Selections From Todays Turkish Press

President Ahmet Necdet Sezer vetoed the bill for amending the Law on "Judging Civil Servants" stating that it was contrary to the Constitution and sent it back to the Parliament. Sezer said that the bill foreseeing certain amendments in the Law would cause civil servants to be relieved from criminal liabilities. Stating that the most important reason for economic and social crises was corruption, Sezer said the restrictions on the regulations of judiciary would disturb people's confidence in justice. Sezer said, "The restrictions which the bill foresees in the authority of the chief public prosecutors would both disturb the judiciary and result in opportunities for the criminals to escape from punishment. Consequently, society's sense of justice would be bruised." /Cumhuriyet/

SEZER APPROVES THE BILL ON TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT REGIONS

President Ahmet Necdet Sezer approved the Bill on the Technology Development Regions. However Sezer stated he would apply to the Constitutional Court for the cancellation of the articles stating that the director company could be expropriated for the use of public and that authority and license for the use of land, the projects for structure and facilities will be given by the director company. /Cumhuriyet/

DERVIS GOES ON CONTACTS IN THE US

The State Minister Responsible for Economy Kemal Dervis began his series of contacts in the US yesterday. Dervis met with Deputy Chairman of the World Bank Sven Sandstrom, US Secretary of Treasury Paul O'Neilll and Chairman of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Horst Kohler. Reportedly, Dervis presented a commitment regarding a revision in accordance with the IMF's desire for the high administration members of the Telecom. Dervis is expected to meet with US Trade representative Robert Zoellick. The Minister will leave from Washington following this meeting. /Turkiye/

TURKEY TO PRODUCE HELICOPTER JOINTLY WITH THE US

The final stage has been reached in the negotiations with American Bell Textron firm to produce 145 tactic-attack war helicopters jointly in the Turkish Aviation Industry's facilities in Ankara. One of the important projects of the defense industry to strengthen the logistic structure of the Turkish Armed Forces, will be carried out in three stages of production: 50+50+45. The production of the first helicopter is scheduled to be delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces on November 2002 and the last one in Jan. 2011. /Turkiye/

CAKMAKOGLU IN GEORGIA

The Turkish Minister of Defense Sabahattin Cakmakoglu, who arrived on Tuesday for an official visit to the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, was received by Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze on Wednesday in Tblisi. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral military cooperation and regional security. Cakmakoglu also met with Parliament Speaker Zurab Jvaniya and Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Irakli Menagarisvili. Turkish Daily News/

FOURTH CANDIDATE FOR ANAP LEADERSHIP: EYUP ASIK

Motherland Party (ANAP) Deputy Eyup Asık declared his intention to run for the chairmanship of his party. Lutfu Kayalar , Vehbi Dincerler, Eyup Asık and Mesut Yılmaz are all candidates for the chairmanship which will be clarified at the party congress to be held on Aug.4. /Turkish Daily News/

ONE MORE REPRESENTATIVE JOINS THE REFORMISTS

Following Meral Aksener, former True Path Party (DYP) Kocaeli Deputy, Sadik Yakut, Nationalist Action Party (MHP) Kayseri Deputy, joined the reformist wing of the recently closed Virtue Party (FP) yesterday. At a press conference, stressing that there is no possibility to make politics in the MHP, Yakut said he will continue to his political life in a party to be founded under the head of Tayyip Erdoğan. /Turkiye/

YONEYMAN'S STATEMENT

Foreign Capital Association (YASED) has convened yesterday to announce the foreign capital representatives' predictions about the economy at Conrad Hotel yesterday, where the Chairman of the YASED, Faruk Yöneyman, spoke and said, "We believe that the problem deriving from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank's decision of postponing the meeting will be solved soon. In addition, the Republic of Turkey has a personality and seriousness. Nobody should ignore it. Such a government, which has worked so hard, should be tolerated and treated fairly." /Hurriyet/

YASED MEMBERS' PREDICTIONS ON TURKISH ECONOMY

The General Director of Bridgestone Sabanci Tire Industry and Trade, Akira Nakayama, said Turkey should overcome pessimism as soon as possible. He added, "First of all, you should establish and maintain your self esteem. The developments experienced in the automotive sector have put forward the potential of the country. If Turkey continues competitiveness, she will be among the greatest exporters in the world. General Director of Credit Agricole Indosuez Turk Bank, Gilles Serra, said "The IMF believes in the future of Turkey, and thus, it has given loans to Turkey. The Turkish people consider the developments as interference but the one who delivers 15 billion US dollars has the right to examine the way this money is spent. Of course, I also believe that the Turkish government is doing her best." Meanwhile, General Director of Conrad International Turkiye, Joep Bakx, thinks in spite of the activity in the tourism sector, the amount of foreign investment is too low in this sector. He added, "The tourists have begun to rush to Turkey because you had solved the problem of security last year, which shows that all the world trusts Turkey." /Hurriyet/

MERRILL LYNCH PRAISES THE IMKB

The data about the stock exchanges for share-holder certificates show that in the second quarter of the year 2001, the Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) has been the most rapidly increasing stock exchange. The IMKB became the 33rd in the first quarter of this year. It has become the most rapidly increasing stock exchange with an increase by 39.7%. Chairman of the Merrill Lynch, Smith, Winthrop H. Smith gave the message to the foreign investors that the stock exchanges of the countries such as Turkey and Mexico, who are rebuilding their economies, have a tendency towards big returns." /Milliyet/

