PEACE ON THREE HILLS

The Turkish President, while arriving in the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, yesterday, said, "We are looking for peace on three hills: Caucasia, the Balkans and the Middle East." Demirel was welcomed by the Azerbaijani President, Haydar Aliyev, at Baku airport. Then Demirel and Aliyev opened Aerovagzal Airport. Aliyev expressed his pleasure at seeing Demirel in his country and cried, "Long live the Turkish Republic! Long live the great leader of the Turkish world, Suleyman Demirel!" Demirel also pointed out that Azerbaijan was world state in its own right and congratulated the people on the 8th anniversary of the independence of the Azerbaijani Republic. Demirel said, "Turkey will continue to support Azerbaijan in order to support the improvement and growth of the country." Demirel also pointed out that Turkey was by Azerbaijan's side over their problem of the upper Karabagh. /Hurriyet/

DEMIREL: BAKU-CEYHAN TO BE SIGNED AT OSCE

President Suleyman Demirel has overcome the last obstacles in the Baku-Ceyhan petrol pipeline venture, during his visit to Azerbaijan. Declaring that they have reached a complete reconciliation on the project with President Aliyev, Demirel said, "We have reached the signing stage. The agreements will be signed with the countries concerned during the OSCE Summit in Istanbul." /Milliyet/

HATEMI SENDS MESSAGE OF FRIENDSHIP

The Iranian President, Muhammed Hatemi, stated that they would never harm Turkey in any way. Hatemi welcomed the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Korkmaz Haktanir, who went to Tehran to attend regular political consultations yesterday. During the reception, Haktanir delivered a written message of friendship to Hatemi from President Suleyman Demirel. President Hatemi pointed out the historic links in relations between Iran and Turkey and declared his desire that these relations became stronger and more stable which would produce reciprocal benefits for both countries. /Cumhuriyet/

TURCO-KIRGHIZ MEETINGS

Political consultations between the Turkish and Kirghiz Ministries of Foreign Affairs will begin in the capital of Kirghizistan, Bishkek, tomorrow. During the meetings, the Turkish contingent will be chaired by Deputy Undersecretary Ambassador Aydin Sahinbas and the issues of the improvement of mutual relations and cooperation, regional and international problems and the OSCE Summit will be discussed. /Cumhuriyet/

ANKARA'S REACTION TO SWEDEN

When Swedish Members of Parliament brought a member of the PKK to meet a delegation of the Association of Turkish Businessmen and Industrialists, Ankara reacted harshly. A high-ranking diplomat said that even though Sweden had lost Olof Palme, one of its most prominent citizens, she had not learnt any lessons from the incident. The Turkish Ambassador to Stockholm, Oktay Aksoy, upon instructions from Ankara, visited the Swedish Foreign Ministry in person and expressed Turkey's reaction orally. In a written statement, the Association of Turkish Businessmen and Industrialists said had remained calm and had not left the table at the meeting in Sweden. /Hurriyet/

GESTURE FROM ATHENS

A new ring has been added to the 'air of friendship' established after the earthquake. The Greek government is to allow Turkish language books to be printed in Western Thrace. Athens had rejected appeals by Turkey over this issue for years. Benefitting from the decision, the Turkish Minority will be reunited with Turkish books whose cocntent is up-to-date and modern. The publication of the books began immediately and they will be delivered to Turkish children next month. Turkish children, who were still trying to learn Turkish with copies of books belonging to the 1950's will be able to catch-up with their contemporaries. /Miliyet/

'BROTHER COUNTRY'

The new leader of the coup d'etat in Pakistan, General Pervez Muserref, proclaimed Turkey as a 'Brother Country'. Emphasing his admiration for Ataturk, the General said, "I lived in Ankara for years and I have friends there. We want to develop our relations with Turkey." /Milliyet/

ISRAELI PRESIDENT TO VISIT TURKEY

Israeli President Ehud Barak will visit Turkey on Oct. 25th. The President will attend the inauguration ceremony of the 'Village of Israel' which is being constructed by Israel in Adapazari to ensure accomodation for 3,000 victims of the earthquake. Barak will also meet with President Suleyman Demirel and Premier Bulent Ecevit. /Milliyet/

REVOLUTION IN TENDER LAW

The State Tender Law, Law no. 2886, is being revised to adapt it to modern-day conditions. With this revision, aiming to prevent grafts and irregularities, the obligation to implement ventures will be established instead of the unit price system. Officials of Ministry of Public Works and Settlements declared that the Law will be presented to the Council of Ministers by the end of this year. /Turkiye/

EARLY DISCHARGE FOR PRIVATES IN EARTHQUAKE REGION

National Defence Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu said that discussions will be entered into with the General Staff Headquarters on the subject of the early discharge of those privates who were angaged in their service during the earthquake and whose parents were living in the earthquake region. /Turkiye/

CHAIRMAN OF WORLD CLERICAL COUNCIL

The Turkish Armenian Patriarch Mesrob Mutafian II is going to Armenia to attend the "World Armenian Clerical Council". Mesrob II will attend the Assembly of World Armenian Churches on October 26 and will be co-chair the Council with Patriarch of Jerusalem, Torkom II. The Assembly will convene in Etchmiadzin, attended by 452 delegates in addition to the Patriarchs of Istanbul, Jerusalem , Beirut and Etchmiadzin. /Hurriyet/

WELCOME FRIENDS

Foreign search and rescue teams, who came to Turkey's aid in the aftermath of the earthquake disaster here, were awarded by the Ministry of Tourism with a holiday in Antalya. 40 people from Israel, 86 people from England, 29 people from Greece and 9 people from Germany were invited to go there on holiday. The Turkish Search and Rescue Team (AKUT) and non-governmental organizations were also awarded with a holiday as well as the foreign search and rescue teams. /Hurriyet/

BUDGET

The Budget which will carry Turkey into the next millenium was proposed to the TGNA with a deficit of 14.4 quadrillion Turkish lira. The Budget was prepared in accordance with the target of a drop to 25% in consumer inflation. Turkey will enter the year 2000 with a Budget of 46.9 quadrillion Turkish lira. At the end of the year 2000, inflation will be decreased to 25% and the expansion rate is hoped to be 5.5%. Government officials' salaries will be increased by 15%, with effect from New Year's Day. During the first half of the year, following the month in which the TEFE (Wholesale Price Index) surpasses 15%, salaries will be increased by 2 points above the rate of inflation. Minister of Finance Sumer Oral said, "We took it as our basis to decrease internal debt, the interest payment burden and the Budget deficit. This is the main concern in the economy and will be solved, otherwise it is impossible to continue the situation of today." /Sabah/

IT IS TURKEY'S TURN

The Editor of the textile section of one of the sector's professional magazines in Germany, `Textil Wirtschaft', Karl Schwarz, said that future success in the textile and off-the-peg clothes' trade would be Turkey's. Schwarz delivered a speech during the `Fashion Marketing Seminar' organized by the Istanbul Textile and Ready-to-Wear Exporters' Association (ITKIB) in which he said, "Turkey has not lost anything from its textile and ready-to-wear trade in spite of the economic crisis and the earthquake disaster that occurred in Turkey. China does not answer the expectations of Europe and America in terms of quality. Chinese exports to Germany will decrease by, on average, one quarter during the next season. Turkey uses the best technology and nowhere else in the world have investments been made to as great an extent as in Turkey. In the very near future, success will be Turkey's." /Sabah/

EARLY DISCHARGE FOR PRIVATES IN EARTHQUAKE REGION

National Defence Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu said that discussions will be entered into with the General Staff Headquarters on the subject of the early discharge of those privates who were angaged in their service during the earthquake and whose parents were living in the earthquake region. /Turkiye/

