ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on May 28th, 2005. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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IMF: ''TURKEY'S RAPID RECOVERY FROM 2001 CRISIS WAS BOLSTERED BY STRONG FISCAL CONSOLIDATION''
International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said, ''Turkey's rapid and powerful recovery from an economic crisis in 2001 has been bolstered by strong fiscal consolidation and a rigorous monetary policy.''
Finance and Development, a quarterly magazine of IMF, stated, ''however, the large government debt and a widening current account deficit are sources of vulnerability, while reducing unemployment remains a key policy challenge.'' It indicated that fiscal discipline has reduced government debt to more manageable levels, noting that reduced risk premia have lowered interest rates and helped stabilize the foreign exchange rate.
NORWEGIAN AMBASSADOR VISITS TRNC EMBASSY IN ANKARA
Norwegian Ambassador to Turkey Hans Wilhelm Longva met Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Ambassador to Turkey Tamer Gazioglu at the TRNC Embassy in Ankara, paying the first ever visit by an European country to the TRNC Embassy. During the meeting, Longva said that they supported European Commission's proposals to end isolation of TRNC, and therefore he was visiting the embassy. ''I am paying this visit despite international isolation,'' Longva noted.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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TWO SOLDIERS DIE IN LICE
Two Turkish soldiers and a civilian were killed after a tractor struck a land-mine in Lice town of southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir. The tractor was on its way back from delivering supplies to a military communications center in the region. The mine was planted by the terrorist organization PKK. The driver of the tractor and two soldiers were killed.
NICE GESTURE
Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, who is currently paying a state visit to the United States, met National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley at the White House. U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney also attended the meeting as a nice gesture. Cheney said that the United States would do everything in its power to preserve its sound relations with Turkey.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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ERDOGAN: ''POSTPONEMENT OF CONFERENCE IS MEANINGLESS''
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan completed his visit to Kazakhstan and returned to Turkey. Replying to a question on postponement of the conference on ''Ottoman Armenians in the Era of Collapse of the Empire: Scientific Responsibility and Democracy Problems'' to be held by Istanbul's Bogazici University, Erdogan said that postponement of conference was meaningless. ''The statements of both Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and Justice Minister Cemil Cicek were their individual statements,'' he noted.
MUTLU: ''I DON'T BETRAY MY COUNTRY''
Turkey's Olympic weightlifting champion Halil Mutlu said, ''I don't betray my country.'' Mutlu stated, ''I have never used doping in my life, even at the hardest times.'' Mutlu, who has won three Olympic gold medals for Turkey, has been accused of doping after 'nandrolone' - an anabolic steroid - was detected in his urine after the European weightlifting championships in the Bulgarian capital Sofia last month.
VATAN (INDEPENDENT)
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PM ERDOGAN SAYS CONFERENCE ABOUT ARMENIAN CLAIMS SHOULD NOT BE CANCELLED
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan returned from Kazakhstan to Turkey. Speaking at the airport, Erdogan said that his visit to Kazakhstan was very fruitful. ''We took up military, political, economic, commercial relations with Kazakh officials,'' Erdogan said. Upon a question about the postponement of the conference to be held at Bogazici University about Armenian claims, Erdogan said that ''the statements of both Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and Justice Minister Cemil Cicek were their individual statements.''
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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ACCUSATION AGAINST CICEK
A total of 160 academicians from leading Turkish universities condemned the Higher Education Board (YOK) for postponing the conference on ''Ottoman Armenians in the Era of Collapse of the Empire: Scientific Responsibility and Democracy Problems'' which was scheduled to take place at Istanbul's Bogazici University on Wednesday. Meanwhile, lawyer Mustafa Rollas claimed that organizers and participants of the conference were threatened by Justice Minister Cemil Cicek. Rollas added that he would denounce Cicek to the Chief Prosecutor's Office on behalf of the Contemporary Jurists' Association.
NO NEW LETTER
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan does not plan to send a new letter of President Robert Kocharian of Armenia. Ankara will wait till a solution is found to the Upper Karabakh dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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BAYKAL: ''AK PARTY REVEALS ITS SECRET AGENDA''
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has revealed their secret agenda. Baykal noted that its secret agenda was to make religion effective on education, law and administration.
BABACAN WORKS ON MEMBERS OF DELEGATION
State Minister Ali Babacan who was assigned as chief negotiator for Turkey's entry talks with the European Union (EU) began to work on who will be the members of the delegation. A four-person delegation will assist Babacan during entry talks with the EU. These members will be selected from State Planning Organization, Turkey's Secretariat General for EU, Foreign Ministry and Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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CONSTRUCTION OF BOLU MOUNTAIN TUNNEL TO BE COMPLETED IN AUGUST
Construction of the highway between Istanbul and Ankara of Bolu Mountain Tunnel will be completed in August. The trip from Ankara to Istanbul will last for 3.5 hours by car passing through this tunnel.
GULER: ''CEYHAN WILL BE OIL CENTER''
Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler who appeared on a TV program on private TGRT said that Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline project would make Turkey a key country. ''Ceyhan will be the center of oil.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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TURKISH CYPRIOTS TO APPLY TO ECHR
Turkish Cypriot people are getting ready to apply to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) for missing persons. President Mehmet Ali Talat of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said that more than 500 Turkish Cypriot people had been missing. He said that they would apply to the ECHR to protect their rights.
FOUR PEOPLE DIES IN LAND-MINE EXPLOSION
Two Turkish soldiers and two civilians were killed after a tractor struck a land-mine in southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir. The explosion occurred near Kayacik village in Lice town. The tractor was on its way back from delivering supplies to a military communications center in the region.
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
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WILSON EXPECTED TO REPLACE EDELMAN
Ross Wilson, former Ambassador of the United States to Azerbaijan, is expected to replace Eric Edelman. Approval of the U.S. Senate is required for the appointment of Wilson. Wilson, 50, is a professional diplomat of many years experience in the Foreign Service of the United States. Most recently prior to becoming Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Wilson was Principal Deputy to the Ambassador at Large for the New Independent States of the Department of State.