PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE NATIONAL PROGRAM
Parliament’s General Assembly is expected convene this week to debate a revised draft of the country’s National Program for the adoption of the European Union acquis communautaire. During the debate, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is to brief the deputies on the government’s latest revisions to the program and hear observations and recommendations from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) plus the other minor parties represented in Parliament, the True Path Party (DYP) and the Motherland Party (ANAP). /Cumhuriyet/
ERDOGAN: “WE ARE DETERMINED TO MAKE TURKEY A DEVELOPED COUNTRY”
The Justice and Development Party (AKP) government is fully determined to make Turkey a developed country and to carry it to the place it has long deserved among the most respected nations of the world, said Prime Minister and AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the weekend. Speaking at a meeting of his party in the southern Anatolian city of Adana, Erdogan stated that Turkey was taking giant steps forward in its European Union membership bid but that the road to the Union was not without obstacles. “We are trying to overcome deep-rooted problems that have been holding Turkey back for a half-century now,” said Erdogan, adding that certain quarters in the country were trying to hinder the nation’s progress. “But we have no intention of retreating from our quest for the EU,” pledged the premier. /Turkiye/
GUL: “THE EU KNOWS THAT OUR MEMBERSHIP WOULD BE MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL”
Speaking on television over the weekend, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that next year would be a critical one for Turkey’s European Union membership bid. At its December 2004 summit, the EU is set to review Turkey’s accession progress. Gul said that both the EU and Turkey would benefit from Turkey’s membership and that the Union knew this. “The EU could benefit from Turkey’s large, powerful army. Turkey would contribute to the Union more than Latvia and Estonia,” said Gul, referring to two Baltic countries slated to join next year. However, he added that if Turkey were not able to join the EU, then it would continue its own way without the Union. Asked about Ankara’s National Security Council (NSC) becoming a civilian institution, Gul said that no state institution would be exempted from the nation’s reform process. The foreign minister stated that he expected the support of the opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) for reforms for Ankara’s EU bid. Also touching on Turkish-US relations, Gul said that last week, in the wake of a high-level Foreign Ministry visit to Washington, the US administration had sent a letter to Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok telling about Turkey’s contributions to the Iraq war, Turkish-US relations and the importance of Turkey and the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). He stated that he believed the US would not conduct an operation against Syria or Iran. Gul added that Ankara favored good relations with Armenia and that there was nothing in Turkey’s past for it to be ashamed of. “We did not assimilate any nation,” said Gul. /Sabah/
BABACAN: “THERE IS NO TENSION IN OUR RELATIONS WITH THE IMF”
Appearing on television yesterday, State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan said that there was no tension in Turkey’s relations with the International Monetary Fund. Touching on the nation’s IMF-supported economic program, Babacan said that the Fund’s fifth and sixth review of the program would not be merged and that the government would set a reasonable date for the sixth review. “We are now negotiating with the Fund to change the date of the sixth review,” said the economy minister. “The fourth review of the program was very important, since it determined details of the program for the first time and we faced some difficulty and disagreements, but we wrote what we believed was appropriate in the letter of intent (LOI).” Babacan added that he hoped Turkey wouldn’t need to borrow money from the IMF after next year. /Milliyet//
DENKTAS: “THE FACTS ON CYPRUS MUST BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION”
It is disappointing that the European Union chooses to ignore the existing realities on Cyprus, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said over the weekend. Speaking in Switzerland to the 14th annual meeting of the Crans Montana Forum, a group promoting responsible business ethics, Denktas pointed out that present on the island are two separate nations with two separate languages. “If a resolution on the island is truly desired, then these facts must be taken into consideration,” he said. /Aksam/
UNESCO DECIDES AGAINST INCLUDING MARDIN ON WORLD HERITAGE LIST
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has decided against including the southeastern Anatolian city of Mardin on its “World Heritage List” due to a recent negative report by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). UNESCO’s decision shocked Turkey, as Mardin’s inclusion on the list was believed to be definite. Mardin is associated with seven millennia of history, and was a cradle for numerous ethnic groups, among them Armenians, Surianis, Chaldeans and others. The city reflects the highlights of ancient Assyrian civilization and is famous for its historic houses made out of golden stone. /Hurriyet/
TURKEY SEALS THIRD SPOT IN CONFEDERATION CUP
Turkey’s football team toppled Colombia on Saturday in France with a 2-1 win, thus giving it third place in the FIFA Confederation Cup. In addition, host France retained the cup by beating Cameroon 1-0 in yesterday’s final match. /All Papers/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION