ERDOGAN: "IT'S TOO EARLY TO DEBATE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS"
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday there are still 11 months until the presidential elections, and that it was too early to debate the subject. Speaking to reporters en route to Ankara after completing a three-day visit to Croatia and Macedonia, Erdogan said that everybody meeting the requirements of the Constitution could be a presidential candidate. Stressing that there were a number of issues in the country to deal with, the premier underlined that there was no time to waste, adding that the government intended to hold general elections as scheduled in fall 2007. Commenting on recent fluctuations in the economy, Erdogan remarked that these movements stemmed from foreign influences. He added that necessary measures were being taken without making concessions to fiscal discipline. /Turkiye/

GUL HEADS TO ALMATY FOR CICA SUMMIT
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will today depart for Kazakhstan to represent Turkey in the second summit of heads of state and government of the Conference on Interactions and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Almaty. While there, the minister is expected to meet with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev as well as hold bilateral talks with leaders who will participate in the summit. Following his program in Almaty, Gul will travel to Baku, Azerbaijan, to participate in the 33rd session of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) foreign ministers' meeting starting on Monday. /Turkish Daily News/

CHP LEADER BAYKAL: "EARLY ELECTIONS WILL SHOW BANKRUPTCY OF THE GOVT"
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday said that early elections might come up at any time and that this wasn't dependent on the government's choice. "As the government can't rule the country and control the economy, early elections will happen," he said. "This will show the bankruptcy on the part of the government." Baykal yesterday received Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) Head Sinan Aygun and board members at his party's new headquarters and said, "We realize that Turkey will enter a very distressing period. We want to contribute to overcoming this approaching big crisis using democracy." /Hurriyet/

DYP LEADER AGAR: "CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE SHOULD BE OVERCOME"
Opposition True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar yesterday said that the issue of the presidency couldn't be solved without solving the problem of the government. "There's time for the presidential issue," Agar said, adding, "Everything will occur within democracy in Turkey. Everybody will carry his own responsibility in democratic conditions. The crisis of confidence created by the government should be addressed first. Overcoming the crisis of confidence is the priority issue." /Hurriyet/

EU SECRETARY-GENERAL DEMIRALP: "THERE WILL BE NO TRAIN CRASH IN TURKEY'S EU PROCESS"
Appearing on news channel NTV yesterday, Turkey's European Union Secretary-General Oguz Demiralp said that there would be no train crash in Ankara's European Union process since there was no railway between Turkey and Cyprus. "Our conscience is clear," he said. "We have time ahead of us. I hope we'll have the opportunity to proceed with this process together with the EU coming to a reasonable line." He added that he didn't think the negotiations would be suspended at the end of the year if Ankara doesn't open its harbors and airports to traffic from Greek Cyprus, and reiterated Turkey's determination on this. "Our stance is quite consistent," he added. "We can't participate in measures which would increase the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots." /Turkiye/

EU'S KRETSCHMER: "EARLY ELECTIONS COULD DAMAGE STABILITY"
European Union Commission Delegation to Turkey head Hansjoerg Kretschmer yesterday said that the calls for early elections might lead to political instability, which would damage Turkey's EU bid. Speaking to reporters, Kretschmer said, "I think that this discussion (early elections and presidential election) could be a source of anxiety. Because this shows lack of stability or at least lack of respect for institutions." Stating that this issue has a connection with the political criteria for EU membership, Kretschmer added, "The criteria aren't only related to democracy and human rights issues, but also to stable institutions and the rule of law." /Cumhuriyet/

EU TO LAUNCH NEW CYPRUS SALVO
Just days after Turkey completed its first major step in accession talks with the European Union on Monday, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker came forward, urging the bloc to freeze membership talks with Turkey if Ankara does not open its harbors and airports to traffic from Greek Cyprus this year. His remarks came yesterday as the clearest signal so far that some leaders will seek a complete halt to the negotiations if Turkey does not fulfill its obligation to extend its EU Customs Union to all new member states, including Greek Cyprus, which Ankara does not recognize. If Turkey does not implement this condition this year, the negotiations will have to be postponed, predicted Juncker. /Turkish Daily News/

FRENCH TRADE MINISTER VISITS TURKEY
France's Foreign Trade Minister Christine Lagarde accompanied by French businessmen yesterday arrived in Ankara to have talks with Turkish officials. During her meeting with Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler, they exchanged views on possible cooperation in energy sector investments. Then she met with Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim. France is interested in Turkey's nuclear power plant construction plans and certain tenders of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) as well. /Turkiye/

SABANCI: "TIME, DETERMINATION, AND CONSISTENCY ARE NEEDED TO BOOST EXPECTATIONS"
Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) Chairman Omer Sabanci said yesterday that recent economic fluctuations had shaken the confidence of markets over political stability and reforms. Speaking at a meeting of the Turkish Women Entrepreneurs Association, Sabanci stated that to improve expectations, time, determination, and consistency were all needed. Saying that the slowdown in European Union reforms had direct and indirect effects on the economy, Sabaci stressed that this slowdown had dampened the expectations of economic actors. "The dynamism of the reforms has weakened and this lowered the credibility of the reform process," he said. Sabanci stated that Turkey was moving ahead with determined steps to fulfill the Maastricht criteria, adding that achieving high and sustainable growth rates would be able to manage current fluctuations in the markets. "I believe that Turkey's short- and long-term outlook is bright," he added. /Aksam/

S&P CONFIRMS TURKEY'S CURRENT CREDIT NOTES OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE
International rating agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) yesterday confirmed Turkey's current credit notes of foreign exchange, BB- in the long-term and B in the short-term, despite recent fluctuations in the markets. S&P also confirmed the credit note outlook. Stressing that the Turkish banking system is better prepared better for recent fluctuations than the past, the rating agency added that the latest reforms made Turkey an attractive market for foreign investors. /Milliyet/

JULY CEREMONY SET TO MARK OIL REACHING LAST TERMINUS OF BAKU-TBILISI-CEYHAN PIPELINE
Preparations for a ceremony to mark oil reaching the Turkish port of Ceyhan, the last terminus of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, are continuing. The ceremony will be held on July 13. US President George W. Bush, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev, Georgian President Mihail Saakashvili, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are invited to the ceremony. The night before, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer is expected to host a dinner for the visitors at Istanbul's Ciragan Palace. /Milliyet/