Türkiye's Justice Minister and government spokesman Cemil Cicek announced after a Cabinet session that Parliament would consider a draft anti-terrorism law before the end of the week.
Cicek said a key element of the bill involves modernizing the police force, bringing its crime-prevention powers in line with European standards. He argued that stopping crimes before they occur matters more to citizens than how offenders are handled after the fact.
The minister also reported that Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul briefed the Cabinet on his recent trip to Iran, with discussion centering on Tehran's nuclear program. Cicek said Türkiye is working to ease tensions between the parties and supports a peaceful resolution through the United Nations framework, describing Türkiye as a neighbor with close ties to Iran.
On currency markets, Cicek acknowledged recent volatility in the US dollar exchange rate but urged calm, saying the Central Bank was watching the situation closely. He noted that, as a country operating under a floating exchange rate and free-market principles, Türkiye was taking all appropriate steps to address conditions.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in June 2006, in its own words.