IRAQ TROOP DEPLOYMENT URGED DURING SUMMIT; DEMOCRATIC DECISION IN PARLIAMENT EXPECTED
A government-military summit chaired by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer was held yesterday at the Cankaya Palace. During the two-and-a-half-hour meeting, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok gave the president a comprehensive briefing on their view that Turkey should deploy troops in Iraq. The leaders reportedly remarked that Turkey could not turn its back on developments across its border, and thus should take part in stabilization forces to ensure Iraq’s stability. The president reiterated his desire for international legitimacy, but the leaders replied that for the time being the United Nations passing a resolution would be problematic, adding that Turkish troops would go there not to wage war but to ensure peace. Pointing to UN Resolution 1483 calling on member states to take part in Iraq’s reconstruction process and contribute humanitarian aid, the leaders stated that Turkish troops could be deployed within this framework. Following the meeting, presidential spokesman Sermet Atacanli stated that the leaders had agreed that all relevant groups should work in coordination to determine the content, nature and framework of Turkey’s contribution in line with the nation’s interests and that a final decision would be made through the democratic decision-making process, meaning Parliament. After the summit, Erdogan held a meeting at the Prime Ministry with his party’s staff, including Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, to further evaluate the matter. /All Papers/

TWO TURKMEN ELECTED TO IRAQ’S CONSTITUTIONAL COUNCIL
Two Turkmen representatives have reportedly been elected to a Constitutional Council set to draft a new Iraqi constitution. The two, both lawyers, will represent Iraq’s Shiite and Sunni Turkmen. In related news, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is scheduled to attend a meeting in October to be held in Madrid, Spain regarding Iraq’s reconstruction process and humanitarian aid to this country. /Turkiye/

ANAP LEADER OZDEMIR: “TURKISH TROOPS SHOULD BE DEPLOYED IN IRAQ”
Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Ali Talip Ozdemir yesterday came out in favor of Turkey sending its troops to Iraq, saying that doing so was needed for the nation to play a role in Iraq’s reconstruction process. Stressing that Turkey’s priorities and interests in the region had coming to a head, Ozdemir urged Parliament to convene an extraordinary session to give its authorization for the deployment. /Hurriyet/

CABINET TO CONVENE IN SAKARYA, DISCUSS TROOP DEPLOYMENT ISSUE
The Cabinet is set to convene next Monday, Aug. 18, for a special meeting in Sakarya, in northwestern Turkey. The meeting will honor the victims of the devastating Aug. 17, 1999 earthquake centered in that province. In addition, the meeting is expected to discuss the possible deployment of Turkish troops to Iraq in the wake of yesterday’s government-military summit on the issue. /Cumhuriyet/

NEW US AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY EDELMAN DUE IN ANKARA THIS FRIDAY
Eric S. Edelman, the new US ambassador to Turkey, is expected to arrive in Ankara this Friday to assume his duties. Edelman’s tenure will begin officially next week when he presents his letter of credentials to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. He succeeds former Ambassador Robert Pearson, whose three-year mission in Ankara drew to a close last month. /Cumhuriyet/

RULING AKP TO CELEBRATE SECOND ANNIVERSARY
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which was established on Aug. 14, 2001 with 73 founding members, including Chairman and now Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will celebrate its second anniversary tomorrow. At a ceremony to mark the occasion at Ankara’s Bilkent Hotel, Ankara Greater Metropolitan Mayor Melih Gokcek and former State Minister Isilay Saygin are expected to join the party. In addition, the AKP reportedly is set to add Hakkari Deputy Mustafa Zeydan, a former member of the Motherland Party (ANAP), into its ranks. With this fresh blood, the number of AKP deputies in Parliament will rise to 367, bolstering its already two-thirds-plus majority. /All Papers/

TUSIAD: “THE NEW TRNC CUSTOMS PACT COULD HURT TURKEY’S EU BID”
The new Customs Union pact signed last week between Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) could hinder Turkey’s European Union membership bid, warned a top Turkish business group yesterday. Echoing similar comments from Greek Cypriot leaders and some EU officials, a Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) statement said that the pact could endanger Turkey’s recent progress on EU accession in its sixth and seventh harmonization packages. Greek Cyprus is due to officially join the EU next May, and there has been little progress of late in peace talks with its northern neighbor, the TRNC. The Cyprus issue remains one of the last contentious thorns in Turkey’s EU accession. /Aksam/

ERDOGAN TO ATTEND HACIBEKTAS FESTIVAL IN NEVSEHIR
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to visit the central Anatolian province of Nevsehir on Saturday to attend the annual Hacibektas Veli Commemoration Festival of Culture and Art. The event will honor Hacibektas, the 13th century founder of Islam’s Alawite tradition and the famous whirling dervishes, in the town bearing his name. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, and opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal are also expected to be present at the celebration. Later, Erdogan will visit Bodrum in order to attend the opening ceremony of a marina there. /Cumhuriyet/