ANKARA (A.A) - 14.05.2002 - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on May 14, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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ANNAN DUE IN TRNC
Greeks and Greek Cypriots are very angry about the visit of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to TRNC President by passing to TRNC. Annan who will come to the island today, will proceed to the north and meet with TRNC President Rauf Denktas tomorrow. The newspapers both in the Greek Cypriot side and Greece showed great reaction to it as this will be the first time that a U.N. Secretary General will go to the office of a Turkish Cypriot leader. Greek Cypriots will protest Annan in front of Clerides's office tomorrow. In U.N. statement it was noted that Annan would visit Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas. Therefore the same title was used for both leaders.
VISIT OF ANNAN TO TRNC MEANS INDIRECT RECOGNITION OF TRNC
Greece is uneasy about the visit of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to the office of TRNC President Rauf Denktas by passing to the north of the island. Greek press stressed that this visit of Annan meant indirect recognition of TRNC, claiming that Annan comes to the island upon the wish of the American administration and this would bring pressure on the Greek Cypriot side. However Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou has assumed a different attitude than the Greek press and said that the visit of Annan to the island in a very critical period created a big opportunity in respect of solution of the problem.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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HE WILL GO AFTER RESTING
When Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit announced that he would rest at home for a few days more, his doctor Mehmet Haberal said, ''this is his decision. It is not our advice. He is fine.'' Meanwhile, it is still unclear whether or not the Prime Minister can go to Pakistan on May 23. The Foreign Ministry recommended that State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli can visit Pakistan instead of Ecevit. However, Ecevit insisted on going to Pakistan with a ''limited'' number of accompanying delegation.
NO HOOLIGAN IN TURKEY
Japan requested a report from Turkey on hooligans prior to the World Cup finals. The Interior Ministry said in its response that there is not any fan in Turkey called hooligan.
THEY GIVE UP FASTING TO DEATH
Deniz Bakir who has been fasting to death for 123 days and Fikret Lule who has been fasting to death for 369 days in a house in Gazi neighborhood in Istanbul to protest F type prisons ended their act and were taken to hospital yesterday. Bakir said that they reached their target.
BAYINDIR'S BANK IN ROMANIA CLOSED
The Romanian Central Bank announced yesterday that it ceased transactions at Bayindir Holding's bank Turkish Romanian Bank in Romania and applied to court for its bankruptcy. The bank faced difficult situation when depositors of Turkish Romanian Bank in which the Turkish Bayindir Holding has the majority of shares had started to withdraw their deposits due to the rumors that the holding had been suffering from financial problems through the end of 2000.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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ECEVIT'S DOCTOR:''IT IS ECEVIT'S PREFERENCE TO STAY AT HOME''
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that he would stay at home for another 2-3 days. Meanwhile he prepares for his visit to Afghanistan. Ecevit told reporters by a short written statement that ''my condition is getting better, I thought that this process should not be hindered. In that respect I will continue working at home for another 2-3 days.'' Upon questions of journalists, Prof. Dr. Turgut Zileli, the doctor of Prime Minister Ecevit said that ''Mr. Prime Minister can start working, but he stays at home upon his own will.'' Zileli stressed that Ecevit didn't have a serious illness, adding that his medical condition was fine. Meanwhile Ecevit got information from Foreign Policy Consultant Erdal Tumer yesterday morning on the phone about his visit to Afghanistan and Pakistan between 23-25 May.
