AKP DECIDES TO AGAIN NOMINATE GUL FOR PRESIDENT
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will once again nominate Kayseri Deputy and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to be its presidential candidate. The party made the decision following a two-and-a-half-hour meeting yesterday of its Central Executive Board (MYK). Gul will reportedly visit opposition party leaders in Parliament to seek their support for the presidential balloting to begin next Monday, starting today with Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli. Gul's candidacy this spring was rejected by the opposition parties, leading to early general elections and a stronger mandate for the ruling AKP. /Aksam/
ERDOGAN EXPECTED TO PRESENT NEW CABINET LIST TO SEZER ON THURSDAY
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was appointed by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer to establish a new Cabinet, is expected to present his list of proposed Cabinet ministers to the president on Thursday. Speaking to reporters yesterday after the Cabinet meeting, State Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said that they had evaluated recent developments and that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan might present his Cabinet list to the president during their regular weekly meeting on Thursday. Asked about Ankara's recent water shortage, Sahin said that the problem resulted from global warming and that officials from the Ankara Greater Municipality were working hard to solve the issue. /Hurriyet/
MHP: "WE DON'T WANT THE UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TO CREATE NEW CHAOS"
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, just chosen to again be the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) presidential candidate, is planning to meet with opposition party leaders to seek common ground. Opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) deputy leader Oktay Vural yesterday said that they would be in Parliament next week for the presidential vote, adding, "The MHP is still leaning towards fielding our own candidate." MHP Secretary General Cihan Pacaci also said that the ruling AKP could elect its candidate by the third round of balloting and added, "We don't want the presidential election to create new chaos." /Sabah/
SEZER: "OUR RESISTANCE WOULD BE STRONG"
Opposition Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Zeki Sezer yesterday said that it is in Turkey's interest that an impartial person becomes president and added, "If they (the ruling Justice and Development Party, AKP) take steps towards real compromise, we could do the same. But if they try to impose something, our resistance would be strong, even though we don't have many deputies." He added that the next president would be "the president of Turkey, not just the people who voted for the AKP." Meanwhile, DSP Secretary General Masum Turker said that they would make a decision after evaluating the presidential candidacy of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, set to be nominated by the AKP. "The AKP didn't take the steps that it did during the recent Parliament speaker election," he said. "This situation contradicts the AKP's statements." In related news, main opposition Republican People's Party deputy leader Onur Oymen said of Gul's candidacy, "Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that there would be compromise. We would expect him to be live up to his statements." /Cumhuriyet-Star/
IRAQI FM ZEBARI: "OUR LEADERS SUPPORTED MALIKI'S TALKS IN ANKARA"
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said yesterday that Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani had given their support to the memorandum of understanding which Premier Nouri al-Maliki signed during his visit to Ankara last week. Speaking to reporters, Zebari said recent statements indicating that Iraqi Kurdish leaders had not approved of Maliki's statements in Ankara and the memorandum of understanding were beneath consideration. He stated that he met with Talabani and Barzani in Baghdad yesterday morning to evaluate Maliki's meetings in Ankara and that they were glad with the outcome of the visit. Zebari added that Talabani and Barzani had no objection to Maliki's remark saying that Iraqis were opposed to terrorist organizations in their country, including the PKK. /Turkiye/