ANKARA (A.A) - 22.05.2002 - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on May 22, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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OBJECTION FROM TWO LEADERS TO OCTOBER 19, 2003
Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz proposed to hold the election on October 19, 2003 at the leaders' summit held at the Baskent University Hospital, where Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit is receiving medical treatment. Thus, Yilmaz supported the view of State Minister Kemal Dervis, who said that the election date should be announced a short time ago. ANAP leader said, ''if we set a date, discussions will end and the country will be relieved.'' Ecevit and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli objected to this proposal. This was the first time that Yilmaz mentioned an election date. Bahceli said, ''the country should not be pushed into an election environment for one and a half years.'' Ecevit said, ''economy will be negatively affected.''
NO OBJECTION FROM PRESIDENTIAL PALACE TO ''TRANSPARENT TV''
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer applied to the Constitutional Court for the annulment of eight articles of the new Higher Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) Law. There is not the article which brings forth transparency to ownership of television channels among objections of Sezer.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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AMNESTY SENT BACK TO PRESIDENTIAL PALACE IN PRESENT SHAPE
The law on conditional release which was vetoed by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer was passed from the parliament in its present shape despite all the discussions. The law pays the way to freedom of Haluk Kirci and Mehmet Ali Agca. The law was adopted with 174 votes in favor to 32 against votes.
HE TELLS IMF THAT TURKEY DOES NOT WANT EARLY ELECTION
State Minister Yilmaz Karakoyunlu made a statement following his meeting with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen. Karakoyunlu said, ''I pointed out that there should not be an early election for a stable economic growth.''
ELECTION WILL NOT DOWNGRADE TURKEY'S RATING
Standard and Poor's and Moody's announced that an early election would not negatively affect Turkey's rating unless there was a deviation from the economic programme. International rating organization Standard and Poor's' Turkey analyst Ala'a al-Yousef said on Tuesday that early elections decision would not affect Turkey's rating negatively but if coalition parties focused on election campaigns by avoiding cooperation in the government, this would negatively affect Turkey's economy and rating. Moody's Turkey analyst Kristin Lindow said that holding elections on time would contribute to settlement of reforms on strong ground. Whether or not an early election would harm the economy depended on economic measures to be taken till election date, Lindow noted.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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ECEVIT: ''PROXY POSSIBILITY DID NOT EVEN COME TO THE AGENDA''
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit spoke to Sabah daily following the leaders' summit that lasted for two hours. Ecevit, who spoke to Sabah daily on the phone, expressed pleasure with the summit and said, ''the meeting was held in a positive atmosphere. The government will continue its efforts in solidarity. This issue was especially stressed.'' Ecevit noted that proxy possibility did not even come to the agenda during the meeting.
SOCIAL SECURITY DEFICIT TO EXCEED 9 TRILLION
Social security deficit of the state continues to increase. Labour and Social Security Minister Yasar Okuyan said that the social security deficit was foreseen as 7.9 quadrillion Turkish liras (TL) for 2002 but that it could exceed 9 quadrillion TL.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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NO EARLY ELECTIONS
Early elections discussions, relations with the EU and changes in taxes were discussed at the leaders' summit meeting in which Prime Minister participated as ''completely mobilized''. Leaders agreed to remove the early elections from the agenda. It was mentioned that Mesut Yilmaz had proposed October 19, 2003 as the earliest general elections date. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and Secretariat General for EU bureaucrats brought optional proposal for broadcast and education in Kurdish during the meeting. They proposed that broadcast in Kurdish could be made via a private channel under control of the Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) or through a channel of the Turkish Radio and Television (TRT). They also proposed that education in Kurdish could be made through ''courses'' that would be given at private or state schools. The Foreign Ministry requested approval of the supplementary protocol no:6 of the European Convention on Human Rights regarding the death sentence, but the issue would be discussed at next leaders' summit meeting.
EARLY ELECTIONS FRIGHTEN BUSINESS CIRCLE
The business circle clearly put forward its position towards the discussions on early elections which came onto the agenda after Prime Minister Bullet Ecevit's illness. Chairmen of associations and chambers which represent the business circle which expressed their wish for lasting stability stressed that early elections would destroy stability in the economy.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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TUSIAD: ''DIFFICULT DAYS''
Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan said that following few months would determine the future of the country. Ozilhan said, ''the administrators should act responsibly. It is not the time to talk about early election.''
PRIME MINISTER FULLY MOBILIZED
Here is the recent statement about health condition of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit: Signs of thrombophlebitis in the left leg of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit stemming from vein inflammation had regressed and that he had been fully mobilized.
''DEATH IS NOT THE ONLY REMEDY''
Bakir and Lule, who quitted death fast, said that death was not the only political alternative. There are not any people who continue death fasts to protest the F type prisons that is staged for 581 days outside the prisons. Deniz Bakir, who quitted death fast on the 123rd day, said, ''our demands are humanitarian. Officials should take action and deaths should end.'' Fikret Lule, who ended the protest on the 369th day, said, ''we will not give up standing against F type prisons. But, death is not the only means to make politics.''
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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ECEVIT DOES NOT QUIT
The message of ''there won't be early elections'' was given from the summit meeting of the coalition leaders. The meeting was held at the Baskent Hospital where Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit is staying. A statement was released after the meeting saying that Ecevit would not give anyone the power to act in his stead and that government would continue with the same determination. ''As the parties forming the government, we are not in favor of early elections,'' the statement said, removing the speculations about ''Ecevit may quit'' from the agenda. Meanwhile, Association of Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen (TUSIAD) Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan said, ''we are against early elections but it became an obligation for Ecevit to give someone the power to act as his proxy in order to have Turkey overcome this critical period.''
RTUK SENT TO COURT
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer sent the Law on Foundation and Broadcast of Radios and Televisions which is publicly known as the ''Law on Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK)'' to the Constitutional Court and requested annulment of some of its articles. In the document in which he explained his reasons for sending the law to the court, the President said that freedom of press would end and monopoly would be inevitable in media as a result of the RTUK Law.
PHILIPS PRESIDENT TO VISIT TURKEY
Philips World's President Gerard Kleisterlee is coming to Turkey. It was mentioned that Kleisterlee would attend a press conference which would be held on May 25 and in which outlines of cooperation among Turkish Philips, Bosch and Profilo Telra would be publicly announced.
ANOTHER PICASSO PAINTING
In an operation of Gendarme in Konya in central Anatolia, a painting was confiscated which is said to have been painted by Picasso. Six people who tried to sell this painting to undercover Gendarme officers were captured.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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GOVERNMENT CONTINUES WITH ECEVIT
At the leaders' summit meeting, early elections and proxy discussions were criticized. In the statement which was released after the meeting as a response to State Minister Kemal Dervis but without mentioning his name, it was said, ''we think it beneficial to end discussions on early elections which were started by some circles.''
TURKEY TO GET AZERBAIJANIS AND ARMENIANS TOGETHER
Turkey which wants stability in the Caucasus is going to get the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers together within framework of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation meetings. The trilateral summit meeting will be held in Istanbul on June 25 under leadership of Foreign Minister Ismail Cem.