ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on March 18, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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FIRST REFUGEE INFLOW TO TURKISH BORDER
Refugee inflow started in Northern Iraq toward Turkish border. The first refugee inflow, which started in Kirkuk and Mousul, came to Dahuk.
The U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan called on the U.N. personnel in Iraq to be evacuated after the 24-hour ultimatum given to the U.N.
The U.N. observers in Kuwaiti border were withdrawn, and embassies in Baghdad are closed down one after the other. Foreigners depart from the country.
Pointing out that ''oil for food'' implementation would end as there would not adequate personnel in Iraq, Annan said he thought the legitimacy would be pushed aside and that the support would decrease in case action takes place before the Security Council decision.
There were around 300 U.N. personnel in Iraq. A total of 135 of the U.N. personnel were comprised of the U.N. weapons inspectors, their assistants, humanitarian aid personnel, and observers of oil for food agreement.
TURKISH-U.S. RELATIONS ARE GOING THROUGH AN EXAMINATION
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said Turkish-U.S. relations, which reached to the level of strategical partnership, were going through an examination, ''proving its strength and force''.
Sezer sent a written message to the Annual Conference of the Turkish-American Council. In his message, Sezer said, ''Turkish-U.S. relations, which are based on mutual values in a rooted and successful alliance, and which reached to the level of strategical partnership in the period after the Cold War, are going through an examination proving its strength and force.''
Sezer in the message stated that Turkey and the United States once again made close cooperation aiming to provide peace and stability in the Middle East. Sezer also said friendship between the people of Turkey and the United States deepened gradually.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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LAST 48 HOURS
From U.S. President George W. Bush to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein: ''leave Baghdad''. The United States which completely closed the U.N. book is going to strike Iraq if Saddam and his sons won't go into exile in two days.
HEADLONG MOTION
The government which appears reluctant to do something about the issue of motion on stationing of U.S. troops in Turkey gave up this position upon the United States' ultimatum for Iraq and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's statement: ''Don't wait for vote of confidence. Pass the motion before the first bomb hits Iraq''. The Council of Ministers which will convene in an extraordinary meeting today is expected to urgently send the motion to the parliament.
MIGRATION WAVE STARTS
Hours before U.S. air strike on Iraq, thousands of northern Iraqis started to migrate towards Iranian and Turkish borders. Mass of people are travelling to regions close to border.
FIRST BOMB HITS MARKETS
When possibility of U.S. plan for intervention in Iraq without Turkey became much feasible than other plans and when cancellation of U.S. aid package to Turkey caused hesitation, markets ''collapsed''. Interest rates rose by 12 points and price of 1 U.S. dollars increased 1 million 712 thousand Turkish liras. The stock exchange national index reduced 10.57 percent to 9,482 points.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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''YES'' TO UNITED STATES
Summit of the state began to take action after the United States sent a message calling on Ankara to take a decision to determine its side pertaining to action against Iraq. The United States said, ''think of all the economic and political results of your decision.''
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal, and Deputy Undersecretary responsible for Iraq department Ali Tuygan participated in the summit in Cankaya Palace.
The participants agreed to send the motion to Parliament soon, and Erdogan called on the Council of Ministers extraordinarily to convene on Tuesday to discuss motion.
REPROACHFUL RESIGNATION
Head of Religious Affairs Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz quitted his post.
Holding a press conference, Yilmaz said, ''like every civil servant, I am going to quit my job today upon a political discretion.''
''I believe that I fulfilled this holy mission properly and thoroughly for more than eleven years,'' he said.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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SYRIA HANDS OVER TERRORISTS
Syrian authorities captured Selahattin Canavar, the terrorist of PKK/KADEK responsible for Syria, and Hayri Kaner, the terrorist responsible for Lebanon and handed over the terrorists to Turkey.
The Syrian authorities captured the two terrorists and handed them over to Turkey after keeping them under custody for some time.
Security officials said Adana Agreement, which had been signed in 1998, began to yield in results gradually. They said, ''recent developments are indications of this. Syrian authorities target full cooperation with Turkey.''
ENVIRONMENT MINISTER TAKES STEPS FOR TRADE
Environment Minister Kursad Tuzmen said Free Trade Agreement should be signed between Turkey and Egypt.
Tuzmen, who left for Cairo together with a 100-people businessmen delegation, pointed out the inadequacy of the trade volume between the two countries.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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MOTION ON WAR
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, General Staff Chief General Hilmi Ozkok and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul signaled the new motion by saying, ''war has reached inevitable level beyond Turkey's will''. Permission to the United States for use of Turkey's airspace and acceptance of foreign soldiers is on the agenda. After extraordinarily busy hours in Ankara, senior state officials came together at the Presidential Palace. Sezer, Erdogan, Ozkok and Gul paved the way for adoption of new motion on deployment of U.S. troops in Turkey. The decision taken at this summit meeting was announced by Presidential Palace spokesman Tacan Ildem: ''apart from Turkey's expectation and will, a process of military intervention has started. There is a consensus that the government should immediately take necessary steps under the National Security Council's recommendations on January 31.'' At this summit meeting, it was also mentioned that new motion might be adopted before the vote of confidence.
POWELL TELEPHONES GUL
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell telephoned Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. Powell who implied that the war would start on Saturday the latest said, ''we hope that you would make your decision clear until Saturday''. In a press conference, Powell said they had assured Turkey that they would protect Iraq's territorial integrity.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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''FIRST BOMB'' ON MARKETS
''Footsteps'' of war wrecked financial balances. Stock exchange sank to the bottom while foreign exchange and interest rates reached the ceiling. The United States may attack on Iraq at any moment and besides expectations of an aid package to Turkey lessened due to postponement of motion on deployment of foreign troops in Turkey, and these developments negatively affected the markets. Yesterday, stock exchange index decreased from 10,604 to 9,482 points, and selling price of 1 U.S. dollar increased to 1 million 715 thousand Turkish liras.
MOTION ON CAMELS
While Turkey is currently debating the motion, the Ottoman State passed a motion without any delay in 1855. The motion was about the U.S. demand for thirty camels. During that period, the United States was fighting against Mexico. According to historians, the United States won that war with the help of the Ottoman camels.
PEARSON: ''WE ARE WAITING FOR MOTION''
In a meeting he held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, U.S. Ambassador in Ankara Robert Pearson said that they had not given up the northern front to be opened from Turkey, and they were waiting for passing of motion from the parliament.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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ANKARA AND KURDISH GROUPS ARE CLOSE TO AGREEMENT PRIOR TO SUMMIT
Turkey will meet with some Iraqi opposition groups and the United States officials before the war which is getting closer.
It was reported that problems between Ankara and the Kurdish groups were overcome to a great extend in contacts held before the summit.
Critical issues like future of Northern Iraq and activities of Turkish soldiers in the region would be discussed at the meeting. A second meeting, in which Shiite and Arab opposition in Iraq will participate, is expected to take place tomorrow.
AK PARTY TO EXPEND FULL SUPPORT TO GOVERNMENT FOR MOTION
Justice and Development Party Central Executive Board decided to expend full support to the government regarded with motion on war which was brought onto the agenda once again.
The board members, who visited Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, gave the message that, ''we will back you whatever decision you take.''
CICEK: FLUCTUATIONS IN MARKETS STEM FROM FOREIGN REASONS
Justice Minister and Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek said fluctuations in financial markets stemmed from foreign reasons, not from internal reasons or government policies. He said, ''there was nothing to feel concern, and that necessary measures were taken.''
(MS-AY-AÖ) 18.03.2003