These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on March 19, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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LAST DECISION OF JUDGEMENT: ERDOGAN CANNOT BE A DEPUTY
The Constitutional Court prepared its reasoned verdict about Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to the reasoned verdict, Erdogan cannot be elected deputy. Also, Erdogan cannot act as the leader of a political party. The Constitutional Court is expected to announce its reasoned verdict till the end of March.
CHENEY DUE IN TURKEY
U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's programme in Turkey was changed at the last moment after he had insisted on holding a meeting with General Huseyin Kivrikoglu, the Chief of General Staff. This scheduled meeting has caused a sensitiviy in relations between soldiers and civil authorities. It was decided that Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and Foreign Affairs Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal should also attend the scheduled meeting between Cheney and General Kivrikoglu.
SEZER VETOES BILL ON REAL ESTATE TAX
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer returned the bill including regulations for real estate tax to the parliament to be discussed again. President Sezer vetoed the bill because of linguistic errors spoiling the content.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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ONE THOUSAND POLICEMEN TO GUARD CHENEY
A total of 100 FBI agents and a 40-member bodyguard team have settled in the Hilton Hotel in Ankara prior to U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's arrival in Turkey. Meanwhile, one thousand Turkish policemen were appointed to guard Dick Cheney.
IRAN EXTENDS GREATEST SUPPORT TO PKK
Ercan Ay, a terrorist who served as bodyguard of Abdullah Ocalan, the head of terrorist organization PKK, between 1993 and 1997, surrendered to the Patriotic Union for Iraqi Kurdistan (PUK) on February 19. In his testimony, Ay said that Ocalan had been holding regular contacts with Greek, German, British, Russian, Greek Cypriot, Armenian, Dutch and Belgian security and intelligence officials. Ay added that Iran was the country extending the greatest support to PKK.
PRICE OF 1 SHARE IN PUBLIC OFFERING OF PETROL OFISI SET AS 30,000 LIRAS
The price of one share in public offering of Petrol Ofisi (PO), the main oil distributor, was set as 30 thousand Turkish liras (TL). According to the statement by the Privatization Administration Board, 51,470 local investors had applied to buy PO shares. It said that 79 percent of shares had been allocated to investors in Turkey and 21 percent of shares had been allocated to investors abroad, and in this way 16.5 percent of PO shares had also been privatized through public offering. The state's share in PO decreased to 25.8 percent after the public offering which had been about 183.3 million U.S. dollars, the statement added.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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BUSH THANKS TURKISH NATION
U.S. President George W. Bush said that he was grateful to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Turkish nation for extending support to the United States in the wake of the terrorist attacks on twin towers of the World Trade Center complex in New York on September 11, 2001. U.S. President Bush sent a message to mark opening of the 21st annual conference of the American-Turkish Council (ATC). In his message, President Bush said that Turkey's cooperation in the international fight against terrorism, as the only Muslim member of NATO, reminded them the fact that Turkey had always been together with the United States for the last five decades.
DEMONSTRATION HELD AT METU TO PROTEST CHENEY'S VISIT
Students at the Middle East Technical University (METU) held an anti-war demonstration to protest U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's visit to Turkey. They set on fire a flag of the United States.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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TURKEY: LAST HOPE OF UNITED STATES
U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney who could not received the support he expected from the Gulf countries is hopeful about the United States' NATO ally Turkey. Countries in the region told Cheney that the main problem in the Middle East was not Iraq but the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. Also Ankara will give the same response to Cheney. The most important expectation of Ankara is removal of uncertainty about Iraq's future at a specific amount.
TURKEY ONLY GOES HALFWAY DOWN OF EU PATH
The government completed only half of the EU path which it in fact plans to overcome by March 19, 2002 in accordance with the National Program (NP). The government which foresees to make reform in 117 fields in the NP completed only 57 of them. The government which could not meet the EU's expectations in fields of democratization and human rights has almost fulfilled all of its commitments for formation of free market economy conditions.
TATLISES DENOUNCED
A group of people, on behalf of the Families of Martyrs and Veterans, denounced famous singer Ibrahim Tatlises to the State Security Court by allegedly accusing him of ''aiding and abetting the PKK''. They claimed that Tatlises had donated 1.5 million U.S. dollars to the terrorist organization. Meanwhile, Tatlises said, ''I am a person who respects the motherland''.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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ATC: ''IT IS TIME TO SET UP RELATION WITH TURKEY''
The 21st annual conference of the American-Turkish Council (ATC) started in Washington D.C. yesterday. During opening of the conference, State Minister Kemal Dervis for Economy was presented with an award. Dervis is expected to deliver a speech during today's session of the conference. Meanwhile, ATC Chairman Brent Scowroft said that Turkey had extended great support to the United States in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001, and stressed that it was time to strengthen economic relations with Turkey.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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BROTHER'S WARNING
President Islam Kerimov of Uzbekistan told Chief of General Staff General Huseyin Kivrikoglu, ''balances in Afghanistan are very sensitive, be very careful.'' Kerimov who received Kivrikoglu warned Turkey which is getting prepared to take over command of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. Kerimov said, ''balances are so fragile there. So you should be very careful.'' Meanwhile, Kivrikoglu who had important meetings in Uzbekistan signed a ''military assistance agreement'' worth of 1.2 million U.S. dollars. Kivrikoglu told Uzbek officials that Turkey and Uzbekistan should cooperate in every field.
CHENEY ARRIVING IN TROUBLE
U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney who will come to Ankara today was disappointed with his Middle East tour. All Arab countries, particulary Saudi Arabia told Cheney who asked for support to operation against Iraq that ''we will not allow the United States to use our territory''. It was mentioned that also Ankara would give the same response to Cheney.
SECRET WORKS OF OCALAN
Ercan Ay who was the bodyguard of terrorist PKK organization's head Abdullah Ocalan surrendered to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Ay confessed that Ocalan had been regulary in contact with the Greek, German, Russian and Armenian intelligence organizations.
MARTYR FROM KOSOVO
Commando Sergeant Metin Kirimli who was assigned at the Peacekeeping Force in Kosovo was shot in the head. He was laid to rest in a tearful funeral in his birthplace Bandirma yesterday.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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ANKARA TO ASK FOR CONCRETE GUARANTEES FROM CHENEY
U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney is coming to Turkey. Turkey will request concrete quarantees from Cheney in return for its support to an operation against Iraq. Ankara will ask Cheney to remove Turkey's concerns about economy and security in case of an intervention in Iraq. It is mentioned that Ankara which had earlier frequently stressed economic and security dimensions of a possible operation against Iraq would convey its opinions also to Cheney and ask for concrete guarantees according to the attitude of the United States. Cheney who will attend a working dinner tonight with high level Turkish officials including Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Chief of General Staff General Huseyin Kivrikoglu will have later a meeting with Kivrikoglu and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem. Cheney will also be received by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
IMF BINDS LOAN TO REMOVAL OF PERSONNEL
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Turkey's Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen who evaluated the review works stressed that two-thirds of overemployment at the public sector should be dismissed until October.
CHIEF PROSECUTOR DEMANDS INVESTIGATIONS AGAINST TWO MAYORS
Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor Sabih Kanadoglu requested the Council of State which had not allowed trial of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, former mayor of Istanbul, and Ali Mufit Gurtuna, mayor of Istanbul, to review its decision, and asked prosecutors to open investigations against Erdogan and Gurtuna on charges of ''bribery'' and ''embezzlement''.