Erdogan: Economic Signs Are Very Positive

ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday evening that the economic signs were very positive, adding that ''the improvement in Turkey's position causes tension in some circles, but we won't be the side of tension.''
Prime Minister Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul addressed party officials in the meeting of AK Party head officials of provinces.
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said in his part regarding Iraqi issue that negotiations with the U.S. continued and that the Turkish government fulfilled its task.
''If necessary conditions were formed, the government would use the authority to send soldiers to Iraq,'' said Gul, adding that some ''negative'' and ''positive'' developments took place.
''We attach importance to territorial integrity of Iraq, we would go there to contribute to peace,'' said Gul, adding that the U.S. insisted on adoption of the motion on sending soldiers, but later it couldn't show a clear attitude. Gul said that the U.S. was embarrassed towards Turkey due to that.
Noting that the government wouldn't use the authority it got from the parliament, Gul said that yet Turkey wouldn't stay indifferent to developments that could take place in the north of Iraq.
Regarding EU issue, Gul said that there was a lobby within EU which didn't want Turkey's membership, adding that the lobby brought the Cyprus issue in front of Turkey by using every opportunity. Gul noted that Turkey could review its Cyprus policy.
(ÖŞ-AÖ) 10.11.2003