark the end of the Second World War in Moscow. Prior to his departure, Erdogan said, ''if Armenia fulfills its duties, Turkey will do what is required for a fair and lasting solution in terms of balances in the region.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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EU TO PROVIDE SMSEs WITH FINANCIAL AID
The European Union (EU) will provide small and medium scale enterprises (SMSEs) with financial aid. The aid will be given to SMSEs operating in the sectors of agriculture, manufacture, and tourism in the Turkish cities of Samsun, Amasya, Corum, Tokat, Erzurum, Erzincan, Bayburt, Cankiri, Kastamonu and Sinop.
BUS CARRYING TOURISTS SWERVES OFF ROAD, KILLING TWO
A tour bus swerved off the road and flipped over in southern Turkish city of Antalya, killing two people and injuring 44 others. Two Turks were killed in the accident, the cause of which was not immediately known. Among those injured were 34 Swiss tourists and 10 Turks. Five of the injured were in serious condition. In a separate accident again in Antalya, a Turkish driver hit and killed three German tourists who were strolling around Alanya town.
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
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''ASIA NEEDS A POWERFUL TURKEY''
Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Haruhiko Kuroda predicted that if Turkey succeeded in using its potential in the best way, it would become a great power. Noting that Turkey had a dynamic economy and a strategic importance, Kuroda said that both the EU and Asia needed a powerful Turkey. He added that Turkey's membership to the EU would also be beneficial to Asia.
2005-05-09