ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on May 16th, 2005. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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ERDOGAN: ``THE OCALAN DECISION HAS ENCOURAGED CIRCLES OF DELUSION & IGNORANCE``
In reference to arguments that arose after the European Human Rights Council`s (ECHR) decision last week on terrorist leader Abdullah Ocalan, Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that this decision only encouraged circles of delusion, ignorance, and also circles who have not learned their lesson well. ``At a time when Turkey is about to leap forward significantly, those trying to mislead the Turkish society will not be forgiven by history,`` Erdogan noted.
DENMARK AND BELGIUM ISSUE ``VISA`` TO ONUR AIR FLIGHTS
After a flight ban on Onur Air as of May 12th in Germany, France and Switzerland, Denmark and Belgium have announced that they will not put a ban on Onur Air flights. Onur Air flights were cancelled due to poor security conditions. Denmark`s Aerospace Regulatory Council has announced that there is currently no need to ban Onur Air flights. ``We will provide our own security measures,`` stated a Danish official.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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ALL ROADS LEAD TO ECHR
After the decision on Ocalan case, solution of Turkey`s four main problems will be shaped up in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Here are the critical cases to be debated by the court: The court will decide on cases regarding headscarf, religious education, immunity, election threshold, property right and return to villages. These decisions are not only politically important but also important for Turkish law.
BALL ROLLED BETWEEN TWO CONTINENTS
World-famous tennis player Venus Williams played tennis with Turkish national tennis player Ipek Senoglu on the Bogazici (Bosphorus) Bridge, connecting Asia and Europe.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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BELGIUM HONORED ONUR AIR
Although four European countries closed their airports to Onur Air planes, Belgium said, ``we don`t think of imposing any restriction.`` Belgian Minister of Transport Renaat Landuyt and Charleroi Airport officials stated that the airport was open to Onur Air planes. Belgian officials said that their country would not act the same as some other countries which had banned Onur Air from landing at their airports.
MINOR QUAKE PANIC IN FOUR PLACES
Earthquakes which occurred in (southern town of) Alanya, (central city of) Konya, (Aegean city of) Afyon, and (southeastern city of) Gaziantep did not cause any life or property loss, but frightened people.
VATAN (INDEPENDENT)
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REAL ESTATE SALES BOOM
The Turkish real estate market, after very slow years, is witnessing a boom in demands. Even those real estate properties worth over a million U.S. dollars are selling exceptionally well.
TWO WORLD STARS IN ISTANBUL
World famous Spanish F-1 driver Fernando Alonso and American tennis player Venice Williams participated in promotion program of two sports events in Istanbul. Williams had a tennis game with Turkey`s Ipek Senoglu at 7 a.m. on the Bosphorus Bridge, connecting Asia and Europe. Alonso toured with his Renault F-1 car seven times at the Sultanahmet Hippodrome Center. Alonso`s tours were watched by a crowd of 30,000.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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FIRST STEP FOR RECOGNITION
In the additional protocol of the Ankara Agreement which Turkey has committed to sign by October 3rd (when its EU full membership negotiations will begin), the Greek Cypriot administration is included among the ``parties`` as the ``Republic of Cyprus``. The protocol says that Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia and ``Republic of Cyprus`` are parties to the Ankara Agreement as ``new member states.``
TEHRAN IMAGES IN CAPITAL
About tens of thousands of people, who ask for lifting of headscarf ban in public institutions, staged a demonstration under the name of ``White Meeting`` at Ankara`s Sihhiye Square. Men were more interested in the demonstration than women. Scenes during the demonstration in Kizilay where people in Islamic clothes resembled Iran.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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TWO ``IMPORTANT`` GUESTS IN ISTANBUL
World famous tennis player Venus Williams played a show game with Turkish tennis player Ipek Senoglu on the Bogazici (Bosphorus) Bridge yesterday (Sunday). The ball was rolled between Asia and Europe in this game. On the other hand, F1 driver Fernando Alonso performed a show at the Sultanahmet Square.
TALAT: BORDER PASSES CAN BE CLOSED
Speaking to a Greek Cypriot newspaper (Politis) after being elected the new President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Mehmet Ali Talat said that if property cases filed against Turks who had acquired ``Cyprus Republic`` identity continued, border passes could be closed again. ``If disputes are reflected onto the relations among the two peoples, they may have tragic consequences,`` said Talat.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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TURKEY MUST FOCUS ON THE TURKISH WORLD
Turkish Grand Unity Party (BBP) leader Muhsin Yazicioglu has indicated that the conditions set forth for Turkey by the European Union, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decision on terrorist Ocalan and regional developments are restricting free Turkish movement and decisions. ``December 17th was actually a hand bomb presented to Turkey. Some circles want to make Turkey a land of minorities. The ECHR decision on Ocalan encourages further terror. Turkey is in a dead-end street. It is high time for Turkey to start focusing on the Turkish world,`` told Yazicioglu.
TUZMEN: ``WE SHOULD GET READY FOR TRILLION U.S. DOLLARS``
Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen has remarked that his administration has a goal of reaching 71 billion USD in exports this year. ``Most likely, our exports in 2005 will reach 75 billion USD,`` said Tuzmen. According to Tuzmen, in the 100th year of the Republic of Turkey, total exports will reach 500 billion USD while imports worth 1 trillion USD will take place. ``We should get ready for trillion USD of trade in the near future. Our foreign trade will continue to be on the right track,`` stressed Tuzmen.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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F1 DRIVER ALONSO TOURS SULTANAHMET
Fernando Alonso, Renault F1 team driver, met Turkish sports fans in Istanbul. Spanish driver Alonso toured the special track prepared at the Sultanahmet Hippodrome Square with his F1 car.
LECH WALESA: ARMENIAN RESOLUTION SHOULD NOT AFFECT RELATIONS
Former Polish President Leech Walesa said that recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide by the Polish parliament should not affect relations between Turkey and Poland. Walesa said that Poland wanted to stay as friends with Turkey and added that Ankara should not deteriorate relations.
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
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``WE WANT OUR RIGHT``
Tens of thousands of people, protesting headscarf ban, said, ``we will get our rights and resist till the end.``
THEY DO NOT LIKE DYP EITHER
Reyhan Balandi, Ummet Kandogan and Ibrahim Ozdogan, parliamentarians who had resigned from the governmental Justice & Development Party (AK Party) and joined the True Path Party (DYP), also resigned from this party yesterday (Sunday). Thus, the number of seats of DYP at the parliament dropped to three.