ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on September 17, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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DIFFICULT DECISION FOR AK PARTY
The criminal record of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the leader of AK Party can be erased in January 2003. If the elections will be postponed to April 2003, Erdogan will still have the chance to be elected as a deputy to the parliament, but maybe AK Party will lose the support it has today. If the elections are not postponed, Erdogan can't be elected to the parliament.
EU'S IMPORTANT REPORT TO BE PUBLISHED ON OCT. 9
EU Commission decided to publish its reports about Turkey and other candidate countries one week earlier. EU Commission will publish its report on October 9 which is expected to have determining effect during the EU Summit in Copenhagen that will be held on Dec. 12. EU Commission will publish the reports earlier in order to give the EU countries more evaluation time to assess the progress in candidate countries.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS SHOWS RED CARD TO ERDOGAN
The criminal record of AK Party Recep Tayyip Erdogan which was recently erased will be issued again. Erdogan will thus lose his eligibility to be elected to the parliament as a deputy. The Higher Board of Election will give the last decision regarding Erdogan. The eighth chamber of Supreme Court of Appeals approved yesterday the decision of Diyarbakýr State Security Court No. 3 which rejected the request for clearing off the criminal record of Erdogan. Erdogan's criminal record which was erased upon the decision of Diyarbakýr State Security Court No. 4 will be issued again and AK Party leader Erdogan will have a criminal record. Even if the legal process has not fully ended, Erdogan will lose his eligibility to become a member of the parliament.
U.S. PUTS PRESSURE ON EU FOR TURKEY
The U.S. intensified its pressure on the EU as it wants the EU to give Turkey a date in Copenhagen Summit to start full membership negotiations with Turkey. According to the news published in the Greek press, the U.S. officials gave the message to Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou who is currently in the U.S. for the U.N. General Assembly meetings that Turkey has to be supported. Papandreou said in his part that the EU doors should not be closed to Turkey.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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WHAT A POEM!
Tayyip Erdogan served a time in jail due to a poem he read out in Siirt and now his deputyship is in danger. The Supreme Court of Appeals' Criminal Department no:8 rejected the Diyarbakir State Security Court no:4's decision on erasing Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Erdogan's criminal record, making Erdogan's candidacy very difficult. The final decision will be taken by the Higher Board of Elections. The Supreme Court of Appeals' Criminal Department no:8 headed by judge Naci Unver had earlier approved Erdogan's imprisonment. As a coincidence, Erdogan who got into trouble due to a poem faced a judge who writes poems.
''WE JOIN THE EU 99 PERCENT IF MHP DOES NOT RAISE OBSTACLES''
According to Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz, the EU laws which were adopted by the parliament should be put into practice as soon as possible. He said that the EU does not have the chance to say 'no' to Turkey if the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Speaking to the private news channel HaberTurk, Yilmaz said, ''Turkey has an important appointment on December 12-13. The EU will decide on its enlargement at the Copenhagen summit. This summit is not an ordinary summit. It is a summit where very important decisions about candidate countries will be taken. And such a summit on enlargement won't be held for a long time again. We have to remain in this process and win a date for negotiations. We made legal changes but they say 'we have to see implementation'. We will adopt regulations and by-laws and activate these reforms.'' Yilmaz said, ''if the MHP prevents all our efforts for adoption of necessary regulations and by-laws, we miss the EU train. The government can't say 'I am not going to implement a law adopted by the parliament'. The parliament took a courageous step and now we have to implement the laws and lobby in Europe. As a result, we join the EU 99 percent if the MHP does not prevents us.''
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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POWELL: ''UNITED STATES DOES NOT BLUFF''
Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel met with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. Powell said that they want Iraq to know that the United States does not bluff. Gurel who changed his programme will proceed from New York to Washington today and have a meeting with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.
ECEVIT TALKS TO ANNAN ON PHONE
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan held a telephone conversation and took up Iraq and Cyprus issues. Meanwhile, the General Staff and Foreign Ministry gave a comprehensive briefing to Prime Minister Ecevit on developments about Iraq.
