ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on March 28, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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''TURKEY IS AN IMPORTANT ALLY''
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz said that it would be unfair to claim that Turkey had not cooperated with the United States about the Iraq crisis. Wolfowitz highlighted importance of Turkey's allowing the United States to use its airspace.
ERDOGAN: ''WE DID NOT MAKE ANY COMMITMENTS''
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he did not make any commitments during his visit to the United States. ''It is totally wrongful to describe criticisms of Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan against the government as an ultimatum. No one can give ultimatum to the government,'' he said. Referring to criticisms of Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, Erdogan said, ''during our visit to the United States, we held an interdelegationary meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush. It was not a tete-a-tete meeting. I did not make any commitments during the meeting. Recent developments revealed it clearly.''
NSC TO CONVENE TODAY
The National Security Council (NSC) will convene later today under the chairmanship of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will attend the meeting for the first time. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Abdullah Gul will attend the meeting this time as Foreign Minister. The meeting will start at 1.30 p.m. During the meeting, developments in northern Iraq will be taken up in detail.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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ANKARA ASSURES UNITED NATIONS
Umit Pamir, the permanent representative of Turkey to the United Nations, said that Turkey did not have any intention to enter Iraq. Speaking at the session of the United Nations Security Council in which the Iraq crisis was taken up in detail, Pamir explained Turkey's attitude about the crisis. ''We do not have any secret agenda about the Iraq issue. We do not have hostile feelings against anyone,'' he said. Pamir added that Turkey could send soldiers to the region only to prevent a likely inflow of Iraqi refugees into Turkish borders and to solve security problems. He noted that Turkey would not allow the terrorist organization PKK/KADEK's benefiting from current conditions in northern Iraq.
SECRET GUEST OF ERDOGAN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a secret meeting with American citizen Hisam al-Talip of Iraqi origin late on Wednesday night. Even deputy chairmen of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) did not know anything about the meeting. Hisam al-Talip is claimed to have been an academician in the United States.
IRAQ GUARANTEE FOR TURKEY
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said that presence of U.S. soldiers in northern Iraq would prove their intention to protect territorial integrity of Iraq to the Turkish government. Rumsfeld said that the plan of air-lifting U.S. soldiers was prepared weeks ago. He added that the only important change in their plan was the failure to send the Fourth Infantry Division to northern Iraq via Turkey.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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GUL: ''THERE IS NOT ANY CRISIS OF COMMAND''
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul denied allegations saying that negotiations between Turkey and the United States were interrupted after the sides had failed to reach a compromise about commander of Turkish armed forces in northern Iraq. Gul said, ''there is not any crisis of command.'' The issue was resolved during the meeting in Ankara with U.S. President George W. Bush's Special Envoy to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad. According to the decision taken at the meeting, a Turkish commander will lead Turkish soldiers to be deployed in a 20-kilometre-depth line along the border between Turkey and Iraq. Coordination of Turkish and U.S. soldiers and Iraqi opposition groups in the region will be provided by the Coordination Center in Silopi town of southeastern province of Sirnak.
WAR LOAN FROM SPAIN TO TURKEY
Spain, which has been supporting the U.S.-led military action against Iraq, provided Turkey with a loan of 5 million U.S. dollars to be used in humanitarian aid to Iraqi refugees. The loan was handed over to Turkish officials by Spanish Foreign Minister Anna Palacio, who came to Turkey yesterday as the official guest of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. Palacio said that her visit to Turkey aimed at cooperating with Turkey about the Iraq crisis.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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OZKOK DECREASES TENSION
General Staff Chief General Hilmi Ozkok's remarks which clarified Turkey's position towards military action against Iraq pleased both the United States and Kurdish groups in northern Iraq. Also the international public opinion welcomed statements of Ozkok who said that Turkish Armed Forces could enter northern Iraq in coordination with the United States, Turkey was not a side to the clash, and Turkey did not want a buffer zone. Ozkok's statement officially confirmed presence of Turkish troops in northern Iraq. Meanwhile, Washington Post described Ozkok's statements as a ''step backward''. The newspaper claimed that one of the aims of 1,000 U.S. paratroopers who parachuted into northern Iraq was to keep 40 thousand Turkish soldiers on border and prevent start of a ''war in war''.
