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Anadolu Agency: News in English, 00-12-24

Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.com.tr/>

Anadolu Agency

ANADOLU AGENCY

NEWS

24 DECEMBER 2000 Sunday


CONTENTS

  • [01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

  • [01] TURKEY-PRESS SCAN

    These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on December 24, 2000. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

    HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

    ANKARA DEPRIVED OF NATURAL GAS
    Almost eighty percent of Ankara can't be given natural gas when pressure decreased to two bars. Natural gas consumption increased as the temperature had decreased to -5 degrees together with snowfall in Ankara shortly after midnight. The natural gas pressure reduced to 2 bars after such an increse in consumption.

    TURKEY REACTS AGAINST THE NETHERLANDS
    Foreign Ministry said, ''we learnt with regret that Mayor of Rotterdam and a high-level official from the Dutch Foreign Ministry had received members of the terrorist organization of Revolutionary People's Liberation Party- Front (DHKP-C) who pitched a tent in the city center to protest intervention in prisons and to support death-fasting prisoners in Turkey.''

    The statement noted, ''Turkey has showed its reaction by summoning interim Charge D'Affaires of Dutch Embassy in Ankara to Foreign Ministry. The Turkish Embassy in The Hague has also launched necessary initiatives.'' ''Turkey which suffered from terrorism jeopardizing human life, country's stability and welfare, cannot accept such an attitude embracing terrorist organizations and accepting them as an interlocutor. Turkey believes that countries supporting terrorist organizations, would be damaged. Turkey expects all relevant countries to respect to their commitments in struggle against terrorism,'' the statement added.

    MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

    EXPLOSION IN EGYPTIAN BAZAAR CAUSED BY GAS LEAKAGE FROM LPG CANISTER
    Expert delegation sent a report to the Istanbul State Security Court (DGM) no:4 saying that the explosion in the Misir Carsisi (Egyptian Bazaar) on July 9, 1998, killing seven people and injuring 127 others was caused by gas leakage from LPG canister. Within scope of the case in which 15 suspects are tried, the expert delegation comprising Prof. Dr. Neset Kadirgan, Prof. Dr. Ali Sasmaz and Prof. Dr. Nursen Ipekoglu from the Yildiz Technical University and Istanbul University submitted its eight- page report to the court. According to the report, the explosion was not caused by a bomb but bu gas leakage from LPG canister.

    CEM: ''WE SHOULD SEND VIDEO TAPES TO FOREIGN TV CHANNELS''
    Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said, ''we should send video tapes showing brutality of terrorist organization during the security forces' intervention in prisons, to foreign Television channels in order to explain Turkey's rightfulness.'' Members of terrorist organization chained one of their friends to railing of a ward at Canakkale Prison, and burnt her to death. Images of female militant Fidan Kalsen, a member of the terrorist organization of Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), revealed brutal face of terrorist organization.

    SABAH (LIBERAL)

    TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS CLAIM 24 LIVES
    A total of 24 people were killed while 36 others were injured in traffic accidents on the first day of ten-day holiday. Heavy snowfall paralyzed traffic throughout Turkey.

    INMATES BREAK WASHBASINS AT F TYPE PRISONS
    Inmates who wee transferred to F type prisons during the intervention in prisons to put an end to hurger strikes and deaths fasts, are continuing to protest F type prisons. Some inmates at F type prison in Sincan township of Ankara, damaged washbasins and toilets.

    CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

    REASON FOR EXPLOSION IS NOT A BOMB BUT A LPG CANISTER
    The expert delegation which concluded its report on the Misir Carsisi (Egyptian Bazaar) announced that the explosion had not been caused by a bomb but by gas leakage from LPG canister. The report was submitted to the court which is hearing the case of 15 suspects whom the prosecutor sought death sentence to five of them.

    STATE BECOMES WEAK
    Interior Minister Sadettin Tantan said that telephone conversations between prisoners staying at different prisons was an outcome of the state's weakness. Recalling that gendarmerie was responsible for external security of prisons, Tantan said, ''the Justice Ministry is the side which is totally responsible for all incidents happen inside prisons. And the prison warden is the responsible person for this. We are waiting whether the responsible persons of this system would be investigated.''

    INSIDE OF F TYPE DREADFUL
    Lawyers who visited F type prisons in Sincan and Edirne said that the first group death-fasting inmates had been sent to F type prisons and those people were left to death in cells. Noting that there was a serious chaos in prisons, lawyers said many death-fasting inmates were about to die. Lawyers said that heating system in prisons did not work, and inmates who wore sheet were brought to rooms to speak with them were facing the risk of being frozen to death. Noting that they observed that inmates had been exposed to torture, lawyers claimed that death toll was more than 40.

    RADIKAL (LEFT)

    TANTAN ACCUSES JUSTICE MINISTRY
    Interior Minister Sadettin Tantan said that the Justice Minister was responsible for the prisons. He asked, ''why have they waited for a long time and why did they condone training of people in prisons by terrorist organizations?'' Meanwhile, Colonel Ali Aydin said, ''two soldiers were killed and four others were injured when members of terrorist organizations responded to security forces with weapons, knives and skewers during the intervention in prisons. 16 inmates who burnt themselves in accordance with instructions given by terrorist organizations, died while 30 others were injured. 10 inmates who responded to security forces with weapons, died while 103 others were injured.''

    YENI BINYIL (LIBERAL)

    THEY HAVE WATCHED FOR TEN YEARS
    Interior Minister Sadettin Tantan accused the authorities by saying, ''operations cleaned up disgrace in the state in last ten years.'' ''If the prisons had been under dominance and control of the state in last decade, it could have been possible to return the young people who committed their first crime but deceived by terrorist organizations in prisons, to life. Why did they wait for years and why did they condone such a training of young people in prisons?''

    HERE BRAINS OF RESISTANCE
    The newspaper published a photograph reflecting the view while Sadi Ozpolat and Ercan Kartal and other leading names of the terrorist organizations were being brought from the Bayrampasa prison. This is the group who incited many attacks including murder of businessman Ozdemir Sabanci. This is the group which ordered prisoners to set themselves on fire. Now, all of them are staying at one-person cells.

    BANKERS WAIT FOR TREASURY AUCTIONS
    Treasury's auctions in January are on high on the agenda of bankers who experienced a tough year. The money markets will be guided with the two Treasury auctions in January and the 1.4 quadrillion Turkish lira of domestic borrowing repayment on January 8.

    TURKIYE (RIGHT)

    WE PUT END TO SHAME OF STATE
    A briefing was given at the Interior Ministry on interventions in prisons. Officials said that control and supervision of 20 prisons including Bayrampasa prison which the security forces couldn't enter for ten years and became training center of extreme leftist terrorist organizations had been provided. Interior Minister Sadettin Tantan said, ''with the operation, we put an end to this shame. Some civil organization have taken a position in favor of terrorists as they are scared.''

    CONSEQUENCE OF NEGLIGENCE
    Two soldiers martyred in operations against prisons which ''went astray'' in last ten years. 26 militants died and most of them having set themselves on fire. 103 others were injured. In searches, 1 kalashnikow rifle, 10 hand guns, 1 shotgun, 12 hand-made hand grenades, 70 cartridges and 315 knives and razors. 942 prisons were transferred to F type prisons.

    ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

    WHAT ABOUT MAFIA?
    Mafia bosses came on the agenda after eradication of terrorist organizations' dominance over prisons. Now, circles are discussing how mafia could be prevented from collecting money from prisons and surroundings. This illegal action of Nurin Ergin, the head of Karagumruk gang, in Usak prison had been earlier revealed.

    EXPLOSION CAUSED BY LPG CANISTER
    The report of expert delegation put an end to discussions on whether or not the explosion in Misir Carsisi on July 9, 1998, killing seven people and injuring 121 others had been caused by a bomb. The report said that it was impossible that the explosion had been caused by a bomb and the reason was a gas leakage from LPG canister.

    -SECURITY FORCES CAPTURE 10 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
    EDIRNE - Security forces intercepted on Saturday 10 people in Yolustu village in nortwestern Edirne province as they were trying to proceed to Bulgaria illegally.

    The immigrants of Palestinian origin including four children and a woman, were taken into custody for violating the Turkish borders and the passport law.

    Officials told the A.A correspondent that the illegal immigrants would be deported once the legal proceedings were completed.

    -SOCCER-TURKISH DIVISION ONE RESULTS AND STANDINGS
    ANKARA - Results of the Turkish division one soccer matches played between December 21-23:

    Yimpas Yozgatspor-Besiktas............................( 1 - 1 )

    Caykur Rizespor-Genclerbirligi........................( 2 - 0 )

    Adanaspor-Istanbulspor................................( 2 - 2 )

    Antalyaspor-Siirt Jet-Pa Spor.........................( 1 - 3 )

    Fenerbahce-Kocaelispor................................( 4 - 0 )

    MKE Ankaragucu-Samsunspor.............................( 2 - 0 )

    Gaziantepspor-Bursaspor...............................( 2 - 1 )

    Trabzonspor-Erzurumspor...............................( 3 - 0 )

    Galatasaray-Denizlispor...............................( 1 - 2 )

    Standings:

    P W D L F A Pts

    1 GALATASARAY 18 12 3 3 40 13 39
    2 FENERBAHCE 18 12 3 3 45 22 39
    3 BESIKTAS 18 11 4 3 38 25 37
    4 GAZIANTEPSPOR 18 10 5 3 38 22 35
    5 TRABZONSPOR 18 9 5 4 36 23 32
    6 GENCLERBIRLIGI 18 9 3 6 24 21 30
    7 SAMSUNSPOR 18 8 4 6 28 24 28
    8 ISTANBULSPOR 18 7 5 6 25 25 26
    9 MKE ANKARAGUCU 18 6 7 5 26 28 25
    10 YIMPAS YOZGATSPOR 18 6 6 6 26 22 24
    11 DENIZLISPOR 18 6 6 6 23 29 24
    12 ANTALYASPOR 18 6 5 7 25 29 23
    13 CAYKUR RIZESPOR 18 5 4 9 19 21 19
    14 BURSASPOR 18 3 6 9 21 37 15
    15 ADANASPOR 18 2 8 8 27 36 14
    16 ERZURUMSPOR 18 3 3 12 20 45 12
    17 KOCAELISPOR 18 1 7 10 18 37 10
    18 SIIRT JET-PA SPOR 18 1 6 11 21 40 9
    Turkish first division Day 19 matches will be played between January 26-28.

    Top Goal Scorers:

    18 goals: Jardel (Galatasaray)

    13 goals: Okan (Bursaspor)

    12 goals: Fatih (Gaziantepspor) and Cenk (Adanaspor)

    11 goals: Pascal Nouma (Besiktas)

    10 goals: Kenneth Andersson (Fenerbahce)

    -BRSA FINDS 11 OF 18 APPLICATIONS SATISFACTORY
    ANKARA - The Banking Regulatory and Suprevisory Authority (BRSA) said on Saturday that it found applications of 11 investors including two foreigners out of the applications of 18 investors including five foreigners satisfactory to purchase shares of eight public banks which had been transferred to the Savings Account Insurance Fund (SAIF).

    Releasing a statement, BRSA said that it had concluded observation of applications and found 11 of the 18 applications satisfactory.

    It said that those 11 investors should inform the BRSA about the bank or banks they were interested in as of January 2, 2001i and they would be allowed to observe the banks after the secrecy agreements.

    -ANTALYA TO HOST INTERNATIONAL SOCCER TOURNAMENT
    BETWEEN JANUARY 15 AND 21
    ISTANBUL - International Soccer Tournament organized by the Gazi Firm to heal the wounds of last year's deadly earthquake disaster, will be held in southern Antalya province between January 15 and 21, 2001.

    Besiktas and Galatasaray clubs will represent Turkey in the international soccer tornament.

    SV Werder Bremen of Germany, SK Sturm Graz of Austria, CSKA Moscow of Russia and Pogon Szcein of Poland will participate in the tournament.

    At the end of matches which will be played in two groups, two teams which will become leaders of their groups will play the final match on January 21.

    Besiktas will play matches with SK Sturm Graz and CSKA Moscow in the Group A while Galatasaray will take on SV Werder Bremen and Pogon Szcein in the Group B.

    The matches will be broadcast live on the Eurosport television channel.

    Schedule of the matches is as follows:

    January 15, Monday:

    08:30 p.m. Besiktas v CSKA Moscow

    January 16 Tuesday:

    08:30 p.m. SV Werder Bremen v Pogon Szecin

    January 17 Wednesday:

    08:30 p.m. SK Sturm Graz v CSKA Moscow

    January 18 Thursday:

    08:30 p.m. Galatasaray v Pogon Szecin

    January 19 Friday:

    08:00 p.m. Besiktas v SK Sturm Graz

    January 20 Saturday:

    08:00 p.m. Galatasaray v SV Werder Bremen

    January 21 Sunday:

    08.00 p.m. Final match

    -HEAVY SNOWFALL PARALYZES DAILY LIFE AND TRAFFIC THROUGHOUT TURKEY
    ALASEHIR/SARIGOL/ANKARA/AFYON - Heavy snowfall paralyzed daily life and traffic throughout Turkey.