''WE EXPECT A REVOLUTIONARY RESPONSE''
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal spoke at a panel discussion on ''Globalization in Europe'' at the Europe Economy Summit and said, ''Turkey made revolutionary reforms. In return, we expect a revolutionary response from the European Union.''
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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ERDOGAN'S B PLAN
AK Party which received the bad news about its leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan will bring AK Party deputy leader Abdullah Gul to the forefront. Erdogan rejected the proposal of supporting the initiatives aiming to postpone the elections. Erdogan said regarding the decision of the Supreme Court of Appeals about his criminal record that ''a heavy blow was struck on Turkey's democracy.'' Erdogan will give the message in public meetings that ''even if I can't be elected to the parliament, there is Abdullah Gul in place of me.''
ECEVIT: LET'S BE QUICK FOR EU
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit asked Turkish officials to fulfil all promises given in Turkey's national programme for adoption of acquis (NPAA) to be fulfilled as of Nov. 15, 2002. A prime ministry circular was issued on September 13 giving information about the recent stage of Turkey's EU membership process. The circular lists the things that must be done for implementation of the EU adjustment laws adopted by the parliament on August 3. The circular stresses that Turkey expects a date to be given for starting of accession negotiations during the EU heads of states and governments that will be held in Copenhagen between 12-13 December.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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ERDOGAN CRISIS
A new debate has begun when the Supreme Court of Appeals said that Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan's criminal record ''can't be erased''. Now there is ''Erdogan crisis'' in Ankara where efforts to postponed elections and topple the government are continuing. The political tension highly escalated when the Supreme Court of Appeals' Criminal Department no:8 decided on not erasing Erdogan's criminal court by approving Chief Prosecutor Sabih Kanadoglu's rejection. The criminal department explains the reason for its decision by saying that ''amendment to Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code does not have retroactive effect''. Now all eyes turned to the decision that the Higher Board of Elections will take tomorrow. Some jurists defend that Supreme Court of Appeals's decision dashed Erdogan's hopes to join elections while some jurists defend that the latest EU reforms lifted all obstacles in front of Erdogan's candidacy. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Aysel Celikel said, ''now the Diyarbakir Chief Prosecutor's Office will send a new document to us and procedure will continue in parallel to this document.'' Meanwhile, former justice minister Hikmet Sami Turk said, ''it was not a very appropriate decision. Now an answer should be given to the EU which always says, 'you adopt laws but you don't implement them'. This decision will be a matter of discussion both in Turkey and abroad.'' Meanwhile, AK Party Parliamentary Group Chairman Bulent Arinc said, ''it was a political decision and this showed that jurisdiction is getting politicized.''
TERROR DOES NOT HAVE RELIGION OR RACE
Speaking at Third Round Table Meeting of UNESCO Culture Ministers, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said that terrorism should not be attributed to any religion or race, adding, ''it is of determining importance to make a common definition of terrorism and act in cooperation and solidarity at global level in order to overcome this problem.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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''YTP-ANAP-SP'' BLOC ACCELERATES INITIATIVE FOR THRESHOLD
New Turkey Party (YTP) Secretary General Istemihan Talay said that they already increased over the 110 signatures required for calling the parliament to convene in an extraordinary session. He said that they would submit this petition to the Parliament Speaker's Office in coming days. Istemihan Talay said that this call would be made with the ''institutional'' participation of the YTP, the Motherland Party (ANAP) and the Felicity Party (SP). The YTP's proposal package includes amendments like reducing the national electoral threshold from 10 to 5 percent, making alliance among political parties and casting preferential vote.
ECEVIT ASKS FOR ACCELERATION OF ADJUSTMENT WITH EU
Ankara which wants to win a date for opening of membership negotiations at an EU summit in Copenhagen on December 12-13 is accelerating adjustment work. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit issued a circular and listed the necessary things that should be fulfilled for implementation of the adjustment laws that the Parliament passed on August 3. Ecevit said, ''all measures necessary for completion of all commitments in a way to implement them effectively should be taken by November 15, 2002 at the latest.''