ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on February 17, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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ERDOGAN MEETS WITH AZIZ
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz had a meeting which lasted half an hour. Sahin asked Aziz to convey Iraqi Head of State Saddam Hussein that ''he did not any time left'' and ''Iraq should take shocking steps''. Sources said that Turkish side expressed Iraqi side that ''Turkey was doing its utmost to protect peace'' in the meeting. Sources said that Sahin asked Aziz to convey and strongly emphasize the message ''that there isn't any time left'' and ''the biggest steps for peace should be taken by Iraq'' to Saddam Hussein.
DECISION ON MOTION NOT TAKEN AT SUMMIT ON IRAQ
A decision on U.S. soldiers was not taken at a summit on Iraq which was chaired by Prime Minister Abdullah Gul on Sunday. The government will wait for details on financial aid package of the United States and developments in the United Nations (U.N.). A decision on the motion about deployment of foreign soldiers in Turkey and dispatch of Turkish soldiers abroad to the parliament was not taken at meeting which lasted for three and a half hours at the Prime Ministry. Following the meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Abdullah Gul to discuss the Iraq issue, Sener told reporters, ''recent developments about diplomatic, political, economic and military dimensions of the Iraq issue were taken up at the meeting.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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500 AMERICANS IN DIYARBAKIR
The button was pushed for the modernization studies of the United States in bases, airports and ports in Turkey. Around 500 U.S. soldiers and civilian technicians arrived in Diyarbakir 2nd Tactic Air Forces Command 8th Main Jet Base with five cargo planes.
Extraordinary security measures were taken at the arrival of the U.S. soldiers and technicians. The U.S. officials will modernize airports in southeastern Diyarbakir and Batman provinces.
ROPES TENSED
Negotiations on the text of the Memorandum of Understanding, carried out with the United States since beginning of February and which would determine the conditions of the support which Turkey would give, were suspended. As a result of this surprising decision that was taken at the end of the summit held in Prime Ministry, they adopted the view not to bring onto the agenda of the Parliament the discussion of the motion which would give permission to the deployment of the U.S. soldiers in Turkey before reaching a full agreement.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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BABACAN SAYS TURKEY AND UNITED STATES CANNOT REACH CONSENSUS ON AMOUNT OF PACKAGE
Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis and State Minister Ali Babacan returned to Turkey after wrapping up their contacts in Washington D.C., the United States. Babacan told reporters at Ankara's Esenboga Airport that content of the economic aid package to be given by the United States to Turkey, was becoming concrete and added that however, the sides could not reach a consensus on amount of the package. Babacan stated that they expected the consultation process to come to an end in next few days.
TUZMEN SAYS POSSIBLE WAR AGAINST IRAQ TO COST TURKEY USD 20 BILLION
State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said that a possible war against Iraq would cost Turkey at least 20 billion U.S. dollars and added that this economic loss could reach 80 billion U.S. dollars in the coming years. Stating that all regional countries except Jordan had suffered from economic loss after 1991 Gulf War, Tuzmen said that Turkey had suffered from 80 billion U.S. dollars of economic loss in the crisis 12 years ago. Tuzmen said that Turkey also suffered from PKK terror following the Gulf crisis and noted that Turkey lost 100 billion U.S. dollars during that period.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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AK PARTY LEADER ERDOGAN: IT WILL SPREAD TO TURKEY IF WAR ERUPTS
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended that it would absolutely spread to Turkey if war erupts in Iraq.
Pointing out that Turkey should fill the vacuum that may occur, Erdogan said, ''accept our sensitivity in this respect as your sensitivity''.
Erdogan insisted on his statement although Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz said they did not have any intention to attack Turkey.
YOK CHAIRMAN GURUZ CRITICIZES RE-STRUCTURING STUDIES OF GOVERNMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Chairman of the Higher Board of Education (YOK) Guruz said solution of financial problems of the universities were not targeted in ''Emergency Action Plan'' of the government.
Speaking about the attitude of Hayrunisa Gul, the wife of Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, to apply to European Court of Justice (ECHR) as she could not be registered in the university because of her headscarf, Guruz said, ''if you ignore the decisions of Constitutional Court, then you give right of preference to people between law pertaining to Islamic rules and positive law, then this is the beginning of the end of republic.''
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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GOVERNMENT CAN NOT CONVINCE IMF
Measures which had been taken for the primary surplus could not satisfy the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation.
IMF does not give visa to the measures that had been taken to reach the target of 6.5 percent primary surplus, which has key importance for 2003 year balances.
As the IMF wants realistic measures like the tax and price increase, the 2003 year budget waits for reconciliation.
AGAIN COLD WEATHER
Turkey will be effected by cold weather again on Monday. Rain is expected in the Aegean and the Mediterranean and snow is expected in Marmara, Black Sea and Eastern Anatolia.
TURKS IN JAPAN
''2003 Turkey Year'' activities will start in Japan. Various exhibitions, concerts and movie shows will take place within the scope of the activities in Japan.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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ERDOGAN: ''TURKEY IS EXERTING UTMOST EFFORTS FOR PEACE''
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that policy on Iraq which Turkey had pursued so far depended on peace and noted that if Turkey had pursued a wrong policy on Iraqi issue, a war against Iraq would have already started and ended. Erdogan said, ''we are exerting utmost efforts for peace. We will continue to exert efforts for peace.'' Erdogan noted, ''Turkey is not involved in a war. However, it is taking necessary measures regarding that issue. There is a fire in our neighbor country. We will take necessary measures to prevent spread of fire.''
GUL AND YAKIS TO GO TO BRUSSELS
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis will go to Brussels to attend a meeting on Iraq and hold a series of contacts after a summit on Iraq which was held at Prime Ministry on Sunday. Gul and Yakis who will leave for Brussels on Monday will return to Turkey on Tuesday evening. Prime Ministry Press Center said Gul would attend a meeting of the EU Troika which would take place with the participation of 13 candidate countries on February 18 regarding Iraq. Gul is expected to hold bilateral meetings with EU Term President Simitis, EU joint foreign policy chief Javier Solana, some EU officials, and with leaders of some EU member countries. Gul will also meet with the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, who would visit Brussels for the EU summit.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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''SOME MORE TERRITORY CONCESSION MAY BE GIVEN INSTEAD OF LIVING WITH GREEK CYPRIOTS''
President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), when there are a few days to February 28, the day envisaged for the solution on Cyprus question, evaluated the views that, ''let us give some more territory instead of living with the Greek Cypriots again.'' He said this could be thought as the last remedy and stated that ''we will live as separate states.'' Denktas said the thesis that Turkey's guarantorship was diluted in the U.N. plan which was proposed for the solution on Cyprus, was not only his idea, but also the idea of the military.
FROM GOVERNMENT TO TARIQ AZIZ: SHOCK THE WORLD WITH YOUR STEPS FOR PEACE
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin discussed the recent situation reached in Iraqi problem together with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz who visited Istanbul on Sunday.
Speaking at the meeting, the Turkish side pointed out that time was getting shorter and advised him to take urgent steps that would ''surprise the whole world.''