ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that a suspension regarding the U.S. loan was out of question.
Erdogan left Turkey for Kyrgzstan on an official visit.
Speaking to reporters at Ankara's Esenboga Airport, Erdogan said that he would first visit Kyrgzstan and then he would pay an official visit to Tajikistan.
Erdogan said that political, economic and cultural relations and also regional and international issues would be discussed during his visit to those countries.
Stating that they considered and accepted Eurasia as cooperation and solidarity region, he said that they attributed great importance to bilateral and multilateral cooperation on security and prosperity of Eurasia with regional countries.
Erdogan said that they wanted to increase bilateral relations with Central Asian republics to the highest level and stated that businessmen and he would search what could be done to increase more trade with Kyrgzstan and Tajikistan.
When a reporter said, ''there were some news which said that the first tranche of 8.5 billion U.S. dollars of loan could be used at the end of this month. But, there are some news stories in the press on Tuesday that this loan was suspended. What is the last development?'' Erdogan said, ''suspension regarding this loan is out of question. We will accept the loan, if it comes to the country in a way that we want. It is a very appropriate loan whose conditions are good. The first tranche was earlier planned to come to Turkey by the end of this month. If it comes, we will accept it.''
Asked whether they would use it by accepting the north of Iraq condition, Erdogan said, ''there is a thing that we have said from the very beginning. When north of Iraq condition is said, people paid attention to the issue of what is understood from it and how it is interpreted.'' Stating that the issue was not determined by themselves and with their request, Erdogan said that they took the authority from the parliament.
Stressing that developments after the authorization were different, Erdogan said that Turkey did what was necessary and it's the turn of the United States now.
Erdogan said that they took the decision and U.N. Security Council also made the resolution. Noting that if people thought of those things, everybody would see steps which were taken were very appropriate. Erdogan added that they did not prepare 2004 budget according to the loan.
(EÖ-AY) 21.10.2003