ANKARA (A.A) - 12.05.2002 - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on May 12, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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''LET'S ERECT A JOINT MONUMENT IN BORDER REGION''
Armenian Patriarch Mesrob Mutafian said, ''let's erect a joint monument in the border region between Turkey and Armenia. Both Turkish and Armenian peoples can visit this monument and lay flowers. We should set up dialogue in order to solve our problems. We should share our food and water.''
ECEVIT: ''EACH SIDES WILL WALK ON THEIR OWN PATH''
President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) paid a visit to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit at his residence. Prime Minister Ecevit released a statement following the visit. In his statement, Prime Minister Ecevit said, ''the Greek Cypriot side has not made any positive contribution to face-to-face talks process initiated by President Denktas with good will. If the Greek Cypriot side insists on maintaining its attitude, it is inevitable that the Greek Cypriots will walk on their own path and the Turkish Cypriots will walk on their own path. No one should expect the Turkish Cypriots to make concession from their freedoms and independence. Any loss of the Turkish Cypriots will mean loss of Turkey, and Turkey will act by being aware of this fact.''
PRESIDENT DENKTAS: ''YILMAZ DID NOT READ OUR DOCUMENT''
When asked by a journalist, ''State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said that number of Turkish soldiers in the TRNC will be higher than number of Turkish Cyriots 10 years later. He also said that you should be more compromising. What do you think about Yilmaz's statements?'' President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said, ''if Yilmaz had held a contact with us before making such a statement, he would have seen that his assessment was not realistic at all. Within the framework of the programme we prepared together with the Turkish government, we have been defending our case by protecting rights of Turkey. We are not opposed to the European Union. However, we expect the EU to protect its principles. These principles are right and justice. In order to protect right and justice, it is necessary to give the same opportunities to all sides in a matter to explain and to defend their view. They took many decisions without listening to our views. Their attitude has encouraged the Greek Cypriot side not to reach compromise with us. We are ready to found a new partnership as two equal sides. I suppose that Yilmaz did not read our April 29 Document. We are ready to inform him.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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''TURKEY SHOULD SOLVE PROBLEM OF KURDISH LANGUAGE''
State Minister Nejat Arseven said that obstacles in front of broadcast in mother tongue should be removed. He added, ''radio and televisions in Greece and Bulgaria broadcast in Turkish language. If Turkey wants to become a full member of the European Union, it should solve the problem of Kurdish language.''
RUSSIAN EXTREMISTS ATTACK ON A TURKISH CITIZEN
Vural Ozmen, a Turkish citizen living in Russian capital Moscow, was attacked by racists who became a serious danger and threat in Moscow. Ozmen was harshly beaten by a group of racists at Bagranitoskaya subway station. He was rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. Doctors said that Ozmen was in critical condition. Igor Borisovskiy and Dimitriy Petronko were taken into custody.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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BAHCELI: ''INCLUSION OF PKK IS NOT A KINDNESS OF EU''
State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) said at a meeting of the MHP in Istanbul, ''I especially stress that inclusion of two terrorist organizations in the EU's list is not a kindness of Europe towards Turkey. The European Union (EU) has fulfilled its responsibility towards Turkey. However, the EU should make clear its real target by including the false PKK instead of real PKK which changed its name as KADEK.''
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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FULL SUPPORT TO DENKTAS
Reacting to Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz's statement in which he said TRNC President Rauf Denktas should be more compromising, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit warned that everybody on the island would walk on his own path if Greek Cypriots would not contribute to process of talks. Ecevit said loss of Turkish Cypriots was the loss of Turkey. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said that Denktas was representing not only the TRNC but also Turkey in the talks while Denktas said that Yilmaz should have read the ''April 29'' document presented to the Greek Cypriot side.
HE INSISTS ON ELECTIONS
State Minister Kemal Dervis who had said, ''it is wrong to delay the elections'', said yesterday that the economic order had been settled and election campaigns would not affect the balances so much. Noting that the Central Bank would continue implementing monetary policy independently while it would not give advance and state banks could not be used as election campaign tools, Dervis said, ''elections cannot change this.'' He stressed that producers and businessmen should no more live being afraid of a new political incident each day.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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DERVIS: ''ELECTIONS WILL NOT AFFECT ECONOMY''
State Minister Kemal Dervis for Economy said, ''public institutions cannot be used in the elections for political purposes. Structural reforms have begun to settle in Turkey. Therefore, an election will not affect Turkish economy negatively.''
CEM: ''TURKEY HAS BEEN FULLY SUPPORTING PRESIDENT DENKTAS''
President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) received Foreign Minister Ismail Cem. Following the meeting, Cem said, ''President Denktas has been attending the negotiations to find a solution that can be accepted by the two sides. As the Turkish government and Turkey, we have been trying to support President Denktas. In fact, President Denktas represents not only the TRNC but also Turkey at the negotiations.''
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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NEW MODEL TO ISTANBUL
True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller proposed a new administrative system which is based on administration of Istanbul from Istanbul together with its residents. Explaining the ''New Administration Model to Istanbul'', Ciller said, ''we will unite the Provincial General Assembly with the Municipal Assembly under a single frame called Istanbul Assembly.'' She said, ''this assembly will have 220 members and 180 of them will be elected by people in local elections and 40 of them will be determined by professional organizations and universities. A single organization will be assigned with traffic. Istanbul Databank and e-Istanbul unit will be formed. Besides, seven new townships will be declared.''
''THE TAP HAS BEEN SHUT OFF''
State Minister Kemal Dervis said it would not be realistic to say that the economy would be destroyed if there would be general elections. He said the period of drawing money from the Central Bank and state banks to finance election campaigns had ended, stressing, ''Turkey will not suffer another February crisis.''
IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO DEMIREL
When former president Suleyman Demirel said that businessman Cavit Caglar who had been extradited by the United States had been exposed to oppression in prison and his nephew Yahya Demirel was staying in prison without grounds, the Justice Ministry said that they were treated in the way which was foreseen by the laws and regulations.
''500 DEPUTIES ARE READY TO SERVE AS THE PREMIER''
Criticizing Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's statement which said, ''there is nobody who can now serve as the Prime Minister'', Health Minister Osman Durmus said, ''we have five hundred deputies at the parliament who can now serve as the Prime Minister.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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MEDICINE INCLUDING NIMESULID TO BE RECALLED WITHIN 2-3 DAYS
Association of Turkish Pharmacists Chairman Mehmet Domac said that nearly two million boxes of medicine including Nimesulid were consumed in Turkey in one year. He said that the Health Ministry had instructed them to call back such medicine as Nimesulid was hazardous to human health.
ECONOMY IMMUNIZED ITSELF AGAINST CRISIS
State Minister Kemal Dervis responsible for Treasury said that the Turkish economy immunized itself against political and social fluctuations and crises.