GUL: “OUR EXCEPTIONAL RELATIONS WITH PAKISTAN WILL BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ECONOMIC TIES”
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, currently in Islamabad, Pakistan for a two-day visit, yesterday met with his counterpart Hursid Mahmud Kasuri to discuss a number of issues, including Iraq’s postwar reconstruction. Speaking after their meeting, Gul said that the Turkish-Pakistani alliance was a very strong one. “We have exceptional political relations, and we plan to make this the case in our economic ties as well,” said Gul. “We want to strengthen our commercial cooperation and we will strive towards this end.” Regarding the disputed region of Kashmir, Gul said that Turkey was pleased with recent positive developments between India and Pakistan. Stressing that residents of Kashmir had suffered for many years, Gul said he hoped this easing of tensions would eventually bring stability and peace to the region. Advocating that problems be solved through dialogue and international legitimacy, Gul added that Turkey and Pakistan had decided to exchange views on Iraq’s reconstruction. “We would be pleased to see Pakistan contributing troops to an Iraq international peacekeeping force,” said Gul. Asked about the effect of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in Turkey’s political life, Gul replied that the nation was governed by a constitutional order. “There have been problems in the past, but now we’ve overcome these,” said Gul. “Turkey is governed with a constitutional order through a democratically elected government.” For his part, Kasuri said that he was very pleased to host Gul, adding that they had decided to comprehensively boost cooperation between the two countries. Gul later met with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. /Aksam/
KAZAKH PRESIDENT NAZARBAYEV: “TURKEY AND KAZAKHSTAN WILL DO THEIR BEST TO BOOST RELATIONS”
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev yesterday arrived in Turkey to pay an official visit. Nazarbayev first attended a meeting of Kazakh and Turkish businessmen along with Prime Minister and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Speaking at the meeting, Nazarbayev said that Turkey and Kazakhstan would do their best to boost bilateral economic and political relations. “Difficult days lie behind us, as our nation has overcome its problems,” said the Kazakh president. “We want to invest in Turkey.” Also speaking at the meeting, Erdogan said that trade between Turkey and Kazakhstan had risen, especially in recent years, but that there was a need to increase it further. “Turkey is ready to take all steps to boost our mutual trade volume,” added Erdogan. /Hurriyet/
US HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE PASSES SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION, SENDS MEASURE TO FULL HOUSE
The powerful US House Judiciary Committee yesterday passed a resolution recognizing the so-called Armenian genocide and reaffirming support for the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. The committee then sent the resolution to the full US House of Representatives for a floor vote. The resolution, first introduced on April 9 to coincide with the anniversary of the “genocide,” states that the lessons of the so-called Armenian genocide, the Holocaust and genocides in Cambodia and Rwanda should be used to help prevent similar tragedies in the future. Both the US State Department and Turkish Ambassador to the US Faruk Logoglu had previously sent letters to the committee asking it to strike the “Armenian genocide” reference from the resolution, which currently has over 66 sponsors or co-sponsors. While the Armenian lobby claim that more than 1.5 million Armenians were killed at the hands of the Ottoman Empire around 1915, the Turkish government accuses Armenians of distorting the historical record by overstating the numbers and the facts, arguing that the casualties were victims of wartime, not genocide. /Cumhuriyet/
ECONOMY MINISTER BABACAN MEETS IMF’S KAHKONEN
State Minister for Economy Ali Babacan yesterday met with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen. During their two-hour meeting, the officials reportedly discussed the criteria for completing the fifth review of Turkey’s IMF-supported economic program. Before his meeting with Babacan, Kahkonen also met with Treasury Undersecretary Ibrahim Canakci for one hour. /Turkiye/
WORLD BANK VP LINN TO VISIT TURKEY
World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Johannes Linn is due to visit Ankara on May 29. On his farewell tour of various countries before his retirement, Linn is expected to meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, State Minister Ali Babacan and other officials as part of his contacts in Ankara. /Turkiye/
CANADIAN DELEGATION SEEKS TO BOOST TRADE TIES WITH “STRATEGIC PARTNER” TURKEY
In a bid to launch new commercial initiatives in the Middle East and Central Asia, Canadian companies have selected Turkey as their new strategic partner. A number of Canadian businessmen arrived in Istanbul yesterday to forge contacts with their Turkish counterparts, beginning with a meeting held with the attendance of Gar Knutson, Canada’s secretary of state for Eastern Europe and the Middle East. “To date, Canadian companies have invested $400 million in Turkey,” said Knutson. “However, I believe that both countries have greater potential and should improve their cooperation in the fields of energy, health, telecommunications, construction and transportation.” Furthermore, Canadian Ambassador to Turkey Michael Lier told the meeting that his country saw Turkey as not only as an economic partner but also a strategic one. /Cumhuriyet/
ISTANBUL HOSTS EVTEKS 2003 FAIR
EVTEKS 2003, the world’s second-largest home textiles fair, yesterday began at the 100,000 square-meter CNREXPO exhibition space in Istanbul. The fair, officially opened by Industry Minister Ali Coskun and State Minister Kursad Tuzmen, is set to last through Sunday and should attract some 100,000 visitors. /Turkiye/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION