ANKARA (A.A) - 16.06.2002 - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on June 16, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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NATIONAL EDUCATION MINISTRY LAUNCHES PRELIMINARY STUDY FOR EDUCATION IN KURDISH
National Education Ministry has launched preliminary study for the education in Kurdish language within the scope of the education in mother tongue. The ministry will ask for the opinion of National Security Council (NSC) Secretariat General by determining necessary conditions for the education in Kurdish. NSC's positive view and the decision of Council of Ministers will be sufficient for the education in Kurdish language.
HASAN SAS IS AMONG BEST 11
Reuters which is one of the biggest news agencies of the world announced the best 11 players of the World Cup. Hasan Sas who scored two goals in the first tour matches of the cup was involved in the group of the best 11 soccer players. Reuters reporters covering the World Cup in South Korea and Japan have chosen the following 11 players as their "team of the first round": Brad Friedel (United States); Cafu (Brazil), Fabio Cannavaro (Italy), Rio Ferdinand (England), Kim Tae-young (South Korea); Salif Diao (Senegal), Gerardo Torrado (Mexico), Junichi Inamoto (Japan), Hasan Sas (Turkey); Ronaldo (Brazil), Raul (Spain).
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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3,500 PEOPLE FROM SEBINKARAHISAR COMES TO ANKARA TO EXPRESS
BEST WISHES TO ECEVIT
A group of people from Sebinkarahisar visited Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and his wife and Democratic Left Party Deputy Chairwoman Rahsan Ecevit. The group convened in front of Ecevit's house in Ankara's Oran district with very interesting banners. Rahsan Ecevit said that Ecevit could not come to see them since the doctors told him not to attent the meetings for some time. She added that she hoped that he would recover soon.
TWO DIFFICULT WEEKS FOR TREASURY
Treasury which will repay 8.2 quadrillion Turkish lira (TL) in domestic debt in two weeks and 591 million U.S. dollars in foreign debt on June 20 will hold three auctions next week. It will repay 4 quadrillion TL on June 19, 4.1 quadrillion TL in domestic debt on June 26. Treasury will also repay 591 million U.S. dollars on June 20. It will auction 3-month reference bonds on Monday, June 17. It will auction 203-day and 350-day discounted treasury bonds denominated in foreign currency on Tuesday, June 18.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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ATO:''TURKEY PAID 200 BILLION USD INTEREST IN 20 YEARS''
According to Ankara Trade Chamber's (ATO) calculations, Turkey paid a total of 200 billion USD interest in 20 years. This money was enought to build 800 bridges on the straits and 9 million residences. ATO Chairman Sinan Aygun stated that Turkey had to solve its interest problem in order to recover its economy.
RAHSAN ECEVIT PROMISES TO MAKE SEBINKARAHISAR ''A CITY''
Some 4,000 people came from Sebinkarahisar, the hometown of Rahsan Ecevit, to Ankara's Oran district to express their best wishes to the Ecevits. Rahsan Ecevit who was very much moved by this gesture, promised the crowd that Sebinkarahisar, which is currently a township, will be upgraded to a city.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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FINANCIAL MARKETS WORRIED
Financial markets are nervous after the Turkish Lira lost nine percent of its value in one week and the interest rates went up. The markets were also negatively affected when banks announced their losses. Markets will be following closely the political developments and interest-foreign currency balances next week.
TURKEY SAYS ''CONDITIONAL YES'' TO IRAQ
Turkey declared that it would respect a federation that will be formed in Northern Iraq if the federation represents all Iraqi people and the political process is completed. Turkey conveyed to both Iraqi Kurdish groups and the United States that the federation should not be based on an ethnic background. Turkey also doesn't want Mosul and Kirkuk to be left to the formation in Northern Iraq.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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2,600 PRODUCTS FOUND PRODUCED WITHOUT OFFICIAL PERMISSION
AT SUPERMARKET INSPECTIN IN IZMIR
Izmir Health Directorate, Food and Environment Control Director Gurbuz Vurkir stated that they found 2,600 products sold in Izmir's supermarkets without the official permission of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Ministry. Among these products, there are famous brands such as Pinar, Calve and Ulker. These products which don't have the official permission are sold at supermarkets such as KIPA, Ozdilek and Metro. Vurkir said that this was reported to the Health Ministry.
''GET WELL SOON'' MEETIGN IN ORAN
About 2,000 people of Sebinkarahisar, the hometown of Rahsan Ecevit, came to Ankara's Oran district to say ''get well soon'' to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit who hasn't left home for 41 days. The crowd expressed their affection to the Ecevits with banners. Rahsan Ecevit addressed to the crowd from an election bus and thanked them for their gesture.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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WEEK OF DECISION
The Democratic Left Party (DSP) and the Motherland Party (ANAP) will open to signature a bill proposing to abolish death sentence. Justice and Development Party (AKP) will be the key party in Parliament about this bill. The AKP will act according to the response it will receive to ''constitutional assurance'' demand. Turkey could lift the death sentence with the support of opposition parties and independent deputies.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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BAYKAL:''ELECTIONS IS THE ONLY WAY OUT FOR POLITICS AND THE EU''
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal has claimed that only an early election could open up the political deadlock and the road that leads to Turkey's EU membership. ''If we don't have elections, we will pay a very high price in economy and foreign politics,'' Baykal said. He also said that Turkey should definitely have a new government and a new Parliament during the EU summit in December.