    In Alasehir and Sarigol townships of western Manisa province, heavy snowfall damaged power lines and broke off branches of trees.

    Many village roads were closed to traffic in Alasehir township while communication could not be provided with Bahadir, Azitepe and Dagarlar villages in the township.

    Some of the flights were delayed at Ankara's Esenboga Airport.

    In Tarakli township of northwestern Sakarya province, heavy snowfall which started two days ago, paralyzed traffic.

    Highway between Tarakli and Geyve township was closed due to heavy snowfall, and nearly 40 vehicles stranded.

    Citizens in the vehicles found shelter in nearby Haciyakup village.

    Meanwhile, highway between Sandikli-Afyon was closed to traffic due to heavy snowfall.

    Hundreds of vehicles were kept in city center of Sandikli township of western Afyon province.

    A number of citizens spent the night in gendarme facility in Sandikli.

    -RELEASES FROM PRISONS CONTINUE
    ANKARA - Inmates' releases from prisons are continuing on Saturday after the law on conditional release and suspension of punishments entered into effect.

    A total of 1,187 inmates were released from Sanliurfa, Igdir, Mersin, Canakkale, Afyon, Umraniye, Usak, Denizli, Aydin, Van, Hakkari, Gumushane, Bartin, Zonguldak, Gebze, Siirt and Sivas prisons late on Saturday.

    -ISTANBUL SUFFERS FROM NATURAL GAS SHORTAGE
    ISTANBUL - The Directorate General of Istanbul Natural Gas Distribution Corp (IGDAS) said on Saturday that the Pipeline Transportation Inc (BOTAS) had reduced the pressure on natural gas it gave to Istanbul.

    ''A controlled reduction in natural gas service to subscribers in Istanbul has been put into practice except industrial facilities and hospitals,'' it said.

    It added that such a reduction had been made after the extraordinary decrease in natural gas pressure in Ankara.

    Meanwhile, the problem in Ankara had been overcome when the pressure had increased to 10.5 bars late on Saturday.

    -IN FIRST ELEVEN MONTHS, 44.8 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS
    OF CONFECTIONARY EXPORTED FROM GAP REGION
    GAZIANTEP - The exports of confectionary from Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) region in the first eleven months of 2000 increased 4.1 percent to 44 million 892 thousand U.S. dollars.

    In the same period last year, the region had exported 43 million 86 thousand U.S. dollars of confectionary.

    Officials at the Southeastern Anatolia Exporters' Association, told the A.A correspondent on Sunday that the majority of goods were exported to Iraq, Germany, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Jordan and Azerbaijan.

    -TURKEY'S INDICATORS
    -EVERY 1,000 PEOPLE HAS 63 AUTOMOBILES AND 281 TELEPHONES
    ANKARA - Every 1,000 Turkish citizens has 63 automobiles and 281 telephones.

    According to the statistics of the Foreign Trade Undersecretariat (DTM), the length of motorways rose to 60,923 kilometers and length of highways increased to 1,749 kilometers while the length of railways remained at 8, 682 kilometers in Turkey in 1999.

    The electricity consumption by each Turkish citizen which had been 1,382 kwh in 1998 rose to 1,417 kwh in 1999.

    The number of automobiles for each 1,000 Turkish citizens rose from 60 in 1998 to 63 in 1999, and the number of telephones for each 1,000 Turkish people increased from 267 in 1998 to 281 in 1999.

    The number of patients per one doctor had been 817 in 1998 while this number decreased to 799 in 1999.

    According to the statistics in 1999, the average life-span was 66.8 years for men and 71.4 years for women, the average life-span was 69 years for Turkish people, and the rate of deaths of babies decreased to 36.3 percent. In 1998, the average life-span had been 66.5 years for men and 71.2 years for women.

    The annual increase in population decreased from 0.148 percent in 1998 to 0.144 percent in 1999.

