Selections From Todays Turkish Press

The celebrations of the 'Victory Week', which consists of ceremonies held to commemorate the 79th anniversary of the Great Attack and Commander-in-Chief Battle, began yesterday. Issuing a message on the occasion of the 'Victory Week', President Ahmet Necdet Sezer stated that protecting and subliming the "Republic of Turkey" was one of the main duties of every Turkish citizen. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Parliamentary Speaker Omer Izgi also issued messages. Ecevit said that Turkish nation's capability to protect itself even under the worst conditions was a guarantee for the future of the Republic. İzgi said, "We commemorate the Victory Week, which resulted in a unique victory, ending our War of Independence, with our best regards." /Cumhuriyet/

BAHCELI: "MAJOR ISSUE IS THE REGIONAL INEQUALITY"

Attending the ceremonies held to mark the 930th anniversary of the Malazgirt Triumph in the Malazgirt town of Mus, Deputy Prime Minister and National Action Party (MHP) Leader Devlet Bahceli said Turkey's most important issue is the regional inequality for the time being. Addressing the ceremony Bahceli said the Malazgirt Trumph is a turning point in history. Pointing to the regional issues in the region, Bahceli said, " Unemployment and poverty speed up migration from the region. Turkey's development in total depends on the abolishment of the regional inequalities." /Turkiye/

GARIH STABBED TO DEATH

The Chairman of the Alarko Holding, Uzeyir Garih, one of Turkey's biggest business holdings, was found slain, stabbed several times to death in a cemetery in Istanbul on Saturday. The investigations are still continuing to catch Garih's murderer. Two suspects were taken into custody during the investigations. Many distinguished politicians and businessmen conveyed their condolences to Garih's family and stated that Garih's death was a great loss for Turkey since he was a very successful entrepreneur and businessman. Garih was a member of the Turkey's Jewish community, which is particularly active in leading businesses in Turkey. For the moment, police do not suspect that the stabbing was an anti-Jewish attack and think that the murder was unlikely to be politically-motivated. The funeral for Uzeyir Garih is expected to be held on Tuesday. /Cumhuriyet/

YILMAZ: ERADICATE INTERNAL OBSTACLES

Motherland Party (ANAP) Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said that Turkey should eradicate internal obstacles before the Progress Report, that will be declared by the European Union (EU) in November. He stated that the report will show the performance of each candidate country, adding that Turkish coalition leaders may convene next week to discuss constitutional changes needed for the EU membership. Speaking to CNN-Turk Television on Friday night, Yilmaz said if positive evaluations are made about Turkey in the Progress Report, this may also help to overcome the crisis, because it will also inject confidence into the financial markets. Drawing attention to the fact that September will be an important month on the path for EU membership, Yilmaz warned that if Turkey does not take the necessary steps by next month, it will be very difficult to catch up with the planned schedule for membership. "There are certain steps that Turkey must take if it really wants to join the EU. Hence, we have to complete the constitutional changes. With these changes we will be able to enlarge the domains of rights and freedom." /Turkish Daily News/

KIVRIKOGLU RETURNS TURKEY

The Chief of General Staff Gen.Huseyin Kivrikoglu completed his official visit to Azerbaijan and returned to Ankara yesterday. Before leaving Azerbaijan, Kivrikoglu visited the Marrtyr's Cemetery, Azadliq Square and Art Museum in Baku and laid a wreath. During his stay Gen. Kivrikoglu was received by President Haydar Aliyev and took part in a graduation ceremony at the Azerbaijani War School. At this ceremony, the Turkish Air Force aerobatics team, the "Turkish Stars" performed their show. /Turkish Daily News/

INDIAN ENVOY PAYS FAREWELL VISIT TO CHINA

Indian Ambassador to Ankara Melkulangang Bhadrakumer paid a farewell visit to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. It was stated that Bhadrakumer, who was appointed to Baghdad after completing his service in Ankara, discussed the bilateral relations between Turkey and India in his meeting with Ecevit. Ecevit stated that the Turkish construction sector will continue its work in India for the construction of a motorway, saying that Turkish investors would continue activities in this country, as well. Ecevit thanked Bhadrakumer for his contributions to the improvement of relations between Turkey and Syria. Bhadrakumer said during the meeting that Ecevit is very well known and loved in India. It was stated that Ecevit had expressed his views for a dialogue to the solution of the Kashmir problem. Ecevit asked for the latest situation for the solution of the Kashmir issue, which is a cause for conflict between Pakistan and India. /Turkish Daily News/

