SEZER MEETS WITH ALBANIAN PRESIDENT MOISIU
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday met with his Albanian counterpart Alfred Moisiu at the Cankaya Presidential Palace in Ankara. The two presidents discussed relations between Turkey and Albania in detail as well as regional and international issues. Sezer stated that Turkey supported Albania’s NATO membership bid. The visiting President Moisiu also visited Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and was received by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Moisiu is today to meet with Turkish businessmen in Istanbul. /Cumhuriyet/
ERDOGAN: “OUR NATION IS RULED THROUGH DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES”
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by his wife, yesterday traveled to Antalya to meet with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who is currently paying a visit to Turkey. Following their meeting, Erdogan told reporters that he and the Kazakh president had discussed bilateral relations and resolved to take steps to boost trade relations. At a press conference at the Antalya airport before returning to Ankara, Erdogan commented on Chief of General Staff Gen.Hilmi Ozkok’s remarks to the press yesterday. Turkey is a democratic, secular republic governed under the rule of law, said Erdogan, adding, “Everything has taken place through democratic processes, and there is no need to look for anything besides that.” /All Papers/
GEN. OZKOK DENIES REPORTS OF MILITARY RIFT OVER GOVERNMENT
Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok yesterday held a closed-door meeting with a selected group of Turkish journalists to counter recent media reports of disagreement within the military over the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government. According to the reporters and editors present, Gen. Ozkok voiced his dissatisfaction with a newspaper article last week which sparked rumors of a possible attempt at a military coup. Reacting angrily to such rumors, Ozkok reportedly said he did not even want to hear the word “coup” mentioned again. Although he conceded that the military had certain sensitivities to the Islamist-oriented AKP government, he vehemently denied media reports that some younger army officers were "uneasy" with the government. “Any differences the military has with the government would be solved through democratic methods,” the top general reportedly added. On the other hand, Ozkok also voiced concern at the government's appointment of Islamists to certain key administrative posts. He also spoke in favor of Turkey joining the European Union, with the proviso that Turkey’s national unity not be open to negotiation. In Turkey, the military considers itself the guardian of Turkey's secular and democratic system, which is why it is reportedly suspicious of the AKP government’s roots in Turkey's pro-Islamist movement. However, the AKP has strongly denied that it has an Islamist agenda. /All Papers/
GUL, PAPANDREOU REACH COMMON GROUND AT EURO-MED MEETING
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday met with his Greek counterpart George Papandreou during the current Euro-Med foreign ministers’ meeting held on the Greek island of Crete. Speaking afterwards, Papandreou said that Turkey and Greece might sign an agreement regarding security measures in the Aegean Sea region. He said that he and Gul had negotiated the issue under two approaches, one with measures under NATO – to which both nations belong – and the other under a “good neighbor” relations umbrella. For his part, Gul said that they had reached agreement on a three-article package of confidence-building measures. “Under the package, high-level land, sea, and air force commanders of our two countries will hold regular reciprocal visits, there will be regular exchanges of students between our respective military academies, and our military hospitals will cooperate in matters of diagnosis and treatment,” said Gul. Asked if Turkey and Greece would cease conducting military exercises in the Aegean area, which have been a recent source of friction, Gul said that the issue had not been discussed. The Euro-Med meeting, hosting EU member and candidate foreign ministers plus those from Mediterranean-region countries, is due to conclude today. /Aksam/
DEFENSE MINISTER GONUL: “TURKEY COULD HOST A MIDEAST PEACE CONFERENCE”
Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul yesterday met with his Israeli counterpart Shaul Mofaz, who is currently paying an official visit to Turkey. Gonul said that during their meeting, they had discussed the defense industry and modernization projects. In addition, Gonul stressed Turkey’s desire for a peaceful resolution in the Middle East. “We are ready to host a peace conference aimed at resolving the problem,” he added. Mofaz also met with Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and was received by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. /Turkiye/
DENKTAS: “THE UN’S PLAN IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE”
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas blasted the United Nations’ latest plan for a resolution on Cyprus, calling it completely unacceptable. This March talks collapsed over the plan, just before Greek Cyprus signed its EU accession treaty. Denktas said that the plan had been prepared with contributions from British, US, and Greek Cypriot officials – but not Turkish Cypriot ones – and that no part of it was defensible, adding that both the philosophy and vision of the plan were wrongheaded. “[UN Cyprus Envoy Alvaro] de Soto has never gone to a Turkish village in the south [in Greek-controlled Cyprus] and never wanted to see how Greek Cypriots destroyed Turkish houses to prevent the Turkish Cypriots from returning,” said Denktas. “He still supports and continues to defend the UN plan, a plan rejected by both sides for a referendum, which shows that the plan needs changing. As long as de Soto continues to do that, he loses both credibility and reliability.” Denktas added that even if the TRNC were to accept the UN plan, the end result would be strife and conflict, not peace. /Aksam/
PAPADOPOULOS: “TURKEY’S JOINING THE EU WOULD HELP A RESOLUTION ON THE ISLAND”
Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos said yesterday that he favored Turkey’s European Union membership bid, adding that its success would aid efforts for a resolution on Cyprus. “If Turkey joins the Union, then it will have to act as an EU member country and respect its principles,” he stated. /Aksam/
IMF DELEGATION MEETS WITH UNAKITAN, CONTINUES FIFTH REVIEW
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation headed by Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen this week is continuing its contacts with Turkish officials. As part of the fifth review of the nation’s economic program, the delegation yesterday met with Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan. Kahkonen stated that the delegation had seen positive indications from the first quarter of this year. However, Kahkonen also warned officials not to increase expenditures in the remaining months, as was done in some previous years. /Turkiye/
UN HOLDS INFORMATIONAL SEMINAR ON IRAQ FOR TURKISH BUSINESSMAN
The United Nations’ Turkey Representation yesterday held an informational seminar in Gaziantep for the benefit of Turkish businessmen seeking to work with the UN in both Iraq and Afghanistan. UN Turkey Representative Jacob Simonsen stated that Turkey could meet certain needs of both the Iraqi and Afghani peoples due to its geographical proximity to those countries. /Cumhuriyet/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION