ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on November 22, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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COPENHAGEN DECISION TO BE SIX MONTHS OF SCREENING
A ''six-month screening process'' will be started for Turkey. The new ''road map'' which will be presented on December 5 and which will cover ''conditions for a negotiation date'' will be announced by the European Union (EU) foreign ministers on December 9. The EU gave a response to Turkey's intense diplomatic initiatives prior to the Copenhagen summit with a new road map. An appoinment date will be given to Turkey at Copenhagen summit. That a negotiation date can be given to Turkey at Salonica summit due in June 2003 will be announced. Here is our new homework: The Democratic People's Party (DEP) members in prison should be re-tried. Obstacles before property acquisition of society foundation should be overcome. Liberties should be broadened. Independence of jurisdiction should be ensured and judicial process should be accelerated.
DECREASE IN FOREIGN EXCHANGE WILL NOT CAUSE PROBLEM
Kursad Tuzmen, who was dismissed from the office when he was the Foreign Trade Undersecretary, returned to the same institutions as the State Minister for Foreign Trade. Tuzmen said, ''export target is 50 billion U.S. dollars. Turkish lira's (TL) gaining value will not cause any problem.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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''NO LATER THAN A MONTH''
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan's message that he will be the prime minister a month later: ''Article 109 of the Constitution can be amended and there will be no need to be a deputy in order to become the prime minister.'' Responding to questions of reporters on the plane from Dublin to Strasbourg if arrangements would be made on article 76 of the Constitution regulating ''the competence required to be elected a deputy'' and article 78 which ''envisages 28 vacant seats at the parliament in order to hold by-elections in three months'', Erdogan said that there would be no need to make such arrangements by only amending the article 109. Erdogan said, ''the easiest way is to amend the article 109. The second step is to amend article 76 and the third is the article 78.''
STATE MINISTER BABACAN: TAX SHOULD BE LIKE MILITARY SERVICE
State Minister Ali Babacan thinks that 2003 will be a good year and there will not be any problem in rolling over the debts. Babacan also thinks that growth will exceed 4 percent. Babacan stressed that some new arrangements in economic program and social issues would be made. Babacan, who attributes importance to tax inspection, said, ''tax should be like military service. Tax should be considered just as the compulsory military service, from which nobody can pave his way.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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PRIME MINISTER IN A MONTH!
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to shorten the path to his prime ministry. Erdogan can welcome the new year as the prime minister if he is able to change the article 109 of the Constitution as he wants. Erdogan said that they would firstly try to amend the article 109 of the Constitution and thus, pave the way for his prime ministry from outside. Erdogan noted that they would search for a compromise on this issue. A response came to Erdogan from Prague. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who was in Prague, reiterated his view that ''there cannot be a constitutional amendment peculiar to a single person.''
AGAR LIKE LEADER IN DYP
Mehmet Agar, elected as an independent deputy from eastern Elazig province, joined the True Path Party (DYP). DYP, which could not exceed the electoral threshold of 10 percent in the elections, is now the third political party being represented with one deputy in the parliament after Agar returned to DYP. Agar said that his decision to return to DYP was supported by the voters.
DISCUSSIONS OF HEADSCARF
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said, ''these are the first days of the new government. I don't know what we will see in the future.'' Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said, ''headscarf issue will be naturally out of the agenda in time'' while Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said, ''I do not need a lesson. Don't make it a tool. I am trying to be patient.''
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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FIRST TARGET IS CONSTITUTION
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave one month life-span to the 58th government which was formed by Prime Minister Abdullah Gul. Erdogan said that they thougt to amend firstly the Article 109 of the Constitution and then Articles 76 and 78. Erdogan said that those articles would be changed after the commissions were established in the parliament. When asked when Article 76 of the Constitution would be amended, Erdogan said that the steps would be rapidly taken after the commissions were established in the parliament and added, ''amendments to the articles will be made within one month.''
