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Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-03-06Anadolu Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Anadolu Agency Home Page at <http://www.anadoluajansi.com.tr/>Anadolu AgencyANADOLU AGENCY NEWS 06 MARCH 2001 Tuesday CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY-PRESS SCANThese are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on March 6, 2001. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.HURRIYET (LIBERAL)AVALANCHE IN PALANDOKENAn avalanche came down on the same spot on Monday, where a 1996 snowslide had resulted in the deaths of 6 skiers in Palandöken Skiing Resort. According to initial reports from the disaster scene, there were no casualties in the Monday avalanche, which occurred at around 13.30 at an altitude of 3,100 meters. Gendarmerie officials took intense security measures. A DREAM COMES TRUE MILLIYETOYA UNLU: ''WE'LL FIND THE EMERGENCY EXIST''State Minister Fikret Unlu's daughter Oya Unlu has been working with Kemal Dervis at the World Bank for four years. Unlu thinks that Dervis' respectibility would help Turkey find foreign support to its economic program. She said there was no serious problems in budget or finance but the banking sector was the real trouble. MISSING HADEP MEMBERS IN HANDS OF PKK SABAH (LIBERAL)TURKISH FASHION DESIGNERS EXTEND OLIVE BRANCH TO GREECETurkey-Greece relations, which had gained a friendly manner in the wake of the earthquakes on both sides of the Aegean, were reflected also in economic relations. In a first-ever move, Turkish fashion designers, and leather and textile companies participated in a fair in Greece, inaugurated by Foreign Trade Undersecretary Kursat Tuzmen. Over 70 textile exporter companies participated in the fair; where the products were displayed by famous Turkish models in a fashion show. 'TEAM' TO THE RESCUE CUMHURIYET (LEFT)TEMIZEL EXPECTED TO RETURN TO POLITICSZekeriye Temizel's stepping down from the Banking Supervision and Inspection Council chairmanship was interpreted as ''Ecevit's operation'' and it made certain Democratic Left Party (DSP) members uneasy. Some politicians are saying that Temizel would not withdraw from the political arena so easily. It was stated that Temizel who will return to Turkey following the Feast of Sacrifice might become active in politics. FRENCH ANIMAL LOVERS PROTEST KILLING SHEEP IN PARIS RADIKAL (LEFT)MISSING HADEP OFFICIALS ALLEGED TO BE IN PKK CAMPSPeople's Democracy Party (HADEP) Silopi Chairman Serdar Tanis and party executive Ebubekir Deniz, who had allegedly disappeared after being taken into custody were reported to be at a camp of the PKK terrorist organization in Northern Iraq. The PKK sent a note to Serdar Tanis's father Suayip Tanis, in which it was said that the two party officials were kept at a PKK camp in Northern Iraq. The letter asked Tanis's father to tell authorities that the two men were slaughtered by Turkish officials. The handwritten note said that Tanis and Deniz, missing since Jan. 15, were in PKK's hands, and that they had "betrayed the organization and collaborated with the enemy." TÜRK TAKES A BREAK AS LEADERS CONTINUE TO WORK TURKIYE (RIGHT)DERVIS URGES ''A LITTLE MORE PATIENCE''State Minister in charge of economy Kemal Dervis pointed out that the first week of their activities was highly important and said that the outline of the economic program will become certain after the Feast of Sacrifice. ''We'll recover in two or three months. I want to end this year in a very good way,'' he said. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said the latest developments were positive adding that the government was trying to increase domestic and foreign resources. Ecevit also emphasized that the coalition government was working in full harmony. 26 PEOPLE DIE IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ON FIRST DAY ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)PARLIAMENT TO TAKE UP GENOCIDE ALLEGATIONSThe Parliament will take up a general negotiation motion submitted by the Virtue Party, upon the resurrection of the so-called Armenian Genocide as a top-of-the-agenda issue at European parliaments. The motion calls on government officials to assume a clear and determined stance against the matter, and states that the aim is not to re-write history, but to evaluate Turkey-Armenia relations in the light of historical facts. -IMF:''IT IS TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE TO PROLONG STAND-BY AGREEMENT The same officials also pointed out that they did not discuss this matter with the Turkish government yet. Meanwhile, the U.S. think-tank institution the Strategic and International Studies Center issued a report on Turkey where it said combat against corruption was a pre-condition for the economic program's success. The report also pointed out that there were differences of opinion among U.S. President George W. Bush's circle regarding support to Turkey. -DERVIS: ''WE'LL TAKE BOLD STEPS TO RECOVER ECONOMY'' Dervis told reporters that he would meet with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and State Minister Yuksel Yalova on Tuesday. He pointed out that banks are his priority among other things in the economic program. ''Economy is a whole, so we should announce the entire program at once. Therefore, we'll make a public statement after everything comes together. As you know the economic situation reached a critical point in February so we should take some