ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on January 6, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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TURKEY GIVES ITS DECISION FOR IRAQ
Foreign Minister Yasar Yakýs told the paper that ''we examine whether or not we have rights stemming from agreements in Mosul and Kirkuk oils. If we have rights, we must get these rights not by use of force, but by explaining these rights to the international society. Mosul and Kirkuk are traditionally inhabited by Turkmens. We don't want any power to get control of the oil there. It belongs to the Iraqi people.'' Regarding a possible U.S. operation against Iraq, Yasar Yakýs said ''The Turkish public opinion is neither ready for deployment of ten thousands of soldiers in Turkey nor for their transit passage from Turkey. The decision of the parliament is necessary for their passage, and the probability of the parliament to accept this is unlikely. If Iraq is important for the U.S., Cyprus is important for Turkey.''
GUL: WAR NOT TO BRING ANY USE TO REGION
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul who carries out shutter diplomacy for solution of the Iraqi crisis without a war, met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Arab League's Secretary General Amr Moussa in Egypt yesterday. In Gul's contacts, Turkey and Egypt, as the leader countries of the region decided to start common lobbying efforts in other regional countries to stop a possible war. Mubarak said that he would come to Turkey soon. The two countries share the view that the U.S. has to give up the idea of starting an operation in Iraq and that Saddam Hussein has to abide by U.N. resolutions. Gul said that a war won't bring any use to the region, adding that ''Iraq has to persuade everybody that it does not have weapons of mass destruction.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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EGYPT SUPPORTS GUL
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak responded positively to Prime Minister Abdullah Gul's unity call who is continuing to search for active peace ways. Gul received full support from Egypt in his ''active diplomacy for peace'' tour which was started to find peaceful solution for Iraq issue. Mubarak who approaches positively to the unity call of Gul for peace said that the image of the United States will be harmed if a war starts.
Mubarak said to Gul that they did their part concerning Iraq and the United States to prevent war and they will do their best for a peaceful solution from now on.
ERDOGAN IS SELF-POSSESSED
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the provincial chairmen to serve every sector of the country. Erdogan said about candidacy subject that they should wait until January 20. Erdogan said that nobody should forget why former policy was discharged and nobody should be carried away by power and pride. He said that they should not lose the base they are standing and this base should be justice and equity and nobody should consider that reality is under their monopoly.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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YOK HAS TO CHANGE
Ihsan Dogramacý, the founder of the Board of Higher Education (YOK) said that the law on YOK has to change, adding that academic freedom is necessary in universities. ''YOK has to adapt itself to the changing conditions. Rather than professors; students, families of students and the society are the owner of the universities,'' Dogramacý said.
AKP THINKS OF GUMUSHANE, RATHER THAN SIIRT FOR ERDOGAN NOW
AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan can't decide the province from where he will run candidate for deputyship in the by-elections that will take place on March 9. AK Party only got 17 percent of the votes in Siirt in Nov. 3 elections. Some AK Party deputies proposed Erdogan to become a candidate from Gumushane province where AK Party got 42 percent of the votes.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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GREEN LIGHT TO RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES
State Ministry aims to reconstruct the Religious Affairs by saying that ''Turkey has to adjust to the EU and that Turkey has to give up the religious model based on the state.'' State Ministry thinks that religious communities have to be more active in the society and it aims to spread religious units in institutions of education by opening ''Theology studies'' in faculties of political sciences.
DSP LEADER ECEVIT: WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN DECREASING INFLATION
Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader and former Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that it was the success of the former government to decrease the inflation below 30 percent, adding ''the new government has to appreciate this fact.'' Ecevit stated that if early elections were not held in the country, coalition parties would take better results in the elections.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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RECTORS WANT SOURCE
The call of National Education Minister Erkan Mumcu who said that he is waiting for the views for educational reform started higher education discussion again. Rectors who are complaining about the insufficient source want financial autonomy.
THEY DO NOT WANT WAR
A possible operation of the United States against Iraq was protested with demonstrations which were held in Istanbul, Bursa, Samsun and Giresun. People requested Turkey not to support the United States in the war. A total of two thousand people participated the demonstration only in Bursa.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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GUL MEETS WITH MUBARAK
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul who came to Egypt after Syria in his tour in the Middle East, said that ''nobody wants war, war will not bring any use to the region, everybody will suffer from that. We launch efforts actively to prevent a war. We believe that there are still things that can be done for peace.''
EU VISA FOR STUDENTS
According to a special agreement signed between the State Planning Organization (SPO) and EU Commission, Turkish students can study in EU countries from now on. The number of students will be few this year, but the number of Turkish students who will study in EU countries will reach 30,000 in four years. Likewise, students from EU countries will come to Turkey to study.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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ERDOGAN SECRETLY CRITICIZED SEZER
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan secretly criticized President Ahmet Necdet Sezer who ratified some of appointment decisions and vetoed some law amendments. Erdogan said that everybody should show respect to the savings fulfilled by execution.
F TYPE PRISONERS READ A LOT
Director of Edirne F type prison Emrullah Turan stated that a total of 170 prisoners are reading two thousand 290 books in a year. He said that they have every type of books in their library and they bring five newspapers every day. He added that prisoners mostly prefer novels.