DENKTAS TRAVELS TO SALZBURG

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas is going to Salzburg this morning to meet with the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. Arriving to Istanbul from Cyprus yesterday afternoon, Denktas told reporters he will discuss the Cyprus issue with Annan. /Turkiye/

BULGARIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER IN TURKEY

Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Nikolay Vassilev who is responsible for economy said Turkey is a good partner for economic relations. Vassilev held a press conference at the Bulgarian Consulate in Istanbul just after meeting with businessman Dr. Uzeyir Garih, stabbed in Istanbul following the meeting. Stating that his aim was to explain business opportunities in Bulgaria, Vassilev said he will take part in the opening ceremony of the Izmir International Fair and will hold a series of meetings with Turkish businessmen. /Turkish Daily News/

MIRZAOGLU: "WE WILL TAKE ALL PRECAUTIONS FOR SAFE PASSAGE OF VARYAG"

Ramazan Mirzaoglu, State Minister responsible for Maritime Affairs, told reporters that his ministry would take necessary precautions in order to provide safer passage of Chinese giant ship, Varyag, through the Turkish Straits. Stating that no ship this big has crossed the Straits so far, Mirzaoglu said that the lat word came from Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, asking them to allow the passage. Drawing attention to the fact that Chinese authorities have given all guarantees for Turkey over safer passage of the ship, Mirzaoglu indicated that Turkish and Chinese exports would convene within coming days to discuss safe passage. /Turkish Daily News/

LOGOGLU COMPLETES HIS VISIT TO TRNC

Undersecretary of Foreign Ministry Faruk Logoglu completed his visit to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Saturday and left this country the same day. On the eve of TRNC President Rauf Denktas' meetings with both UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and EU Commissioner Gunter Verheugen, an evaluation meeting was held in the TRNC in which Logoglu participated. Speaking before his departure to Ankara, Logoglu told the reporters that Annan should be more creative in recognizing the equality of Turkish Cypriots with Greek Cypriots if he really wants to resume proximity talks. "We expect UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to take necessary steps that will create the base to resume the proximity talks in this meeting. We hope that Annan will give some clues about this issue during the meeting to be held in Austria. As to our expectations from the EU, we hope that it will understand that, the best way would be to delay the Greek Cypriot Administration's membership issue until a solution is found," Logoglu said. /Turkish Daily News/

GUREL IN CHINA

State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel has met with the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tang Jiaxuan yesterday in Peking. Gurel has delivered Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's oral message concerning the Varyag vessel, whose passage from the Bosphorus has been a problem. Gurel also said that the necessary security has been ensured for the safe passage of Varyag from the Bosphorus. /Milliyet/

EXPORTERS TO MEET KEMAL DERVIS

State Minister Kemal Dervis willl meet with the Chairman of the Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM), Oguz Satici, and the members of the Executive Board in Istanbul today and discuss the problems of the real sector. During the meeting, which will be held at the Foreign Trade Complex, the General Director of Eximbank, Ahmet Killicoglu, and the General Director of Exports, Soner Masa, will also be present. Oguz Satici said, "We will explain Dervis the exports market of Turkey and the problems of the Turkish producers and exporters in this market. We will tell him that on the basis of Turkey's financial, economic and social problems, there is the fact that we cannot be in a competition in these markets." /Milliyet/

TREASURY TO PAY FOREIGN DEBT THIS WEEK

The Treasury will pay the foreign debt amounting to 102.9 million US dollars this week. Together with this payment, the total of payments made in the first eight months of this year will amount to 6.4 million US dollars. According to the data of the Treasury, the biggest amount of the payment of this week will be made on Wednesday. The Treasury will pay 0.2 million US dollars tomorrow, 87.3 million US dollars 87.3 million US dollars on Wednesday and 15.5 million US dollars on Friday. Together with this payment, the total of payments made in August will reach 381 million US dollars. /Milliyet/

