ANKARA (A.A) - 21.07.2002 - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on July 21, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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NEW FORMATION TO BECOME A POLITICAL PARTY ON MONDAY
Those who resigned from the Democratic Left Party (DSP) will form their new political party officially on Monday. They will submit their letter of foundation to the Interior Minister. The new political party's name will be ''New Turkey''.
ECEVIT'S PANIC
Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) prepared a report revealing that the Democratic Left Party's (DSP) rate of vote dropped down to 4 percent. Meanwhile, those who resigned from the DSP have accelerated their efforts to form a new political party. All these developments worried Prime Minister and DSP leader Bulent Ecevit. He has stepped back from the decision he taken with coalition partners to hold early elections on November 3, 2002.
EUROPE NOT TO ALLOW SHARIA
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Grand Chamber approved verdict of the Third Chamber which said that Turkey was rightful to close down the Welfare Party (RP) and to ban its directors from politics. The ECHR Grand Chamber will announce its verdict in September. It will stress that any organization aiming at founding a state based on Sharia religious law, could not be accepted in democracies.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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AN INTERESTING PREFERENCE
State Minister Kemal Dervis for Economy left for the United States and Switzerland on a ten-day visit. Dervis has given his proxy to a minister from the Democratic Left Party (DSP) so far. However, Dervis preferred to give his proxy to Finance Minister Sumer Oral from the Motherland Party (ANAP) this time. Oral will sign the letter of intent to be sent to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on behalf of Dervis.
DSP CALLS ON ECEVIT TO INVITE DERVIS
The Democratic Left Party (DSP) Assembly convened after a long period. During the meeting, issues such as elections and situation of State Minister Kemal Dervis for Economy were taken up. Some members of the DSP Assembly called on Prime Minister and DSP leader Bulent Ecevit to invite Dervis to join the DSP in order to gain power against those who resigned from the DSP and will form a new political party. However, Prime Minister Ecevit did not give any response to their call.
YILMAZ: ''WE SHOULD GIVE PRIORITY TO EU''
State Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz said that the adjustment laws with the European Union (EU) should be adopted before the early elections. He added that he would hold contacts with leaders of other political parties having seats in the parliament beginning on Tuesday.
BAHCELI: ''ECEVIT SHOULD KEEP HIS PROMISES''
State Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli called on Prime Minister and Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit to keep his promises. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Ecevit said that they were opposed to hold early elections on November 3, 2002.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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ECEVIT STEPS BACK
Prime Minister and Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit has stepped back from the decision he taken with coalition partners to hold early elections on November 3, 2002. He said, ''I am not satisfied with this decision. As the DSP, we prefer holding elections next year to this year. But the most appropriate thing is to hold elections on time, that is, in April of 2004. As coalition partners, we have served Turkey in a great way. We have launched important initiatives. However, we will hold early elections before putting into practice some of them appropriately. It will not be beneficial to Turkey.''
DEMIREL: ''ONLY ONE POLITICAL PARTY CAN COME TO POWER''
Former president Suleyman Demirel said, ''it will not be a surprise if only one political party comes to power in the early elections. Our people were distressed by all these political and economic crises.''
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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THERE'S NO RETURN ON CYPRUS
The 28th anniversary of the Peace Operation that was staged on July 20, 1974 was celebrated with great enthusiasm in addition to the highest-level determination messages. Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said, ''any point cannot be reached without a state'', asking all Turkish Cypriots to back their state. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit gave the message that ''the TRNC continues to exist as long as Turkey exists.'' Turkey once again stressed its determination on Cyprus issue with the highest-level messages. Messages of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Ecevit and Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel focused on the fact that solution on Cyprus can be reached on basis of equality and sovereignty. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said that Turkey's EU membership would bring a new opening also for the TRNC. Meanwhile, war planes of the Turkish Air Forces flew over the military ceremony place in Lefkosa. However, the Greek Cypriot administration defended that Turkish planes violated Cyprus airspace. Speaking at the ceremony, Foreign Minister Gurel said that any formation which might bring Turkish Cypriots back to the period before 1974 cannot be accepted. ''Dark days were left behind,'' Gurel said and noted that a partnership could be founded only on basis of equality and sovereignty but the Greek Cypriot side did not have such an approach and the attack helicopters that the Greek Cypriot administration had purchased recently proved this.
