ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on September 25, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
OUR PROPERTY AND MONEY ENTRUSTED TO TRUSTEES
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that if they came to the power, he and his ministers would transfer the management of their property, money and shares to trustees. Baykal said, ''more than 50 percent should be represented at the parliament. If more than 50 percent of the votes of people are not represented in the parliament after the November 3 elections, legitimacy problem will occur. To this end, we have to exceed this limit.'' Baykal noted, ''this country needs to solve headscarf issue instead of scratching it. It is pleasing that headscarf is not among 12 priorities of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party). I am asking for the votes of all the people to contribute to this.'' Touching on the situation of AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Baykal said, ''I cannot digest the fact that people are banned forever due to their political views. In my opinion, everybody should be given the right to define himself/herself after a certain test.''
CHECK-UP WITH FALSE NAME
The doctor who checked Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's health secretly with a false name said, ''the prime minister is at zero kilometre.'' This is the first time that a prime minister in the world used ''detective'' methods when he was undergoing analyses in his country. ''Hidden'' blood analysis was made on Ecevit last week in a special health institution with a false name. Doctor Mucahit Pehlivan, the new ''health consultant'' of Ecevit, took blood samples from Ecevit at home and examined them in a special health laboratory. The blood samples were clean. The results proved that Ecevit's urea, sugar, cholesterol and liver were in good condition. Ecevit has also recovered from the broken rib and oedema in his leg.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
FINAL DECISION: ''THEY CANNOT JOIN ELECTIONS''
The Higher Electoral Board (YSK) unanimously rejected the objection files of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, banned Welfare Party (RP) leader Necmettin Erbakan, Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) candidate deputy and former Socialist Democracy Party (SDP) leader Akin Birdal and former People's Democracy Party (HADEP) leader Murat Bozlak, whose candidate deputyship applications had been returned. On the other hand, the board approved candidate deputyships of Jet-Pa owner Fadil Akgunduz and Labour Party (IP) leader Dogu Perincek despite the objection of Supreme Court Chief Prosecutor Sabih Kanadoglu. Thus, it has become definite that Erdogan cannot be a candidate deputy in November 3.
FRIGHTENING SCENARIO
According to scenarios developed by Istanbul Municipality with the Japanese, a probable earthquake in the Marmara Region will cost 87 thousand lives. A total of 487 thousand buildings will be totally demolished while the possibility of collapse of Halic Bridge in Istanbul in an earthquake is 93.7 percent.
STRIKE OF BULL ON CIMBOM
Galatasaray soccer club yielded itself to its strong rival Barcelona team of Spain in Istanbul. ''Cimbom'', which was slow-moving against its rival that also defeated itself in the last season, was beaten by 2-0.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
WE HAVE DECEIVED IMF
The social security institutions are giving signals of danger. Financial deficits in the social security system, which is in the process of partial rehabilitation with the reforms made in 1999, are increasing in a way that they can negatively affect the economic program. Sources allocated from the budget for the social security institutions were exhausted as of September.
ASSASSINATION CACHE
Weapons with silencers were seized in a Mercedes during a joint operation of the Customs Enforcement Office and National Intelligence Organization (MIT). Acting on a tip-off, officials searched a Mercedes at Kapýkule Customs Gate. Nine kalashnikov rifles and a silencer were found in the car. One person was detained in the operation. Efforts are under way to capture another person after the operation. A wide-scale investigation was launched upon the possibility that an action could be staged prior to the elections.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
OPPONENTS OF SADDAM TO CONVENE IN TURKEY
Representatives of the Iraqi opposition groups will meet in Turkey for the first time. Ankara-based Iraqi Research Institute will bring together opponents of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in central Nevsehir province on Friday in order to discuss the future of Iraq and its re-building.
LOTTERIES TO BE PRIVATIZED
Lotteries namely ''Milli Piyango, Spor Toto and Sayisal Loto'' which are providing trillions of income to the state every day are planned to be privatized. Privatization Administration Board Chairmain Turgut Bozkurt said that a tender would be opened to sell 52 percent of the Petro-chemical Holding Inc. (PETKIM) as of the second half of the following month and 20-25 precent of Turkish Oil Refineries Inc. (TUPRAS) would be sold by a tender till the end of this year.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
INDUSTRY DOES NOT SLOW DOWN
The rate of capacity utilization in manufacturing industry which was not affected by political discussions increased from 71.7 percent in August of 2001 to 76.4 percent in August of 2002.
YILMAZ: ''WE MAY SUPPORT''
Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz signaled institutional support to the ''disgruntled'' deputies pioneered by the Felicity Party (SP). Democratic Left Party (DSP), Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and True Path Party (DYP) seem against it.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
IZGI BRAKE TO ''DISGRUNTLED'' DEPUTIES
Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi did not approve the motion which was signed by 121 deputies and which called on the parliament for an extraordinary session before October 1, when the parliament's summer recess would end. Izgi announced that he did not find the proposal appropriate as deputies were busy with election campaigns. The new strategy of the ''disgruntled'' deputies will be preventing the parliament that will be opened on October 1 from having a new recess.
''THEIR AIM IS TO REDUCE ELECTORAL THRESHOLD''
True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller, who started her election campaigns in Milas township of western Mugla province, defined ''the move of the disgruntled deputies'' as ''these are all intrigues. The main aim of these initiatives is to cut off the 10 percent electoral threshold. We will not be affected by these intrigues.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
ALSO BOZLAK AND BIRDAL TO APPLY TO ECHR
Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) candidates Murat Bozlak and Akin Birdal, whose candidate deputyship applications were returned by the Higher Election Board, will also apply to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Bozlak's lawyer Mahmut Tanzi said, ''we will apply to ECHR. ECHR is debating such issues immediately.'' Birdal's lawyer Sedat Aslantas said that domestic law methods had been exhausted and noted that they would continue their initiatives in the field of international law.
ALL PARTIES EXCEPT MHP AND AK PARTY SIGN
A total of 121 deputies signed the motion calling for an extraordinary session of the parliament on September 26. A total of 40 deputies from the New Turkey Party (YTP), 38 from the Felicity Party (SP), 23 from the Motherland Party (ANAP), 10 from the True Path Party (DYP), 2 from the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ODP), 1 from Democratic Left Party (DSP) and 7 independent deputies signed the motion.