Press Scan

ANKARA (A.A) - 03.08.2002 - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on August 3, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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PARLIAMENT TAKES A HISTORICAL DECISION
Turkey has taken a giant step on the path leading to the European Union (EU) full membership. Except for the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), all political parties have cast their votes in favor of the EU adjustment bill. Turkey has lifted the outdated capital punishment, and paved way for broadcasting and education in mother tongue.

DERVIS: ''I DO NOT HAVE ANY DIFFERENCE OF OPINION WITH CEM''
State Minister Kemal Dervis for Economy said, ''there is not any difference of opinion between New Turkey Party (YTP) leader Ismail Cem and me. On the contrary, we have been carrying out some joint works.'' Cem paid a visit to Dervis. Following the two-hour meeting, Dervis and Cem responded questions of journalists. ''Of course, our joint works have been continuing. There is not any change. However, my duties in the government have also been continuing. My position has some requirements. There is not any difference of opinion between Cem and me. We both aim at providing a modern and reformist atmosphere in Turkey,'' Dervis told reporters.

TWO TERRORISTS KILLED
Clash erupted between security forces a group of terrorists in rural area in southeastern province of Diyarbakir. Two terrorists were killed in the clash. Meanwhile, two security officials were martyred and four others were injured in the operation. Operations have been continuing in the region to capture terrorists who managed to flee from security forces. Meanwhile, two terrorists surrendered to security forces in eastern provinces of Hakkari and Van.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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EUROPE, WE ARE COMING
Capital punishment was lifted. Broadcasting and education in Kurdish were allowed. Opposition of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) failed. Turkey has taken an important step on the path of the European Union (EU) full membership.

TREASURY AUCTIONS 383-DAY DEBENTURE BONDS DENOMINATED IN U.S. DOLLAR
Treasury auctioned 383-day debenture bonds denominated in U.S. dollar. The net sale in the auction became 799.4 million U.S. dollars in return for 875 million U.S. dollars. The value date of these bonds is Friday, August 2, 2002 and maturity is August 20, 2003. Annual period interest rate of these bonds is 9,37 percent, annual simple interest rate is 9 percent and annual composite interest rate is 8.98 percent and these debenture bonds were put up for sale through the Central Bank with tapping method.

EXPORTS FROM AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR INCREASES BY 32 PERCENT
Exports from automotive sector increased 32 percent to 413 million 421 thousand U.S. dollars in July of 2002. Meanwhile, exports from the sector increased 11 percent to 2 billion 529 million U.S. dollars in the first seven months of 2002. In the same period last year, automotive sector exported goods worth of 2 billion 277 million U.S. dollars.

WOLFOWITZ DISCUSSES IRAQ WITH ECEVIT
The United States which has started a countdown to overthrow Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, has been maintaining its shuttle diplomacy with Turkey. U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz held a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. During the conversation, issues such as Northern Iraq and use of military facilities in Turkey were taken up.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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THANKS
406 courageous people at the parliament paved way for Turkey to become a full member of the European Union. Capital punishment, which was the most serious obstacle in front of Turkey's EU full membership, was lifted at a historical session at the Parliamentary General Assembly. 406 deputies attended the vote at the General Assembly. 253 of them cast their votes in favor of approval of the EU adjustment bill, while 152 of them cast their votes against it. Meanwhile, a deputy cast an abstaining vote.

DERVIS GIVES 15 DAYS TO ECEVIT
State Minister Kemal Dervis for Economy proposed Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to pioneer a broad-based political formation, and gave him a period of 15 days.

HERE IS MURDERER
Greek terrorist Sotiris Kondilis who was captured during the operations against terrorist organization November 17, confessed that he killed Turkish Embassy in Athens Undersecretary Haluk Sipahioglu in 1994. Now, Greek police has been searching for the murderer of Turkish diplomat Cetin Gorgu.

