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Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-01-02Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.gov.tr/>[01] AA News02 January 2000 Sunday[02] TURKEY-PRESS SCANThese are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on January 2, 2000. The Anadolu Ajansi does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their occuracy.HURRIYET (LIBERAL)DEMIREL: ''WE HAD BETTER AWAIT THE ECHR'S DECISION''President Suleyman Demirel said, ''we had better await the European Court of Human Rights' (ECHR) decision for execution of capital punishment given to Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the terrorist organization PKK.'' Demirel stressed, ''independent juristiction declared its verdict about Ocalan. Execution of the capital punishment is dependent on the parliament's approval. The parliament has not been approving any execution of capital punishment for 15 years. But there is a different dimension of Ocalan affair. We have been accepted as a candidate to the European Union (EU). We should integrate with Europe to this end. Although Turkey did not sign the Article to lift the death sentence, she has accepted to agree with the ECHR's decisions. State services require calmness. Hostility and hatred have no place in State's services. We should not made anything that can damage Turkey on the threshold of the 21st century.'' TWIN BOYS BORN IN DIFFERENT CENTURIES MILLIYET (LIBERAL)TUSIAD: ''CAPITAL PUNISHMENT SHOULD BE LIFTED''Erkut Yucaoglu, the Chairman of the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD), said that Turkey should fulfil the European Union's (EU) criteria. He noted that the capital punishment should be evaluated within this framework. Yucaoglu added, ''EU regulations and the Copenhagen criteria envisages lifting of the death sentence. Turkey has accepted to become a candidate to the EU. Therefore she should lift the death sentence.'' THY'S AIRBUS 340 FORCED TO MAKE EMERGENCY LANDING AT ATATURK AIRPORT The passangers of the plane were sent to Cape Town on another plane. THY authorities said they were working to repair the damage occured in the engines. SABAH (LIBERAL)COALITION PARTNERS TO DISCUSS OCALAN AFFAIR NEXT WEEKPrime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that the leaders of three political parties forming the coalition government, would convene next week to determine the government's attitude towards the capital punishment given to Abdullah Ocalan, the head of terrorist organization PKK. ECEVIT: ''TURKEY SUCCESSFULLY OVERCAME Y2K PROBLEM'' Ecevit noted that Turkey was not affected by the Y2K problem, and reminded that the Prime Ministry Crisis Center has been working on the problem with the representatives of public and private institutions since May 1999. CUMHURIYET (LEFT)BOMB ATTACK ON A PHARMACY IN ISTANBULA pipe-bomb which was placed in front of a pharmacy in Gaziosmanpasa district of Istanbul exploded in the early hours of the new millennium. No casualties were reported in the blast, but the bomb-attack caused minor financial damage in the pharmacy. Security forces have launched a full investigation into the attack. FIRE AT QUAKE TENT CAUSES FINANCIAL DAMAGE RADIKAL (LEFT)ECEVIT: ''WE WILL FINALIZE DEMOCRATIZATION REFORM THIS YEAR''Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that democracy and human rights standards would be rise in Turkey in year 2000. He stressed that Turkey should lift the death sentence. Referring to the relations with Greece, Ecevit noted, ''I believe that we can resolve problems with Greece through dialogue.'' TWO MILD EARTHQUAKES OCCUR IN SEA OF MARMARA Officials at the Bogazici University Kandilli Observatory Seismology Institute said that two earthquakes measuring 3.5 and 3.3 on the Richter scale, occured in the Sea of Marmara at 09:17 local time and 09:42 local time. IMKB ON TOP TEN LIST OF THE WORLD TURKIYE (RIGHT)CREDIT FOUND FOR 22,000 RESIDENCES FOR QUAKE SURVIVORSReconstruction works will soon start in the cities that suffered the worse damage in the quake. In the framework of the World Bank's master plan, 22, 000 residences will be built for quake survivors. 900 of them will be built in Bolu, 5,500 in Sakarya, 1,200 in Yalova, 650 in Istanbul, 20 of them in Bursa and 30 of them in Eskisehir. Ferhat Emil, the Acting Treasury Undersecretariat of the Prime Ministry said the infrastructure works of the project were mostly finished. Emil said they were working to find the definite number of quake victims who need housing. The total amount of financing from international institutions and foreign countries might add up to 3.7 billion U.S. dollars which will be used to heal the wounds of the quake. SPLIT UP TANKER GIVING OUT POISON ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)TRNC ENTERS THE NEW YEAR WITH HOPEThe Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) entered the new year with hope. Releasing a new year message, President Rauf Denktas of the TRNC said, ''the world has begun to understand our rightful case. We expect reconciliation in year 2000. A brilliant future is awating the Turkish Cypriots.'' [03] PRIME MINISTRY CRISIS MANAGEMENT CENTER ANNOUNCES DEATH TOLL AS 844ANKARA - The Prime Ministry Crisis Management Center stated that 844 people were killed while 4,948 others were injured as of 18:00 local time on Saturday in the wake of