bold steps to recover it,'' he elaborated. Dervis will go to the United States from Istanbul on Wednesday to submit his letter of resignation to the World Bank. -WASTE WATER PURIFICATION FACILITY STARTS OPERATION The waste water facility has the capacity to purify 200,000 cubic meters of water every day. ''Currently, the facility is purifying 180,000 cubic meters of water. At the same time, we're producing 35 tons of fertilizer at this facility a day,'' he explained adding that they were planning to form a forest with this fertilizer. The facility which was set up with French technology and financing is the only one in East and South East Turkey. The purified water is used to irrigate 80,000 hectars of agricultural land in the area. -BILL BRINGS HEAVY FINES TO FIGHT CHILD LABOUR According to the bill, children under the age of 18 cannot work at jobs that involve alcohol and cigarette production. They also cannot work underground or underwater. They cannot be employed at too noisy environments or at jobs where they have to stand up all the time. If a child is over 14 years old and completed the first eight years of his education, she or he could be employed at fields to pick up flowers and vegetables, feeding animal, fish farms, libraries, fairs and exhibitions. They can also be employed as sales people at bakeries and grocery stores, or work as waiter at restaurants which don't serve alcohol. The bill bans the people who committed a crime against children and teenagers in their past, drug addicts and alcoholics and mentally disturbed people from employing children at their business places. Employers who will employ children at art related activities will have to have the permission of the child's family and his school. -ENVIRONMENT MINISTER AYTEKIN IN BRUSSELS The environment ministers of EU member and candidate countries will exchange opinion on environmental fields. The participants will also focus on the legal and technical changes that EU candidate countries have to make as the part of the sixth Action Plan. It was stated that Aytekin will deliver a speech about Turkey's adjustments efforts to EU environment regulations. The meeting is important for Turkey since Aytekin will express its expectations and needs from the EU on environmental issues. Aytekin will return home on March, 8 Thursday. -TURKISH WOMEN STILL EXCLUDED FROM SOCIETY'S DECISION TAKING MECHANISMS Doster told the A.A that only eight million women know how to read and write and two out of a hundred women have a university degree in Turkey. About 55 percent of women don't use birth control. ''64 percent of women don't see a doctor during their pregnancy and 65 percent of them, especially in rural areas, don't appear in front of guests who come to visit their home. Around 2,500 women die during pregnancy or child birth every year. Beatings, pressures, so-called honor killings still target women in Turkey,'' she explained. Doster also pointed out that there was a rise in the number of women who committed suicide in the recent years. ''Women, who constitute half of our population, will solve most of their problems when they achieve to participate in the society's decision taking mechanisms,'' she asserted. She also said that the women's participation in Parliament was much lower than it was in the 1930's. Men hold executive posts while women work as their assistant in all business sectors in the country, Doster said and added that the main problems are the same all over Turkey although it might vary from region to region. Education of women and their employment is essential to improve the women's status in Turkey, she concluded. -FIVE TONS OF SMUGGLED MEAT CAUGHT AT KAPIKULE BORDER GATE ''The smugglers pay one million for one kilo of meat in Bulgaria and they could sell it here for three or four million. The demand for meat increases smuggling activities,'' one official said, adding that their inspections countinue without halt at the borders. Last year in the same period, about 12 tons of meat and meat products were captured at the Kapikule border gate. The meat products which are caught at the border are sent to the Agriculture and Quarantine Station to be destroyed. -ATO RELEASES REAL SECTOR SURVEY RESULTS According to the survey, the businessmen think that government has the biggest share of responsibility, with 39 percent, in the latest economic crisis. Businessmen undertaking the survey estimated that the inflation rate would be around 25 percent by the end of the year. The survey was carried out in the capital's biggest business centers and districts, such as Gimat, Karum, Ostim, Siteler, Anafartalar Bazaar, and Ulus; and the businessmen were asked 11 questions. Asked about the measures they were planning to take in the wake of the economic crisis, 37 percent of the businessmen said they would preserve their current status; 32 percent said they were planning to shrink their businesses; 19 percent said they would lay off personnel, and 12 percent said they would shut down their businesses. Thirteen percent said there was a need for a cabinet reshuffle; while 10 percent believed the economy bureaucracy needed a revision; 6 percent said the budget targets had to be reassessed; and 7 percent stressed that all of the above needed a revision. Seventy percent said that the Presidency was the most trustworthy institution in the country, while 20 percent went for the General Staff. Six percent said Justice was the most trustworthy, and only one percent voted in favor of the government. Politicians were the least trusted, with zero percent, and the press followed after the politicians with one percent. Asked about the responsible of the latest economic crisis, 39 percent accused the government; 19 percent accused the IMF and its policies, and 12 percent blamed the economy bureaucracy. 