EUROPE SEEKS TURKEY'S DEFICIENCIES
Ambassador Onur Oymen stressed that all European Union (EU) members have deficiencies, noted, ''if we always take into consideration only Turkey's deficiencies and we don't see deficiencies of other countries, we can have a wrong belief that whole world is good in that field but only Turkey is worse. It is true that Turkey has deficiencies but also other countries have deficiencies.''
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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BARGAINING BETWEEN TURKEY AND UNITED STATES BEHIND SECRET DOORS
Turkey which realized that a military operation against Iraq has become inevitable, brought the issues of Cyprus and relations with the European Union (EU) onto agenda during contacts of U.S. Under Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz in Turkey. U.S. Under Secretary of State Marc Grossman conveyed Ankara's concerns to EU Commissioner Guenter Verheugen for enlargement.
28TH ANNIVERSARY OF PEACE OPERATION CELEBRATED
The 28th anniversary of Cyprus Peace Operation was celebrated throughout the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Deputy Parliament Speaker Kamer Genc, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sukru Sina Gurel, Public Works and Housing Minister Abdulkadir Akcan, State Minister Tayyibe Gulek, Presidential Secretary General Kemal Nehrozoglu and Naval Forces Commander Admiral Bulent Alpkaya were in attendance at the ceremonies to represent Turkey. During the ceremonies, TRNC officials reiterated that they wanted a solution based on equality and sovereignty.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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SERIOUS ACCUSATION: ARSONISTS
Regarding the deputies who resigned from the Democratic Left Party (DSP), the statement that was released by the DSP Party Assembly which convened under chairmanship of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, said, ''in order to topple the government down, internal and external circles tried to produce several scenarios. With an 'arsonist initiative', they wanted to destroy DSP.''
ANAP: ''ELECTIONS SHOULD NOT BE POSTPONED''
Making a statement after a Motherland Party (ANAP) Board meeting, Mesut Yilmaz said, ''we decided that it would be appropriate to hold early elections on November 3, 2002. Besides, we adopted the laws package regarding the European Union. About this issue, I will hold meetings on Tuesday with the leaders of political parties that have seats in the parliament.''
CEM'S PARTY: NEW TURKEY
The name of the political party that will be founded by the new formation led by Ismail Cem who resigned as foreign minister and DSP deputy became clear. Without using the word ''party'' in the name, Cem decided to name his party as ''New Turkey''. It was mentioned that Ismail Cem would present the petition for foundation of the new political party to the Interior Ministry tomorrow.
PEACE ON CYPRUS CELEBRATED WITH ENTHUSIASM
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said Turkish Cypriots were living their greatest day, stressing, ''if Turkish soldiers had not come here, we could not have existed today and all these territories could have been mass graves.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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ECEVIT INSISTS ON POSTPONING ELECTIONS
Although they decided to hold early elections on November 3, 2002 at this week's summit meeting, coalition partners could not reach a full consensus on date of the elections. Prime Minister and Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit said that he could not satify with holding elections on November 3 while State Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz noted that November 3 was the best date to hold early elections.
GUREL: ''WE WILL NEVER MAKE CONCESSIONS FROM TRNC''
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sukru Sina Gurel said, ''Turkey will never allow return to the dark days before July 20, 1974 on Cyprus.'' Speaking at a ceremony in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to mark the July 20 Peace and Freedom Day, Gurel emphasized, ''those who expect Turkey to make concessions from its rights and interests in the region and on Cyprus, are making a serious mistake. It is neither Turkey nor the TRNC that obstructs the solution process. The relevant sides should assess well the real goal of the Greek Cypriot side and their armament.''