ANKARA (A.A) - 06.07.2002 - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on July 6, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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EUROPE RESTARTS CALLING TURKEY ''SICK MAN''
A respectable British newspaper The Times recently published a story that carried the headline ''Europe's sick man Ecevit's disease starts spreading outside of Turkey.'' The newspaper said that Turkey was in the brink of another economic crisis and the Islamist fundamentalist movement was gaining power again. It said that Turkey's reforms that would make it join the EU have also come to a stopping point. The Economist wrote that Ecevit was risking Turkey's future.

DERVIS:''I'LL PLAY ACTIVE ROLE IN A POLITICAL SOLUTION''
State Minister Kemal Dervis who had a meeting with bank owners in Istanbul on Friday declared that he would play a more active role to bring a solution to political unstability. Calling on support from bank owners to bring stability to markets, Dervis said that the high foreign currency and interest rates could be brought down if banks show more interest in Treasury tenders.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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TURKEY AND JAPAN SIGN CREDIT AGREEMENT OF 100 MILLION USD
FOR FORTIFICATION OF BRIDGES AND VIADUCTS IN MARMARA REGION
The Turkish government signed Friday a credit agreement of 12 billion 22 million Japanese Yen (about 100 million USD) with Japan for the project to seismic fortification of Bogazici (Bosphorus), Fatih Sultan Mehmet and Halic (Golden Horn) bridges and viaducts on the connection roads in Turkey's Marmara region.
Treasury Deputy Undersecretary Aydin Karaoz and Japanese Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) Director Mitsuyasu Iwata signed the agreement on behalf of their governments. Housing and Public Works Minister Abdulkadir Akcan and Japanese Ambassador Shigeo Takenaka also attended the ceremony.

THE ECONOMIST:''BAHCELI IS BETTER THAN INSTABILITY''
The Economist magazine wrote that eveyone in Turkey wants Ecevit to go and even Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli would be preferred to Ecevit until the elections. In an article recently published, the magazine said ''Turkey's risks are rising every day as Ecevit insists on staying in power. Even Bahceli is better than instability.''

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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DERVIS ENTERING POLITICS
State Minister Kemal Dervis yesterday announced that he would be more active in politics and he would look for a political solution to the instability. The U.S. dollar which was 1 million 660,000 TL in the morning went down to 1 million 600,000 TL after Dervis's statement.

CIVIL WAR IN DSP
The Ecevits became worried when some groups proposed that Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan could resume Ecevit's duties. DSP Deputy Chairman and Ecevit's wife Rahsan Ecevit asked Ozkan to resign. Ozkan is expected to make a statement on Monday after meeting with Ecevit.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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DEBATE WITHIN DSP
Administrators of the Democratic Left Party (DSP) issued a statement about Husamettin Ozkan, deputy DSP leader. DSP group leader Halýcý said that certain party members including Husamettin Ozkan didn't react to the calls of certain circles for withdrawal of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. Halýcý stressed that ''no body can expect Prime Minister Ecevit to withdraw.''

KOC:EU DOES NOT HAVE ANY ALTERNATIVE
Addressing the ceremony held in Ford Otosan Kocaeli Factory upon the starting of exports of Ford Transit Connect vehicles to Europe, Koc Holding President Rahmi Koc said that ''countries which enter EU become rich, in that respect I don't see any alternative other than EU membership for Turkey.'' Ford of Europe President Leach said in his part that the economic problems in Turkey won't affect the investments.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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DERVIS'S STATEMENT AFFECTS MARKETS POSITIVELY
The markets which didn't start the day in a positive atmosphere as no concrete step was taken during the economy summit, calmed down by the contacts of State Minister Kemal Dervis. Dervis who met with the bosses and administrators of seven banks yesterday, said after the meeting that the bankers and he share the view that Turkey didn't have a problem in foreign exchange due to export and tourism incomes. The markets calmed down with the words of Dervis who said that ''the markets should do business due to general tendencies rather than short term fluctuations.''

DYP EXTENDS UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT TO EU MEMBERSHIP
True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Saglam said that his party was ready to extend support to regulations for Turkey's EU membership and calling the parliament for an extraordinary session to discuss EU membership. ''DYP will also extend support to abolishment of death penalty if it is an impedimenet in front of Turkey's EU membership,'' Saglam added.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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KOC:''EU MEANS WEALTH''
Koc Holding Chairman Rahmi Koc stated that Turkey had no other alternative than joining the EU. ''All countries recover their economies after joining the EU, their money gain value. I don't see another alternative for Turkey. A person has to accept the conditions of a club before joining that club. There are many countries in the EU and they all have to approve Turkey's membership,'' he said.

THREE POLICEMEN DIE IN OPERATION AGAINST HEZBOLLAH
Huseyin Sariagac who was involved in the assasination of Security Director Gaffar Okkan was killed in an operation in Elazig on Friday. Three policemen were also killed in the operation. Sariagac was on the list of 26 Hezbollah members which Okkan announced before he was killed.

CRIME RATE DROPS IN KABUL AFTER TURKISH SOLDIERS TAKE OVER ISAF'S
COMMAND
It was reported that crime rate in Kabul and its surrounding significantly dropped after Turkish soldiers took over the command of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Turkey took over the ISAF's command on June 20, 2002 from Britain who completed its term successfully. Turkish soldiers will now have six tough months during which they will have to deal with crimes that would be caused by refugees and drug trafficking.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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DERVIS SAYS HE WILL GO INTO POLITICS
State Minister Kemal Dervis told bankers yesterday that he will deal with politics more actively from now on, adding that the indefineteness in economy would be sorted out within 3-4 weeks. Markets calmed down with the statement of Dervis and gave positive sign to Dervis's going into politics. One U.S. dollar which was 1,63 million liras before the statement of Dervis decreased to 1,6 million liras and the interest rates decreased to 73,5 percent.