20 percent said the government, the IMF and the economy bureaucracy were equally responsible for the economıc turmoil. In response to a question on their hopes for the near future, 59 percent of the businessmen expressed "severe pessimism", while 30 percent said they were optimistic, despite all the negative developments. 11 percent said they had no views about the future. Sixty-one percent of the businessmen said they would decide after seeing what the measures would be, in response to a question as to what their reaction would be to a possible decision by the government to implement a new economic program; while 34 percent said they would not support the government in a new initiative of that sort; and only five percent expressed support to the government if it were to come up with a new economic program. Ninety percent of the businessmen said that the inflation rate would be over 25 percent; 9 percent estimated an inflation rate between 20-25; and one percent made an estimate of 15-20 percent for the year 2001. Sixty-four percent believed that the U.S. dollar would have topped TL 1 million; 56 percent responded against the government decision to let the TL float, while 29 percent responded in favor. Forty percent of the businessmen said they were anxious about a possible post-crisis economic stagnation, and 20 percent were worried about payments of their debts in the post-crisis period. -45 ILLEGAL FOREIGNERS CAUGHT IN TRAFFIC CONTROLS There were 30 Iranians, 12 Iraqis, two Palestinians and one Afghan among those who will be deported. The foreigners were planning to pass to Europe via Turkey. -NETHERLANDS INCREASES CHARTER FLIGHTS TO TURKEY Following the charter flights which was started by Sun Express last month, Air Holland will beging transporting Dutch passengers to Turkey on April 22. Air Holland's Boeing 757-200 type planes will fly from Amsterdam to Antalya, Dalaman, Bodrum, Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara every week. The six flights might be increased to ten according to the demand, the company officials stated. The six-times a week schedule will continue until Oct.29, 2001 and the flights will decrease to three times a week after this date. -NINE MILLION TOURISTS VISIT MUSEUMS AND HISTORICAL SITES Istanbul's Topkapi Place was the most visited museum last year with one million visitors. Konya Mevlana (Rumi) and Ayasofya museum followed Topkapi with 704,000 and 695,000 visitors. Ankara's Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ankara Republic, Bodrum Underwater Archeology, Izmir Ephesus, Istanbul Archeology and Antalya Museum were among the most visited museums. Currently, there are restoration efforts going on in 56 museums. Bolu, Duzce, Sakarya and Kocaeli museums were shut down after the August 17 and November 12 earthquakes. A total of 6,5 trillion TL was spent for museum restorations in 1999 and 2000 while eight trillion TL was assigned for this year's restoration activities. It was reported that a big part of the cracks that occured at Topkapi Museum after the earthquakes were repaired so far. -WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION ESSENTIAL TO SAVE ENVIRONMENT ''Fertility is the most important similarity between women and the nature. Therefore, the nature could not be saved from being destroyed without women, '' she said. Pointing to discrimination against women in all fields of life, Erbatur said women don't play an effective role in environmental matters since they don't participate in decision making mechanisms of the society and politics. ''Pressures that women face at home and at work block their involvement in other fields,'' she continued. ''Traditions and patriarchal social structure prevent their participation in environmental matters. A change is possible through education and this could be only done in early ages. The load of housework on women should also be lightened by equal share of responsibilities at home between the wife and the husband.'' ''Break your shells,'' Erbatur called on to Turkish women and urged them to have a more active participation in Turkey's environmental problems. -TOURS ORGANIZED TO ZEUGMA DURING HOLIDAY Gaziantep Tourism Director Mehmet Dogan said on Tuesday that the bookings at hotels and other tourism facilities in the city were very high compared to previous years. He pointed out that the wide media coverage of the Zeugma played an important role to draw tourists to the area. Officials at the Gaziantep Archeology Museum pointed to the increasing number of tourists coming from Istanbul, Ankara, Adana, Istanbul and Izmir. -102 KILOS OF HEROIN RECOVERED IN ISTANBUL Acting on a tip-off, narcotic teams raided a house in Bahcelievler Yenibosna district and recovered 81,5 kilos of heroin. Nine Turks and one Iranian man was taken into custody. After the interrogation of suspects, the police tracked down another 21 kilos of heroin and two guns in a house in Buyukcekmece Beylikduzu. Police are trying to catch another man who owned the drugs. It was reported that the suspects were planning to smuggle the heroin to the Netherlands.
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