THREE TURKS AMONG WORLD'S RICHEST

Three Turkish businessmen, Sakip Sabanci, Rahmi Koc and Ayhan Sahenk have been placed among the world's 200 richest people. The total wealth of these 200 persons is one trillion dollars. Bill Gates, owner of Microsoft, tops the list issued by 'Le Nouvel Ekonomiste' magazine. /Turkiye/

STATE OPERA AND BALLET TOUR OF DENMARK

The State Opera and Ballet tour of Denmark began in Aalborg with the opera "Aida", which was watched by 300 people. Tickets for the first concert of the tour began to be sold two months ago, but were sold out very quickly. This is the biggest tour that this institution has ever organized and 341 artists are taking part in it. "Aida" will be staged in Arhus tonight and in Copenhagen on 21st October. /Cumhuriyet/

FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS...

ECEVIT'S ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE BUDGET - BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)

Columnist Fikret Bila comments on the statement of the State Minister Recep Onal that the donations for the earthquake region was used to pay civil servants' wages. A summary of his column is as follows: "Prime Minister Ecevit clarified the doubt created by State Minister Recep Onal's announcement that financial aid for the earthquake region was used to pay civill servants' wages. Ecevit said that to pay these wages from the humanitarian aid sent for the earthquake region was out of the question and in fact impossible. Ecevit declared, "Financial aid from the IMF, an amount of $ 500 million, reached the Treasury coffers yesterday at 18.15. Therefore, it is not possible to have made any payments out of this sum." Ecevit also stated that the State had spent much more on the victims of the earthquake than just the amount of aid received. He also gave a detailed breakdown of the donations given and the money spent on the earthquake region so as to alleviate the doubt created by the words of State Minister Onal. The Budget for the year 2000 was presented to Parliament. The figures for the Budget clearly reveal Turkey's problems. The lion's share of the first Budget of the 21st century goes to the Treasury, as in 1999. The second largest portion is allocated to the Finance Ministry. This shows that the greatest problem before Turkey is the payment of interest on debts. More than 90% of the Treasury's share will be used up in the interest on domestic and foreign debts. Therefore, it would not be wrong to say that the Budget for the year 2000 is a plan for the repayment of the country's debts. Turkey has allotted more than half of her Budget to interest payments and has allocated more than half of the remainder of her Budget to defence spending. This shows that Turkey's second greatest concern is defence. The remainder of the Budget is divided among wages, current and investment spending. A positive indication is that the largest proportion of the remaning monies has been allocated to the National Education Ministry among all others. The first Budget of the new century reveals that Turkey's serious debt issue."

BAKU-CEYHAN TO BE SIGNED AT OSCE - BY MUHARREM SARIKAYA (HURRIYET)

Columnist Muharrem Sarikaya comments on the recent developments concerning the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline. A summary of his column is as follows: "President Suleyman Demirel, who arrived in Baku following his visit to Kosovo, yesterday made two important statements in Azerbaijan. An Azerbaijani-Armenian agreement will be ensured and the Baku-Ceyhan Pipeline Project will be signed. He said that both of these developments will take place in Istanbul. Demirel stated that an agreement for the Baku-Ceyhan Pipeline will be signed in Istanbul when President Aliyev comes there to attend the OSCE Summit meeting. His statements concerning the Azerbaijani-Armenian dispute are also noteworthy as he believes that this problem could also be solved in Istanbul at the same time. In fact, Azerbaijani President Haidar Aliyev and Armenian President Robert Kocharian took a step towards peace by meeting in Nakhcevan a short time ago. The end to the Azerbaijani-Armenian war bears great importance for Turkey. First of all, it would eliminate the security problem concerning the transport of Caucasian oil and Turkmenistan gas from the Caspian to the Mediterranean. Demirel expresses the benefits of peace between the two countries thus: "Peace will contribute to regional cooperation in the Caucasus and other regional cooperation mechanisms of which Turkey is a member."

OLD ISSUES