    According to the statistics in 1999, the civil workpower decreased from 23 million 472 thousand in 1998 to 23 million 356 thousand in 1999, the civil employment reduced from 21 million 909 thousand in 1998 to 21 million 644 thousand in 1999.

    The number of people employed in agriculture sector decreased from 9 million 148 thousand in 1998 to 8 million 839 thousand in 1999 while the number of people employed in manufacturing indystry rose from 3 million 693 thousand in 1998 to 3 million 731 thousand in 1999 and the number of people employed in services sector increased from 9 million 68 thousand in 1998 to 9 million 73 thousand in 1999. The official unemployment rate rose from 6.7 percent in 1998 to 7.3 percent in 1999.

    The number of Turkish people working abroad decreased from 1,218,975 in 1998 to 1,206,067 in 1999.

    -IN FIRST ELEVEN MONTHS, 304 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS OF AGRICULTURAL,
    ANIMAL AND INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS EXPORTED FROM KAYSERI
    KAYSERI - The exports of agricultural, animal and industrial products to from central Kayseri province in the first eleven months of 2000 increased 9.7 percent to 304 million 302 thousand 960 U.S. dollars.

    In the same period last year, the province had exported 277 million 372 thousand 270 U.S. dollars of agricultural, animal and industrial products.

    Oficials at Kayseri Chamber of Industry and Commerce told the A.A correspondent on Sunday that the province realized 304 million 302 thousand 960 U.S. dollars in exports in the January-November period of 2000 to the European Union (EU) countries, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Yemen, Russia, Japan, Israel, Romania, Bulgaria, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Malaysia.

    The Turkish goods in greatest demand were cloths, carpets, towels, velvets, thread, furnitures, electric household utensils and foodstuffs.

    -UMRANIYE PRISON OPENED TO PRESS
    ISTANBUL - Umraniye Prison in Istanbul was opened to press members on Sunday.

    Security forces started to take press members in groups into the prison which was the scene of an eighty-three-hour operation to put an end to hunger strikes and death fasts.

    Officials are showing weapons and equipment which were seized during the operation, to press members.

    Security forces intervened in 20 prisons accross Turkey early on Tuesday morning.

    During the operation at Umraniye Prison, a soldier was martyred, and four inmates died.

    -NEW PROJECTS IN QUAKE-HIT GOLCUK
    GOLCUK - Almost 30 trillion Turkish lira (TL) investment was targeted to be made in 27 projects that will be carried out within three years in quake- hit Golcuk township of Kocaeli.

    Golcuk Mayor Ismail Baris told the A.A correspondent on Sunday that the Municipal Assembly had approved the investment programme between 2001 and 2003. ''We will become a modern city when these investments are finalized.''

    Baris said that investments would focus mainly on northern part of Golcuk which would gain more sound and modern structure.

    Ismail Baris added that the cost of those projects which had been estimated according to unit prices in 2000 would increase more during finalization process.

    -EXPLOSION IN BAGCILAR DISTRICT OF ISTANBUL
    -ONE POLICEMAN INJURED
    ISTANBUL - A bomb which was planted in a trash can in Bagcilar district of Istanbul, was exploded with remote control on Sunday.

    Acting on a tip-off, security forces arrived in Sancaktepe neighborhood in Bagcilar district.

    The bomb went off as policeman Ibrahim Artay was approaching the trash can.

    Artay who was injured in his abdomen, was taken to hospital for medical treatment.

    A full investigation into the bomb-attack is under way.

    -MODERATE EARTHQUAKE JOLTS DIYARBAKIR
    ISTANBUL - A moderate earthquake measuring 4.8 on Richter scale jolted southeastern Diyarbakir province at 01:30 p.m. on Sunday.

    Officials at Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory Seismology Institute said that the earthquake was centered on Dicle township of Diyarbakir province.

    -UMRANIYE PRISON OPENED TO PRESS (2)
    ISTANBUL - Umraniye Prison in Istanbul was opened to press members on Sunday.

    Security forces took press members in groups into the prison which was the scene of an eighty-three-hour operation to put an end to hunger strikes and death fasts.

    Officials showed weapons and equipment which were confiscated during the operation, to press members.

    The weapons and equipment include an Uzi automatic weapon, three pistols, thousands of bullets, 500 makeshift gas masks made of plastic soft drink bottles, 15 LPG canisters changed into flame-throwers, nearly 100 bows and arrows topped with syringe needles, hundreds of knives and skewers, a handmade shield, a number of fire-bombs, four handmade electric-ignited rifles, nearly 10 time-bombs, nearly five pipe-bombs, torches, a great deal of medical stuff, three videos, 10 tape recorders, 105 typewriters, 500 casettes, 300 video tapes, a truckload of documents of the illegal organization of Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), a list of death-fasting inmates, photographs of inmates who died in death fasts, five mobile phones and a number of illegal placards.

    All of these weapons and equipment were used against security forces during 423 inmates' resistance at Umraniye Prison.

    Meanwhile, security forces confiscated also maps and plans for attacks on public institutions in Bursa, Denizli, Kocaeli, Sivas and Yozgat provinces.

    -UMRANIYE PRISON OPENED TO PRESS (3)
    ISTANBUL/KADIKOY - Umraniye Prison in Istanbul was opened to press members on Sunday.

    Security forces took press members in groups into the prison which was the scene of an eighty-three-hour operation to put an end to hunger strikes and death fasts.

    Gendarmeria officials showed weapons and equipment confiscated during the operation, to press members.

    Officials said that 6 inmates died while 45 others were injured in resistance of 423 inmates at the Umraniye Prison.

    Noting that two inmates were burnt beyond recognition, officials told reporters that bodies of inmates were sent to Forensic Medicine Institute's morgue.

    They said, ''inmates who were imprisoned in blocks B, C and D of the Umraniye Prison gathered in conference hall after beginning of intervention. We concentrated on the B block in which the conference hall takes place, for the last two days of our operation. We held brief talks with inmates for 10 or 15 times, and called on inmates to put an end to their resistance. From time to time, clashes erupted between security forces and inmates.''

    Officials said that operation at the Umraniye Prison was concluded in four days due to resistance of inmates who were members of the illegal organizations of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) and the Turkish Workers and Peasant Liberation Army (TIKKO).

    Officials told reporters that an inmate who wanted to surrender to security forces, was shot death by other inmates.

    Officials added, ''70 female out of 423 resistant inmates were transferred to Kartal Prison while male inmates were transferred to F type prison in Kocaeli province.''

    -MODERATE EARTHQUAKE JOLTS DIYARBAKIR (2)
    DIYARBAKIR - A moderate earthquake measuring 4.8 on Richter scale jolted southeastern Diyarbakir province at 01:30 p.m. on Sunday.

    Behrun Aygoren, the Mayor of Dicle township, the epicenter of the quake; told the A.A correspondent that there were not any immediate reports of casualties od damages in the quake.

    Aygoren said that the quake sent residents out to streets in panic.

    -JUSTICE MINISTER TURK STAGES PRESS CONFERENCE (1)
    ANKARA - Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk staged a press conference at the Justice Ministry on Sunday about the interventions in 20 prisons between December 19-22 that were called ''Operation Return to Life''.

    Turk said that the operation would always be mentioned as one of the great successes of cooperation among state units.

    Turk said that it was beyond every eulogy that security forces and gendarmerie had successfully concluded this perfectly organized operation with respect to human life.

    ''I want to express my gratitude once again to those who joined this operation. Such an exemplary cooperation should continue. Unfortunately, some statements are being made, accusing the Justice Ministry, republican prosecutors and prisons personnel. Prisons have become sources of problems due to years of negligence. The Justice Ministry has been deprived of sufficient sources to correct the prisons for years. There is an insufficient regulation. There were some personnel who failed to fulfil their responsibilities from time to time. Terrorist organizations established an active dominance over the prisons by benefitting from the administrative weakness based on ward system. All of these can be shown as reasons,'' he said.

    Noting that it was wrong to accuse only the Justice Ministry, republican prosecutors and prisons personnel, Turk said that places which had peculiar structure like prisons were controlled with cooperation of several state units.

    ''With this respect, it is an unjust approach to accuse only the Justice Ministry personnel of allowing smuggling of illegal materials into prisons, '' he said.

    ''A total of 81 prison personnel were dismissed in 1999 and 2000 on charges of misusing their authority, 315 others were assigned to other prisons and 177 others were laid off,'' he said.

    Turk stressed, ''the Operation Return to Life was the most comprehensive, successfully planned intervention throughout the history of Republic of Turkey. Security forces launched operations at prisons previously to end uprisings. Some of these operations gave rise to nationwide discussions.''

