Selections From Todays Turkish Press

Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit called on his Israeli counterpart Ariel Sharon to sustain peace in the Middle East without waiting for the terrorist activities to end. Ecevit said, "Efforts towards sustaining peace and stability in the region would also end terrorism." It was also stated that Ecevit repeated his peace messages to Sharon during the phone call Sharon made to explain the reasons for the closure of the "Eastern House. " Ecevit said, "You must start the dialogue for peace as soon as possible. You must not wait for terrorism to end in order to initiate the peace talks. Peace would end terrorism." /Cumhuriyet/

NO VISA OBLIGATION BETWEEN BRAZIL AND TURKEY

The obligation to obtain a visa between Turkey and Brazil will be waived. An agreement on the issue was signed between Brazilian Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Luiz Felipe de Sexias Correa and Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Frauk Logoglu. Logoglu said, "Economic, social, cultural and commercial relations between the two countries will improve with this new implementation." /Cumhuriyet/

SYRIAN MINISTER TO ARRIVE IN TURKEY TODAY

Syrian Minister of Irrigation Taha Al Arash is to pay an official visit to the State Minister responsible for the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) today. According to the information received from the State Ministry, Minister Atrash will meet Minister Yilmaz at the GAP Administrative Office, and a briefing will be provided by the GAP Administration Chairman. The Syrian Minister will also pay a visit to the Energy and Natural Resources Minister Zeki Cakan on Wednesday, and a GAP briefing will be given by the Chairman of the GAP Administration at the State Waterworks Authority (DSI). /Turkish News/

MEDAL OF HONOR FOR COMMANDERS

Chief of the General Staff, General Huseyin Kivrikoglu, has presented the Land Forces Commander, General Hilmi Ozkok, and the Gendarmerie General Commander, General Aytac Yalman, with the Turkish Armed Forces' (TSK) " Medal of Honor." During the ceremony, that was organized at the General Staff, Generals Hursit Tolon, Oktar Ataman and Ibrahim Firtina, who were promoted and became Lieutenant Generals, and Admiral Ozden Ornek, who has become the Vice-Admiral, were given the TSK's Superior Service Medal. /Milliyet/

'2001-A TRANSPLANT ODYSSEY' IN ISTANBUL

The '2001-A Transplant Odyssey', during which the recent developments in transplantation will be discussed, will begin today in Istanbul. 2,000 experts from 70 countries are expected to attend the congress. /Cumhuriyet/

TURKISH DOCTOR'S SUCCESS WITH CANCER

Turkish Dr. Omer Kucuk, a cancer researcher at Wayne State University in Detroit, has succeeded in reducing the size of prostate cancer tumors with tomato capsules in three weeks. Some of the 26 prostate cancer patients who were waiting on an operation, were given capsules of "lycopen", a substance present in tomatoes, two times a day before the operation. It was determined, during the operations, that the sizes of tumors of patients who used lycopen capsules had reduced. /Turkish News/

HIGHER EXPORT INCREASE EXPECTED IN THIRD QUARTER

The higher rate of increase in Turkish exports in July compared to the second quarter figures of this year is an indication that the increase rate in exports in the third quarter could be higher than the first and the second quarters, the Foreign Trade Undersecretariat (DTM) said in a report that, Turkish exports had increased by 16.7 percent in July, the Anatolia reported. According to the Union of Exporters data, Turkish exports went up 13.4 percent to $17.7 billion in the first six months of this year. /Turkish News/

AKBANK GIVES MANDATE FOR $250 MLN SYNDICATION

Turkish private bank Akbank yesterday said, it has given mandate to a group of international banks for a one-year $250 million syndication. In a statement to the Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB), the bank said the mandate was given in the form of joint arrangers. /Turkish Daily News/

SUMMIT FOR ENERGY

The Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Zeki Cakan, the Minister of Finance Sumer Oral and the Minister of State Kemal Dervis met yesterday to discuss issues in energy. The major topic of the three-hour meeting was the Treasury's guarantee for energy ventures. Following the work of the technical committee, Dervis and Cakan are expected to meet again on Aug. 23rd or 24th. /Turkiye/

REAL SECTOR'S ISSUE TO BE DISCUSSED

The loan issue between real and finance sector will be taken up today at a meeting headed by the Minister of State, Kemal Dervis. The meeting will bring economy bureaucrats, real and finance sector, as well as World Bank representatives, together. Following the economic crisis, the real sector is in difficulty in repaying the loans before the maturity date with high interest rates. /Turkiye/

"GOVERNMENT SHOULD RE-ENSURE THE TRUST"

International finance circles proposed powerful precautions to be taken by the government and the IMF to re-ensure trust in Turkey. To speed up the reforms, an additional finance source from the IMF and a new debt swap are among the other proposals. The IMF and the US finance authorities claimed that the threat of high foreign currency and high inflation rates are on going as the markets' trust still has not be ensured in Turkey. /Turkiye/

CILLER SAYS MAYORS DO GOOD JOBS DESPITE ODDS

Main opposition True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller said on Monday that despite the hard conditions, municipalities are doing their best to fulfill their duties. During a visit to the Aegean resort of Bodrum, Ciller met with mayors of neighboring municipalities. Ciller said that she has regrets about drinking water problems at the resort and stated that state should concentrate on this problem. She also vowed to complete infrastructure facilities, if her party comes to power. /Turkish Daily News/

HAGIA SOPHIA AND CHORA MUSEUMS PHOTOS IN PARIS

A photo exhibition of mosaics and frescos in Hagia Sophia and Chora museums by Cryril Mango and Ahmet Artug were opened on Aug. 19 in Paris by the Minister of Culture Istemihan Talay. The exhibition is being held in conjunction with the 20th International Byzantine Research Convention which is being held in Paris on Aug. 19-25. /Turkish Daily News/

GREAT DEMAND FOR TURKISH LIRA BONDS

There was a great demand for the one-year-term bonds indexed to foreign exchange with a compound interest of 11.4% and the 58-days-term bonds with an interest of 92.5%, which were opened to sale yesterday. The demand for one bond has surpassed 1 quadrillion TL. Thus, the treasury has stopped the sale of bonds yesterday, although it had two more days of sale. Officials from the Treasury recalled that there would be a domestic debt payment amounting to 8 quadrillion TL in October and added, "We have come across such a demand that can even relieve October." /Milliyet/

THE MYSTERY IN THE DEPTHS OF MARMARA SEA TO BE SOLVED

One of the world's biggest research vessels, Marion Dufrense, which transports materials to the French islands at the Southern Pole, and which has the technology used by nuclear submarines, has arrived to Istanbul yesterday within the framework of the "Marmaracore" project that is implemented by the cooperation between Turkey and France. Dufresne will solve the mystery of three big pits in the Marmara Sea. The vessel will drill the depths of 8,000 meters and will have carotene samples of 60 meters. Thus, the things that are not known about the place, time and magnitudes of the historical earthquakes will be uncovered. /Milliyet/

AIRBUS PARTS TO BE PRODUCED IN IZMIR

The largest plane connection parts producing company in Turkey, FTC, which had been producing connection parts only for the Turkish Air Forces and TAI, will produce connection parts for Airbus, one of the largest air transportation companies in the world. Following the production of apparatus for the Airbus, the FTC would set up a new factory in the Aegean Free Zone. /Turkish Daily News/