These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on January 31, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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MINES TO BE SWEEPED OFF BETWEEN TURKEY AND BULGARIA
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit went to Bulgaria yesterday for an official visit. He signed an agreement with Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the former Bulgarian king to destroy land mines. Calling on Turkish businessmen to invest in Turkey, the Bulgarian Prime Minister said his country had its doors wide open for the Turkish capital and he assured that the Bulgarian government would do its best to help Turkish businessmen who are interested in making investments in his country. The Bulgarian prime minister also thanked Ecevit for Turkey's support to Bulgaria's NATO membership.
TURKISH COMMANDER WARNS
Land Forces Commander Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, who went to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), said yesterday that the foundation of a partnership based on two states on the island was the only way of preventing a crisis. Ozkok said that Turkey would not accept unilateral membership of the Greek Cypriot side to the EU without finding a solution on the island.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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NATURAL GAS PRICES DECREASE
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Zeki Cakan said that the Turkish Pipeline Transportation Inc (Botas) decided to decrease natural gas prices as of February 1, 2002. Holding a press conference, Cakan said that Botas would decrease price of natural gas it sold to distributors (municipalities) by 6 percent and reduce price of natural gas it sold to industrial enterprises by 10 percent as of February 1.
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT STARTS TO BE GIVEN
Those persons who paid money since June 1, 2000 for 20 months to benefit from unemployment pay and those who were dismissed from the work without their own will, will start to benefit from the pay as of today. The state will pay at least 81 million and at most 163 million liras to unemployed people.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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AMERICAN JUSTICE PUTS PRESSURE ON UZANS
Uzan family was not punished in Turkey due to the ineffective and slow judiciary mechanism. However, the American justice is faster than Turkey and it started to put pressure on Uzans. Just after one day following the filing of the suit against Uzans by Motorola and Nokia GMS companies, the judge brought precautionary measures on the properties and 8 million dollars of the family in the U.S. The judge also decided to hear the first hearing on February 11. Motorola and Nokia accused the Uzans for committing many crimes such as ''draining money, laundering money, stealing, theft, trick, cheating, defrauding, criminal fraud, extortion, bribing, rackeetering, intimidation, illegally obtaining assets, conspiracy, mob activity and for having multiple illegal schemes.''
YILMAZ SAYS NO BODY HAS RIGHT TO REGARD EVERYBODY AS TRAITORS
Mesut Yýlmaz, the leader of the Motherland Party, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister told at the party group meeting yesterday that certain circles regarded everybody as potential traitors while discussing the content of the adjustment bill, adding that ''no body has the right to regard all the people living in Turkey as traitors. We must give up the state mentality which regards its citizens as enemy to itself and which regard the society as enemy to the administrators and which regard the individuals as slaves of the state institutions.''
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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INHARMONIOUS COALITION
Motherland Party (ANAP) leader and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz stating that they found the adjustment law complicated said, ''the draft doesn't reflect our view. However, it is not a competition. The problem should be solved by compromise. It should not be turned into a disagreement with National Movement Party (MHP).'' MHP insisting that, ''we don't give the approval, they shall change the draft without us in the Parliament.'' MHP deputy Sevkat Cetin blamed ANAP for doing ''vote hunting''. Justice Minister Sami Turk said that the rights and the freedom could be further enlarged.
TAYLOR SAYS PROGRAMME WILL BE FOLLOWED
U.S. Treasury Undersecretary John Taylor asked for an active working against financing for the terrorism and reminded the government that the necessary steps should be taken for the support of International Monetary Fund (IMF). Taylor said that the programme for the credit would be followed. Taylor who met with Deputy Prime Ministries, State Minister Yilmaz Karakoyunlu and Finance Minister Sumer Oral on Wednesday reviewed the works related to lifting the obstacles in front of the Privatization Law and investmens of the foreign capital.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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EU TO GIVE MONEY TO TRNC
The European Union (EU) decided to give an aid worth of 206 million Euros to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) between 2004-2006. The money will be given within the scope of EU support package to develop the economies of candidate countries. Yet there is a condition for TRNC to benefit from the money, that is; to find a political solution on the island. The reason of EU's aid to TRNC is the fact that the national income per capita in TRNC is 75 percent less than the EU.
VETOED BILL BACK TO PRESIDENT
The parliament overrode a presidential veto and approved a bill to bail out banks that is key to securing new loans from the International Monetary Fund. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer vetoed three articles of the bill last week. He cannot veto the bill a second time, although he can refer it to the Constitutional Court. The government ignored his calls for a revision, rushing the legislation through parliament in time for an IMF board meeting scheduled for Feb. 4. That is when the international lending body is due to approve a new 12 billion dollars three-year loan package to back the economic recovery program. The IMF has already committed 19 billion dollars to Turkey.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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GENERAL SAYS TSK IS READY TO DO ITS MISSION IN ISLAND
Land Forces Commander General Hilmi Ozkok said that Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) were ready to do its mission in all kinds of crisis which would occur in Cyprus. Ozkok who came to the island to inspect the Turkish Cypriot peace forces command units said that he supported the Cyprus talks started by TRNC President Denktas. He added that ''we hope these talks would be successful and yield positive result. But if the talks don't come to be succesful, crises can take place in the region. In such a case, the Turkish Armed Forces will do its mission.''
BANKING SECTOR LAW PASSES FROM PARLIAMENT
The Parliament passed the banking sector law in the same form which was partly vetoed by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. The law foreseeing re-structuring the debts to the financial sector and amendments on some laws will be sent to Presidential Palace on Thursday. President does not have the authority to veto the law again, but Sezer can open a suit of nullity to the Constitutional Court.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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TEACHER APPOINTMENTS HINDERED BY IMF
A total of 5 thousand teachers whom National Education Ministry needs cannot be appointed due to the given promises to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). National Education Minister Metin Bostancioglu had announced in November at the Parliament that they asked for an additional 5 thousand teachers from Finance Ministry and if those teachers were included in the list of the staff, the teachers would be appointed in December. Bostancioglu claimed that the ministry made all the preparations, but Finance Ministry did not provide the list of the staff for teachers. Sources say that the teacher appointments were not made due to Turkey's letter of intent which was given to IMF.