ERDOGAN GETS PORTUGUESE PM’S SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BID
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is currently on a state visit to Portugal, yesterday met with his Portuguese counterpart Durao Barasso to discuss a number of issues, including relations between the two countries. Speaking after their meeting, Barasso said that he appreciated Turkey’s steps towards its European Union membership and that Lisbon would support Ankara at the December 2004 EU summit to begin its accession negotiations with the Union. “We will do our best for Turkey to begin accession talks,” he said, adding that a resolution of the Cyprus issue was also a must. Asked about the Turkish Armed Forces’ (TSK) stance on the nation’s EU bid, Erdogan said that the TSK was not opposed to Turkey’s EU membership and that the government and the TSK were in agreement on the recently passed sixth EU harmonization package. Later meeting with Portuguese businessmen, Erdogan said that there was a great potential for economic cooperation between the two nations, but that they had yet to fully develop it. “We need to strive to advance economic ties between our countries,” urged Erdogan. “Our bilateral trade up to now has been rather limited due mostly to distance, but this obstacle is surmountable.” In related news, Turkey and Portugal signed a mutual employment agreement allowing the family members of diplomats and diplomatic administrative and technical personnel plus international organizations’ representations to take jobs to earn money. Turkey has signed similar such agreements with the United States, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Italy, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Poland. /Aksam/
GUL: “THE SEVENTH EU HARMONIZATION PACKAGE WILL TAKE ITS FINAL SHAPE NEXT WEEK”
Speaking to reporters before leaving for Great Britain yesterday, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that the government had yet to put the final touches on a seventh European Union harmonization package for Turkey’s EU bid, adding that the package would take its finished form next week. Asked about Italy’s just-begun EU term presidency, Gul said that Ankara’s relations with Rome were going very well and that Italy’s term presidency would work to Turkey’s benefit, reiterating the nation’s determination to join the Union. Asked about the situation in postwar Iraq, Gul said that northern Iraq was an indispensable part of the country and that he would discuss the situation with his British counterpart Jack Straw. Touching on Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok’s current visit to Israel, the foreign minister said that Turkey was always ready to contribute to peace between Israel and Palestine. /Turkiye/
BERLUSCONI EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP BID
One day after his country took over the rotating EU term presidency from Greece, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi yesterday gave a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg presenting his nation’s agenda at the Union helm for the next six months. Berlusconi recalled that the beginning date for Turkey’s membership negotiations was due to be determined at the end of next year and reiterated his full support for Turkey’s membership bid. “We should support the reform period initiated by Ankara to fulfill the EU’s Copenhagen criteria,” added the Italian premier. /Cumhuriyet/
JUSTICE MINISTER CICEK ARRIVES IN BAKU
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek arrived in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku early today for a two-day official visit. Speaking to reporters at Bine Airport, Cicek said that he planned to discuss opportunities for bilateral cooperation during his meetings with Azerbaijani officials. Meanwhile, Azerbaijani Justice Minister Fikret Madedov, who welcomed Cicek at the airport, told reporters that a ‘cooperative pact’ between the two countries’ justice ministries would be signed during Cicek’s visit. /Anatolian News Agency/
FORMER US SENATOR BOB KERREY: “TURKEY SHOULD HOST A SUMMIT ON IRAQ’S RECONSTRUCTION”
Former US Senator Bob Kerrey yesterday stated that the Turkish government should organize a summit in Istanbul to discuss significant issues faced in Iraq’s reconstruction. Recommending that both Turkey and the US move beyond bilateral tensions from the wake of Ankara’s refusal of US troop deployments before the war, Kerrey stressed that the two countries were close allies which should mutually strive to solve their problems. “Iraq’s future must be discussed in Istanbul with regional countries under the joint leadership of the US and Turkey,” said Kerrey. /Hurriyet/
TURKISH SCHOLAR APPOINTED RAPPORTEUR AT UNITED NATIONS
The Foreign Ministry announced yesterday that the United Nations’ Commission for Human Rights had elected Dr. Yakin Erturk as its special rapporteur for violence against women, one of the commission’s inspection mechanisms. /Anatolia News Agency/
FINANCE MINISTER UNAKITAN: “THERE IS NO NEED FOR FURTHER BUDGETARY MEASURES”
As Turkey’s economic indicators are now positive, there is no need for Ankara to take additional measures on the state budget, said Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan yesterday. Unakitan further predicted that there would no problem in reaching this year’s primary surplus target of 6.5%. /Milliyet/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION