ERDOGAN RALLIES FOR VOTER SUPPORT IN YOZGAT, TOKAT
Prime Minister and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday took a campaign swing through the central Anatolian provinces of Yozgat and Tokat in a bid for voter support ahead of the March 28 local elections. Speaking to campaign rallies, the premier said that investments in Tokat would create jobs in the city. Touting his success during his ‘90s tenure as mayor of Istanbul in tackling such problems as water shortages, Erdogan said, “Istanbul won’t suffer such shortages before at least 2040. I also solved the city’s other problems, like communications and air pollution.” Touching on Turkish-Greek relations, Erdogan said that the two countries had mutually decided to end certain military maneuvers, adding that peace between them was very important. “Soon we will export natural gas to Greece,” he said, adding that he would shortly travel to Athens for an official visit. /Turkiye/

STRAW STRESSES UK SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BID
Great Britain strongly supports Turkey’s European Union membership bid, said British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw yesterday, just after arriving in Istanbul for an official visit. “We welcome the steps taken by Turkey for its EU bid,” stated Straw, adding that he hoped Ankara would get a date at this December’s EU summit to begin accession talks with the Union. Also touching on the current Cyprus negotiations, Straw said that his government also supported the talks’ continuation towards a solution. He further praised Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul’s “constructive spirit” on the issue. /Turkiye/

EP HEAD COX URGES IMPLEMENTATION OF REFORMS
Addressing the Turkish Parliament yesterday, visiting European Parliament President Pat Cox praised Turkey for its recent reforms but urged the country to fully implement them in order to reach its goal of European Union membership. Pointing to a European Council report on Turkey due out this October, Cox said, “We’ll examine this report in the EP and then prepare a fair and balanced report before December,” when a key EU summit is scheduled. He asked for Ankara’s full support for a solution on Cyprus, if the sides can find a just and permanent settlement through the ongoing negotiations. Denying charges that the EU was a “Christian club,” Cox said that the Union’s doors were wide open to any country that fulfils the Copenhagen criteria. Since arriving in Ankara on Monday, Cox has held talks with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and main opposition leader Deniz Baykal. /Turkiye/

TRNC’S TALAT, DENKTAS VISIT ANKARA
Even as negotiations continue on Cyprus over the island’s future, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat and Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas arrived yesterday in Ankara to meet with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. During their meeting, Gul expressed his desire for the two sides on the island to reach a solution without any need for intercession by the guarantor countries or UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Reiterating his hope for a settlement by May 1, when Greek Cyprus is set to join the European Union, Gul called on the Greek side to take a more constructive stance. For his part, Talat said that the Turkish side wanted to solve the issue during the ongoing negotiations. “But,” he added, “the Greek side is looking to reach a solution after its EU accession.” /Turkiye/

DENKTAS: “I EXPECT A CONSTRUCTIVE APPROACH FROM THE GREEKS”
Turkish Cypriots have a constructive approach towards Greek proposals which we might otherwise reject, and we expect their side to return the favor, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas told reporters yesterday. “We’ve again asked the Greeks not to reject our proposals out of hand, labeling them as ‘not related to the plan’ while leaving the negotiating table,” added Denktas. “Our proposal is to have an equal number of representatives in a future Cypriot senate, just as under the 1960 agreement.” /Sabah/

TWO F-4 JETS CRASH IN KONYA, KILLING AT LEAST ONE PILOT
During training exercises yesterday in the central Anatolian province of Konya, two F-4 military jets crashed into a hill after colliding in midair. One of the planes’ four pilots died in the accident, but Lt. Onur Uyanýk ejected before the collision and was later found by villagers. Search and rescue efforts were underway to find the other two pilots. It is not known whether they also ejected before the crash. /Sabah/

EP GREENS LEADER: “THERE’S NO GUARANTEE THAT ACCESSION TALKS WILL END IN EU MEMBERSHIP”
Starting accession talks with Turkey doesn’t mean that it will automatically receive full European Union membership, said Daniel Cohn-Bendit, co-chair of the European Parliament’s Greens group, yesterday. “Starting accession talks means setting a framework,” German daily Die Welt quoted Cohn-Bendit, also a member of the Turkish-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee, as saying. “This would last at least 10 years. The reforms should be implemented. Starting negotiation talks doesn’t mean that there’s no way back from the road to full membership. This should be explained to Turkey.” To date, no country granted EU accession negotiations has been denied membership. /Hurriyet/

US’ GROSSMAN: “TURKEY IS A MODEL COUNTRY”
Turkey is a model country for the Arab world, yesterday proclaimed Marc Grossman, undersecretary of state for political affairs and a former US ambassador to Ankara. During his visit to Egypt as part of a weeklong tour of Middle Eastern and European countries, Grossman stated that Turkey was an important country for its modern democratic structure. “Turkey is a place where it is possible to be very democratic and Islamic,” he added. “Turkey is a place where it is possible to have connections to the West and to the rest of the world.” The US official is expected to proceed to Turkey tomorrow. /Turkiye/

EDELMAN DISCUSSES CYPRUS WITH ANAP LEADER
US Ambassador to Ankara Eric Edelman yesterday visited Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Nesrin Nas to discuss the Cyprus issue and recent developments in Iraq. Speaking afterwards, Nas said that Edelman had reaffirmed Washington’s pledge to do its utmost to help reach a resolution on the island. /Turkiye/

BAYKAL REPROACHES ERDOGAN FOR CRITICISMS OF CHP
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday met with Pat Cox, the visiting president of the European Parliament. During their meeting, the two discussed a number of issues, including Turkey’s European Union membership bid and the Cyprus issue. Speaking afterwards, Baykal criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent remarks labeling the CHP’s foundation “unproductive.” “Our party’s foundation is Mustafa Kemal [Ataturk], founder of the Turkish Republic,” said Baykal, adding that the premier owed the nation an apology for his statements. /Cumhuriyet/

DYP LEADER CRITICIZES GOVERNMENT’S STANCE ON CYPRUS
True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar yesterday stumped for voter support for the March 28 local elections in the southern cities of Adana, Osmaniye and Mersin. Addressing campaign rallies, Agar criticized the government’s stance on the current Cyprus negotiations, charging that the Greek Cypriots were opposing all the Turkish Cypriot administration’s proposals. “This Greek Cypriots’ obstructionism will also weaken Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus [TRNC] President Rauf Denktas’s resolve for a resolution on the island,” he added. /Turkiye/

IRAQI, TURKISH BUSINESSMEN MEET
Some 40 Iraqi businessmen and representatives from 80 Turkish firms met yesterday in Istanbul. During the gathering, the businessmen discussed recent issues and ways to strengthen economic ties between their two countries. /Turkiye/