CYPRUS SUMMIT TO BE HELD IN ANKARA
A summit chaired by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will be held at the Presidential Palace this morning to discuss a new Cyprus plan prepared by Turkish officials in line with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s plan. In addition to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul are expected to attend the gathering. In related news, Sezer yesterday received main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. After the meeting, Baykal told reporters that before today’s Cyprus summit, the president had asked him about his party’s views on the issue. /All Papers/
ERDOGAN VISITS SIIRT
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday paid a one-day visit to the southeastern Anatolian city of Siirt. He attended a number of opening ceremonies and officials briefed him about problems faced by the city. Addressing its citizens, Erdogan said that his government was working hard to improve the standards of living standards of the entire country. “If we don’t do the same thing in Siirt that we’ve done in Istanbul or other large cities, we can’t say that we’ve fulfilled our duty,” said the premier. /Turkiye/
TALAT HOLDS MEETINGS TOWARDS FORMING NEW TRNC GOVERNMENT
Turkish Cyprus’ Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Mehmet Ali Talat is continuing his efforts to form a new Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) government. Towards this end, yesterday he met with Peace and Democracy Movement (BDP) leader Mustafa Akinci. Afterwards, Talat said that he was thinking of forming a broad-based government. The CTP leader is also set to meet with Democratic Party (DP) leader Serdar Denktas this morning, where Denktas is expected to respond to Talat’s proposal to form a coalition government. In related news, commenting on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent statement encouraging a four-party coalition, TRNC National Unity Party (UBP) leader and Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu said that if the other party leaders favored that option, then the UBP would also consider it. /Turkiye/
TURKEY TELLS ASSAD IT COULD AS FACILITATOR BETWEEN SYRIA, ISRAEL
On the second day of his historic visit to Turkey, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was yesterday received by Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and main opposition Republican People’s Party Chairman Deniz Baykal. He also telephoned senior statesman Bulent Ecevit, the Democratic Left Party (DSP) chairman and former prime minister, to convey to him messages of goodwill and friendship. Assad and his accompanying delegation then proceeded to Istanbul to hold talks with Turkish businessmen towards boosting trade and investment between the neighboring countries. During Assad’s contacts with Turkish officials, Ankara offered to act as a facilitator between Syria and Israel in a bid to end decades of hostility between the two countries. Diplomatic sources stated that since the only country placed to mediate between the two hostile countries is the United States, which has its own problems with Syria, Turkey’s possible contribution could only help the process of reconciliation. Ankara is ready to host any future Syrian-Israeli talks and also to convey messages both ways, said the sources. Asked about Turkey’s future role in Syrian-Israeli relations, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa said, “We trust Turkey, which is why we’re ready to cooperate in all areas.” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due to receive Israeli Ambassador to Ankara Pinhas Avivi today to brief him on the Syrian leader’s visit. /Cumhuriyet/
POWELL: “NORTHERN IRAQ CANNOT BECOME INDEPENDENT”
Though the Kurds of northern Iraq want to preserve their “historic identity,” their region absolutely must remain part of a united Iraq, declared US Secretary of State Colin Powell yesterday. Asked about recent media reports saying that Washington might be moving towards allowing “autonomy” in northern Iraq, Powell had this to say: “[These] stories … I think, perhaps, overstated what our position is. Our position is to let the Iraqis work this out. It was the position of the United States from the very beginning of this crisis that it had to remain one single integrated country. How it organizes itself, recognizing the major constituencies in the nation, remains to be determined. We will work with the Iraqis, as they work their way through this challenging issue for them … But, clearly, the Kurds wish, in some way, to preserve their historic identity and to link it in some way to geography. But I think it's absolutely clear that that part of Iraq [i.e., northern Iraq] must remain part of Iraq.” To a follow-up question about whether this process of Iraqi organization could be “managed without irritating or antagonizing Turkey,” Powell replied, “Well, we are not looking to irritate or antagonize anyone; certainly neither are the Iraqis. And as this plan develops … we'll be in close consultation, not only with Turkey, but with … all the other neighbors in the region who have an interest as well.”
GREEK CYPRIOT PRESS: “ANNAN READY TO BEGIN NEW NEGOTIATIONS”
According to the Greek Cypriot press, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is planning to initiate peace talks between the leaders of the Cypriot nations for later this month or early February. Annan’s letters of invitation to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypirot leader Tassos Papadopulos are reportedly ready to be sent. Greek Cypriot daily Politis reported that US President George W. Bush had sent letters to Papadopulos along with Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan calling on the leaders to resume negotiations at month’s-end. In addition, US Undersecretary of State Marc Grossman also attended recent UN meetings on Cyprus to lay out Washington’s stance on the issue. “The UN and the US both want the negotiations period to last for one-and-a-half months,” wrote Politis. “They hope that the Cypriot public can vote on it at the end of March or the beginning of April at the latest.” /Cumhuriyet/
TUSIAD TO LOBBY FOR TURKEY’S EU BID IN BERLIN
The Turkish Industralists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) is set today to begin lobbying for Turkey’s European Union membership bid in Berlin. Towards this end, a TUSIAD delegation led by Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan is set to travel to the German capital for a two-day visit. The delegation is first expected to meet with officials from the German Industrialists’ Federation and later with a number of German politicians and businessmen. /Hurriyet/
IMF SEVENTH REVIEW TO BEGIN NEXT WEEK
Riza Moghadam, the International Monetary Fund’s Turkey desk chief, is expected to arrive in Ankara next week to begin the seventh review of the nation’s economic program. During the review, a number of issues are due to be addressed, including recent economic developments, projections for 2004, and the unregistered economy. /Milliyet/