ECEVIT TO PRESENT HISTORIC KORAN TO BUSH
During his visit to the United States due to begin in four days, Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit is planning to present a facsimile edition of a historic Koran to US President Bush, reputedly the largest Koran the Islamic world has ever produced. The original masterwork Koran from which the copy was made, which is still on display at Istanbul's Topkapi palace, was over 50 years in the making. /Sabah/
261 TURKISH SOLDIERS TO BE SENT TO AFGHANISTAN
The Turkish General Staff announced yesterday that the number of Turkish soldiers to be sent to Afghanistan to participate in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) would be 261. This number may reportedly be increased in the future. The troops will be led by a colonel, but their departure date has yet to be determined. /Turkiye/
COALITION LEADERS REACH COMPROMISE ON BANKS' BILL
Coalition leaders met yesterday to discuss a controversial bill concerning banks. Present at the meeting were Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, deputy prime ministers Devlet Bahceli, Mesut Yýlmaz and Husamettin Ozkan, as well as State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis. Following the meeting, Ecevit told reporters that the meeting had reached a full compromise on the bill. Recalling that the bill is to be debated in Parliament today, Ecevit said, "The aim of the new bill is to increase the bank's support for production and investment. The state will contribute to these banks in line with their increases in capital and investments. We will also keep a tight leash on banks' loan transactions." Ecevit added that Ziraat and Halk Banks would have additional loan resources to give small and medium sized enterprises (KOBIs), tradesmen, handicraftsmen and farmers. /Turkiye/
BAHCELI: "AN INDEPENDENT PRESS SAFEGUARDS DEMOCRACY"
Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday said that the existence of a free and independent press was the safeguard of a healthy democracy. In a message to mark the Working Journalists' Day, Bahceli pointed to several great and significant milestones in the Turkish press in recent years. Stressing that journalists had a number of problems which need urgent solutions, Bahceli said, "In particular, Turkey's recent economic crisis has resulted in unemployment among press workers on serious scale. Their situation has ushered in an era in which workers' rights, as well as their institutional rights and freedom, came to the forefront of public attention." He added, "Amendments to the law and more sensitive stance from employers will help workers to get back on their feet and regain their rights." /Turkiye/
TURK REJECTS "THREE DOORS, THREE LOCKS" PROPOSAL
Turkish Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk yesterday rejected the "Three Doors, Three Locks" proposal which had been prepared by the Ankara, Antalya, Istanbul and Izmir bar associations with the aim of ending ongoing hunger strikes in F-type prisons. Turk remarked that current judicial regulations on F-type prisons would not allow the proposal to be implemented. In a press conference at the Justice Ministry, Turk evaluated the ongoing hunger strikes and current conditions in F-type prisons. The "Three Doors, Three Locks" proposal suggests that convicts and inmates in F-type prisons be allowed to gather together in corridors in groups of nine through unlocking the doors of three rooms at the same time. Appraising the proposal in terms of its judicial and practical applicability, Turk stated that corridors could not be considered suitable meeting spaces. "Both current judicial regulations and the physical conditions of the prisons do not allow such a proposal to be implemented," said Turk. "We rather think that the convicts and inmates who already participate in social activities supervised by the prison administration might gather together for five hours a week in groups not to exceed 10 people." /Cumhuriyet/
GUREL: "IF GREEK CYPRIOTS JOIN THE EU, CYPRUS PROBLEM WOULD ESCALATE"
In a press conference yesterday, State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel criticized EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen for his recent statement that the Greek Cypriot might join the EU, saying pointedly that the admittance of Greek Cypriots into the Union would only escalate the Cyprus problem. "To date the EU has taken a number of bad missteps concerning Cyprus," said Gurel. "If the EU doesn't correct its policy, if it admits the Greek Cypriots, then it will effectively divide Cyprus into two." /Cumhuriyet/
TURKEY LOOKS TO PROTEST SAUDI CASTLE DEMOLITION
Turkey is seeking ways to protest Saudi Arabia's decision last week to demolish the 220-year-old al-Ajyad fortress to make way for a $533 million project to house pilgrims to Mecca. Democratic Left Party (DSP) Deputy Ertugrul Kumcuoglu has presented a proposal to the Chairmanship of Parliament calling for a boycott on travel to Saudi Arabia. The proposal suggests the cancellation of pilgrimage visits to Saudi Arabia this year. The Parliament denounced Saudi Arabia's demolition of the historic Ottoman castle in its Plenary Session yesterday. Acting Turkish Parliament Speaker Murat Sokmenoglu said: "One Muslim country's destruction of another Muslim country's historic heritage constitutes sinful behavior which is in breach of Islam's moral values and religious brotherhood." The Saudi government has rejected Turkish protests over the demolition of the castle in the city of Mecca. A high-level Saudi Foreign Ministry official was quoted by the daily Okaz as saying that Saudi Arabia was exercising its sovereignty, and that no one had the right to interfere in what comes under the state's authority. /Cumhuriyet/
INDUSTRIAL ZONE BILL PASSES PARLIAMENT
The Industrial Zone Bill passed in Parliament yesterday. The bill aims to establish industrial zones to encourage investments, to direct the investments of Turkish workers working abroad to Turkey, and to increase the influx of foreign capital. It also proposes that official paperwork needed to make investment be completed in three months at the latest, as well as establishing an "Industrial Regions Coordination Board" headed by the Prime Ministry Undersecretary. /Turkiye/
TURKEY MOVES ON CHECHEN EXTRADITION
Russia's Kremlin announced yesterday that Turkey had officially requested the extradition file on Chechen terrorist leader Mevladi Udugov be forwarded. The Kremlin press liaison stated that Ankara had asked that "the file be sent so the request concerning the arrest and extradition of Russian citizen Udugov can be evaluated," adding that Moscow welcomed this positive development. Kremlin spokesman Sergey Yastrjembski called Turkey Russia's "neighbor and partner" and remarked that it was very pleased by Ankara's stance in the fight against international terrorism. Another Russian official who preferred to remain anonymous said that a request for Udugov's extradition was made over a year ago, but that Moscow had yet to receive a reply from Turkey. Charges of conducting armed rebellion against the Russian state were filed two years ago against Udugov, who reputedly coordinates propaganda for the Chechen separatists. /Milliyet/
ENGINEERING DEANS COUNCIL TO MEET IN ADANA
The Engineering Deans Council, a group made up of the deans of engineering and architecture faculties in Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), will hold its third meeting at Adana's Cukurova University on Jan. 11-12. The Engineering Deans Council was developed as a civil initiative to exchange information on the problems of the engineering education, and it carries out its work independently. The council's meeting in Adana will last for two days. /Hurriyet/
INDEPENDENT DEPUTY JOINS DYP
Independent Deputy from Balikesir Agah Oktay Guner joined the True Path Party (DYP) yesterday. With his membership, the number of DYP deputies in Parliament rose to 85, while that of independents fell to 16. /Turkiye/
ATATURK AIRPORT FOREIGN TERMINAL TURNS TWO
Ataturk Airport's Foreign Lines Terminal, which was built by the Tepe Akven Vie (TAV) Consortium and opened to service on Jan. 10 1999, turns two years old today. Since opening, some 18.4 million passengers have used the foreign lines terminal. TAV Consortium Executive Board Member Sani Sener said yesterday that by using Ataturk Airport, passengers were transforming Istanbul into a hub, which connects Europe to the Middle East. Saying that visitors had kept on visiting Turkey even in the wake of last September's terrorist attacks, Sener added, "This year will be even more positive for our country." /Milliyet/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION