SEZER ATTENDS FIRST NATIONAL CONGRESS FOR POLITICS
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday attended the First National Congress for Politics organized by the Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions. Addressing the Congress, Sezer touted recent positive economic developments, adding that the economy was back on track. He urged the government not to encourage social dissent by ignoring social demands and by making political decisions which lacked social dimension. “We should continue our struggle to remove growing differences and adopt positive measures to establish national justice and create equal opporunities in society,” added Sezer. /Cumhuriyet/

ERDOGAN TO CONVEY TURKEY’S CONCERN ABOUT IRAQ TO US PRESIDENT
During their meeting with US President George W. Bush on Jan. 28, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to convey Turkey’s concern about northern Iraq. Erdogan is to tell Bush that Kirkuk had never been a Kurdish city in history. He will also express Turkey’s annoyance due to Iraqi Kurds’ desire of autonomy as well as claims on Kirkuk and oil rich regions in northern Iraq. The premier will reiterate that natural resources in Iraq should belong to all Iraqis and those PKK terrorists in northern Iraq threat Turkey. /Turkiye/

ERDOGAN, GERMAN FM FISCHER DISCUSS TURKEY’S EU BID
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with visiting German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer to discuss Turkey’s European Union membership bid. During their talks, Erdogan said that the EU should give Turkey a date at its December 2004 summit to begin accession talks, adding that if it fails to do so, this could disappoint the nation, but that Turkey would continue its reforms no matter what. Erdogan said that he had appreciated Germany’s support for Turkey’s EU bid, adding that Turkey would complete the Copenhagen criteria. For his part, Fischer reiterated that his country supported Turkey’s EU bid. “We stand by Turkey since it has achieved considerable progress in its EU membership,” added Fischer. /Milliyet/

ERDOGAN: “I HOPE MY VISIT TO THE US WOULD FURTHER DEVELOP OUR RELATIONS”
Speaking on television yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that h had hoped his visit to the United States would further develop relations between the two countries. Touching on Iraq, Erdogan said that Iraq’s territorial integrity should be protected, adding that Turkey had some concerns about possible developments in the northern Iraq which he is expected to express during his US visit. /Milliyet/

GUL: “EU SHOULD MAKE ITS FINAL DECISION ON TURKEY THIS YEAR”
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday that the European Union should make its final decision regarding Turkey’s membership this year. Gul hosted a luncheon to EU countries’ ambassadors to Ankara to mark Ireland’s taking over EU term presidency. Speaking to ambassadors, Gul said that the EU had postponed its decision on Turkey’s membership since 1989 and that Turkey had been kept waiting for a long time. “The EU should make its final decision on Turkey this year by taking Copenhagen criteria as a basis alone as it had done to the other candidates,” said Gul. “Ankara expects a reply from the EU during this December’s summit without any delay.” /Turkiye/

BABACAN MEETS WITH PRIVATE SECTOR REPRESENTATIVES IN DAVOS
State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan, who is currently in Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum, said yesterday that he had met with representatives of the private sector, adding that they were pleased with the recent positive economic developments in the Turkish economy. Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, who is also in Davos, said that he had met with foreign investors, adding that the government aimed to achieve economic stability. “We can easily attract foreign capital if we can stabilize our economy,” said Unakitan. He added that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to travel to Switzerland to attend the forum. /Aksam/

NSC TO DISCUSS CYPRUS PLAN
The National Security Council (NSC) chaired by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer is set to convene today at the Cankaya Presidential Palace. During the meeting, top officials including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and force commanders, Turkey’s new Cyprus plan which used United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s plan as a basis will be discussed and final touches on it is to be put. Erdogan is expected to discuss the plan with Annan during their meeting tomorrow in Davos as part of the World Economic Forum. /Turkiye/

BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER DUE TO VISIT TURKEY
British Foreign Minister Jack Straw is set to arrive in Turkey on Monday, Jan. 26. Straw is expected to attend a commemorative ceremony at Istanbul General Consulate and to meet with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to exchange views on the Cyprus issue. After the meeting Gul is set to travel to the United States. /Turkiye/

KOHL: ”TURKEY MUST FIRST FULFILL ALL THE COPENHAGEN CRITERIA TO BEGIN ACCESSION TALKS”
Supporting Turkey’s EU bid would now be a mistake, claimed former German Prime Minister Helmut Kohl in an interview with the German daily Franfkurter Allgemeine Zeitung. “An EU candidate should be committed to the human rights in line with the Copenhagen criteria,” said Kohl. “The Turks supported us in difficult periods. We should never forget this fact and be thankful to Turkey. However, negotiations must begin after Ankara completely fulfills all the necessary criteria.” /Hurriyet/