ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on November 11, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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ERDOGAN: ''LET'S NOT STAY IN ORAN DEPUTY HOUSES
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the leader of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) who had a meeting with 363 deputies in Ankara Bilkent Hotel, told them ''I expect you to take a first step that will give hope to people. I expect you not to stay in houses provided for deputies in Oran district of Ankara.''
Erdogan wants to bring a series of saving measures in the parliament, he wants to decrease the personnel number in the parliament from 6,000 to 3,000, and he plans to sell the houses provided for deputies.
OZKOK: ''U.S. DIDN'T DEMAND ANYTHING ABOUT IRAQ''
Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok held a news conference on his return from U.S. This happened for the first time in the history of General Staff. Prior to the news conference, journalists were requested to ask questions only about Ozkok's visit, not to ask political questions. Gen. Ozkok said that if an intervention will be made in Iraq, this has to be done on international legal basis. ''We hope Iraqi administration to abide by U.N. Security Council resolutions and not to cause any negative development in the region,'' Ozkok said. Ozkok said that ''at this stage, the U.S. has not officially demanded anything from Turkey regarding a possible operation against Iraq.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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SEZER :LEGAL AMENDMENTS FOR INDIVIDUALS SHOULD BE AVOIDED
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer sent a message to Justice and Development Party (AKP) which thinks to amend Article 109 of the Constitution in order to make AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan be prime minister by saying that ''politics should respect laws, amendments for individuals should be avoided.'' Speaking in the panel discussion held upon the 64th death anniversary of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, President Sezer said that ''I want to stress that struggle against movements that attempt to overthrow the democratic and secular republic will be determinedly maintained.''
AKP REJECTS ELECTION RESULT IN SIIRT
Justice and Development Party (AKP) started to try all methods to make AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan to be the prime minister. AKP administration applied to Higher Board of Election yesterday requesting it to cancel and renew the elections held in eastern Siirt province. If the election in Siirt is renewed, AKP plans to make Erdogan be a deputy from Siirt. AKP said in its application to the Board that board councils were not formed in Siirt and therefore almost 700 electors didn't use votes. AKP which wants the election to be cancelled in Siirt, gave the message that ''the right to vote was prevented there, the election in Siirt has to be renewed.'' If YSK accepts the objection of AKP, this can also affect Fadýl Akgunduz, who was elected as an independent deputy from Siirt.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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YEAR'S CASE
AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan had applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) when a decision was taken by the Higher Board of Election (YSK) and Supreme Court of Appeals which impeded him to be elected as a deputy. Now it is the time of the Turkish Government to make its defense in the case pending before ECHR. However, Erdogan is the leader of the party which will form the government. Erdogan will have to decide on his position in this case now, will he be a defendant, or a respondent? The Supreme Court of Appeals had refused to wipe out the criminal record of Erdogan, which impeded him to be elected as a deputy.
DERVIS: TURKEY HAS GREAT CHANCE AHEAD
Kemal Dervis, the former boss of the economy in Turkey, told the paper that certain amendments can be made in the economic programme and that if AKP acts in a responsible way, it can be successful. ''The uncertainty in Turkey ends, there is a great chance ahead of Turkey. Religious beliefs and political and economic issues should be carried out separately from each other. Economy should be carried out in coordination. The most difficult issue is to create employment. Autonomous institutions are necessary and the achievements recorded to date should not be sacrificed.''
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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PAPANDREOU SUPPORTS TURKEY
Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou said that he did not agree with European Convention Chairman Valery Giscard d'Estaing who said that ''Turkey's entry would be the end of the European Union (EU)''. Papandreou stressed that Turkey's EU membership perspective was a big test for all Europe, noting that Greece attributed great importance to the continuation of Turkey's EU process. Greek Foreign Minister said that Greece would play a leading role for the formation of a positive cooperation atmosphere for the negotiations to be started between Turkey and EU at Copenhagen Summit and the process of EU term presidency.
ERDOGAN SAYS DEMOCRACY IS TOOL
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Islam was a religion and secularism was only a form of administration. Erdogan who responded the questions of the Newsweek periodical said that they did not think to open new schools for the education of Islamic clerics.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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PRESIDENT SEZER SAYS THERE IS NO LAW PECULIAR TO PERSON
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer warned Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which makes plans to change the Constitution for AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan to be prime minister, by saying that their priority should be taking pains to make politics in compliance with laws and rules by refraining from arrangements peculiar to a person which did not bind with democratic and legal state principles instead of politicizing laws. A meeting was held in Turkish Language Authority to commemorate Ataturk, the Founder of Modern Turkish Republic, on the 64th anniversary of his demise. Speaking at the meeting, Sezer said that they were commemorating Ataturk with respect and missing him.
MANY PEOPLE VISITS ANITKABIR
Many people visited Anitkabir, the Mausoleum of Ataturk, the Founder of Modern Turkish Republic. A ceremony was held in Anitkabir to commemorate the Great Leader on the 64th anniversary of his demise.
State officials headed by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer laid a wreath on the Mausoleum and observed a minute of silence. Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Constitutional Court Chairman Mustafa Bumin, Land Forces Commander Aytac Yalman, representing Chief of General Staff, Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader and Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli, Felicity Party (SP) leader Recai Kutan, party representatives, bureaucrats, some deputies and other state officials attended the ceremony.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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EYES ON AK PARTY
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government which is expected to be founded in the beginning of December will start to work with an agenda including many things. The new government will have to first adopt a temporary budget for 2003. The increase in the wages of 4 million civil servants, workers and retired people will be determined for January with the temporary budget. AK Party government will also take a final decision on new minimum wage which Minimum Wage Fixing Commission has started to discuss.
AK PARTY DEPUTY LEADER COSKUN SAYS THEY WOULD END CORRUPTION
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy leader Ali Coskun for economic affairs said that the privatization has been corrupted recently and added that the corruption and bribery prevented the system. Coskun who attended a programme on a tv channel said that Turkey was ranked third in the corruption and fourth in the bribery in the world. Coskun said that they should end this image and added that foreign capital did not come to the country due to bureaucracy, corruption and bribery.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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OZKOK SAYS THEY MUST INSIST ON PEACEFUL MEANS FOR SOLUTION OF IRAQ ISSUE
Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, the Chief of General Staff, said that if there is to be an intervention against Iraq, it would be appropriate to hold it within international legal basis. ''We hope Iraqi administration would abide by the U.N. Security Council resolution reached unanimously, and would not pave ways for incidents that would cause hot developments in the region.'' Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, who returned to Turkey after wrapping up his contacts in the United States, made a press statement regarded with his contacts there. Ozkok said, ''the outlines of what we have conveyed on Iraq during the contacts was that mass destruction weapons constitute a very serious source of concern for the region as it was reiterated in the latest U.N. resolution. If possible, solution of the problem through peaceful means is important.''