ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on September 4, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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OZKAN WRITES A LETTER ON DISCRETIONARY FUND TO ECEVIT
A war about discretionary fund erupted between supporters of Rahsan Ecevit, the wife of Prime Minister and Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit, and Husamettin Ozkan, who resigned from DSP. The terrifying war erupted as claims that former Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan made irregularity in discretionary fund, was leaked out to a newspaper. Upon this claim, Ozkan started a counter-attack. In the letter he wrote to Ecevit yesterday, Ozkan said, ''please, give me permission and I will unveil all discretionary fund documents belonging to my term in office for 42 months.'' Thus, it was revealed that Ozkan hid all the documents. Furthermore, Ozkan hid these documents, which have to be destroyed after they are controlled by the Finance Ministry. It was also revealed that Ozkan hid them after they were signed by the Finance Minister. The possibility of unveiling of the mentioned documents caused trouble for the supporters of Ecevit. Then, supporters of Rahsan Ecevit changed their tactics. A minister from DSP said, ''2.7 trillion Turkish liras (TL) was wanted to be withdrawn from the discretionary fund 48 hours before Ozkan resigned. However, the Prime Minister did not approve the payment.''
ALSO, WE HOPE FOR A VICTORY TODAY
Our national basketball team beat Angola in the World Basketball Championship and inspired our hopes again. The basketball players defeated Angola 86-66 in their second match in Group E in the second round. If our players defeat Yugoslavia today, they will qualify to quarterfinal.
HERE IS THE FIRST ALLIANCE
An agreement was reached on forming an alliance among People's Democracy Party (HADEP), Freedom and Solidarity Party (ODP), Socialist People's Party (SHP) and Work Party (EMEP) under the umbrella of HADEP. The claims that HADEP would form an electoral alliance with the Motherland Party (ANAP) and Felicity Party (SP) were thus out of the agenda. Meanwhile, New Turkey Party (YTP) Secretary General Istemihan Talay said that they would announce the details of the alliance that would be formed with Democrat Turkey Party (DTP) under the leadership of Mehmet Ali Bayar on Friday.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TO DEBATE CLOSURE CASE AGAINST HADEP
The Constitutional Court stated that it would take a decision about the closure case against the People's Democracy Party (HADEP) before the general elections to be held on November 3, 2002. This statement caused concerns among members of the HADEP. Yusuf Alatas, the lawyer of the HADEP, met with Constitutional Court Chief Judge Mustafa Bumin. During the meeting, Bumin said that a report about the closure case against the HADEP would be completed and sent to the members of the court in the coming days.
RESIGNATIONS FROM ANAP AND YTP
Burhan Isen, a deputy of the Motherland Party (ANAP), and Mustafa Kemal Tugmaner, a deputy of the New Turkey Party (YTP), resigned from their parties. Following the resignations of Isen and Tugmaner, number of ANAP deputies decreased to 69 and number of YTP deputies reduced to 61.
EXPORTS FROM AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR INCREASE TO USD 3 BILLION
Automotive exports increased 10.7 percent to 2 billion 829 million U.S. dollars in January-August 2002. In the same period last year, the sector exported 2 billion 553 thousand U.S. dollars. Uludag Exporter Associations (UIB) said that by-industry export increased 6.7 percent to 1 billion 205 million 31 thousand U.S. dollars in the first eight months of 2002. Meanwhile, automotive export increased 8.2 percent to 299 million 202 thousand U.S. dollars in August 2002. The sector exported its products to 12 free zones, 166 countries and autonomous regions in January-August 2002.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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FAMILIES OF SEPTEMBER 11 VICTIMS TO COME TO TURKEY
Speaking at a seminar organized in cooperation between the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) and the Istanbul World Trade Center on ''Tourism: a Bridge between Trade and Culture'', Tourism Minister Mustafa Tasar said that 50 families who lost their beloved ones in the terrorist attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center Complex in New York on September 11, 2001, would be hosted in Turkey. Tasar said that during his visit to the United States, he met with the mayor of New York, and informed his on his plan to invite American families to Turkey.
