ECEVIT DISCUSSES CYPRUS ISSUE WITH SEZER
Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader and former Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit yesterday met with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. During their half-hour meeting, Ecevit conveyed his concerns over the Cyprus issue. Later speaking to reporters, Ecevit said that he would travel to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to pay a one-day visit to exchange views with TRNC leaders in the runup to this Saturday’s referendums on the island. In 1974, then-Premier Ecevit ordered the Cyprus Peace Operation in response to a Greek Cypriot coup and violence against Turkish Cypriots. /Turkiye/

ERDOGAN, BAYKAL ATTEND SOVEREIGNTY AND POLITICS SYMPOSIUM
Speaking at a National Sovereignty and Politics Symposium at Parliament yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that secularism was a product of an understanding that differences in religious beliefs and worldviews don’t damage the standing of a nation. Also present at the meeting was main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. Later, Erdogan received children from 29 countries who are in Turkey to attend April 23 National Sovereignty and Children’s Day festivities. /Milliyet/

GOVERNMENT PREPARES NEW CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PACKAGE
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said yesterday that the government had prepared a new reform package proposing amendments to the Constitution in line with European Union norms. During a four-hour-plus meeting, the Cabinet discussed the new 10-article package set to be presented to Parliament soon. Speaking to reporters, Cicek said time was currently lacking for the sweeping changes the Constitution would ultimately need. He added that foreign developments were also taken up at the meeting, particularly this Saturday’s referendums on Cyprus. “Our government expects approval of the UN Cyprus plan in the referendums,” said the justice minister. “The plan includes certain important developments for the Turkish side, and we consider it an acceptable one.” /Turkiye/

GUL: “WE’VE MADE EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THE UPPER KARABAKH ISSUE”
Commenting on recent rumors that the border between Turkey and Armenia would be opened, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday that Ankara first wanted Azerbaijan and Armenia to reach a settlement on the upper Karabakh issue and was making efforts towards this end. Stressing that the border would not be opened until the issue was resolved, Gul said, “We are continuing our contacts with the governments in both Baku and Yerevan.” Urging all observers to take lessons from a possible Cyprus settlement, Gul stated that Turkey didn’t want the upper Karabakh issue to remain unresolved, explaining, “There is an occupation there.” The foreign minister also added that during Istanbul’s NATO summit this June, a tripartite meeting could be held to discuss the issue. /Turkiye/

DENKTAS: “TURKEY IS SACRIFICING CYPRUS TO GET A DATE TO BEGIN EU ACCESSION TALKS”
Turkey is sacrificing Cyprus for the European Union, claimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas yesterday. “Turkey is sacrificing Cyprus to get a date from the EU to begin accession talks,” charged Denktas. He also criticized alleged remarks by Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul highlighting the TRNC’s lack of international recognition. At a weekend AKP gathering in Antalya, in response to Denktas’s argument that the UN plan for the island would end the TRNC’s sovereignty, Gul is said to have asked rhetorically, “Which sovereignty are you talking about? You can’t even export a box of oranges. You can’t host international sports matches in your country. Nobody recognizes you. Which sovereignty?” Denktas stated that if the Turkish Cypriots accept the UN Cyprus plan in referendums this Saturday, then Ankara would be responsible for this, adding that he would continue to campaign against the plan. “What we want Turkey to do is to support us,” he said. Denktas further stated that both the United States and the EU had strategic interests on Cyprus and that it was because of this that Greek Cyprus was joining the EU ranks on May 1. /Cumhuriyet/

TALAT URGES TURKISH CYPRIOTS TO ACCEPT UN PLAN
Long-running negotiations over the plan put forward by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to reunify Cyprus ended in the best possible outcome for the Turkish Cypriots, said Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday. Speaking at a meeting of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB), Talat called on his fellow countrymen to accept “with confidence” the UN plan at this Saturday’s referendum, adding that the best solution for both sides on the island was accepting the plan in the vote. “If the Greek Cypriots reject the UN plan, then the Turkish Cypriots shouldn’t be punished,” he said, adding that reunification would bring many benefits to the Turkish Cypriots. Talat further warned that the TRNC economy would stagnate without a resolution on the island. Also speaking to the TOBB, TRNC Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas charged that the UN Cyprus plan wasn’t a compromise document, predicting direly that only five years down the line problems would crop up between the two sides. /Star/

UN SEEKS TO REASSURE MAIN GREEK CYPRIOT PARTY OVER ANNAN PLAN
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday announced that he was seeking to reassure AKEL, Greek Cyprus’ largest political party, over the UN Cyprus plan in order to encourage the party to support it. UN officials stated that if both sides approve the plan in referendums this Saturday, amendments to the plan would be possible in line with the Greek sides’ requests for guarantees, including banning weapons sales to the island and handing over the command of Turkish and Greek troops stationed there to the UN peacekeeping force. Last week AKEL announced its opposition to the UN plan. /Turkiye/

ANKARA HOSTS DANISH PRINCE, OTHER INTERNATIONAL DIGNITARIES
Following the current visit of Danish Prince Joachim to Ankara, the Turkish capital is set to host crown princes from Belgium and the Netherlands in May. In addition, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal, Mongolian President Natsagiyn Bagabandi and Lebanese Prime Minister Refik Hariri are scheduled to visit Turkey on this Friday, April 29, and on May 12-13 respectively. /Turkiye/

OZKOK TO VISIT THE NETHERLANDS
Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok is due to travel to the Netherlands today to meet with his Dutch counterpart Gen. Luuk Kroon. During their meeting, the two generals are expected to discuss bilateral military relations. Ozkok is expected to return to Turkey tomorrow. /Cumhuriyet/