ANKARA (A.A) - 10.05.2002 - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on May 10, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
ECEVIT:''I WON'T QUIT''
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit who continued his studies in his house following his stay at hospital due to intestinal infection, issued important statements to Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi who visited him yesterday. ''I was ill just like any ordinary person, but now I feel very healthy and I am in full charge.'' Ecevit stressed that his leaving the post was out of question, noting that ''if I quit now in a period when the economy starts to recover, everything will go bad. The coalition can't appoint another prime minister and the government will be left with no choice but to leave. It takes 3-4 months to set up a new government, and our loss in all fields particularly in economy will be too much.''
LETTER BECOMES MORE EFFECTIVE THAN STICK
The police who questioned the students who were taken into custody due to the activity they started in universities by giving petitions calling for education in Kurdish, noticed that many students were not aware of the seriousness of the issue. The terrorist organization PKK didn't reach its goal by starting this petition campaign when police sent letters of warning to parents. The letters called parents to take initiatives to save their children from PKK. Parents responded to the letters saying ''we didn't know what was going on, thank you very much for warning us.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
EUROPEAN DREAM OF GIRL WITH HEAD SCARF
Nur Betul Gem, a Imam Hatip preacher schoolgirl became the third in a short essay competition on Europe organized by Association of Turkish Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSIAD) upon European Day. Betul took her head scarf off when she came to the desk to get her award during the ceremony, and later she got it on. Betul says in her essay that ''Europe is a mysterious power which is close to Turkey. Europe is another heaven with its natural beauties, clean environment and developed industry. We must do our best for a strong Turkey in future's Europe. Do we have another chance?''
WARNING TO TWO PARTIES
Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals Sabih Kanadoglu asked the Court to give warning to Motherland Party (ANAP) and Republican Peoples Party (CHP) as the two parties didn't make the necessary amendments in their statutes about the leader's quota. If the Constitutional Court decides to warn the two parties and if the latter don't make the necessary amendment, a closure case can be opened for them. Kanadoglu had earlier warned many political parties including ANAP, AK Party and CHP to change their statutes in order to end the leader's quota right in the party by giving them a period of two months. Kanadoglu said that the party leader's using the right of quota when determining the party administration is against democracy, adding ''quota is against equality principle among party members.''
SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
LABOUR PARTY TAKES ACTION AGAINST RSF
A group of persons who are members of the Labor Party (IP) reacted to the inclusion of Chief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kývrýkoglu's picture in the map of authoritarian leaders that was put on the ground of a train station in Paris. The group painted the picture of Kývrýkoglu. On the other hand Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontieres) which put the map issued a brazen statement telling that ''the reaction of Turkey has been a good advertisement, we will clean the paint.''
IMPORTANT DECISION TAKEN ABOUT TELSIM
An important decision has been taken in the suit that was filed by Motorola and Nokia companies against Telsim, a GSM operator company that belongs to Uzanlar Holding. The American judge decided that 73,5 percent of Telsim shares have to be handed over to New York Court until May 24. The judge also prohibited the Uzanlar Holding to transfer the assets of Telsim to another company and to carry out transactions that will make 73,5 percent shares lose value.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
SEZER ASKS EU TO GIVE TURKEY CALENDAR
On May 9 European Day, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said that Turkey would abide fully by the Copenhagen criteria till the end of 2002, adding that ''we expect EU to take a final decision before the end of this year to start membership negotiations with Turkey.'' Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that Turkey has to overcome its deficiencies as soon as possible. Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yýlmaz said that there is still a resistance in Turkey to fulfil the political criteria. Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said that death penalty should be totally abolished.
16,000 PERSONNEL IN BANKS TO BE TRANSFERRED TO OTHER PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit issued a circular yesterday to stop assigning of officials to positions over people who are both older and of higher rank than them. A total of 16,000 redundant personnel working in state banks which are being reconstructed will be transferred to other public institutions according to the circular.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
YILMAZ SAYS EU MEMBERSHIP IS THE MOST IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY
State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, the leader of Motherland Party (ANAP), said that ''the European Union (EU) membership is the most important opportunity of Turkey.'' A panel discussion was held at the ANAP Headquarters in Ankara to mark May 9 Europe Day. Speaking at the panel discussion, Yilmaz said, ''Turkey has been struggling for 40 years to become a member of the EU. This struggle should not be kept separate from Turkey's 200-year efforts of westernization. The EU membership is the indispensable national policy of Turkey. We should be aware of this fact, and did not repeat the mistakes in the past.''
A DISPUTE WITH HORMONE
State Minister Mehmet Kececiler for customs became very angry with Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Husnu Yusuf Gokalp since he held responsible the customs for exportation of pepper with pesticide. Kececiler said that Agriculture and Rural Affairs Ministry has extensive authorities such as which products are exported and imported from which customs. He added that if Gokalp wants food control license, he should give a written notice and not express it through press.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
LABOUR PARTY PAINTS PHOTOGRAPH OF KIVRIKOGLU
A group of members of the Labour Party (IP) held a demonstration in Saint-Lazare Station in French capital of Paris to protest the Reporters Without Borders - Reporters Sans Frontiere (RSF). Demonstrators covered the photograph of General Staff Chief General Huseyin Kivrikoglu by painting it out. IP's Representative Ali Celik, who made a press release during the demonstration, said , ''the attitude against General Kivrikoglu could be described as acting without responsibilities rather than acting without borders, and serving French imperialism.'' He added, ''the organization has assumed an attitude defending interests of European and American imperialism rather than freedoms of journalists. There is not any name from the western world in the list of the organization.''
TUSIAD CHAIRMAN OZILHAN CRITICIZES THOSE WHO ARE OPPOSED TO EU
Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen Association (TUSIAD) Chairman Executive Board Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan criticized those who are opposed to the European Union (EU). Ozilhan said, ''the situation will be bad, if we cannot a take a negotiation date from the EU until the end of 2002.'' He stated that those who don't want to Turkey's full membership to the EU today have benefits from the current situation without any change. Ozilhan who spoke at ''Youth and Europe Day'' organized by TUSIAD on May 9 said that the EU standards and acquisitions are a road map for Turkey.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
CEM: ''TURKEY WILL MAKE CHRISTIAN EUROPE SECULAR''
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said that the European Union will have a secular identity with Turkey's membership to the union. Addressing the meeting on ''Future of EU and Turkey'' held in Marmara University by Istanbul Industry Chamber, Cem said, ''the EU could become a secular union only with Turkey's presence. Otherwise, the EU would remain as a Christian society. Only through Turkey, the EU could open up to different worlds, interact with new civilizations. The EU will gain more power and acceleration with Turkey and become a strategic actor which is not limited by only one continent.'' He said that the relations between Turkey and the EU are based on interests, adding that ''the EU wants Turkey's membership as the EU will have a great benefit from admitting Turkey to the EU.''