    He emphasized, ''the Operation Return to Life and the law on conditional release and suspension of punishments are important opportunities to re- arrange prisons. We will make prisons the places in which all inmates would make use of human rights under discipline, and over which terrorist organizations and organized gangs could not be dominant.''

    Turk told reporters, ''the Operation Return to Life entailed transfer of inmates to F type prisons. 327 inmates have been transferred to F type prison in Edirne, 337 others have been transferred to F type prison in Kocaeli, and 341 inmates have been transferred to F type prison in Sincan township of Ankara. Among them, there are 98 death-fasting inmates, and 532 inmates on hunger strikes.''

    ''Similar protests are continuing at 47 prisons. 1,656 inmates are on unlimited hunger strike, 9 inmates have been fasting to death by turns, and 353 others have been fasting to death. I want to call on these inmates and their relatives once again to end their meaningless action. Terrorist organizations have taken our young people under their influence. These young people are wasting their lives for the sake of an outdated ideology. I call on these people to spend their lives and energies to make Turkey one of the most advanced countries in the world,'' Turk added.

    -JUSTICE MINISTER TURK STAGES A PRESS CONFERENCE (2)
    ANKARA - Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said on Sunday, ''Article 16 of Anti-Terrorism Law bans coming together of inmates who have been imprisoned in one or three-person rooms in F type prisons. We should give up this understanding. It does not agree with current understanding of execution. Inmates should have their rights at these prisons.''

    Turk responded to questions of journalists following his press conference.

    When asked whether or not operations and measures taken at prisons were influential, Turk said, ''the Operation Return to Life and the law on conditional release and suspension of punishments are important opportunities to re-arrange prisons. Now, we will accelerate our works to change all prisons from ward system to room system. But the problem is not only composed of physical re-arrangements. We should also remove lack of regulations. Adequate sources should be allocated to the Justice Ministry to enable it to construct modern prisons.''

    Responding to another question, Turk said that inmates would not be allowed to have LPG canister to cook their meal.

    Stressing that some prison buildings suffered damage during intervention, Turk said, ''we will start working to repair these prisons as soon as possible. Our works on changing wards to room system have already been started.''

    ''The goal of the operation was to save life of inmates, to save them from the pressure of terrorist organizations and to take under control heads of these organizations. Some of inmates are still insisting on their meaningless action. I call on them to put an end to their action as soon as possible. The Justice Ministry does its utmost if health conditions of these inmates become more critical,'' he said.

    When asked whether or not there was a crisis between the Interior Ministry and the Justice Ministry, Turk told reporters, ''there cannot be crisis among ministries. The State is a whole. I think that it is useless to discuss issues which should be solved in cooperation among ministries.''

    When recalled of yesterday's press conference in which it had been stated that the Interior Ministry was opposed to an amendment to Article 16 of the Anti-Terrorism Law regarding an arregement in F type prisons and asked whether or not the Justice Ministry had encountered any obstacle in this issue, Turk said, ''we want to finalize our proposals with a work in which also the Interior Minister participates. So I don't want to say anything about this issue at the moment.''

    Stressing that F type prisons were the prisons where ''common rooms and places for social activities can't exist'' in accordance with second paragraph of Article 16 of the Anti-Terrorism Law, Turk said, ''because, this article prohibits prisoners who are put in one-person and three-person rooms in F type prisons, from joining with other prisoners. This understanding which does not suit the contemporary understanding should be changed.''

    ''The F type prisons are maximum security prisons. In these prisons, terrorist organizations should not be allowed to regain strength and direct terrorism. The reason for putting an end to ward system is to eradicate dominance of terrorist organizations and mafia over the prisons. However, the F type prisons should be arranged according to the U.N.'s minimum standards and Council of Europe's rules for prisons,'' he said.

    ''The prisoners should be given their rights in these prisons. This is the reason for the amendment we want to make to Article 16,'' he added.

    -RELEASES FROM PRISONS CONTINUE
    ANKARA - Inmates' releases from prisons are continuing on Saturday after the law on conditional release and suspension of punishments entered into effect.

    A total of 1,107 inmates were released from Bolu, Bitlis, Isparta, Edirne, Zonguldak, Manisa, Konya, Bayrampasa, Metris, Bakirkoy, Umraniye, Pasakapisi and Kartal prisons on Sunday.


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