These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on January 13, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
FORMER ECONOMY MINISTER OF ARGENTINA SAYS TURKEY IS GOING WELL
Former Argentinian Economy Minister Cavallo, who lost his claim in Argentina, spoke for the first time and sent messages to State Minister Kemal Dervis. Cavallo said that they were together in Ottawa with Dervis in November and while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) patted Dervis, it closed the doors to him. Cavollo noted that then, a serious devaluation and painful realities. Cavallo stated that Dervis was managing Turkey's economy well and knew what to do. Dervis was fulfilling the demands of IMF, Cavallo pointed out and said that Turkey seemed to provide full international support. Cavallo noted that Turkey had also change its banking system like Argentina and take under control inflation. It should overcome stagnation and change taxation system, Cavallo said and added, ''otherwise, you will face the situation we are facing today.''
BLACK VOICE TO BE NEIGHBOUR OF OCALAN IN IMRALI
Metin Kaplan, the head of Union of Islamic Community and Societies publicly known as ''Black Voice'' for whose extradition Germany had pushed the button, will be put in Imrali prison like Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the terrorist organization. This time, Black Voice will be in front of justice in the court hall previously built on the island for the trial of Ocalan.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
NATURAL GAS HAPPINESS
A new natural gas well has been found in Corlu township of northwestern Tekirdag province. We do not only buy natural gas from Russia and Iran but also Turkish Oil Corporation (TPAO) is producing natural gas in Corlu and southeastern Mardin province. Milliyet correspondents who went to Corlu for an interview witnessed a happy event. Natural gas was struck in the newly-drilled well in Guney Karacali area. A total of 700 thousand cubic metres of natural gas is produced a day in Thrace and sold to 38 giant industrial organizations in the region.
''SEZER WILL EXAMINE THE LAW FOR 15 DAYS''
State Minister Kemal Dervis said that he had got the impression that President Ahmet Necdet Sezer would examine the banking law for 15 days. The Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) announced that the banks which would be supported would firstly undergo an internal cleaning.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
TURK WHO HAS SOLVED SECRET OF BRAIN
Scientific circles call Onur Gunturkun as Turkish Hawking. He is also obliged to wheel chair like Stephen Hawking, who is famous of his theories of formation and futer of universe, and he is also a genius. Professor Gunturkun proved that two sides of the brain were working differently and won the biggest medical award in Germany. Gunturkun was awarded with Krupp Science Prize worth of 1 million German marks by proving that two sides of the brain were working differently. He is also a Nobel nominee for this discovery. Gunturkun is now searching how the front part of the brain fulfils short term memory mechanisms.
ECEVIT'S REQUEST FROM UNITED STATES: ''ERASE 5 BILLION U.S. DOLLAR MILITARY DEBT''
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit unveiled the agenda of his tour to the United States which would start on Monday to one of the leading press agencies of the world, the Associated Press (AP). Ecevit will bring into agenda the possible operation on Iraq and Turkey's military debts during his meeting with U.S. President George Bush. Ecevit said, ''formation of a kurdish state in northern Iraq could pose a threat to Turkey's unity. We definitely can't accept that. We will never allow that.'' Touching on military debts, Ecevit said, ''it would certainly be an added burden on the economy. Also, the United States knows this. We will be very pleased if our defense debts are erased or reduced. We will try to erase our military debt to the United States worth of 5 billion U.S. dollars.''
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
CYPRUS SHOULD NOT BE LIKE MIDDLE EAST
PRime Minister Bulent Ecevit is expected to state that the vicious circle could not be broken in the Middle East during his visit to the United States and note that the sides exploded in the end of extreme pressure. By basing on this, Ecevit will give the message saying, ''we have to contribute to the sides which sit at the negotiation table in Cyprus to pave the way for them to solve their problems by themselves by not intervening from outside, by not imposing them any solution plans and by leaing them alone. Let's give this chance to the sides.''
AMBASSADOR ONUR OYMEN: ''NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD BEGIN''
Onur Oymen, Turkey's Permanent Representative to NATO, said that it was a deficiency for the European Union (EU) not to begin full membership negotiations with Turkey. Oymen said, ''it will be a right thing to begin the negotiations.''
RADIKAL (LEFT)
PREPARATIONS OF ECEVIT FOR HIS VISIT TO THE U.S. COMPLETED
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's visit to the U.S. will mainly focus on economy. Two messages will be given on Cyprus and Iraq issues.
Cooperation projects will have primary importance as there is no bilataral problem between the two countries. Economy will top the agenda of the visit, however, serious messages will be given about Cyprus and Iraq.
TO DERVIS: YOU MAY GO
Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), speaking at his party group meeting, said during the leaders' summit, he responded to the threats of State Minister Kemal Dervis that he would leave.
Bahceli said nobody was indispensable, noting that, ''what is your job in the government you are complaining about? You should take a decision. You may go. You are not sine qua non.''
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
BAHCELI: EUROPE DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT TERRORISM
Devlet Bahceli, the Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said on Saturday that fight should be launched soon against terrorist organizations, which annoy Turkey for a long time, and which form a potential threat for the stability of Western Europe.
Bahceli said some EU countries still have a misleading idea that terrorism, which did not direct to itself, was not in fact terrorism.
Pointing out that the EU administrations could not put forward an effective and open fight against terrorism for years, Bahceli said it was seen that some Western European countries gave permission to activities of those organizations.
DERVIS: ARRANGEMENT WILL PROVIDE GROWTH
State Minister Kemal Dervis said that they hoped that the banking sector would be a stronger sector which could give credit to real sector and support growth.
Following his meeting with bank officials, Dervis told reporters that they informed the bank officials about the law on banking sector.
Dervis said that the law had not entered into force yet and noted that the president was examining it.
Dervis stated that the real aim of the law was to accelerate growth, facilitate investments and exportation in Turkey, and transfer credits to real sector.
The main target of a strong banking system was in fact all the above mentioned aims, Dervis said.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
BLACK WREATH LAID IN FRONT OF SAUDI ARABIAN EMBASSIES
Black wreath was left in front of Saudi Arabian Embassy in Ankara and General Consulate in Istanbul to protest demolition of the Ottoman-era al-Ajyad Fort in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
A group of 200 people laid the black wreath, opened placards and chanted slogans condemning the demolition of the al-Ajyad Fort in Mecca.
The group burnt the picture of King Fahd.
OYAKBANK AND SUMERBANK MERGED
Oyakbank and Sumerbank completed their merging.
Oyakbank General Director Mehmet Ozdeniz said that the total deposits of the bank were 2 quadrillion 570 billion Turkish liras (TL), its net profit was 167 trillion TL, its total assets were 3.1 quadrillian and its credits were 378 trillion TL as of the end of 2001.
Ozdeniz noted that the bank had 149 branches in Turkey and two branches abroad, one in Berlin and another in Bahrein.
The total number of Oyakbank branches would reach 187 in Turkey as 32 Etibank branches and 6 branches of Kentbank that Oyakbank had purchased started to operate, Ozdeniz stated.
Ozdeniz added that their first target was to rank among first five banks of Turkey.