-TURKEY-PRESS SCAN (2)

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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BIG STEP TOWARD EU
The Parliamentary General Assembly approved the EU adjusment package's first article which foresees to lift death penalty except for the ''crimes committed in times of war and situations of imminent war''. Following the vote, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit answered questions of reporters and said, ''we were expecting this result. As the Democratic Left Party (DSP), we have been against the death penalty for long years. It was removed in many countries. And we were pleased with removal of this sentence also in Turkey.'' Noting that the issue was not related with head terrorist Abdullah Ocalan, Ecevit said, ''we captured Ocalan while DSP's minority government was in the power. I am optimistic about the EU issue. Opening of the EU's doors is important for Turkey.''

MURDER CONFESSION
Greek Security Department Spokesman Lefteris Ikonomu announced yesterday that ''Aris'' code-named November 17 terrorist Sotiris Kondilis who was captured in Greece two days ago confessed that he was involved in killing of Turkish Embassy in Athens Undersecretary O. Haluk Sipahioglu on July 4, 1994.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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PARLIAMENTARY HEALTH AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS COMMISSION APPROVES LABOUR BILL
The Parliamentary Health and Social Affairs Commission approved labour security bill which foresees amendment to Labour Law and the Trade Union Law. The bill is expected to be taken up at the Parliamentary General Assembly next week. According to the bill, employers who annul the contract of workers who work in the business place for at least six months, must have reasonable basis to do that.

TWO INDEPENDENT DEPUTIES NAMED
Prof. Dr. Aysel Celiker, the former dean of Istanbul University Faculty of Law, will be appointed as the new justice minister, and Interior Ministry Undersecretary Muzaffer Ecemis will be appointed as the new interior minister. Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk and Interior Minister Rustu Kazim Yuculen should leave their offices within five days after publication of parliament's decision to hold the early elections on November 3, 2002 in the Official Gazette.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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NOW BALL IS ON EU SIDE
The parliament lifted ''death'' penalty which is the most important article of the EU adjustment bills. Turkey fulfilled its historic responsibility yesterday and threw the ball on the EU's side. Now all eyes turned to the opening date of accession negotations that Brussels will set. Foreign ministers of EU member nations will convene in Brussels on August 30-31 and take up Turkey's situation. In the second meeting on October 16, a decision is expected to be taken on Turkey. Under the article passed by the parliament, the death penalty can only be carried out in Turkey in times of war and situations of imminent war. A total of 419 MPs joined the vote for abolition of death sentence. The article was approved by 256 votes against 162.

2 SOLDIERS DIE IN DIYARBAKIR
A sergeant major and a private died while one terrorist was killed in a clash erupted between security forces and PKK terrorists in the rural area near Hani and Lice towns of southeastern province of Diyarbakir.

MURDERER OF OUR UNDERSECRETARY CAPTURED
It was announced that the member of November 17 organization who was captured in Greece was involved in killing of Turkish Embassy in Athens Undersecretary Haluk Sipahioglu.

EU CLOCK ACROSS PARLIAMENT GATE
The ''Europe Movement 2002'' started the countdown for the European Union's Copenhagen Summit at which opening date of accession negotiations may be given to Turkey, with a clock they put across the Cankaya Gate of the Parliament. The clock which reminds MPs that only 132 days left for the Copenhagen Summit aims to draw deputies' attention to importance of ''time'' for works on the EU adjustment bills. The clock's countdown will end on December 12, 2002.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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DERVIS SAYS ''WE ARE TOGETHER'' UPON CEM'S REQUEST
State Minister Kemal Dervis said that he stood by New Turkey Party (YTP) leader Ismail Cem in political terms but at the moment, he was acting in line with principles of his post at the government. Cem visited Dervis at his house in Ankara yesterday morning. Sources said that during the meeting, Cem asked Dervis, ''where you will continue politics is now the matter of discussion. You should better make a statement.'' Following the two-hour meeting, Dervis said, ''we don't have any difference of opinion. We have joint works. And I absolutely continue together with Mr. Cem.''

DGM DOES NOT LIFT POLITICAL BAN ON ERDOGAN
The Diyarbakir State Security Court (DGM) did not lift the ban on Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan from politics. The court rejected the request for ''removal of imprisonment sentence on Erdogan under second paragraph of Article 132 of the Turkish Penal Code, from his judicial record''.