ANKARA (AA) - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on June 2nd, 2005. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
''NO'' FROM THE NETHERLANDS FOR EU CONSTITUTION
The European Union Constitution received a ''no'' vote in the Netherlands. One of the founding members of the EU, the Netherlands overwhelmingly rejected the EU Constitution. 61.6 percent of the Dutch voters voted ''no'' to the EU Constitution.
LOMBARDO: ''TURKEY IS ONE OF THE FOUR KEY COUNTRIES''
Kocbank's partner UniCredito's investment corporation 'Pioneer Investments' (PI) Vice-President Giordano Lombardo has indicated that Turkey is one of the four global countries that have a promising potential based on their population, economic balances and market conditions. ''PI's investments in Turkey will continue. With its reforms, new banking regulations and privatization, Turkey is one of the four countries that have a good potential for the future. Other countries that are similar to Turkey are China, Russia and India,'' told Lombardo.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
GARIPOGLU SENTENCED TO 27 YEARS IN PRISON
Hayyam Garipoglu, the former owner of the Sumerbank which was transferred to the Saving & Deposits Insurance Fund (SDIF), was sentenced to 27 years in prison for corruption and embezzlement.
''BLONDE BRIDE'' IN EUROPE
The Time Magazine, one of the leading weekly news magazines, distributed CDs of Turkish documentary about Turkish-Armenian relations to its 494 thousand subscribers in Europe. The documentary ''Blonde Bride'' was sponsored by the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO). The CDs are prepared in Turkish, Russian, English, German, French, Spanish and Arabic languages.
ERDOGAN TO VISIT FACTORY OF SIKORSKY
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will pay a visit to the United States from June 6th to 11th. Prime Minister Erdogan will visit the factory of Sikorsky helicopters in Connecticut.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
NEW TURKISH PENAL CODE GOES INTO EFFECT
A revamped penal code aimed at advancing Turkey's bid to join the EU went into effect despite the criticism by journalists that the legislation could restrict media freedom. The legislation was passed last year as part of Turkey's efforts to start membership talks with the EU. The code originally was scheduled to go into effect in April, but the government delayed its implementation until June because of criticism it hindered press freedom.
''WE WANT SPECIAL POLITICAL PARTNERSHIP WITH TURKEY''
Prior to his visit to Turkey in June, President Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine said that they aimed to set up a special political partnership with Turkey.
YIGIT JOINS ANAP
Selami Yigit, a deputy from eastern city of Kars, joined Motherland Party (ANAP) increasing the number of ANAP seats at the parliament to 11. Yigit resigned from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) on May 26th.
GERMAN MARSHALL FUND OPENS A BUREAU IN ANKARA
German Marshall Fund has opened a bureau in Ankara to support Turkey's participation in the European-Atlantic community more actively. Turkish National Security Council (NSC) Secretary General Yigit Alpogan said during the opening, ''Turkey does not consider the United States and the EU alternatives to each other. Relations with the United States will always be among priorities of the Turkish foreign policy. Those relations cannot be destroyed in one day.''
VATAN (INDEPENDENT)
-------------------
GERMAN SENTIMENTS ON FUTURE OF EU HURT EURO CURRENCY
After the French and Dutch people voted ''no'' to the European Union Constitution in separate referenda and hurt the Euro currency, another blow to the Euro came from Germany. Germany's Finance Minister caused the Euro to reach its lowest value since October 2004 with 1,2224 against the USD after a debate on whether the Euro would collapse began.
BIGGEST REAL ESTATE FIRM OF UNITED STATES TO ENTER TURKISH MARKET
Realty World, the most rapidly developing real estate company in the United States, will soon open 150 offices throughout Turkey. Realty World will provide mortgage investments. The firm plans to renovate old residences in Istanbul and sell them at affordable installments.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
CRISIS IN EUROPE
After the French said ''no'' to the EU Constitution, a similar outcome took place in the referendum held in the Netherlands. 61.6 percent of the Dutch voters voted ''no'' to the EU Constitution yesterday. In reference to the referenda, EU Commission Chairman Jose Manuel Barroso indicated that the results are a serious matter of concern.
NSC VIEWS FUNDAMENTALISM AND SEPARATISM AS MAIN THREATS TO TURKEY
The National Security Council has placed fundamentalism and separatism as the main threats to Turkey in its National Security Political Document. The document talks about Cyprus as the number one security topic.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
DEUTSCHE BANK PURCHASES DOGAN TV
Deutsche Bank has purchased 20 percent of the shares of Dogan TV for 150 million USD. The German bank will have one representative in the executive board of this TV channel.
FLIGHT BY ONUR AIR CANCELED
A flight by the Turkish airline Onur Air was delayed after the discovery of a gasoline leak. The flight was due to leave Eindhoven Airport in the Netherlands when the problem was discovered. Passengers were evacuated as a precaution. Onur Air resumed flying between the Netherlands and Turkey last week after lengthy negotiations over Dutch allegations of repeated safety violations. The Dutch ban was followed by similar action by German, French and Swiss authorities.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
TURKEY TO STOP CYBER GAMBLING
The Turkish parliament is getting ready to enact a draft in the coming days to close down gambling networks on the internet. The parliament has taken action after the age of cyber gambling dropped to ten.
BELGIUM TAKES A STEP BACK
Belgian Senate has taken a step back about the bill envisaging imprisonment terms from 8 days up to one year for those who reject so-called Armenian genocide. Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said that they became aware of their mistake. Sources said that Turkey's reaction seemed to have affected the decision of Belgium on this backward step.
''LET'S LIFT ISOLATION''
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz of Pakistan, who is currently paying a state visit to Turkey, said that Pakistan was ready to do everything in its power for lifting of isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Meanwhile, Aziz called on Turkish businessmen to make more investments in Pakistan.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
TORRENTIAL RAINS PARALYZE DAILY LIFE, KILLING A BOY
Torrential rains have paralyzed daily life and traffic across Turkey. Meanwhile, a five-year-old child died after being carried away by flood waters in Yakuplar village in Orhaneli town of northwestern Turkish city of Bursa.
TRNC LEADERS IN ANKARA
A Turkish Cypriot delegation led by President Mehmet Ali Talat of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will come to Ankara later today to hold talks on Turkey-TRNC relations in the new period and the Cyprus issue. President Talat, Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer and Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas are scheduled to meet Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Erdogan will inform UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on results of meetings during his visit to the United States next week.
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
-------------------------
AUTOMOBILE SECTOR SURPASSES TEXTILES
Turkish automobile sector made exports worth 1.182 million USD in May and, for the first time, surpassed exports from the textile industry. Based on the numbers in the past 12 months, textiles still lead Turkish exports.
OZINCE: ''TURKISH ACHIEVEMENTS IN ECONOMY COULD NOT HAVE BEEN IMAGINED 10 YEARS AGO''
Turkish Is Bankasi's Director General Ersin Ozince has indicated that record amount of growth and the sharp decline in inflation could not have been imagined 10 years ago in the Turkish economy. ''For many years, we had to deal with extremely high inflation rates. Nowadays, our jobs as bankers got easier,'' told Ozince.
(End)
(SOL-UK-MS)
2005-06-02