SEZER: “THE US’ ACTIONS IN SULAIMANIYAH WERE DEPLORABLE AND INEXCUSABLE”
The three-day detention of 11 Turkish special forces by US troops in Sulaimaniyah, northern Iraq last weekend was a deplorable and utterly inexcusable action, charged President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday. Adding fuel to the firestorm in Turkish-US relations, Sezer said that the nation had been injured, adding that Ankara rightfully expected a full and convincing explanation from Washington for the detentions. /Cumhuriyet/

GUL: “SULAIMANIYAH INCIDENT WILL BE CLEARER AFTER JOINT COMMISSION COMPLETES ITS REPORT”
The Sulaimaniyah incident in which 11 Turkish soldiers were detained by US forces over the weekend will be clearer after the investigation by a Turkish-US Joint commission, predicted Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday. “I believe this was an isolated incident, but we will know better later,” said Gul, adding that the joint probe could be conducted without harming bilateral Turkish-US relations. Gul also cited the unexpected Ankara visit Tuesday of Gen. James L. Jones, the US’ senior military commander in Europe, as evidence of Washington’s good intentions. /Aksam/

ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION DECIDES TO LAUNCH INVESTIGATION INTO SENIOR EX-DSP COALITION OFFICIALS
Parliament’s Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday decided to launch an investigation into prominent members of the 1999-2002 Democratic Left Party (DSP)-led coalition government on allegations of corruption within their administration. The figures include former Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, former Deputy Prime Ministers Devlet Bahceli and Mesut Yilmaz, and former Economy Minister, now Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy, Kemal Dervis, plus more than 15 other ministers of the three-year coalition government. Under the Constitution, the investigation commission will draw up a report within two months and submit it to Parliament’s General Assembly. The commission also has the right to bring persons allegedly involved in corruption before the Supreme Court, Turkey’s highest judicial body, which is exclusively reserved for trials of premiers and other ministers. /All Papers/

US VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY REPORTEDLY PLEDGES TO HEAD OFF “GENOCIDE” RESOLUTION
mid signs that the US Senate might soon vote on a resolution indirectly recognizing the so-called Armenian genocide, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reportedly telephoned US Vice President Dick Cheney to discuss the issue. In the conversation, Cheney is said to have pledged to block the resolution. The call was the second between the two leaders in less than a week, following close on the heels of a conversation to resolve a dispute over 11 Turkish soldiers detained in northern Iraq, an incident whose strains are still being felt. The vice president constitutionally serves as president of the Senate, a post little used except in close votes, but still has considerable sway in the Republican-majority body. /Turkiye/

GENERAL STAFF SUSPENDS NEGOTIATIONS ON PURCHASE OF “KING COBRA” HELICOPTERS FROM US FIRM
In the wake of the US’ three-day detention of Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq over the weekend, the General Staff has reportedly suspended negotiations on the purchase of 145 “King Cobra” assault helicopters worth $4 billion from US company Bell Helicopter Textron. News reports say that well before the incident the contractual terms had almost completed, but that now the General Staff is holding off signing the agreements in protest of the US’ failure so far to apologize for the detentions. /Cumhuriyet/

VERHEUGEN URGES EUROPE TO STOP “TWO-FACED” APPROACH TO TURKEY, SAYS ANKARA CAN IMPLEMENT EU REFORMS
Speaking to German daily Die Welt yesterday, European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen urged the EU to cease its “two-faced” approach to Turkey, adding that however that Ankara needed to implement EU accession reforms by the end of next year. Charging that some Union member states publicly advocate Ankara’s membership bid but fervently oppose it behind closed doors, Verheugen called for this duplicitous attitude to end, saying that more “fairness” is needed in dealing with Turkey. The commissioner also said that for its part, Ankara needed to take advantage of the period between now and December 2004 – when its accession progress will be evaluated with an eye towards scheduling membership talks – to actually implement EU reforms which are not yet felt in daily life. The commissioner also predicted that the accession of Muslim-majority Turkey could widen the Union’s sphere of influence, making it more of a “Middle Eastern power.” /Milliyet/

IPUK LEADER TALABANI TO VISIT ANKARA
Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) leader Jalal Talabani is expected to arrive in Ankara today for a working visit. The IPUK head is scheduled to meet with Foreign Ministry officials. In related news, Talabani has denied allegations that the detention of Turkish special forces officers by US troops in the northern Iraqi town of Sulaimaniyah over the weekend had been requested by the IPUK. “Such allegations are completely groundless,” said Talabani. /Hurriyet, Cumhuriyet/

IMF TURKEY DESK CHIEF MOGHADAM: “THERE IS NO NEED TO MERGE THE FIFTH AND SIXTH REVIEWS OF THE ECONOMIC PROGRAM”
An International Monetary Fund delegation chaired by new IMF Turkey Desk Chief Riza Moghadam yesterday met with State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan and Treasury Undersecretary Ibrahim Canakci to discuss recent economic developments and Ankara’s IMF-supported economic program. During the meeting, Moghadam said that there was no need to merge the IMF’s fifth and sixth reviews of the economic program, adding that the government should complete all necessary structural reforms as soon as possible. The IMF delegation is expected to examine recent budgetary developments through July 18 in order to decide whether state fiscal policy will achieve this year’s primary surplus target of 6.5%. /Milliyet/

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