These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on March 14, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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ITALIAN TYPE DISGRACE
The Italians who could not be influential in the field attacked Galatasaray footballers. Italian police hit on Galatasaray group. Galatasaray team made everything difficult for its rival. The match ended as Galatasaray and As Roma soccer club drew 1-1. And, Italian type disgrace began. Italian police which had to end the incidents hit on Turkish footballers. The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) observer from Greece prevented the Italian police that wanted to arrest Galatasaray footballers. The disgrace led to reactions of Ankara. Foreign Ministry officials will launch an initiative in the Italian Foreign Ministry today.
GUARD DID NOT TRY TO STOP ROBBERS, MONEY WAS GONE
The third bank robbery was made in Istanbul yesterday. When the discussions on two bank robberies that happened last week were under way, another bank was robbed in Istanbul yesterday. Two robbers, wearing masks, came to Gayrettepe Akbank branch by a car driven by a third person, stole 46 billion Turkish liras (TL) and 19.5 thousand U.S. dollars and ran away. The robbers firstly took the gun of the guard as a precaution.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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''TRT-INT CAN MAKE KURDISH BROADCASTING''
True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller said, ''speaking mothertongue is the right of everybody but the education should be in Turkish.'' Ciller said, ''brodcasting in Kurdish can be made from TRT-INT television channel.'' However, Ciller warned, ''don't take any urgent steps other than this and be careful.''
IMF WANTS 60 THOUSAND MORE RETIRED WORKERS
Sources said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which asked for the retirement of 15 thousand workers till the end of January according to the letter of intent, noted that the civil servant quadre was not immediately excessive but asked for the retirement of 60 thousand workers in the public institutions. The Treasury Undersecretariat is expected to fulfil a work within a week and present it to the Higher Board of Planning.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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ONE SIGNATURE IS ENOUGH
Bank officials are guiding: If the Council of Ministers softens the decree related with bank loans, economy will revive in a week. A total of 14 billion U.S. dollars has come from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) but, there is not any economic revival. The markets are stagnant, millions of people are unemployed and the shops are empty. The reason for this problem is the difficulties that the banks face in giving loans. Banks which were hit by the crisis have limited their loan amounts not to deteriorate their balance sheets. Garanti Bankasi Director General Ergun Ozen has a formula to overcome the crisis: ''The government can soften the decree on reserves related with the loans. For example, the loan reserves can be extended to three years rathen than a year. Then, we can tell the companies facing difficulties that we have extended the repayment of their debt. Then, we can give loans to others and markets will be relieved.''
TURKISH PEPSI OF 360 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS SOLD TO U.S. PEPSI
Fruko, which is also producing Pepsi Cola in Turkey, was sold to Pepsi Bottling Group (PGB) at 100 million U.S. dollars. Melih Sipahioglu, who owned the majority of the shares of Fruko, had estimated the value of his company as 360 billion U.S. dollars before the economic crisis. PGB President Weatherup said that they bought Fruko at a reasonable price. Here are some of companies which were sold at a very cheap price to foreigners due to economic crisis: Piyale, Demirbank, Sitebank, Kent Gida, Penguen Gida, Turk Tuborg, Kerevitas, Kipa and Dardanel.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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HE IS NOW A ''FOREIGNER''
Interior Ministry realized that the decision to denaturalize prominent poet Nazim Hikmet was not implemented only 51 years later. A statement of the ministry said that Hikmet was stripped of his Turkish citizenship with a decision of the Council of Ministers in 1951. The birth record of Hikmet was erased from Kadikoy Public Registration Office on March 8, 2002.
''OUR RELATIONS WITH THE NETHERLANDS ARE GOOD''
Foreign Affairs Ministry stated that there had been ''quite good'' relations between Turkey and the Netherlands. Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesman Huseyin Dirioz held a weekly press conference. Responding a question about news stories saying that Land Forces Commander General Hilmi Ozkok's scheduled visit to the Netherlands was cancelled upon request of the Duth side, Dirioz said, ''we have quite good relations with the Netherlands. It is totaly wrong to assess such developments in a speculative way.''
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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KURDISH NEWS FROM TRT
The draft foreseeing broadcasting in Kurdish from state-run TRT channel an hour a day will be presented to the National Security Council (NSC). The coalition partners have taken a new step about brodcasting in mothertongue which is one of the most important problem among them. State Minister Yilmaz Karakoyunlu has completed at a great extent the works on a draft which covered the amendments to be made on the laws regarding Higher Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) and Turkish Television and Radio Corporation (TRT). The draft to be presented to NSC on March 29 foresees TRT's broadcasting in Kurdish for one hour a day.
TURK: ''COMPROMISE ON ADJUSTMENT IS REACHED''
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said that they reached a compromise on adjustment package. Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz, ''the package can be presented to the parliament next week.''
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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ECEVIT CALLS FOR PEACE
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit sent messages to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and called both sides to end violence and return to negotiation table. Turkey's Ambassador Ali Tuygan conveyed Ecevit's message under special envoy title.
''NO SUPPORT TO OPERATION ON IRAQ''
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, who spoke at CNN International, once more reiterated that Turkey did not support a possible operation on Iraq. Ecevit said, ''Turkey still experiences negative effects of Gulf War.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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PARLIAMENT THAT EXTENDED OHAL FOR 45TH
TIME SAYS: ''THIS EXTENTION BE THE LAST ONE''
The emergency rule (OHAL) implementation was extended for four more months in southeastern provinces of Diyarbakir, Hakkari, Sirnak and Tunceli as of March 30. The parliament adopted the Prime Ministry decree on extention of emergency rule that was being implemented since 1987. Democratic Left Party (DSP) deputy Akif Serin hoped that the emergency rule would be lifted and this extention would be the last one.