ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on May 25th, 2005. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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SECRET QUESTIONING OF SUSPECT PATRIARCH
Hurriyet daily has accessed to the minutes of the meeting held at the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate. These minutes include harsh dialogue between Patriarch Bartholomew and Patriarch Irineos. Jerusalem Patriarch Irineos was questioned at the summit held in Fener yesterday (Tuesday). He is accused of renting or selling properties belonging to this Patriarchate which is under the auspices of Greece, to Jewish people.
CHIEF NEGOTIATOR: BABACAN
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that he had assigned State Minister Ali Babacan as the chief negotiator for Turkey's entry talks with the European Union (EU).
TURKEY'S FINAL
AC Milan (of Italy) and Liverpool (of Britain) will take on each other at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in (Turkish metropolis of) Istanbul at 9.45 p.m. tonight (Wednesday night). Istanbul, host of this final, will have a big test.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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BABACAN CHIEF NEGOTIATOR
At last Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued the statement which was expected for 6 months and designated State Minister Ali Babacan as the chief negotiator for Turkey-EU entry talks. State Minister Babacan will also continue to be the State Minister in charge of economy.
BAN ON ONUR AIR LIFTED
The Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany which had earlier banned the flights of Turkish private airline Onur Air, announced yesterday that they lifted the ban. France will also comply with the decision of the three countries and lift the ban on Onur Air soon.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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PITILESS ANNE, READ THIS REPORT
Turkish State Institute of Statistics' (SIS) report on incomes of families indicates that the minimum wage, considered as ''high'' by (IMF First Deputy Managing Director) Anne Krueger, is below the poverty limits.
CONFERENCE DELAYED AFTER CICEK'S REACTION
Turkish Justice Minister Cemil Cicek strongly reacted to the conference on ''Ottoman Armenians'' which was scheduled to be held at Istanbul's Bogazici University today (Wednesday). Cicek said, ''this is nothing but stabbing the Turks in the back.'' After Cicek's reaction, the university made an announcement and said, ''we have decided to delay the meeting under these circumstances, taking into consideration its possible impacts.''
VATAN (INDEPENDENT)
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HUNTINGTON: NO CHANCE FOR TURKEY TO JOIN EU
American political scientist Samuel Huntington who is currently in Istanbul told the paper that the intercultural conflict still continued in the world. Referring to Turkey's EU bid, Huntington said that he considered the possibility of Turkey's joining the EU as almost zero. ''Europe is very different from Turkey culturally. Turkey is at the door of EU and knocks and knocks on the door, but there is no voice behind it. United States supports Turkey's EU membership and it does this deliberately in order to weaken the EU,'' he commented.
GREECE WINS EUROVISION BECAUSE OF TURKISH CULTURE
Spanish press made an interesting comment on this year's Eurovision Song Contest won by Greece. Spanish press commented that the Eurovision Song Contest held in Kiev, Ukraine was just like an ''Ottoman song contest''. Spanish press asserted that the song contest turned into an Ottoman cultural show, adding that ''Greece won the contest only because of Turkish culture.''
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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''TURKEY NOT WANTED''
American historian Huntington, the author of the book ''Clash of Civilizations'', claimed that Turkey could not become a member of the European Union (EU), and he argued that what should be done was to ''review'' six principles set by Ataturk and choose becoming the leader of the Islam world. ''The Europeans don't want Turkey, and they will do everything they can (to prevent Turkey's membership). Turkey's membership will cause divisions in Europe.''
BURDEN ON STRAITS TO REDUCE
The Baku-Ceyhan pipeline will be opened today. Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who went to Azerbaijan to attend the ceremony, said that the number of tankers threatening Turkish Straits will drop after this pipeline started operating.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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NEGOTIATOR SURPRISE
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that State Minister Ali Babacan was assigned as the chief negotiator for Turkey's entry talks with the European Union (EU). This decision was welcomed by EU and the business world.
ORTHODOX MEETING
Spiritual leaders of the Orthodox world met at Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Istanbul to judge Jerusalem Patriarch Irineos. During the nine-hour meeting, these spiritual leaders, who met in Istanbul to discuss the fate of Irineos who is transferring properties to the Israelis irregularly, decided not to recognize Irineos as the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Some circles reacted to this meeting, saying, ''it is a violation of the Lausanne (Treaty).''
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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FIRST OIL PUMPING FROM BAKU-CEYHAN TODAY
The first oil pumping from Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline will be celebrated in a ceremony to be held today in Baku. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Georgian President Mihail Saakasvili and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev will attend the opening of the pipeline which will carry Caspian oil to world markets via Turkey.
CHIRAC: REALIZATION OF TURKS' EU BID TO LAST LONG
French President Jacques Chirac claimed in a letter he sent to an Armenian organization that ''realization of Turkey's EU bid would last longer when EU Constitution is adopted. The EU Constitution will urge EU countries to be tolerant, fair and show respect to minorities.'' He defended the view that Turkey's EU path would last longer with the EU Constitution.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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CHIEF NEGOTIATOR BABACAN, BUSINESS WORLD & EU PLEASED
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkish State Minister Ali Babacan would head the delegation that will carry out membership negotiations with the European Union (EU). This assignment was welcomed by the business world, markets and some non-governmental organizations.
EUROPE'S CHAMPION TO COME OUT IN ISTANBUL GAME
Today, the 50th cup of the Champions League will go to either Liverpool of Britain or AC Milan of Italy. Liverpool and AC Milan teams will take on each other in Istanbul.
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
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YOUNG WARRIOR AT EU TABLE
Announcing that State Minister Ali Babacan was assigned as the chief negotiator for entry talks with the European Union (EU), Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, ''I believe he will succeed in this post, thanks to his dynamism.''
YILDIRIM (QUICK) SOLUTION TO ONUR AIR BAN
The ban in the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland on Onur Air flights has been lifted. After meeting his German and Dutch counterparts, Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim announced that the ban on Onur Air flights was lifted last night (Tuesday night).