BANKERS TALK POSITIVELY ABOUT ECONOMY
Expectations for a revival in domestic market and orders in exports increased, while the industrial production index is also increasing. The inflation target of the business world decreased to 38 percent. According to the bankers, the revival starts in economy. Garanti Bank's Director General Ergun Ozen said that he expected revival in parallel with the first economic data of the year. Ozen said that the number of files which came to the credit committees of Garanti Bank in the first two months of this year which was 426, increased to 645 in the last two months. According to a questionnaire carried out by Central Bank, there is an increase of 28 percent in the number of producers who expect an increase in orders in domestic market and an increase of 11 percent in number of businessmen who expect increase in orders in exports.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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DON'T EXPECT MIRACLES IN CYPRUS
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan will bring Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders in dinner after meeting them seperately. Annan said before his visit to the island that he would come to the island with a message of hope, but he didn't a solution plan to the island. He said that nobody should expect miracles from his visit to the island. Meanwhile EU foreign ministers reached a consensus of opinion about completing the membership negotiations with the Greek Cypriot side in June this year.
REACTION TO SWEDISH NEWSPAPER
Turkish Ambassador to Sweden Selim Kuneralp said that the Embassy reacted to the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet as it showed a part of Turkish territory as ''Kurdistan'' in the map it published. As the Tourism Ministry which asked the newspaper to correct the news which was published, could not get any response, stopped giving a tourism promotion advertisement which would be published in the newspaper on May 25 and June 8.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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TURKEY UNAWARE OF SIDE EFFECT OF MEDICINE
No doctor stated his/her opinion to the Health Ministry about the side effect of any medicine for the last five years in Turkey. According to pharmacists there is no doctor in the country who does his/her job well. Pharmacists say that ''Turkey depends on foreign countries about side effect.'' The system in Turkey about side effect was open to debate, when nine medicines were cancelled and taken out from market upon the warning coming from Finland.
TURKISH YEAR IN FINLAND
The year 2003 has been announced as Turkish Year in Japan. As Turkish soccer team also plays in the World Football Championship finals, Turkey is on the agenda in Japan. If the economy in Turkey improves, there can be positive developments in the bilateral relations.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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BEATEN CHILD TO BE TAKEN FROM FAMILY
Under a bill submitted the the Parliament Speaker's Office yesterday, the Turkish family law will be changed thoroughly. The ''Family Courts'' which will be opened in every city and town will hear the cases related to family law and the judges will be chosen from married ones having children. Children who are beaten or exposed to maltreatment will be taken from their parents and they will be given to another family or a social institution.
INTERESTING!
Japan one of the hosts of the World Cup finals applied to the Turkish authorities and asked for a detailed hooligan report. And security officials said that in Turkey, there cannot be people defined as hooligan, by ignoring the fights among the fans in which even they stab each other.
DAY OF BOMBS IN ISTANBUL
First explosion happened in a park in Gumussuyu district in Taksim. The second one happened 100 meters away from the first explosion. It was announced that they were ''resonant bombs'' while it was stated that a woman was wanted.
ANNAN TO COME TO CYPRUS TODAY
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan will come to Cyprus today for the first time since he was appointed the Secretary General and he will hold contacts. Annan will host a dinner for Rauf Denktas and Glafcos Clerides and give ''messages of peace''.
ECEVIT DELAYS
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit who was expected to come to his office and resume his works yesterday said that he was getting better so he would rest at home for 2-3 days more in order not to interrupt his convalescence.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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PREMIER TO RESTART WORKING WITH DSP GROUP MEETING
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit extended his rest at home for a few days more. According to the Democratic Left Party (DSP) backstage, the Prime Minister would leave his home on Thursday and attend DSP Parliamentary Group meeting. In his speech, Ecevit would respond to the criticisms against him, explain his health condition and evaluate the discussions on elections. He will reiterate his opinion that general elections should not be held before 2004.
MARKETS WORRIED WHEN ECEVIT'S CONVALESCENCE TAKES LONG
Markets were worried when Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit extended his rest at home for a few days more. The bond interest rates rose by 2 percent while the national-index at the stock exchange increased only 0.26 percent. Investors especially foreigners sold bonds at the bond market while they bought foreign exchange. The price of 1 U.S. dollar became 1,396 thousand Turkish liras (TL) at the interbank market and 1,390 TL at the Covered Bazaar.