SEZER: “TURKEY IS PROUD OF BUILDING ITS OWN SHIPS”
A number of frigates, submarines, planes and helicopters built in Turkey or purchased from abroad were commissioned yesterday into the service of the Turkish Naval Forces. To mark the occasion, a ceremony was held at Golcuk Naval Base on the Sea of Marmara, and in attendance were President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul and Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu. Addressing the ceremony, Sezer noted Turkey’s status as a country with coasts on three sides. “For that reason, the Turkish Navy has a special importance for the nation’s defense.” He added that Turkey was proud of building its own ship and submarines. /Turkiye/
GUL MEETS WITH POWELL, CHENEY, RUMSFELD IN WASHINGTON
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, who is currently on a four-day visit to Washington, yesterday met with his US counterpart Colin Powell. Following a luncheon meeting at the State Department, the two top diplomats spoke with reporters. Powell said that US Gen. John Abizaid, head of US central command, had conveyed to Ankara last week a US request for it to send troops to Iraq. “[Gul] indicated that they would be working on this, and in as fast a manner as possible,” said Powell, adding that Ankara was giving the possible deployment “the most active consideration.” Powell expressed his deep appreciation for “the significant offers of assistance we have received from Turkey for reconstruction, humanitarian [aid] and other support efforts in Iraq,” saying, “Turkey already is doing quite a bit with respect to humanitarian aid … There’s a lot of business… which will benefit both the Iraqi people and the Turkish economy.” For his part, Gul said that Ankara and Washington were resolved to strengthen their bilateral relations. “From time to time, even between friends … you have difficulties but [still] trust each other. We’ll definitely overcome all these things. So we are very much optimistic for the future for our relations.” Gul added that NATO or United Nations involvement in Iraq would make Turkey’s contribution “easier.” Gul later met with Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the White House and the Pentagon. In related news, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Myers said yesterday that in order to scale back US forces in Iraq, 30,000-plus soldiers were needed there, and that contacts with Turkey, Pakistan and India concerning their help on this were continuing. Acknowledging that some nations want Islamic countries to contribute or UN involvement in Iraq, Myers said that the US was applying a “full-court press” for more countries’ contributions. /All Papers/
GUL: “TURKEY MUST BE PART OF THE BIG PICTURE IN IRAQ”
Turkey is unlikely to accept serving just as a “police force” in Iraq, but instead would seek to be “part of the big picture” in cooperating in a stabilization force there, said Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on Wednesday. Speaking to The Washington Post in the US capital, Gul warned that if the United States asks for Ankara’s military help in Iraq but fails to allocate it a specific and deep role in the country, Parliament will not approve any deployment. Ankara will seek economic and business contracts and a “common understanding” with the Bush administration on Iraq’s future, said Gul, adding that Turkish soldiers wouldn’t just be a “police force.” “Since we are a part of that world, we know better than you,” Gul told the paper. “We ruled this area for hundreds of years [in the Ottoman Empire]. We can give you advice and we can really contribute to settle down the issues over there for the stabilization of Iraq.” /Milliyet/
DENKTAS SENDS LETTER TO ANNAN PROPOSING CLEARING MINES AROUND LEFKOSA
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Rauf Denktas yesterday sent a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan proposing cooperation to clear thousands of land mines in the buffer zone surrounding the capital Lefkosa. “Clearing the mines will make passage between the TRNC and Greek Cyprus safer,” said Denktas, referring to cross-border visits made possible when he opened the frontier in April. “This is an important military confidence-building measure ... and will be an additional effort to help reach a comprehensive settlement,” Denktas added. In related news, the Turkish Foreign Ministry yesterday released a statement supporting Denktas’s new proposal, adding that it would contribute to a peaceful resolution on the island. /Cumhuriyet/
80TH ANNIVERSARY OF LAUSANNE TREATY COMMEMORATED
Speaking at a ceremony at Istanbul University to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Lausanne Treaty, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said yesterday that it was as a result of the landmark treaty that the Republic of Turkey was recognized by Western countries. “Lausanne is the only agreement [from that time] still in force, and it serves as an assurance of the Turkish Republic,” Sezer said. The 1923 treaty signed in Lausanne, Switzerland sealed the victory of republican forces led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in the War of Independence, and established Turkey as a modern nation. Also addressing the gathering, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas called the treaty a sign of the Turkish nation’s great determination. State Minister Besir Atalay told the ceremony that Lausanne had opened the door for Turkey to enjoy a free and modern life. “The pact was not just a peace treaty, but also restructured Turkey’s political, economic, social, and legal relations,” he said. “It further confirmed our military victory and laid out the republic’s fundamental features.” /Cumhuriyet/
TURKEY, GREECE AGREE TO MORE MILITARY COOPERATION
The ambassadors to NATO of members Turkey and Greece have agreed to enhanced cooperation between their defense colleges and on an exchange of personnel at their training centers, NATO Secretary-General George Robertson said in a statement on Wednesday. Under the new agreement, three to five Turkish officers will be sent to a training center in Kilkis, Greece, and an equal number of Greek officers will go to a training center in Ankara. The agreement was part of a series of recent confidence-building measures brokered by NATO. /Turkish Daily News/
PANEL HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF FREE PRESS
A panel was held yesterday in Ankara to mark the July 24 Traditional Journalists’ Day, with both parliamentarians and newspaper representatives in attendance to discuss state-media relations. The panelists stressed the importance of freedom of the press. “Without a free press, there can be no talk of democracy,” said one speaker. “The press is a sine qua non of democracy.” /Turkiye/