FORMAL US APPROVAL FOR TURKISH F-16 LEASE AWAITS HUNGARIAN DECISION

The US Administration's formal approval of Turkey's F-16 lease offer made to Hungary has been awaiting Budapest's signing of an "end user certificate" under which it will not be allowed to transfer the fighters to a third country without Washington's approval. The Turkish Air Force Command (HKK) is offering to lease its older Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 30 fighters to Hungary in the hope that it can replace them with new Block 50 aircraft. Turkey has offered to lease Budapest 20 F-16Cs and four F-16Ds from the Block 30 series, the oldest F-16s in HKK service having been delivered to Turkey between 1987 and 1989. Turkey has also offered to lease the aircrafts to Austria and Poland. The Hungarian government decided in February to acquire 24 used F-16s to replace the air force's aging Soviet-made MiG-29A/UB fighters. Although it was initially expected that these would be ex-US Air Force (USAF) aircraft, the Bush administration has already given approval for Turkey to also offer F-16s for release. US officials told the Turkish Daily News that the US Administration has already okayed the Turkish F-16 lease to offer to Hungary. /Turkish Daily News/

70TH IZMIR FAIR OPENED

The 70th Izmir International Fair opened yesterday with a ceremony held in Ataturk Open Air Theater. The Minister of Industry and Trade Ahmet Kenan Tanrikulu, Minister of Finance Sumer Oral and high level officials, as well as delegations from 29 countries attended the ceremony. People's Republic of China is the honory guest of the fair this year. 410 firms from 68 countries and 498 domestic firms are participating the fair. /Turkiye/

'SUPERCATEX' UK CATALOGUE EXHIBITION

SuperCatex, the UK Catalogue Exhibition, is coming to Turkey in August-September this year. This is the second visit to Turkey for this unique method of promoting bilateral trade between Turkey and the UK, following a successful three-city tour in 1999.The exhibitions are being held in Ankara, Istanbul, Gaziantep, Bursa, Adana and Izmir. They are sponsered by Trade Partners UK, the British Embasy in Ankara and the British Consulate General in Istanbul. /Turkish Daily News/

VARYAG'S PASSAGE BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)

Columnist Fikret Bila comments on the passage of the aircraft carrier Varyag China has bought from Ukraine through the Bosphorus. A summary of his column is as follows: " Discussions over the passage of the incomplete aircraft carrier, China has purchased from the Ukraine, passing through the Bosphorus are going on. Ankara seems to have finally given permission to Varyag, which has waited for two years in the Black Sea to pass through the Bosphorus However, we can say that some technical and political concerns are still there concerning the passage of the aircraft carrier. State Minister responsible for Maritime Affairs and the technical delegation at the Ministry are concerned over the security of the carrier's passage and that it may be shown as an example in the future. Even though these concerns are voiced at the highest levels, the permission granted by Ankara is a cause for wonder. Turkey showing the security of the Straits as a reason, rejected the applications filed by the Ukraine and People's Republic of China in 1998 and 2000, asking permission for the passage of Varyag through the Bosphorus. The Bosphorus and the safety of Istanbul are not covered for the passage of ships over certain limits. The largest vessel ever to sail through the Bosphorus was 312 meters long. No ship exceeding this limit was granted permission to cross the Straits. Varyag is 309 metres long. However she does not have an engine or a control mechanism. It cannot control her motion. Therefore she will be towed by tugboats. In that case the length of the vessel reaches 450-500 meters. No such ship has sailed in the waters of the Straits ever before and what is more; the width of the waterway falls to 700 meters in Kanlica. The smallest mistake in the region will result in the landing of the ship on the shores of the Bosphorus. This means the paralysis of the Straits and risking the safety of Istanbul. It has been understood that the calculations of the Chinese technical delegation, which made inspections on the waterway and guaranteed the safe passage of the ship were wrong. Prime Minister Ecevit and Chief of General Staff Kivrikoglu had reservations in the light of the information they had received. However, political analysts who point to their abandoning their reservations voice these concerns: One of the reasons put forth in asking for permission was the passage of Kuznetsov which was the twin of Varyag in 1991. Kuznetsov cannot be an example as she was a complete vessel with her engines and control mechanism. She was 309 meters long. Whereas Varyag is incomplete without an engine and control mechanism and her length can exceed 500 meters with tugboats. Another important problem lies ahead, which is the transportation of the oil, which is planned to be carried through the Bosphorus via tankers. Turkey has stated that it will not allow the Bosphorus to be turned into an oil pipeline. However, Russia has ordered oil tankers 400 meters long from Japan. If Varyag passes through the Bosphorus it will be very hard to ban the passage of oil tankers. Varyag will be shown as an example. It is worth considering thee concerns over the information mentioned in the reports."