ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on October 27, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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FIVE GIANTS AGREE: ''LET'S TALK ABOUT DATE''
According to the Financial Times, one of leading newspapers in Britain, prime ministers of Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain have agreed that the issue of setting a date for opening of accession talks with Turkey should be brought onto agenda during the European Union (EU) summit meeting in Copenhagen in December. The Financial Times noted that the leaders had taken this decision during the meeting in Brussels. Meanwhile, La Stampa Newspaper of Italy said that Prime Minister Berlusconi of Italy extended support to German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's insistence on setting a date for opening of accession talks with Turkey.
THREE PEOPLE DIE AND THREE OTHERS INJURED IN EXPLOSION IN HOZAT
A total of three people died and three others were injured when a mortar went off in Hovat town of eastern province of Tunceli. A group of young people had found a mortar in a garbage dump and taken it to a park in city center. Ergun Aslan, 14, Gurkan Gunel, 15, and Ugur Gunel, 14, lost their lives when the mortar detonated while they were playing with it. Meanwhile, Murat Dogan, 14, Hayri Cicek, 12, and Hidir Celik, 27, were seriously injured. They were rushed to the State Hospital in neighboring Elazig province by helicopter.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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WILLIAM FINDS HEKIM
William Edward Ali, an American veteran of the Korean War, did not forget his Turkish brother in arm Hekim Gultekin, and found him in Arincik hamlet in Suruculer village of eastern province of Bitlis. The Turkish War Veterans' Association found 74-year-old Gultekin, and arranged a meeting between Gultekin and his American brother in arm Ali in Ankara on October 29 Republic Day. However, Gultekin cannot remember Ali.
ECEVIT: ''SUCH A CASE HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY''
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said about the lawsuit filed against directors of German foundations, ''German foundations have been acting in our country for a long time. They have also been carrying out activities in nearly 100 countries. To the best of my remembrance, similar complaints against these foundations have not been made in other countries. I think that relations between Turkey and Germany are sound enough not to be affected by this trial.'' He called on Germany to be patient and rely on Turkish justice.
''ECEVIT IS IN GOOD HEALTH''
Prime Minister Ecevit's private doctor Mucahit Pehlivan said that Prime Minister Ecevit's health was better when compared to three months ago. Dr. Pehlivan said that Prime Minister Ecevit had undergone a check-up recently, and added that check-up had revealed that Prime Minister Ecevit was in good health. He stressed that Prime Minister Ecevit did not have any health problem forcing him to leave his mission as a politician. Dr. Pehlivan added that he paid visit to Prime Minister twice a day.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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TENSION ESCALATES IN RALLY
Clash erupted between a group of supporters of Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) and members of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in Istanbul's Kagithane district. Windows of a bus belonged to the DEHAP were smashed, and Mehmet Ali Kaya who was in a minibus in convoy of the DEHAP was injured after being shot. Three people were captured by security forces following the clash.
TURKEY BECOMES CANDIDATE TO HOST WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
A total of five cities including Istanbul became candidate to host the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships in 2007. FINA said that Melbourne of Australia, Rio de Janeiro of Brazil, Germany, Istanbul of Turkey and Dubai of United Arab Emirates were the five candidates to host the 12th FINA World Championships in 2007. The final decision on the award of this organization will be taken by the FINA Bureau on its meeting to be held in Barcelona in July of 2003 on the occasion of the 10th FINA World Championships.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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HOPE ABOUT SOLUTION TO ESDP
EU High Commissioner Javier Solana who will discuss the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) issue with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on Monday in Copenhagen claimed that an agreement would be reached on the issue at the NATO summit in Prague. The EU removed also Greece's concerns by adding two sentences in the Ankara Document while Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel replied Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou by saying, ''the essence of the Ankara Document should not be changed.'' Meanwhile, Turkey stated that it would wait for Greece's attitude regarding postponement of military exercises.
ISLAMIC-STYLE HEADSCARF PROBLEM FAILED TO BE SOLVED
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan insists on his approach towards the ''debt postponement'', ''visa to greater cities'' and ''Islamic-style headscarf'' issues which caused tension. Erdogan supported ''making the Islamic-style headscarf political symbol'' which caused closure of fundamentalist political parties in the past with his words: ''even if it is a symbol, is it a crime to carry a symbol?''
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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NEW BARGAINING BETWEEN EU AND TURKEY
A new bargaining has begun between Turkey and the European Union (EU) on the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP). During the summit of heads of state and government in Brussels, the EU countries included an expression in the final statement of the summit to persuade Turkey. Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs George Papandreou of Greece, the EU's member responsible for defense affairs, called Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sukru Sina Gurel on the phone, and said that they wanted to make progress.
TURKISH BOXER TO VIE FOR GOLD MEDAL
Yasemin Ustalar of Turkey competing in 63.5 kg category will vie for gold medal against Myrian Lamare of France at World Women's Boxing Championships in southern province of Antalya. Meanwhile, Derya Aktop of Turkey won bronze medal after being beaten by her North Korean opponent Jang Song.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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RUSSIAN-STYLE OPERATION
Rescue operation in Moscow resulted in massacre. When Russian rescue teams used poisonous gas, 50 Chechen gunmen and 90 hostages were killed and 150 others were wounded. In the operation scandal, Chechen gunmen's leader Barayev was also killed. Russian soldiers who stormed the theater building firstly threw gas bombs and later they opened volley fire. Together with the gunmen, also hostages were shot dead. The massacre did not end with this and nearly 150 people were seriously wounded and gunmen who passed out due to poisonous gas were executed. Upon reactions, Russian Deputy Interior Minister Vasiliyev said Russian teams had used ''very special gas''. This was not the first scandalous operation of Russia. In a rescue operation in 1995 by Russians, more than 100 hostages were killed while gunmen saved themselves. In another operation in 1996, 78 hostages were killed while gunmen escaped. Meanwhile, many countries from Turkey to Israel and from the United States to France congratulated Russia for the rescue operation.
ERDOGAN: ''LET'S SETTLE THE ACCOUNT WITH THEM ON NOVEMBER 3''
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed people in Adapazari and Ankara. He said, ''we are rumblingly coming to take over the power with strong steps. Let's settle the account with them on November 3.'' Criticizing Chief Prosecutor Sabih Kanadoglu who filed a lawsuit for closure of the AK Party, Erdogan said, ''this case is very meaningful. He should have better postponed filing this lawsuit after the polls.''
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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U.S. PRESIDENT BUSH EATS GREEK PEPPER RAISED IN IZMIR
Successful Turkish entrepreneur Arslan Aras achieved great success in the European and U.S. markets with the ''Greek pepper''. He imported seeds of this pepper from Greece and has the farmers in Izmir's towns raise it. The Greek pepper exported by Turkish companies reached even the White House of U.S. President George W. Bush. European and U.S. importers who were used to purchase this pepper from Greece in the past are now importing it from Izmir.
RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS TO SEND 184 RELIGIUOS OFFICIALS TO 17 COUNTRIES
The Religious Affairs Authority will send 184 religious officials to 17 countries to help Muslim Turkish citizens performing their worship easily and getting religious information on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan that will start on November 6. The authority will send 63 officials to Germany, 21 officials to the Netherlands, 20 others to Bulgaria, 19 officials to France, 12 officials to the Crimea, 8 officials to Azerbaijan, 7 officials to Belgium, 6 officials to Switzerland, 6 officials to Denmark, 5 officials to Albania, 5 officials to Tatarstan, 4 officials to Western Thrace in Greece, 3 officials to Austria, 2 officials to Macedonia, 1 official to the United States, 1 official to Canada and 1 official to Kosovo.