the 7.2-magnitude quake which devastated Bolu province on November 12.A total of 12,939 dwellings and 2,450 business places collapsed or suffered heavy damages in the quake. A total of 51,676 tents have been distributed to quake survivors while assembly of 622 prefabricated huts have been finalized. The Red Crescent and the Turkish Armed Forces have dispatched 197 mobile kitchens, 173 mobile baths, 2 mobile bakeries, a number of beds, sleeping bags, blankets, duvets, stoves, and foodstuff to the quake-stricken area. In the disaster area, 330 doctors, 254 nurses, and 962 health staff are working. [04] ATATURK AIRPORT'S INTERNATIONAL LINES TERMINAL BUILDING TO BE INAUGURATED ON MONDAYANKARA - International lines terminal complex at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport which cost 306 million U.S. dollars will be inaugurated on Monday.The 500,000 square meter complex is expected to serve 14 million passengers every year. The terminal building has the biggest multi-storey parking lot of Europe. It also has a purification and waste disposal complex as well as roads and bridges. The system integration of the complex is only found in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Frankurt and Chicago airports. The international lines complex has a modular growth capacity which enables to increase the number of passenger bridges from 18 to 23 and open more social facilities that are supposed to be found in international transit airports. President Suleyman Demirel is expected to attend the inauguration of the terminal complex on Monday. [05] CUSTOMS OFFICIALS CONFISCATE DRUG HAVING MARKET PRICE OF 4.5 TRILLION TURKISH LIRAS AT KAPIKULE BORDER GATE IN 1999EDIRNE - Customs officials confiscated drugs having market price of 4.5 trillion Turkish Liras at the Kapikule Border Gate in 1999.Officials told the A.A correspondent on Sunday that number of incidents decreased in 1999 compared with the figures in 1998. Customs officials confiscated a total of 400 kg of heroin, 1,200,000 Captagon pills, and 15 tonnes of acid anhydride which is being used in heroin production. Customs officials also seized 150 thousand bullets and a number of weapons at the Kapikule Border Gate in 1999. In 1999, a total of 110 incidents occured at the Kapikule Border Gate. This figure was 130 in 1998. [06] FOREIGN MINISTER CEM: - ''THE MOST IMPORTANT MATTER FOR US IN YEAR 2000 IS SOUTHERN CAUCASIA''ANKARA - Ismail Cem, the Foreign Minister, said on Sunday, ''clashes in Chechnya have affected Southern CaucasiA negatively. The most important matter in the year 2000 is Southern Caucasia for us.''Addressing a television programme on the state-run TRT-1 Channel, Cem evaluated the developments in 1999. Referring to the continuing clashes in Chechnya, Cem said, ''Chechnya problem has affected negatively the neighbouring countries such as Georgia. Turkey will continue to cooperate with Georgia in every field.'' When asked whether or not he had expected President Boris Yeltsin of the Russian Federation to resign, Cem noted, ''actually I did not expect him to resign from his post.'' Recalling that the Greek Cypriot administration had became a candidate to the European Union (EU) five years ago in spite of Turkey's objections, Cem said that the Cyprus question was brought onto agenda of the EU within this framework. Cem described announcement of Turkey's candidacy to the EU as the most important development in 1999, adding that Turkey has also succeded in her struggle against terrorism last year. [07] MUGLA GOVERNORSHIP TO HOST FOREIGN AMBASSADORS AND COLUMNISTS BEFORE SUMMER TO BOOST TOURISMMUGLA - Mugla Governor Lutfi Yigenoglu said on Sunday that they would host foreign ambassadors and columnists on Mugla's coast before summer.Stating that Mugla has an important place in Turkish tourism and it provides one fourth of Turkey's tourism income, Yigenoglu said representatives of tourism sector in Mugla will have great responsibilities in the coming months. Before 2000's summer, Yigenoglu will host columnists who wrote for foreign publications as well as ambassadors of foreign countries to introduce them the natural assets of Mugla region. [08] UNLOADING EFFORTS ON VOLGONEFT 248 TO START ON MONDAYISTANBUL - Coast Guard teams will start on Monday to unload the 900 tons of fuel oil from the Russian flagged tanker, Volgoneft 248 which ran aground and split apart on Istanbul's Florya coast last week.Hucum Tulgar, the General Director of Coast Guard and Ship Rescue Managements, said their works were interrupted by the new year holiday. Administrative and legal procedures regarding unloading the ship will start on Monday. The ship owners and the insurance company are expected to reach an agreement also on the same day. Tulgar noted that unloading the fuel oil from the ship required some detailed calculations and was not so easy. According to International Maritime Law, a ship is like an embassy building and considered foreign territory. Therefore, Turkey cannot start working on the ship without Russia's approval unless an emergency occurs like if the ship starts sinking, Tulgar explained. He also stressed that they surrounded the ship with barriers to prevent a possible danger that might be caused by a leak. The 25 personnel if a rescue ship are currently keeping the situation under control. [09] A.AAnadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |