ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on May 24th, 2005. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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KARAMEHMET GIVES UP SELLING TURKCELL TO TELIASONERA
Mehmet Emin Karamehmet, the boss of Cukurova Group, gave up selling his shares in GSM operator Turkcell to Finnish-Swedish TeliaSonera Company. The company earlier agreed with Cukurova Group to buy Turkcell shares but it stated that the Group has not signed the final deal. TeliaSonera stressed that it would take legal action against Cukurova Group since the firm had not signed a final deal to sell a 27.2 percent stake in Turkish mobile operator Turkcell.
WAYS TO BE CLOSED DUE TO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL IN ISTANBUL
Istanbul will host UEFA Champions League final between AC Milan and Liverpool FC at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium on Wednesday. All roads except for the way to the stadium in Ikitelli Organized Industrial Zone will be closed to traffic as of 2 p.m. tomorrow.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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TURKEY, ROMANIA AND ITALY TO BE IN SAME FORCE
Also Turkey will take part in the combat groups which will be used by the European Union (EU) in international military operations. EU which is criticized for not taking effective steps in defense area, broadens its project of 'combat groups' which will intervene in all parts of the world. Turkey, Italy and Romania have decided to take part in the joint combat groups.
ELECTIONS IN GERMANY NOT TO AFFECT TURKEY
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that the elections to be held in Germany would not affect Turkey's EU bid. Noting that governments in democratic societies can change, Gul said that Turkey had relations with countries not with political parties.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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GONUL: ''WE HAVE UNIQUE RELATIONS WITH UNITED STATES''
Turkish National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, who spoke to Jan's Defence Weekly periodical, described relations between Turkey and the United States as ''unique''. Gonul stressed, ''no relation can be an alternative to our alliance with the United States.''
BELGIUM: ''BAN ON ONUR AIR FLIGHTS IS EXAGGERATED''
A report which was prepared by professors of Brussels Military School and sent to the Netherlands said that Turkish airways company Onur Air did not have serious technical problems. The report noted that the ban on flights of Onur Air was exaggerated.
VATAN (INDEPENDENT)
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STOP THESE MURDERERS
Football murderers once again wounded two children accidentally when they opened fire in the air in Istanbul to celebrate the victory of Turkish soccer team Fenerbahce who clinched the championship on Sunday night. The condition of the children is critical.
'CHANCELLOR BLOW' ON STOCK EXCHANGE
The decision taken in Germany to hold early elections and the coming referendum in France on EU Constitution brought a 1135 points decrease in Istanbul Stock Exchange yesterday. The daily average loss of the shares at Stock Exchange was 4.46 percent. Experts said that the stock exchange would be negatively affected by the political developments in Europe this week.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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WORKERS BEATEN IN SEYDISEHIR
Officials of three companies which plan to offer bids for privatization of Seydisehir Aluminum Enterprises came to visit the factory but faced resistance of factory workers yesterday. Workers attempted to lock themselves in the factory. 23 policemen and 30 workers were injured when police entered the factory. As a result, the officials of the companies couldn't get inside the factory and they left.
WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION PROTESTS EMINE ERDOGAN'S OUTFIT IN SYRIA
Sanal Sarihan, chairperson of the Republican Women's Association, criticized Turkish Prime Minister's wife Emine Erdogan who represented Turkey in an international meeting in Syria saying that ''Emine Erdogan doesn't represent Turkish women with her head scarf.'' Sarihan claimed that her participating in an international women's meeting with her head scarf was an expression of opposition to secularism in Turkey.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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ANKARA'S CONCERN
The end of the 39-year social democrat rule in the biggest and wealthy German state 'North Rhine Westphalia' has caused German Chancellor Schroeder to take the decision of holding early elections in Germany. If CDU leader Angela Merkel comes to power in Germany instead of Schroeder, there can be problems in Turkey-EU relations. Merkel proposes 'privileged partnership' to Turkey regarding its EU bid.
FIRST OIL FROM BAKU-CEYHAN
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline which has made Turkey and the Caucasus the oil bridge of the world will start to operate tomorrow. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will attend the opening ceremony of the pipeline in Baku. The Caspian oil will reach the refinery in Ceyhan within two days.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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KIRILOV: ''WE SAW DETERMINATION OF TURKEY''
Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) Committee on Economic Affairs and Development meeting has started in Turkish southern city of Antalya. Evgeni Kirilov, chairman of PACE Committee on Economic Affairs and Development, said that they observed that Turkey was very determined on fulfillment of reforms. Kirilov stated that Turkey's general situation would be discussed in the meeting, noting that they would get very important information on Turkish economy and Antalya.
FOREIGN MINISTER GUL LEAVES FOR SWEDEN
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul left for Sweden to attend NATO Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council Security Forum. Speaking to reporters at the airport, Gul said that he would chair a panel on Central Asia during the forum. Gul stressed that foreign ministers would discuss issues concerning NATO and enhancement of relations among countries, noting that the cooperation between NATO and international organizations would be discussed during meetings in Sweden. Gul noted that Turkish State Minister Guldal Aksit and he would attend a panel discussion on women's rights in Swedish capital of Stockholm on Tuesday (May 24th).
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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TELIASONERA TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST CUKUROVA GROUP
Finnish-Swedish TeliaSonera Company announced in March it had agreed to buy the stake from Cukurova Holding for 3.1 billion USD. But TeliaSonera said the Turkish group did not sign the final share purchase agreement by a Monday deadline. TeliaSonera would therefore pursue legal actions to protects its rights, the company said.
BAYKAL INFORMS SOCIALISTS ON OTTOMAN
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal informed participants on Ottoman Empire in the meeting of Socialist International (SI) in Tel Aviv. Baykal who took the floor upon the invitation of Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres said, ''I am coming from a country which has deep experiences over these lands.'' He stressed that when Ottoman Empire ruled this region, it respected religions and governed Jerusalem and other regions carefully.
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
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NEW TCK RESTRICTS FREEDOMS IN TURKEY
New Penal Code's (TCK) provisions which restrict freedoms in Turkey don't abide by the international conventions signed by Turkey. Under Article 90 of the Constitution, international conventions are valid when there is a contradiction between national and international law. If no correction is made in the new Penal Code, there will be a serious legal chaos in the system and the hearing of cases will last too long.
ERDOGAN'S MEETING WITH BUSH
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will attend the meeting between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President George W. Bush on June 8th. Erdogan and Gul will go to the United States together to discuss Turkish-American relations and start a new process regarding Cyprus.