Seventh Adjustment Package Has Been Signed And It Will Be Submitted To Parliament

ERZURUM - Justice Minister and government spokesman Cemil Cicek said on Wednesday that the seventh adjustment package had been signed and it would be submitted to the parliament.
Following the meeting of the Council of Ministers which was held in the historical congress building in eastern Erzurum province, Cicek told reporters that since the share of regional people in national income was below 1,500 U.S. dollars, those who would invest in the region would be exempted from tax, provided with Social Security Agency (SSK) premium facilitation and 50 percent reduction in electricity prices, and also provided with lands free of charge.
Justice Minister and Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek talked about the importance of Erzurum Congress prior to his statements about the cabinet meeting. Cicek noted that Erzurum Congress showed the importance of the national will, adding that ''there is no will and power beyond it... The basis of the national state was laid during Erzurum Congress.''
JUSTICE MINISTER CICEK: ''WE ARE MAKING AMENDMENTS TO 13 LAWS''
Cicek told reporters that the law on National Security Council (NSC) Secretariat General was among the planned amendments.
Upon a question on the seventh adjustment package, Cicek said that they were making amendments to 13 laws.
Cicek said that there were some texts regarding the amendments in which fundamental rights and liberties were broadened and taken under guarantee and especially freedom of organization was reviewed.
Also, the texts included amendments to law on NSC Secretariat General and the NSC, Cicek noted.
Cicek stated that it was a law comprised of almost 40 articles, adding that they could give the text to reporters when they returned to Ankara.
When reporters recalled him the discussions on NSC, Cicek said, ''there is no more any matter of discussion. As the bill is submitted to the parliament, every kind of deliberations will be made in the parliament, commissions, and the general assembly from now on.''
When asked if Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a statement about U.S. demand from Turkey to send soldiers to Iraq, Cicek said that the issue was not taken up in their meeting.
Asked if Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, who is currently in the United States, gave information to the Council of Minister by phone, Cicek said that Gul did not do so.

(BRC-AÖ) 23.07.2003