Turkey press scan

These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on March 1st, 2005. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.HURRIYET (LIBERAL)CICEK: WE WILL BRING THEM BACK TO TURKEY EITHER DEAD OR ALIVE: Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said they discovered the country where Kemal and Hakan Uzan were hiding for 18 months, stating that they officially requested their extradition.Cicek did not say the name of the country, but noted, ''we will bring them back to Turkey either dead or alive.''Cicek said there was an arrest warrant against Uzans on charges that they emptied Imar Bankasi. He said Interpol determined the country where Uzans were hiding.Asked if the country was Jordan, Cicek said, ''they are hiding in a country where Turkey had signed a judicial assistance agreement.''    FOREIGN TRADE DEFICIT IS 2.3 BILLION US DOLLARS IN JANUARY: Growth tendency in foreign trade deficit continued also in January in 2005.Foreign trade deficit increased by 38.7 percent, and was recorded as 2.33 billion USD in January of 2005.Turkey earned 4.62 billion USD from exports in January of 2005, Turkish State Institute of Statistics (SIS) said.According to the foreign trade statistics made public by the SIS, Turkey imported goods worth 6.96 billion USD in January 2005.Turkey's exports increased by 0.3 percent and the rise in Turkey'simports was 10.6 percent in January 2005 when compared with the same month of the previous year.    MILLIYET (LIBERAL)''HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS HAVE BEEN CONTINUING'': U.S. State Department released it annual human rights report. The report said that although a considerable improvement was observed, human rights violations had been continuing in Turkey. ''Turkey's desire to meet the EU Copenhagen Criteria to begin the accession process moved the government to pass an important package of reforms, including a new, relatively more liberal penal code and a set of constitutional amendments to combat honor killings and torture; expand the freedom of religion, expression, and association; and reduce the role of the military in government. However, implementation of these reforms lagged.''    BARROSO: ''CYPRUS IS BECOMING A MATTER OF EU'': European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said that the Cyprus issue had been becoming a matter of the EU gradually. Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos met Barroso yesterday. Speaking at the meeting, Barroso said that the European Commission wanted to undertake a more active role in efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus issue. Barroso added that the issue would be resolved under theroof of the United Nations.                       SABAH (LIBERAL)ZORLU GROUP TO EMPLOY 5,000 PEOPLE IN 2005: Ahmet Zorlu, Chairman of Zorlu Group, said their sales target for this year would reach 5 billion US dollars. He said, ''we currently employ 30,000 people. We will increase this figure to 35,000 this year.''Zorlu Group which reached 4 billion US dollars endorsement last year, targets to increase this figure to five billion US dollars this year. Goal of the group is to make business throughout the world.    CYPRUS REQUEST OF EU: European Union (EU), putting pressure on Ankara to sign Ankara Agreement Adjustment Protocol, conveyed its new demand creating shock in Ankara: Open your airports and harbors to Greek Cypriots.The EU, upon pressures of the Greek Cypriot side, told Turkey, ''signing adjustment protocol will not be adequate. You should open your airports and harbors to Greek Cypriot side.'' Foreign Ministry diplomats Ertugrul Apakan and Deniz Bolukbasi will go to Brussels tomorrow (Wednesday) for talks on the issue.CUMHURIYET (LEFT)FRANCE ACCEPTS CONSTITUTION PACKAGE: French Parliament accepted the constitution adjustment package envisaging a referendum to be held in France for Turkey's European Union (EU) membership. The package envisages a referendum to be held for new members of the EU after 2007. According to this, there will not be any referendum for Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia which started talks before July 1st,2004.    