STATE MINISTER TUZMEN SAYS THEY WOULD DECREASE COST IN EXPORT
State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said that the negative effects of decrease in the exchange rates would be balanced in the export. Tuzmen held a press conference in Foreign Trade Undersecretariat and noted that having an input cost around world prices is important, Tuzmen said that Energy Ministry is working on especially energy prices, adding that they can have a permanent place in foreign markets only by quality, productivity and marketing.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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DENKTAS CREATES DIFFICULTIES
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas, who is under medical treatment in New York when the United Nations (U.N.) and the European Union (EU) wait for a statement on the Cyprus plan, put forth his ''real intention'': ''We cannot accept the plan as a negotiation ground. We have to firstly negotiate our demands to accept the plan.'' The intention of Denktas, who has not expressed his official view in a week of time on the plan presented to the parties by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan on November 11, means ''no.'' Denktas spoke to Radio Guven in TRNC, ''we cannot accept the document as a ground for negotiations before deficiencies are overcome.'' Expressing his views on the plan which was officially stated to be ''taken as a base for negotitions'' by the Greek Cypriot administration, Denktas said, ''we will negotiate whether or not to accept this document as a ground. We have to say what kind of changes we want and we have to insist on them.''
FOUR-HEADED ECONOMY
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul distributed duties among state ministers. A total of 25 offices bound to the Prime Ministry was given under the responsibility of the state ministries. There are four ministers dealing with the economy management. When Gul took the first step to achieve the target of his party ''to make the Prime Ministry the center of coordination'', a quartet management was formed in economy. Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister Abdullatif Sener became responsible for Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA), Capital Market Board (SPK), Development Bank, State Planning Organization (DPT) and Privatization Administration Board. Foreign Trade and Customs are under the responsibility of State Minister Kursad Tuzmen. State Minister Ali Babacan is responsible for the Treasury, Central, Ziraat and Halk banks. Thus, economy will be managed by four ministers when Finance Ministry is also taken into consideration. ''Single economic management'' will be achieved in the following stages of the plan when an Economy Ministry is formed.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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FOREIGN COMPANIES SHOW GREAT INTEREST IN GAP
The foreign companies show great interest in Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), which is among the biggest projects of Turkey and the world. Eight foreign firms have started production in the region so far. Seven American, two German, two Italian, two Swiss, Israeli, Iraqi, Syrian, Arab, Iranian, Spanish and Bulgarian companies made investments in GAP region. A U.S. firm started to construct a solar energy power plant in Sanliurfa province.
COLD WEATHER TO BE INFLUENTIAL ACROSS COUNTRY
The cold and rainy weather will be influential across the country at the weekend. The temperatures will decrease 4-6 degrees. State Meteorology Affairs Directorate General said that there would be rainfall in western part of Marmara, Aegean and western Mediterranean regions on Friday and added that rainy weather is also expected in western and central parts of the country on Saturday.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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PRESIDENT SEZER HOLDS CONTACTS ON TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP WITH EUROPEAN LEADERS
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who went to Prague to attend the summit meeting of heads of state and government of NATO members, held contacts on Turkey's European Union (EU) membership with the European leaders. Sezer has received full support of British and Spanish prime ministers for a negotiation date to be given to Turkey at Copenhagen Summit. EU Term President Denmark's Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that they would have a 'stable' attitude on the issue. French President Jacques Chirac who gave 'positive' messages on the issue did not clearly talk about the date.
BAYKAL: ''THERE CANNOT BE DIFFERENT POLICY IN EVERY LEG''
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, who criticized Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said, ''an approach to the solutions of the country problems by announcing different foreign policies in every leg of his tour will cause serious problems in the future,'' when recalled about Erdogan's statement that Cyprus, the European Union and European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) issues should be taken up together. Baykal said that Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis launched a foreign policy by saying ''we will make concession'' and stated that Erdogan announced that all issues were related to each other and opened to bargaining.