PRESIDENT SEZER MEETS WITH ANNAN
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer who is currently in South African capital Johannesburg to attend the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), met with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. The meeting focused on the issues of a possible military operation against Iraq and the Cyprus question. Meanwhile, President Sezer will receive U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell later today.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT: ''THERE ARE NO MORE OBSTACLES BEFORE EU''
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit stated that all conditions for European Union (EU) membership were fulfilled and said, ''we have even made legal arrangements beyond EU standards. To this end, it is time that EU opens its doors to our full membership. Nobody should have doubts about this issue. EU's doors will be fully open to Turkey from now on.''
WARN ABOUT DETERIORATION OF RELATIONS
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sukru Sina Gurel held separate meetings with European United Left President Francis Wurtz and Greens Group President Daniel Cohn Bendit. The European United Left said that they supported Turkey's European Union (EU) membership in principle. Gurel said that unless a date was not set for opening of Turkey's EU membership negotiations in Copenhagen, Turkey-EU relations would be negatively affected.
SEZER SAYS GREEK CYPRIOTS TRYING TO DELAY PROCESS
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who met with United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan in Johannesburg, said that the Greek Cypriot administration did not make a sufficient opening about Cyprus question. Sezer also noted that the Greek Cypriot administration was the side which tried to delay the process to find solution to Cyprus question by being affected by statements that the European Union (EU) would give a positive response to their full membership application by the end of the year. Annan stressed that they would accelerate talks in Paris. Sezer said that it would be more useful to focus on implementation of U.N. Security council resolutions in Iraq instead of a probable operation on this country.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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MERAL AND GUNDAY TO JOIN CHP
Confederation of Tradesmen and Artisans Unions (TESK) Chairman Dervis Gunday and Confederation of Turkish Labour Unions (Turk-Is) Chairman Bayram Meral will join Republican People's Party (CHP) today to run their candidacy for deputyship. Meral decided to join CHP to become a candidate deputy. Gunday also responded positively to candidacy proposal of CHP. Besides Gunday and Meral, theatre player Sahnaz Cakiralp will also join CHP. CHP also wants to transfer Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO) Chairman Zafer Caglayan and former minister Yalim Erez.
CIRCULAR FOR ADJUSTMENT
The commission of ministers charged to implement European Union (EU) adjustment laws decided to issue a Prime Minister circular for a schedule. Views of the General Staff is waited for broadcasting in Kurdish.
LOWEST INFLATION The wholesale prices increased 2.1 percent while the rise in consumer prices was 2.2 percent in August. The annual inflation rate is around 41.3 percent in consumer prices index (CPI) and 43.9 percent in wholesale prices index (WPI). These are the lowest rates marked in the last 17 months.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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ECEVIT CALLS ON EU TO OPEN DOORS FOR TURKEY
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that Turkey had fulfilled all necessary criteria by approving the European Union (EU) adjustment laws, and added, ''now, the EU should open the doors for Turkey.'' Meanwhile, EU adjustment laws which have been put into practice in Turkey was brought onto agenda during yesterday's meeting of European Parliament (EP) Budget Commission. EP's Turkey rapporteur Alain Lamassoure referred to the EU adjustment laws approved by Turkish parliament, and requested the EP to make supplementary aid to Ankara within the framework of the EU's budget for the year 2003. Lamassoure submitted a motion to provide Turkey with a supplementary source of 33 million euros in 2003. The Budget Commission will debate the motion on September 9.
FIVE MORE BODIES PULLED OUT FROM KARAKAYA DAM LAKE
Five more bodies were pulled out from the ferryboat which capsized in Karakaya Dam Lake last week. Number of bodies recovered from the lake rose to 11. Efforts have still been under way to find two other missing people. The ferryboat carrying passengers and vehicles from Erzincan to Malatya capsized on August 29. During the search and rescue efforts, thirty-two people were rescued.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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ECEVIT: ''STATE WILL BECOME MORE TRANSPARENT THANKS TO TECHNOLOGY'' CeBIT Informatics Eurasia, the biggest information and informatics technologies fair, was opened in Istanbul for the 11th time. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, who inaugurated the fair, said that the state would have a more transparent structure thanks to technology.
TASAR: ''VISA FOR MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES IS WRONG''
Tourism Minister Mustafa Tasar said that it was wrong to ask for visa for Middle Eastern countries as of September 1, 2002. Tasar said, ''this will be a wrong decision for Turkish tourism. We have to attract people of geographically close countries to Turkey.''