ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on December 3, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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SOLDIER-TERRITORY-PORT-BASE
Turkish Ambassador to the U.S. Faruk Logoglu conveyed to Ankara the demands of U.S. from Turkey which will voiced by Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Under Secretary of State Marc Grossman during their visit to Turkey. The U.S. delegation explained Logoglu the demands of the U.S. regarding the Iraqi issue before they came to Ankara. The U.S. wants to use the airspace and bases in Turkey, it wants to benefit from Turkish territories, it wants to use the ports, and it can also demand Turkish soldiers.
ERDOGAN CAN BE PRIME MINISTER
Higher Election Board (YSK) cancelled the elections in Siirt. The membership of one AK Party deputy, one CHP deputy and independent deputy Fadýl Akgunduz to the parliament terminated by the decision of YSK. AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan can become the prime minister if he runs candidacy from Siirt province in place of the former AK Party deputy Mervan Gul. The elections in Siirt will be held on the first Sunday that follows 60 days after the publication of the Board's decision in the Official Gazette.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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PUNISHMENT TO POLICEMEN LIKE REWARD
Five of the nine policemen who were accused of torturing 15 persons in police custody, were acquitted yesterday. The court which thought that the suspects would not commit such a crime again, postponed the imprisonment of the remaining four policemen.
PREVIOUS INFLATION BARGAINING
IMF Director of European I Department Michael Deppler started his contacts in Turkey by meeting firstly with Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin. Collective bargaining in the year 2003 and privatization of Vakýfbank were taken up in the meeting. It is expected that 440,000 workers are expected to benefit from collective bargaining. Sahin told Deppler that the Finance Ministry and Treasury continued to calculate the previous inflation that will be taken as the basis in increasing the salaries of workers. Deppler reminded about the commitment of the previous government which would increase the salaries of workers due to the increase in inflation.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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FITCH RATINGS SAYS TURKEY NEEDS TO ACHIEVE NON-INTEREST SURPLUS OF 5.5 PERCENT OR MORE IN 2003
Fitch Ratings, the international rating agency, said that Turkey should achieve a primary surplus of 5.5 percent of Gross National Product (GNP) or more in 2003 and to keep this for some time. Fitch Ratings has issued a comment outlining its views on Turkey following the November elections and in light of the significant challenges that are facing the incoming administration. The report said that a wealth of positive expectations has been generated in the wake of the strong electoral victory of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and added that however, the incoming government faces a spectrum of challenges, both internally and on the foreign front and needs to 'outperform' in the months ahead in order to justify the expectations of the market.
NGOS' ADVERTISEMENT SUPPORT TO COPENHAGEN
Nine days left to Copenhagen Summit which will be a turning point in Turkey's relations with the European Union (EU). Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) work very hard for Turkey to have a positive decision at the summit. Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association's (TUSIAD), Union of Turkish Chambers and Commodity Exchanges in Turkey (TOBB) and Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB) which launched a project concerning Turkey's membership to the union will give advertisements supporting Turkey to get a negotiation date from the EU at Copenhagen Summit to the newspapers in 15 EU countries on December 10 and 11.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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TURKEY LOGISTIC BASE
The first demand of the U.S. from Turkey is 17,000-20,000 soldiers. The U.S. wants Turkey to open ten airports and ports to the use of the U.S. without giving any notification. All the southern ports of Turkey are considered in this framework. The U.S. also wants to use Trabzon port for targets in the Caucasus in the long term. Turkey will thus become the logistic base of the U.S., which won't have any contact with other country in the region for the land operation against Iraq. The timing of the operation is not clear yet. The U.S. firstly waits for weapon inspectors to finish their work in Iraq. In return of these demands, the military debts of Turkey which is 6-7 billion dollars, will end, and a share will be given to Turkey from Kirkuk oil. Turkey will also have a say in the security issues particularly in Northern Iraq.
ANOTHER 48 HOURS FROM U.N.
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan asked the sides in Cyprus to inform U.N. about their objections, views and reservations about the Cyprus plan within 48 hours. Annan's Spokesman Eckhard said that Secretary General can make amendments in the plan if necessary.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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PARLIAMENT DOOR OPENS PART WAY TO ERDOGAN
Higher Election Board cancelled the elections in southeastern Siirt province yesterday. New elections are expected to be held on February 9. Erdogan can become a candidate for the elections in Siirt. Independent deputy Fadýl Akgunduz who is accused of fraud can be tried in court as he will lose parliamentary immunity. When the parliament receives the decision of the Higher Election Board, the membership of three Siirt deputies to the parliament will end.
SUPRISES IN ADJUSTMENT LAW
The EU adjustment law package which will be taken up by the Council of Ministers today, continues to be amended. The statute of limitations will be valid for crimes of torture, but the postponement of the punishments won't be possible and they won't be changed into fines. Concepts of ''life-long conviction'' and ''infamous crime'' will also be abolished.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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CRITICAL DAYS
There is busy diplomacy traffic in Ankara currently. Iraq, Cyprus and Turkey's membership to the European Union (EU) will be taken up at the meetings. United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro De Soto and Danish Prime Minister Per Stig Moller came to Ankara on Monday to hold contacts. British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jack Straw and U.S. State Department Undersecretary Marc Grossman and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz will come to Ankara on Tuesday. Moller who holds contacts in Ankara said that he welcomed positive developments in Turkey and added that Copenhagen criteria should be fulfilled before start of membership negotiations with the EU. He said that they waited for reform package and stated that they would assess the reform package on December 8.
OBSTACLES IN FRONT OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE SHOULD BE LIFTED
December 3 World Handicapped Day was celebrated with several activities in Turkey. About 7 million handicapped people who live in the country wanted obstacles in front of their rights to work and produce to be lifted. Handicapped people, who gathered in front of Galatasaray High School, marched to Taksim Square in Istanbul. Association of Handicapped Education Institute Chairman Zeki Cobanoglu said that they believed the laws related to handicapped people would be passed from the parliament soon.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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CANCELLATION OF ELECTIONS IN SIIRT OPENS WAY FOR ERDOGAN TO BECOME PRIME MINISTER
Higher Election Board's (YSK) decision to cancel the elections in Siirt opened the way for Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan to become prime minister. YSK cancelled on Monday the elections held in southeastern Siirt province on November 3, 2002. The elections are expected to be held in Siirt on February 2, 2003, Sunday. Issuing a written statement, YSK said that ''the Board decided unanimously that the deficiency in election procedures necessitated re-holding of the elections in southeastern Siirt province.'' AK Party requested the cancellation of the elections in Siirt alleging in its application to the Board that three ballot councils were not formed and one ballot box was broken in Pervari town of Siirt.