ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on September 10, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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U.S. PRESIDENT BUSH CALLS SEZER
U.S. President George W. Bush who calls presidents of concerned countries to get their support to a possible Iraqi operation, also called President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday. Bush stressed in the phone talk that the U.S. was resolved to continue having consultation with Turkey about the Iraqi issue also in the coming period. Presidential Press Centre said that ''U.S. President Bush told Sezer that he would deliver a speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 12 and explain his views about Iraq, which constitutes a threat to the international society. Mr. Bush stressed that the U.S. was resolved to continue consulting with its close friend and ally Turkey as the U.S. attributes great importance to Turkey's views and assessments on this issue.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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4-STAR MESSAGE
Land Forces Commander General Aytac Yalman who went to inspect troops on the Iraqi border is expected to send messages to the U.S. administration and Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Massoud Barzani. Most probably, General Yalman will say, ''don't ignore Turkey in the region'' to the United States and ''don't forget that we rescued you from Talabani'' to Barzani. After stressing that Ankara is against a U.S. military operation against Iraq, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit also stated that ''the Turkish Armed Forces and the Foreign Ministry are ready for every possibility.'' Later, Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel gave the message, ''we are ready for every expected or unexpected development about Iraq''. And Land Forces Commander General Aytac Yalman started to inspect troops in the region including border troops for one week. While Yalman is inspecting the troops, Gurel is going to be in the United States. Gurel will hold bilateral contacts including U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on Iraq issue on basis of U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York.
DERVIS HAS SKIN CANCER
Kemal Dervis responded to rumors about him and his wife. Speaking at private news channel Haberturk, he said he is neither an American citizen nor a Mason, but he is being treated against skin cancer. Dervis said that his wife Cathy is not an FBI agent.
BUSH CALLS SEZER
U.S. President George W. Bush called President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday and exchanged views before his speech at the U.N. General Assembly about operation against Iraq. Sezer expressed his expectation of bringing political and military dimension of the strategic partnership between Turkey and the United States to the level of economy and trade dimension. And Bush stressed that they were determined to continue solidarity between the two countries without any interruption also in the coming period.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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POLITICAL SEPT. 11 FOR ANKARA
Turkey is on political alarm on the anniversary of Sept. 11 attacks. Deputies will give petition to the Parliament Speaker's Office to convene the parliament for an extraordinary meeting. These deputies want to postpone the early elections. Ankara will have a critical day today. ''Disgruntled'' deputies are concerned of not being elected to the parliament again of the possibility of their parties' not passing the ten-percent threshold in the elections. A total of 200 deputies are expected to submit their petition to parliament speaker's office.
TURKISH STYLE RESCUE!
Citizens who rushed to the traffic accident which took place on Halic Bridge to rescue the driver of the car who was trapped in the car, trampled and crushed each other. Therefore, the rescue efforts turned into a crush and chaos. None of the citizens who came to the scene to rescue the driver of the car had information about first aid. The medical team which came to the scene later saw that the driver died.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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NEW BORDER GATE TO OPEN AT SYRIAN BORDER
Turkey wants to transfer the border trade monopoly of Habur border gate to Iranian and Syrian borders and it continues efforts to broaden the Gurbulak border gate. Turkey will both by-pass Northern Iraq and reach Arab world by a shorter and more effective way by opening a border gate in Akcakale. The border gate of Habur can totally be closed if an operation against Iraq is launched. In such a case, the gates at the Syrian and Iran borders have to be effective to continue having trade even at limited degree.
TURKEY UNEASY ABOUT AGREEMENT BETWEEN PUK AND IKDP
There are certain elements in the agreement reached between Massoud Barzani, the leader of the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) and Jalal Talabani, the leader of the Patriotic Union for Kurdistan (PUK) which make Turkey uneasy. Diplomatic sources said that Turkey was not pleased with Talabani's reaching agreement with Barzani following the latter's tough statements against Turkey. Sources said that the decision to form a joint parliament has constituted the basis of formation of a possible Kurdish state in the region which is an issue of concern for Turkey for a long time. Sources stress that Turkey won't permit such a formation. Turkey is also uneasy about the fact that Barzani and Talabani didn't refer to Ankara Process to which Turkey attributed great importance while they referred to Washington agreement.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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''LEFT ALLIANCE'' IN DREAMS
The Republican People's Party (CHP) rejected New Turkey Party (YTP) leader Ismail Cem's proposal saying, ''we enter elections in 40 provinces and CHP in other 40 provinces.'' CHP leader Deniz Baykal who invited YTP and Democratic Left Party (DSP) to join his party did not even respond to Cem's proposal.
