ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on September 20, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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NO HEIR APPARENT TILL ELECTIONS
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan will not determine an heir apparent till the elections to get rid of the loss of votes that will be created by the new candidate.
According to a search carried out by AK Party, votes of the party will increase if deputyship of Erdogan is prevented, and the votes of the party will decrease if the party enters the elections with another leader. To this end, no new name will be set till the elections.
HERE IS THE FIRST SIGNAL
The European Commission completed the draft text of the progress report which it will publish on October 9 regarding the candidate members.
Turkey's progress report gives a balanced appearance with the negative and positive aspects.
The Commission determined the progress which Turkey recorded on the way to the EU and describes them as a positive step. It approaches cautiously whether or not the progress is permanent. The decision regarding the date that will be set for the starting of negotiations is left to the Council comprised of the EU leaders.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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FRIGHTENING FILE
A total of 7, 279 policemen were investigated in Istanbul last year. A total of 4,000 were dismissed or send away to some other places. Swindling, bribery, causing death and helping gangs are among the accusations forwarded to policemen.
It was revealed that one of each four police, who are assigned to provide the security of megacity Istanbul, was investigated on charges of a crime.
According to the report of Provincial Police Discipline Committee, crimes like accepting bribe, helping accused to escape, torture, minting, and collecting illegal money are often brought onto agenda.
SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS REJECTS DECISION OF DIYARBAKIR DGM NO. 1 ABOUT ERBAKAN
The Eighth Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals rejected the decision of the Diyarbakir State Security Court (DGM) No. 1 which wiped out the criminal record of former leader of the Welfare Party (RP) Necmettin Erbakan.
The chamber didn't accept the decision of wiping out the criminal record of Erbakan as an acquired right as it does not cover the merits of the case.
Justice Ministry applied to the Supreme Court of Appeals requesting it to cancel the decision of Diyarbakir DGM No. 1 on wiping out the criminal record of Erbakan, with a written instruction.
The Eighth Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals unanimously rejected the decision of Diyarbakir DGM No. 1.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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COURSE IN TURKISH LANGUAGE TO KURDS
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, addressing to people in eastern Van province as ''my Kurdish brothers,'' defended the courses on Kurdish language, and made an interesting proposal: ''first of all, let us open courses in Turkish to Kurdish people.''
The government continues its opening to Kurds in two fronts. On the one side National Education Ministry prepares the regulations making Kurdish language courses free, and on the other side Prime Minister Ecevit launched a new initiative to prevent propaganda inciting Kurdish-Turkish discrimination. Ecevit wanted courses in Turkish language for the Kurds.
Ecevit defended that primary need of the people in the East and Southeast was to learn Turkish, not Kurdish.
THE FIRST TARGET WAS SEZER
Former Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said New Turkey Party (YTP) members proposed him to become the President during the process to split Democratic Left Party. Turk said, ''Prime Minister Ecevit cut his ties with the hospital upon the tip off that a report will be given against him that he could not work.''
Turk made statements in Black Sea Trabzon province that would shake Ankara. Turk said they proposed him to become the President in case he joins the YTP.
Turk said, ''Mr. Ecevit wanted me to join the DSP when I was working in the university. I got involved in politics as I believe in the ideas of Ecevit. I will not join a party only to become a parliamentarian. I did not get a call from the Republican People's Party (CHP) to join. During the resignations from the DSP, supporters of the New Formation asked me to join them. The person they sent proposed me to become the president after a constitutional amendment. Presidency is the highest authority that a person can achieve. Our country has a president. It is impossible for me to accept such a proposal. I can not make disloyalty.''
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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FIGHT AGAINST FUNDAMENTALISM DISRUPTED
A report prepared by Intelligence Units pointed out that important steps have been taken in fight against fundamentalism following February 28 process, but that the desired level could not be reached.
Stressing that effectiveness should be increased in fight against fundamentalism, the report said the most important thing on the issue was the determination that would be shown by the persons and institutions.
The report also evaluated the deficiencies experienced in implementations carried out by the government in fight against fundamentalism.
OTTO SCHILY: WE ARE WARM TO IDEA OF EXTRADITION OF KAPLAN TO TURKEY
German Interior Minister Otto Schily said he is warm to the idea of extradition of Metin Kaplan, the administrator of the illegal organization Islamic Association and Communities Union, to Turkey.
Schily said that they would probably give positive response to the request of Turkey for extradition of Kaplan who is in Dusseldorf prison.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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AK PARTY TAKES THE ISSUE TO ECHR
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) waits for the Higher Board of Election (YSK) decision regarding AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Lawyers of Erdogan said, ''we applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against the latest decision of the Supreme Court of Appeals.''
Hayati Yazici, the lawyer of Erdogan, said they appealed the decision of the Eight Chamber Supreme Court of Appeals that Erdogan was previously convicted of a crime.
APO FILE WAITS
The death sentence file of Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the terrorist organization, which was kept waiting in Prime Ministry was not sent to Justice Ministry although laws in this respect were issued.
The Parliament sent back files of 87 people to Prime Ministry, waiting for Parliament approval, after abolition of death sentence.
Under the Adjustment Bill which took effect on August 9, the files had to be returned to the courts within one month. Prime ministry sent the files to related courts through justice ministry. The legal process expired on September 9. However Ocalan's file is not among the other files that were sent to Justice Ministry.
The decision to keep the file to wait at the Prime Ministry was taken by coalition partners Bulent Ecevit, Devlet Bahceli and Mesut Yilmaz.
Bahceli, responding to the reactions coming from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said, ''nothing can prevent punishment of Ocalan; however, we can not put Turkey into the appearance of a country that contradicts with the law.''
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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WE ARE INVITED TO THE MINI SUMMIT
The European Union (EU) Term President Denmark will invite candidate countries, including Turkey, to a mini summit on October 28 aiming to inform them about the candidacy conditions.
Diplomats said there would not be any talks during the meeting where 13 candidate countries would be invited, stressing that there would only be a briefing.
PAMUKBANK TO SDIF
Council of State no:10 rejected the request of Pamukbank to stop enforcement of the decision of the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) regarding transfer of Pamukbank to Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (SDIF).
The first stage of the case, which was opened by the shareholders of Pamukbank with the request of stopping enforcement of BRSA decision on transfer of the bank to the SDIF, rejection of the BRSA decision which refused call of Yapi ve Kredi Bankasi to merge with Pamukbank, rejection of SDIF decision to accept transfer of Pamukbank, and the decision of SDIF to start sale process of Pamukbank, was completed today.
Also a decision was taken to start sale process of Pamukbank.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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TURKEY CAN NOT GET SHARE FROM 500 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS BECAUSE OF ITS NEGLIGENCE
Turkey, which aims to find a solution to the financial problems of private sector companies which entered into bottleneck after economic crisis with the ''Istanbul Approach'', can not benefit from the facilities because of negligence.
Turkey can not benefit from the Islamic Development Bank's Islamic Cooperation Section Toward Development of Private Sector as it is not a member. The section, which has one billion U.S. dollars capital, gives credit to small and medium scale enterprises acting in private sector.
Islamic Development Bank Deputy President Mohamed Habib Dyarraya invited Turkey to be a member of the section in question.