ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on October 11, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
EVEN ''THE INDEPENDENT'' REACTS TO EU REPORT: ''IT IS STUPID AND DISHONEST''
The British newspaper considered the European Commission's report on Turkey as saying that ''leaving Turkey outside the process was contrary to honesty and was a stupid and narrow-minded decision.'' Alan Hamilton, a journalist writing in the Independent, said that enlargement imposed more than 60 sterlings of burden on every European Union (EU) citizen and said that this was the real reason behind the decision not to give a negotiation calendar to Turkey. Hamilton noted that ''the real thing is that Greece, which has a historical Turkish enmity, and Germany, which fears of an inflow of workers, do not want to see Turkey as a member.''
EU REPORT IS A SERIOUS WARNING TO VOTERS
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, when commenting on the chapter of the European Commission progress report about the elections in Turkey, said, ''they wanted to mention this: If an anti-secular government comes to power in Turkey, they will close doors of the EU.'' Speaking at the Ankara Chamber of Industry, Ecevit said, ''this is a serious warning to the voters. I would like to draw attention to importance of this issue prior to the elections.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
THOSE WHO HAVE EMPTIED BANKS' COFFERS WERE INNOCENT
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader, who is a candidate to come to the power, responded to the leaders who criticized him of meeting with bank owners: ''In fact, those who have to account for, are those who transferred these banks to the Savings Deposits Insurance Fund (SDIF).'' When responding to Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli and Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, Erdogan accused those who stopped irregularities instead of those who emptied the banks' coffers.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN JANUARY?
According to survey of the Central Bank, the year-end U.S. dollar expectations regressed to 1 million 822 thousand 800 Turkish liras (TL). It was 1.832 last month.
EU WAITS FOR NOVEMBER 3
The European Union (EU), which said at Laeken Summit last December that ''Turkey was approaching towards full membership negotiations'', does not mention ''negotiations'' in its new report. Those who prepared the report were affected by France, Britain and Germany. They are waiting for the November 3 elections.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
CATHY ON FIELD FOR UNLU
Catherine Dervis, wife of former State Minister and Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate deputy Kemal Dervis, will launch initiatives for the elections for the first time since her husband was involved in politics. However, she will not start the campaigns together with her husband but will be in CHP campaign together with Fikret Unlu in Karaman.
MOBILIZATION FROM YILMAZ
Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz wrote a letter calling all his friends for mobilization. Yilmaz said, ''we have to give hand to hand to pave the way for our party and change the destiny of the country.''
HE REGRETED BEFORE BEING ELECTED
Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate deputy Bayram Meral has regretted that he joined politics. Meral, who attended the General Assembly of Retired Workers' Association, said, ''I would have never entered politics if I had known that it was this difficult.''
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
ANKARA HARSHENS ITS REACTION: EU SHOULD NOT FALL INTO A HISTORICAL MISTAKE
Foreign Ministry which harshly reacted against the European Union (EU) Commission report shedding green light to Southern Cyprus, accused the EU of preventing efforts to reach a lasting compromise on Cyprus.
The Ministry statement stressed that balance between Turkey and Greece would be ''damaged'' in case Greek Cypriot side becomes a member of the Union before finding a political solution on the island.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel warned that division on Cyprus will be permanent and that there would not be a place for political solution.
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit also warned the EU and said Turkey would not accept any other proposal but membership.
Ecevit said, ''trying to console us with different and made-up solutions is not an attitude that can be accepted.''
VERHEUGEN: ''I WILL CALL GUREL SOON'''
European Union (EU) Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen sent the message to Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel that, ''I was in Luxembourg. I will call you soon.''
Verheugen sent the message in question through Turkey's representative to EU Oguz Demirap.
Foreign Minister Gurel got angry earlier when Verheugen did not respond to his telephone call, and had to send a written message.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
GUREL ALSO INSPIRES HOPE
Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel, who met with representatives of 26 non-governmental organizations, said, ''the report does not block Turkey's path. We have the opportunity to create will for negotiation calendar in the European Union (EU).''
COUNTDOWN CONTINUES FOR DEHAP
The Higher Election Board (YSK), which is debating the request of Supreme Court Chief Prosecutor Sabih Kanadoglu that Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) should not join elections, can make a decision on Friday. If the board decides that DEHAP cannot join the elections, cancellation of the elections is in question.
SOCIAL MOBILIZATION
Non-governmental organizations like Economic Development Foundation (IKV), Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD), and Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges in Turkey (TOBB) will continue to press Europe for Turkey's European Union (EU) membership process. IKV Chairperson Meral Gezgin Eris is in Brussels. TUSIAD Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan will go to Denmark on October 15. TOBB will not stop exerting efforts. Famous singer Sezen Aksu will sing ''Songs of Turkey'' in EU capitals.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
POLICY BECOMES HEATED
There is the intense struggle of leaders in election arena when there is only 23 days for the elections. When all obstacles in front of November 3 elections are removed, all the political party leaders went to the election arenas. Squares became cheered up after the leaders began to visit those places. Party flags began to decorate the streets and thus Turkey entered into election atmosphere.
As election atmosphere began to prevail, the party leaders began to accuse each other. Political arguments in the Parliament are now began to be made in the squares.
SEZER REACTS EU
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said the proposals put forward by the European Union (EU) were far away from being satisfactory.
Sezer said, ''although the Progress Report and the Strategy Document prepared by the EU Commission stress the importance of the political reforms fulfilled by Turkey in the past one year with respect to Copenhagen criteria, they are far away from being satisfactory with respect to the proposals it puts forward.''
Recalling that he had sent a letter to the EU Commission President Romano Prodi before the document and the report were announced, Sezer said, ''as I stressed in the letter, we expect the commission to make constructive contributions to the political decision that will be taken by the member countries. As I had again underlined in the letter, Turkey, which put forward a strong political will on the way to integrate with the EU, expects a decision from the EU in the same way.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
70 MILLION TURKEY MAKES EU BROOD
Turkey, who was not given a date in the Progress Report to start full membership negotiations, became the most important problem of Europe right now.
According to the experts, Europe feels concern over Turkey with its 70 million Moslem population, problematic economy based on agriculture, and democratic structure different from Europe.
The EU, which was exposed to the pressure of the United States to shed green light to Turkey, does not know how to overcome Cyprus question. European Army can not become operational because of the opposition of Turkey regarded with usage of NATO capabilities by the EU.
150 TURKISH COMPANIES PARTICIPATE IN HEIMTEXTILE FAIR
A total of 150 Turkish companies will participate in Home Textile Fair (Heimtextile) that will be opened in Frankfurt, Germany in January 8-12, 2003.
Mese Frankfurt Executive Board Chairman Gerhard Gladitsch held a news conference and said Turkish textile producers will be able to make exports to many other countries after removal of quotas in 2005.