ERDOGAN: "THE EU SHOULD BE FAIR"
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said that Turkey expected the European Union not to act in a discriminatory fashion but instead to take a fair and equal stance to Turkey as it took with other candidate states. Erdogan, speaking at a roundtable gathering in Istanbul held by The Economist magazine regarding Turkey's future, stated that Ankara was maintaining its determination for accession to the bloc, and that the government is continuing to implement reforms at full speed. Commenting on Pope Benedict XVI's controversial statements on Islam, Erdogan said that the pope had acted wrongly, adding that people from different religions should accept other faiths as they are without leveling criticism. Furthermore, regarding Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's recent remarks in the US warning Iraq's neighbors not to interfere in the country's internal affairs, the premier called his statements "ugly," and "made without giving them due thought." In addition, Erdogan attended a series of openings in Istanbul. /Turkiye/
GUL: "TURKEY WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT TERRORISM TO THE END"
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday that Turkey would continue its fight against the terrorist group PKK to the very end, even if no one supports this effort. Gul, currently paying a visit to the US, held a press conference in New York. Stressing that Turkey expected the US to carry out an effective, sincere and resolute move against the group, Gul said Turkey had enough power and determination to carry out its fight against the PKK, even if the US and the Iraq don't back it. Asked about Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's remarks threatening Iraq's neighbors, including Turkey, the foreign minister said Talabani had been making astonishing statements, adding that as a statesman he should act more carefully and responsibly. /Sabah/
EP ADOPTS TURKEY REPORT WITHOUT MAKING RECOGNITION OF SO-CALLED GENOCIDE A PRECONDITION FOR EU ACCESSION
The European Parliament yesterday approved a report on Turkey, after dropping a section making recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide a precondition for membership, but stressed that "it is indispensable for a country on the road to membership to come to terms with and recognize its past." The report drawn up by Dutch Conservative MEP Camiel Eurlings passed easily by a vote of 429-71 among the 625 deputies present. There were 125 abstentions. Speaking after the vote, Eurlings said that the report was "just," adding that he was pleased that recognizing the so-called genocide wasn't accepted as a precondition. "It wouldn't be appropriate to put forth new criteria for Turkey," said Eurlings. The MEPs also rejected an amendment proposing a special partnership for Turkey, in lieu of full membership, but underlined that the accession talks are an open-ended process whose outcome cannot be guaranteed beforehand. In related news, Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan vowed to keep up the reform process aimed at joining the European Union, but warned it would be unacceptable for the bloc to introduce new membership criteria. "We're not seeking anything special from the EU in the process ahead and in return we naturally cannot accept new criteria being introduced," Erdogan told a conference in Istanbul, stressing that Ankara is doing its best to meet the requirements of the 25-nation bloc. /Aksam/
US' RALTSON: "I'M NO COORDINATOR, BUT A SPECIAL ENVOY"
Retired Gen. Joseph Ralston, the special envoy of the US for the fight against the terrorist group PKK, said yesterday that he was not a coordinator, but a special envoy and that he would not meet with the PKK. Speaking to reporters in New York, Ralston said that the Turkish public should know that he would not hold talks with terrorists. He stated that US President George W. Bush placed great importance on the fight against the PKK and had made him a special envoy. Ralston added that tripartite efforts were needed for the fight against the terrorist group to be successful. /Turkiye/
GREEK FM: "TURKEY SHOULD JOIN THE EU WHEN IT FULFILLS THE NECESSARY CONDITIONS"
Speaking at the Center for Strategic Studies in Washington yesterday, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said that Greece would continue to support Ankara's European Union membership bid. She stated that Turkey should join the European Union when it fulfills the necessary conditions, but accused Ankara of a slowdown in EU reforms. "Turkey needs to fulfill the necessary criteria like all EU candidates," said Bakoyanni. She further stated that some EU members were concerned about Turkey's EU bid due to cultural, economic, or structural reasons, adding that Turkey needed to do something to address these concerns. /Milliyet/
TALABANI: "I DON'T THINK TURKISH FORCES WILL GO INTO NORTHERN IRAQ"
Speaking at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC yesterday, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said that he didn't think that Turkey would send its forces into northern Iraq, adding that the presence of US soldiers in the country would prevent this. Asked about his statements alleging that Turkey as well as Iran and Syria were interfering in Iraq's internal affairs and threatening to make trouble for them if this doesn't stop, Talabani said that he didn't tolerate interference in Iraq's internal affairs. "Our tolerance has a limit," said Talabani. He further stated that the Iraqi government could persuade the terrorist PKK to halt its attacks against Turkey. /Aksam/