ERDOGAN: “CONTROVERSIES AND CRITICISMS ASIDE, THE AKP WILL CONTINUE ITS WORK UNABATED”
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will not let rows and criticisms deter it from working for the nation’s good, vowed Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday. Speaking at an AKP gathering, Erdogan referred specifically to last week’s Parliament speaker reception row, downplaying the controversy while also criticizing opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal’s decision not to attend. The prime minister also criticized what he called “misleading” media reports about last week’s visit to Ankara of Iranian Vice President Mohammed Reza Aref, saying such reports had obscured the meeting’s true focus, namely economic relations and trade. “We will not let such reproaches stand in the way of our party’s mission,” stated Erdogan. “We will continue to focus on the nation’s most important issues, such as the economy, trade and fighting corruption. We will not be sidetracked by trumped-up issues.” /Aksam/

GUL: “TURKISH TEAMS ARE WORKING TOGETHER WITH US TROOPS IN NORTHERN IRAQ”
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday that Turkey was closely following developments in northern Iraq. “We have plans and programs for the region. They will be carried out in coordination,” said Gul. Speaking to a meeting of the Diplomatic Correspondents’ Association, Gul denied reports of Turkish Special Forces arming northern Iraq’s Turkmen being sent back by US troops. “There are no problems regarding Turkish teams in the region,” he said. “They are continuing to carry out their duties and conveying reports back to us. Our teams are carrying weapons to protect trucks carrying humanitarian aid to the region through Turkey.” Stressing that Turkey wanted all the peoples of Iraq to be represented in the country’s postwar administration, Gul said that Ankara would contribute to Iraq’s political and economic reconstruction. Regarding Turkey’s European Union membership bid, the foreign minister said that 2004 would be a critical year for Turkey to fulfill the Copenhagen criteria. “The Turkish people already deserve these reforms,” said Gul. The EU is due to evaluate Turkey’s accession progress at its December 2004 summit. Pointing to cross-border visits on Cyprus by thousands of Turkish and Greek Cypriots alike since last Wednesday, when Turkish Cyprus opened its border gates for the first time in 29 years, Gul hailed this development as a step towards forging sustainable trust on the island. /All Papers/

BAYKAL: “STAYING AWAY FROM LAST WEEK’S RECEPTION WAS MY WAY OF PROTECTING THE SPIRIT OF PARLIAMENT”
The decision last week by several government and military officials not to attend a state reception was an effort to protect the spirit of Parliament, but not an organized action, said opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday. Last Wednesday’s anniversary of Parliament’s founding was no mere formal event but instead the embodiment of a spirit, Baykal told ATV. “I chose not to attend the anniversary reception so as to protect this spirit,” stated Baykal. He added that President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and several top military officials had decided individually, not through any group action, to stay away from the gathering. “We will never let anybody exploit religion,” said Baykal, adding that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) should focus on solving the pressing problems facing Turkey. /Milliyet/

DEFENSE MINISTER GONUL DENIES US MEDIA REPORTS OF TURKISH FORCES “SMUGGLING” WEAPONS INTO NORTHERN IRAQ
The New York Times over the weekend reported yesterday that according to US military officials, men identifying themselves as Turkish Special Forces soldiers last week tried to smuggle grenades, night-vision goggles and dozens of rifles into the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. The officials said that they believe the weapons, which were allegedly hidden in an aid convoy, were bound for ethnic Turkmen living in the oil-rich city, said the Times. However, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul denied these reports, reiterating that Turkish forces were present in the region only to deliver humanitarian aid to refugees. /Cumhuriyet/

THE WASHINGTON POST: “POLITICAL EXPERIMENT STUMBLES IN TURKEY”
In a news analysis written by Peter P. Pan, the Washington Post reported yesterday that Turkey’s experiment in reconciling Islam and democracy was “struggling” to produce results. “Dogged by internal divisions, inexperience and the lingering suspicions of the political establishment, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has made little progress so far toward its goals of far-reaching reform,” wrote Pan. The US daily stated that although Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc’s reception last week was supposed to be a “festive event,” a chance for Turkey's ruling elite to make a show of political unity on a national holiday, a political crisis erupted when Arinc said he might bring his wife, who wears a headscarf in public because she believes her religion requires it. “Then the main opposition [Republican People’s Party, CHP] declared a boycott,” said Pan. “The president indicated he too would skip the reception. The military's top generals also decided not to go. In Turkey, where the secular state has viewed Islamic headgear as a symbol of extremism for nearly a century, an official function co-hosted by a woman in a headscarf is too much for some to bear.” The party's “inexperience” also was evident when a split in Parliament led to rejection of a US request to deploy troops in Turkey for the war against Iraq, argued the Post. The daily quoted Murat Mercan, AKP deputy chairman, as saying, “Erdogan is still determined to bring ‘radical change’ to Turkey, but has decided to follow a long-term strategy aimed at easing people's fears about the party and gradually winning over opponents. That means putting off the most divisive problems for later. We need at least 10 years. We've been saying that politics in this country is going to change, and the bureaucracy and others must adapt to these changes. But change doesn't come that easy. These problems eventually must be solved in such a way that it doesn't disturb anybody.” /Cumhuriyet/

BARZANI: “KURDISH PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION”
There is "no justification" for US forces to remain in Iraq once an interim Iraqi government has been established, stated Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) leader Massoud Barzani over the weekend. Barzani added that the “Kurdish nation” had the right to self-determination and to establish its own state. “However, this issue is not on our agenda right now,” said the Kurdish leader. “We are responsible for solving the problems of Iraq’s Kurds. However, the Kurds living in Turkey and Iran should themselves find solutions to their problems.” /Cumhuriyet/

US REPRESENTATIVE WEXLER: “I BELIEVE THAT TURKISH FIRMS WILL PARTICIPATE IN IRAQ’S RECONSTRUCTION”
Congressman Robert Wexler, a Florida democrat and co-chair of the US Congress’ Causus on US-Turkish Relations and Turkish Americans, over the weekend attended a meeting of the Turkish Exports’ Assembly (TIM) in Istanbul. “I believe [Turkey and the US] have an extraordinary opportunity to work together to rebuild Iraq and bring greater security, prosperity and democracy to the region,” said Wexler before the visit, his second to Turkey in as many months. Speaking at the meeting, Wexler expressed confidence that Turkish firms would play a role in Iraq’s physical reconstruction. “You should get in contact with American construction companies, not our government,” recommended the congressman. “Some recent reports notwithstanding, I don’t see Turkey’s strategic importance diminishing. The US government should not turn a blind eye to the needs and requests of the Turkish business world. I call on Turkish businessmen to take an active role in Iraq’s reconstruction.” /Hurriyet/

KONYA TO HOST RUMI CONGRESS
The central Anatolian city of Konya is set next week to host an academic conference on Mevlana, the Sufi mystic and poet better known in the West as Rumi. The Third International Mevlana Congress set for next Monday and Tuesday at Selcuk University will feature papers and presentations by foreign and Turkish experts alike. /Turkiye/

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION