ANKARA (AA) - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on May 10th, 2005. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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ERDOGAN TO MEET KOCHARIAN IN WARSAW
Turkish Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian President Robert Kocharian were expected to have a meeting during the Council of Europe Summit in Warsaw on May 15th and 17th.
ERDOGAN EXPRESSES TURKEY'S REGRET
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who attended ''Victory in Europe Day'' ceremonies in Russian capital Moscow marking 60th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany, held talks with many leaders. During his talks with President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Alexander Kwasniewski of Poland, Prime Minister Erdogan conveyed Turkey's regret over recognition of allegations of so-called Armenian genocide.
SIGNATURE OF 1.1 BILLION EUROS
The sale of Turkish Yapi Kredi Bankasi was finalized. The bank was purchased by Koc Holding, one of Turkey's leading manufacturing and financial groups, and its Italian partner Unicredito, Italy's largest bank. The agreement was inked, and Yapi Kredi's valuation based on 100 percent of its shares was 2.021 billion euros. Koc paid 1.160 billion euros. Cukurova was obliged to sell its 44.53 percent share in Turkey's fourth-largest bank in a debt-restructuring deal with banking regulators after Cukurova's Pamukbank collapsed in 2002.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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WORLD TOUR IN FOUR HOURS
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had talks with more than 20 leaders in Russia where ''Victory in Europe Day'' ceremonies were held to mark 60th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. After he returned from Russia to Turkey, Erdogan told reporters that he would meet US President George W. Bush in Washington in June. ''I met many heads of state in Moscow. We discussed Turkey's political, economic and commercial relations with their countries,'' stressed Erdogan. He said he would discuss the Cyprus issue further with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan during his planned trip to the United States in early June.
DEAL ON SALE OF YAPI KREDI TO KOC SIGNED
Koc Group bought 57.4 percent shares of Yapi Kredi Bankasi (YPKB) from Cukurova Group. Koc Group and Cukurova signed the deal on sale of Yapi Kredi Bankasi on Monday. Cukurova Group said that it had finalized a deal to sell a controlling stake in local bank Yapi Kredi to Koc Group. Banking authorities have been calling for the deal to be concluded since a joint venture between Koc, one of Turkey's leading manufacturing and financial groups, and Italy's largest bank agreed to the sale in January.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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''WE TOOK A GREAT RISK FOR YAPI KREDI''
Turkey's Cukurova Group finalized a deal to sell 57.4 percent of stake in local bank Yapi Kredi to local firm Koc Holding and its Italian partner Unicredito. Unicredito official Giuseppe Scognamiglio said that they took a great risk by buying a controlling stake in Yapi Kredi, adding that Unicredito's investments in Turkey showed that the company had a great confidence in the country.
ERDOGAN: ''A NEW PROCESS CAN BE LAUNCHED ON CYPRUS ISSUE''
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in Moscow yesterday to attend ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. Erdogan, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Greek Cypriot administration's leader Tassos Papadopoulos had a tripartite meeting in Moscow. Erdogan said, ''UN Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan considers that a new process can be launched. Greek Cypriots don't have a negative approach towards this.''
VATAN (INDEPENDENT)
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TURKEY HEADING FOR ORDER OF SHARIA
The neo-conservative circles in the United States, who harshly criticized Turkey for not allowing passage of US troops during the war in Iraq, have been escalating tension between the two countries.
A panel discussion was held by the FrontPage organization on whether Turkey heads for order of Sharia. Middle East Forum Chairman Daniel Pipes and Michael Rubin, an expert of the American Enterprise Institute, strongly criticized the government of the Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Pipes said that members of the AKP would try to destroy the secular order in Turkey to form a religious order on the basis of Sharia law. He claimed that Turkey would be no more a friendly country but an enemy just like Saudi Arabia.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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NEW PROCESS IN CYPRUS
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his meeting with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos in Moscow was quite positive. He said that Papadopoulos welcomed the idea of a new round of talks in Cyprus. ''In our trilateral meeting, Mr. Annan said that the referendum was left in the past and that a new process could start. I saw that the Greek Cypriot party is not against this. Also, I saw that Mr. Papadopoulos was positively approaching towards the implementation of a new process,'' he said.
''TURKEY SHOULD SPEED UP REFORMS''
British Ambassador to Turkey Peter Westmacott said that Turkey should speed up its reform process. Speaking at a panel discussion on ''Future of Turkey-Europe Relations'', Westmacott said that although Turkey fulfilled both the Copenhagen criteria and its duties regarding the Cyprus issue, the EU failed to launch any initiative to put an end to international isolation of Turkish Cypriots.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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NEW INITIATIVE FOR CYPRUS
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid a visit to Moscow to attend ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. Erdogan met UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Greek Cypriot administration's leader Tassos Papadopoulos in Moscow. Erdogan said, ''Annan thinks that a new process can be launched. Greek Cypriot party does not have a negative view about this. Compared to their previous statements, I saw they approached positively to carrying out of such a process.''
FOREIGN MINISTER GUL: ''NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD BE CARRIED ON RAPIDLY''
Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul hosted a luncheon for the European Union (EU) ambassadors in Ankara on the occasion of May 9th Europe Day. Foreign Minister Gul said that completion of scanning process should not be postponed until start of entry talks. ''You should not mention adjustment protocol all the time. We are ready to sign the protocol,'' he said.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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DERVIS RESIGNS
Kemal Dervis, who has been recently elected the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Administrator, has resigned from his position as the Republican People's Party (CHP) parliamentarian from Istanbul. Dervis's new mission as being the UNDP Administrator will start in August, 2005. Dervis indicated that Turkey won the race for the UNDP top post.
GUL: ''WE ARE READY TO SIGN ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL''
Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said, ''we are ready to sign the additional protocol of Ankara Agreement.'' In a luncheon organized to celebrate Europe Day with the European Union (EU) ambassadors in Ankara, Gul and his guests focused on integration of Turkey into the EU. Stressing that EU constitution did not have any connection with Turkey's accession to the EU, he indicated, ''Turkey is determined to be a part of the future.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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ITALY TO INCREASE CAPITAL IN AVEA
Telocom Italia Mobile, which does not want to give up buying Turkish Telekom shares, convinced its partners in Avea prior to the sale. Avea Executive Board convened on May 3rd, and decided to increase its capital. As a result, value of shares of Telecom Italia Mobile reached 2.1 billion USD.
DERVIS TO BID FAREWELL
Kemal Dervis, who was elected new administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), resigned as a parliamentarian. He asked permission of the Parliament Speaker's Office to address the MPs on Wednesday. He said that he would bid farewell.
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
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PRESIDENT BUSH WAITS FOR ERDOGAN
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks with US President George W. Bush during ''Victory in Europe Day'' ceremonies marking 60th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in Russian capital Moscow. President Bush said that he was waiting for Prime Minister Erdogan's visit. Erdogan will go to the United States in June.
GUL WARNS EU AMBASSADORS TO BE CAREFUL
Turkish Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul hosted a working lunch in honor of ambassadors of the EU-member countries in Ankara to mark the May 9th Europe Day. The lunch actually focused on the criticisms about EU's attempts to separate Turkey. Gul warned ambassadors to be careful about their messages.
2005-05-10