TOURISM'S TARGET: $10 BILLION

The tourism sector, which is considered as the savior of the economic situation this year, is breaking records. It was stated that Turkish tourism could exceed its foreign exchange revenue target which is $10 billion. /Cumhuriyet/

FIRST RESOURCE FOR BLUE STREAM

The works for the Black Sea passage within the Blue Stream Project, which will transport natural gas from Russia to Turkey through the pipeline to be laid on the basis of the Black Sea, have started with a ceremony in Samsun yesterday. The Mayor of Samsun, Muammer Guler, has started the works concerning the passage formally in the work site established by the Saipem Company in the Industrial Waterfront of Samsun. The ceremony was also attended by the Deputy Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy, Kenan Veziroglu, and the officials from Saipem Company, BOTAS and the Russian Gazprom Company. /Hurriyet/

TURKEY: THE TOURISM STAR OF THE 2001

The "Grande" magazine, published in Belgium, declared Turkey as the "Tourism Country of the year 2001". The magazine which publishes articles about countries' political, touristic and cultural life, devoted 20 pages to Turkey in its last issue. The magazine said Europeans have selected Turkey as the place worth spending their vacation this year. /Turkiye/

RUSSIANS PREFER TURKEY

The Ministry of Tourism stated that the Russian tourists preferred Turkey due to the fact that the friendly relations between Turkey and Russia have been strengthened and because of the developments in the tourism sector. In addition, Itar news agency stated that the people of the two countries knew each other better because of the improvement of the tourism sector. /Hurriyet/

RUSSIAN MEDIA PRAISES ANTALYA

The members of the Russian press who visited Turkey as the guests of Antalya's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ATSO), praised Turkish tourism and Antalya in their articles. The ATSO Chairman Tunay Altinpinar said, "The articles written by the Russian media members have contributed a lot to the promotion of Antalya." /Cumhuriyet/

EUROPEAN STUDENTS IN ISTANBUL

European university students arrived in Istanbul to attend 10th Summer University organized by the European Students General Forum. The aim of the summer university is to sustain integration and communications among the European universities. The theme of meeting is determined as "Music in Istanbul for Ages." There will be sessions and workshops on Turkish classical music, ethnical music and the jazz during the meeting. /Cumhuriyet/

GREEK NATIONAL THEATRE IN EPHESUS

The Greek National Theatre performed a play at the opening of the 15th Izmir Fair. The Greek Theatre staged Aristophanes' play 'Nefeles' (Clouds) in the Ephesus Antique Theatre. /Cumhuriyet/

ISTANBUL JAZZ FESTIVAL TO BEGIN

The eight Istanbul Jazz Festival organized by Istanbul Culture and Art Foundation, is beginning today. More than 190 singers and 28 groups are expected to join the festival. /Turkiye/

SUNKEN SHIPS TO BE REMOVED

The Istanbul Regional Directorate, affiliated to the Maritime Undersecretariat, had began the studies with a project to remove sunken ships in the Bosphorus. At the first stage three freighters are waiting to be removed: the "Robel", the "Selin S" and "Kaptan Kahinkaya". The sunken ships have been causing environmental problems in the Straits and hindering transportation. There are 27 sunken ships in the Bosphorus and the Marmara Sea, in the scope of the duty region of the Istanbul Maritime Undersecretariat. /Sabah/

TOWARDS MODERN VILLAGES BY OKTAY EKSI (HURRIYET)

Columnist Oktay Eksi comments on the progress achieved in the development of village-city projects. A summary of his column is as follows: "All the pessimists in Turkey who claim that everything in the country is going down should come here to Mesudiye. They must come and see for themselves how the region has turned into a live construction site only nine months after the beginning of the Cavdar village-city project implementation. The first two months of the project passed with the bidding process for the village-city project. The third month after the beginning of the project was November when winter had started to settle in Mesudiye. At that time of the year it is impossible to go on with the construction. When it is considered that the new construction season may begin in April, only three months are left until July. Rainy days took the other half of the time at hand. The time for any progress to be made was reduced to two months. It is not possible to carry out 157 separate projects within the framework of the village-city project in such a short time. However the miracle created by the sub-governor of the region with the support of deputy Undersecretary for the Prime Minister is the result of these two months. The results are incredible... New networks of roads have been constructed to connect nine villages covered by the project. Only 2 kms were left to connect the main roads. The infrastructure problems of all villages have been solved. An internet network has been established with the fiber optic cables laid down. The 'Processing and Evaluation of Forest Products Facility' is almost complete. Neither time nor space is enough to list all the things done. Leaving aside the hitches on the construction of roads due to the reluctance of the citizens to allocate their own land, everything is on the way to completion. The life in the villages revived even now and those who had migrated to other regions have started to come back. Construction of new and modern buildings is going on at full speed. Contrary to the trend of closing down business places in Turkey; new businesses are being opened here. Village-city project aimed to succeed only after two years has reached its goals even now. This is the observation of someone who has criticized village-city projects for years."