SURPRISING ISTANBUL MEETING
Leading Turkish businessmen held a surprising meeting with U.S. diplomats from the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul in the Dogan Holding building yesterday. Any statement was not released after the meeting which lasted nearly five hours. Sources said they discussed possible cooperation in rebuilding of Iraq. Association of Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen (TUSIAD) Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan, Dogan Holding Chairman Aydin Dogan, Koc Holding Chairman Rahmi Koc, Dogus Holding Chairman Ferit Sahenk and Sabanci Holding Deputy Chairman Omer Sabanci attended the meeting.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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KAPLAN UNDER ARREST
Metin Kaplan, the leader of the banned Islamic Community-Denominational Vision whose four-year imprisonment will come to an end today, will not be released till German officials take a decision whether they will extradite him to Turkey. If the court rules that there is not any legal obstacles in front of extradition of Kaplan, the federal government will take the final decision about him.
ANKARA SATISFIED WITH NEW ACCESSION PARTNERSHIP ACCORD
Relations between Turkey and the European Union (EU), which reached an important stage during the summit meeting in Copenhagen on December 12, 2002, will accelerate with the Accession Partnership Accord of the EU Commission. Turkey thinks that the Accession Partnership Accord, which will be officially released by the EU General Affairs Council on April 14, was prepared by taking into consideration Turkey's sensitivities. The only distressing factor in the accord is the Cyprus question's taking place among political criteria.
DEP CASE TO BE HEARD AGAIN
Leyla Zana, Hatip Dicle, Orhan Dogan and Selim Sadak, former deputies of the banned Democracy Party (DEP), will be re-tried at the State Security Court (DGM) after nine years. Last month, lawyers of Zana, Dicle, Dogan and Sadak requested re-trial of their clients under the recent legal amendments. During today's first hearing, 27 witnesses will be heard.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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CONDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM SPAIN
Spanish Foreign Minister Anna Palacio who visited Turkey said they would lend 5 billion U.S. dollars in loan to Iraq's neighboring countries for humanitarian purposes. Palacio who held a meeting with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul for 1.5 hours said they would give 5 million U.S. dollars financial support to four countries including Turkey for humanitarian aid to refugees if Turkish army would not enter northern Iraq. Palacio reiterated statements that they would withdraw air defense systems which had been sent to Turkey under the NATO if Turkey entered northern Iraq. As Spain, they wanted to see Turkey in the European Union, Palacio said and added that Turkey's EU membership would also be affected negatively if Turkey entered northern Iraq. Meanwhile, Palacio also met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. They discussed relations between Turkey and Spain, developments in Iraq and relations between Turkey and the EU.
MASSACRE SHOULD END
Another reaction was shown in Istanbul yesterday to the U.S.-led military action against Iraq. Five thousand people including members of the Confederation of Public Workers Labor Unions (KESK), political parties and non-governmental organizations and soccer fans gathered in Taksim square and marched to Dolmabahce. The group chanted slogans which said, ''U.S. imperialism should end'', ''we don't want U.S. soldiers in Turkey'' and ''murderer Bush''. They also observed a minute of silence out of respect to those who lost their lives in U.S. bombardment.
ERDOGAN TO ATTEND HIS FIRST NSC MEETING TODAY
The regular monthly meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) will be held at the Presidential Palace today. Iraq war will be the main topic of the meeting in which Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will participate for the first time. The meeting will start at 13.30. Abdullah Gul who served as the Prime Minister will attend the meeting as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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''WE DON'T WITHDRAW PATRIOTS EVEN IF TURKEY ENTERS NORTHERN IRAQ''
Defense Minister Henk Kamp of the Netherlands gave a very clear response to some opposition parties which requested withdrawal of Patriot defense systems from Turkey if Turkey enters northern Iraq. Responding criticisms of some opposition parties during a parliamentary session, Kamp said that Patriots would not be withdrawn from Turkey under any condition.
DEP MEMBERS TO BE TRIED AGAIN, POLICE ON ALERT
Retrial of outlawed Democracy Party's (DEP) former deputies Leyla Zana, Hatip Dicle, Orhan Dogan and Selim Sadak will start at the Ankara State Security Court (DGM) no:1 today. Officials said that nearly five hundred policemen would take intense measures in and around the Ankara DGM before the retrial.
''THANK GOD, WE DIDN'T DIE TODAY''
Both ''smart'' and ''crazy'' bombs bring death to target city Baghdad. Residents of Baghdad who could say ''thank God, we didn't die today'' are getting prepared to encounter Americans and Britons who rain bombs on them. Baghdad residents who dug foxholes around Baghdad and equipped them with weapons are seeking to ''surprise'' coalition soldiers.
(MS-AÖ) 28.03.2003