BUSH CALLS SEZER
U.S. President George W. Bush called President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on the phone yesterday and said they were pleased to see Turkey beside them. And Sezer said their attitude depended on U.N. decision. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel said that Turkey was ready for an intervention in terms of military and diplomacy.
REPORT ON HADEP
The Constitutional Court rapporteur notified his opinion about the People's Democracy Party (HADEP) case: ''HADEP should be closed as it became the center of activities against the principle of the state's indivisible integrity with its country and nation''. The Constitutional Court will take the final decision. Meanwhile, HADEP earlier agreed to enter elections under framework of the Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) against possibility of its closure.
NORTHERN IRAQ UNEASINESS
Turkey seems it was not satisfied or happy with the agreement between Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Massoud Barzani and Iraqi Patriotic Union for Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani. According to the Foreign Ministry sources, Barzani's reaching an agreement with Talabani after his statement saying ''Kakoki is a Kurdish territory and Northern Iraq would be a graveyard for Turkish soldiers in case of an intervention in the region'' created uneasiness in Ankara. Stressing that the joint parliament foreseen by this agreement sowed seeds of a possible Kurdish state, sources stressed that Turkey would not allow this. Ankara felt uneasy also when Barzani and Talabani did not refer to the Ankara Process while they were talking about the Washington agreement. Diplomatic sources said that the agreement also ignored the Turkmens. Meanwhile, speaking to the private news channel NTV, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel said that Turkey would do everything in accordance with its security requirements while he was responding to scenarios about Turkish intervention in Northern Iraq is case of a possible U.S. military operation against Iraq.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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MHP APPLIES TO CONSTITUTIONAL COURT
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli said in the ceremony held upon independent deputy Ertugrul Kumcuoglu's joining the MHP that his party applied to the Constitutional Court requesting the annulment of six articles of the EU Adjustment Law and asking the Court to stop their enforcement. State Minister Faruk Bal who submitted the petition to Parliament Speaker's Office said that MHP launched great efforts in the parliament to stop the adoption of the EU adjustment law, but the law was adopted as a result of the efforts of other political parties in the parliament.
EU ADJUSTMENT LAWS BIND GOVERNMENT
Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yýlmaz said that Turkey faces the danger of losing its 40-year experience on the way to EU membership. ''We must play the game according to the rules of the EU.'' ''We must no longer think that 'we did our mission, now it is EU's turn.' If we don't do that and if we don't fulfil our obligations, we will be disappointed in the end,'' Yýlmaz said. When a journalist reminded Yýlmaz that MHP applied to the Constitutional Court requesting the annulment of the EU adjustment laws, Yýlmaz said that the decision taken by the parliament is binding for the government.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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POLICE ON ALERT FOR SEPTEMBER 11
The Directorate General of Security said it had increased security at ''sensitive points'' ahead of the anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States. ''On the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, security precautions against similar activities have been increased,'' it said and added that security had been stepped up since last September.
NATURAL GAS PRICE TO DECREASE BY 10 PERCENT
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Zeki Cakan announced that as a result of the talks between Turkish Pipeline Transportation Corp (Botas) and Russian Gazexport company, price of natural gas was reduced by almost nine percent. Cakan added that they would reflect this decrease to domestic selling prices.
WE SUFFER LOSS AS MUCH AS OUR EXTERNAL DEBT
Turkey-Iraq Business Council Deputy Chairman and Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce Chairman Mehmet Aslan said that the loss that Turkey suffered since 1990 due to U.N. embargo on Iraq reached 100 billion U.S. dollars. Aslan and Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Chairman Mehmet Yildirim said that possible U.S. military operation against Iraq should be prevented.