ERDOGAN VOWS TO QUIT POLITICS IF AKP DOESN'T WIN SECOND TERM AS SINGLE-PARTY GOVT
Addressing a campaign rally in Isparta ahead of Sunday's general elections, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that if his party doesn't win a second term as single-party government, then he would quit politics. He challenged the leaders of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) to do the same. Pointing to how 22 banks were turned over to the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) in the months before the AKP came to power in fall 2002, Erdogan charged that MHP leader Devlet Bahceli was one of the people responsible for this. The premier also criticized the prospect of a coalition between the CHP and MHP. /Turkiye/

IN KAYSERI, GUL PUSHES FOR SECOND AKP TERM
Addressing crowds in Kayseri yesterday ahead of Sunday's general elections, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul urged people to return the Justice and Development Party (AKP) to power for a second term. "What we did is the assurance of what we will do," said Gul, adding that the people shouldn't pay any heed to opposition party leaders. Gul further touted the accomplishments of the AKP government, saying that inflation fell to single digits after three decades of sky-high rates. /Turkiye/

OPPOSITION PARTY LEADERS WOO VOTERS IN FINAL DAYS BEFORE POLLS
Addressing rallies in Bolu and Bursa, main opposition leader Deniz Baykal yesterday criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In related news, opposition Democrat Party (DP) leader Mehmet Agar visited Denizli to convince voters to support his party in Sunday's general elections. /Hurriyet-Aksam/

BAHCELI: "ERDOGAN HAS LOST CONTROL"
Addressing crowds in Iskenderun yesterday in the runup to Sunday's elections, opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Devlet Bahceli criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's pledge to quit politics if his party doesn't come to power again single-handedly in the elections, saying this shows Erdogan has lost control. He further claimed that Erdogan was illegally trying to block the MHP from coming to power alone. Bahceli further stated that terrorist attacks have escalated under AKP rule. /Milliyet/

IRAN: "US POLICIES AIM AT DISSOLVING THE UNITY AMONG REGIONAL COUNTRIES"
Ahmad Noorani, undersecretary for economic and commercial affairs at the Iranian Embassy in Ankara, yesterday rebuffed the US reaction to a recent energy agreement signed between Iran and Turkey, saying that he doesn't think Turkey's view will change due to US objections, and added, "This is a win-win agreement." Speaking at a press conference at the embassy, Noorani said that the fuel agreement will be finalized in four or six months. "You all know what the US did in Iraq," he said. "US policies aim at dissolving the unity among regional countries. We hope that the US will see the consequences of its policies and give them up. The future of the region will be set by the peoples of the region." /Cumhuriyet/

EU'S REHN CALLS FOR MORE REFORMS AFTER ELECTION
Turkey needs to accelerate its reforms after Sunday's general elections to kick-start its stalled effort to join the European Union, the EU's enlargement commissioner said in a newspaper interview on Tuesday. "Last year the reform process slowed down," Rehn told German daily Die Welt. "After the parliamentary elections we expect Turkey to step up its reform push again and to make progress in the direction of the EU." He added, "Progress is needed with regard to freedom of belief and religion. Only then can the membership negotiations get a new thrust." /Today's Zaman/

BABACAN: "AN ATMOSPHERE OF CONFIDENCE IS NEEDED TO FINANCE THE CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT"
State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan said yesterday that an atmosphere of confidence is needed to finance Turkey's current account deficit, adding that last year's deficit was $32 billion. "If there is a problem in the economic program, it may not be possible to finance the deficit," said Babacan. He added that the economy could fall short of this year's growth target of 5%, but this wouldn't pose any grave problems to the economy. /Sabah/