CHIEF NEGOTIATOR COULD NOT BE DETERMINED: A decision could not be made during yesterday's Council of Ministers for the chief negotiator who would carry out talks with the European Union (EU). ''Choosing a chief negotiator for EU entry talks is not so important. Chief negotiator will be announced when the time has come,'' said Turkish Justice Minister & Government spokesman Cemil Cicek said after Council of Ministers meeting.Asked if the chief negotiator and negotiation delegation will be announced this week and whether a timetable is set about this issue, Cicek said, ''it will be announced when its time has come. This is not an issue which has a priority for us.''When reminded of the criticisms about delay in choosing the chief negotiator, Cicek said, ''it is the last issue for us to consider.''''We are working on these issues. There are documents which the EU should send to Turkey. These documents are not related with choosing a chief negotiator,'' he added.RADIKAL (LEFT)INITIATIVE ON SO-CALLED GENOCIDE:The Republican People's Party (CHP) will launch an initiative at the parliament in order to find a solution to the Armenian issue. Sukru Elekdag of CHP will apply to the parliament in the coming days to send a letter signed by all political parties, to the British parliament. The CHP will also propose to form a joint commission. The commission will be composed of both Turkish and Armenian historians.     GUL: ''EU SHOULD SPEED UP'': Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul hosted Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs & Immigration Nicolas Schmit of Luxembourg holding the rotating EU presidency, in Ankara yesterday. The two held a joint news conference following their tete-a-tete meeting. Gul said that the EU should not make any discrimination in the Frame Paper against Turkey, and the document for Croatia should also be valid for Turkey. Criticizing the EU's attitude about efforts to lift the isolation of Turkish Cypriots, Gul said, ''the referendum was held in Cyprus on April 24th. The EU released a statement on April 26th. Ten months have elapsed since then, but the EU did not take any step.''        TURKIYE (RIGHT)''NO ROOM FOR PKK'': Turkey's initiatives in the United States and Iraq about the terrorist organization of PKK have begun yielding results at last. After the United States said that they would resolve the issue of PKK together with Turkey and Iraq, the most important commitment about PKK came from Baghdad. Ibrahim al-Jaafari of the United Iraqi Alliance said that they wanted to set up good relations with Turkey, and they would not allow anyone to harm Turkey. Noting that PKK had two alternatives, al Jaafari said that PKK should either lay down its arms, or leave Iraq.     ERDOGAN TO LEAVE FOR ETHIOPIA: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will start a 5-day tour of  Ethiopia and South Africa. He will leave for Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa later today. Prime Minister Erdogan and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia will meet tomorrow. Prime Minister Erdogan will be received by President Girma Woldegiorgis of Ethiopia. Erdogan is scheduled to attend opening of Program Coordination Office of Turkish Cooperation & Development Authority (TIKA) in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, the same day. Erdogan will proceed to South Africa on March 2nd.     ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)FOUR WARNINGS FROM GUL TO BRUSSELS: Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul continued to oppose  to the criticisms that there is a stagnancy period in EuropeanUnion (EU) process after December 17th. Gul said the issue having primary importance for Ankara was the EU, stating that the government would continue the democratization process with determination. Noting that the European Commission also could not make a definite decision about how the things could be carried out, Gul said, ''Turkey also have expectations from the commission.''Gul met Nicolas Schmit, the Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs & Immigration of Luxembourg who is currently visiting Turkey.Turkey's EU membership process was discussed at the meeting. The guest minister called on Turkey not to lose the momentum it gained on December 17th. Gul made four warnings to Brussels:.1-European Commission should soon prepare the documents about Turkey.2-Don't make discrimination. Treat ''technically'' not ''politically''3-Screening process should start before the talks started.4-Keep your promise in Cyprus, we will sign the adjustment protocol.                YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)NEW NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN TO BE PREPARED: Preparatory works on a new National Development Plan for the 2007-2013 period, aiming to prepare Turkey to become a full fledged member of the EU have started. During the works coordinated by the Turkish State Planning Organization (DPT), Turkey's targets for its economic and social adjustment to the EU will be elaborated in detail.A pre-National Development Plan for the period of 2004-2006 has been devised, and several regional development plans have been initiated so far. The six-year new National Development Plan will be the most comprehensive plan in the history of the Republic of Turkey to be prepared with democratic participation of all sections. Â