SPEAKING TO TRNC PARLIAMENT, GUL PLEDGES TO CONTINUE SAFEGUARDING PEACE OF TURKISH CYPRIOTS
On the final day of his visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), President Abdullah Gul yesterday addressed the TRNC Parliament, saying that the Turkish Cypriots have proved their peaceful approach on the island. Gul said that though the TRNC president had recently declared his readiness for comprehensive negotiations with the Greek Cypriots, Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos had rejected this overture. Saying that the basic parameters of the Cyprus issue are equality and balance, Gul added that it is futile to hope that the Turkish Cypriots will accept a minority status. "Naturally, the issue should be solved at the United Nations," he said, stating that doing so depends on the will of the two nations. He added that as in the past, Turkey will continue to be the greatest guarantor of the peace of the Turkish Cypriots. Gul further called negative Greek Cypriot remarks directed at the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) "unacceptable." Gul yesterday returned to Ankara after completing his contacts in the TRNC. /Turkiye/
ERDOGAN: "THE RECTORS SHOULD MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS"
Speaking to reporters at his party's headquarters in Ankara, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said that in the interest of social consensus over the proposed new constitution, it would eventually face a public referendum. Stating that he favors abolishing the ban on headscarves at universities, Erdogan added that they won't touch the unalterable articles of the Constitution. Responding to a call by rectors urging continuation of the headscarf ban and a halt to efforts to rewrite the Constitution, Erdogan stated that the rectors have no right to decide whether the constitutional change process should continue. He added, "They should mind their own business." /Aksam/
YOK HEAD: "THE CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE PROCESS SHOULD BE HALTED UNTIL AFTER OCT. 21 REFERENDUM"
The Committee of Rectors held a meeting yesterday under the chairmanship of Council of Higher Education (YOK) head Erdogan Tezic. After the meeting, Tezic told reporters that promises a new draft constitution would be finalized through participatory democratic means were from plausible. He added, "These efforts to change the Constitution should be halted, and it would be better to start a new process with the participation of political parties after the referendum of Oct. 21," when a number of constitutional changes will be on the ballot. Stating that political parties' participation in the process was a legal and democratic necessity, Tezic said that the parties should help to prepare the new constitution and discuss the major issues facing it. Tezic also defended the headscarf ban in universities, saying that it is legal and stems from rulings of both high Turkish courts and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). In related news, yesterday the Supreme Court of Appeals also criticized the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) new draft constitution. Chief Prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcin said that legal prohibitions coming from the ECHR and judicial organs of modern governments should not be reversed through constitutional amendments. "This will incite hatred among people in society as well as shake the confidence and authority of executive and judicial bodies," he warned. /Aksam-Hurriyet/
US STATE DEPT'S BURNS MEETS WITH GUL, ERDOGAN, AND EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR TURKEY'S ANTI-TERROR EFFORTS
Visiting Ankara yesterday, US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns was received separately by President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. During his meetings, Burns said that he brought messages of friendship and respect from US President George W. Bush and expressed support for Turkey in its fight against terrorism. Touching on Iran's nuclear program, Burns stated that Washington needs the support of all countries in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe in order to strengthen sanctions on Iran. Burns further stated that US Secretary of State Condolezza Rice would come to Istanbul next month to attend a meeting of Iraq's neighboring countries. /Milliyet/
BABACAN FACES BUSY SCHEDULE DURING US VISIT
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan is facing a busy schedule during his current visit to the US. First, in Chicago, Babacan is expected to meet with representatives of Turkish associations and Jewish groups. Next week, in New York, Babacan will attend the UN General Assembly meeting and have bilateral talks with fellow foreign ministers from 30 countries. Babacan will also meet with NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Secretary-General and Turkish scholar Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, and European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn. In related news, Pvt. Erkut Babacan, a relative of the foreign minister, died in a PKK attack in the eastern Anatolian town of Bitlis. /Turkiye-Turkish Daily News/
FRENCH FM PUSHES SARKOZY TO CHANGE STANCE ON TURKEY
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner yesterday said he was trying to persuade President Nicholas Sarkozy to drop his opposition to Turkey's accession to the European Union. "I believe that Monsieur le President needs to change his mind about Turkey, and I have a part to play in this," Kouchner said in a French radio interview. "He is maintaining his position on Turkey, but he also knows that I haven't changed my mind on the issue." Kouchner also said that he would visit Turkey early next month. /The New Anatolian/
TURKISH-AMERICAN BUSINESS COUNCIL TO HOLD CONFERENCE IN NEW YORK NEXT MONTH
The Turkish-American Business Council (TAIK) is set to hold a conference in New York on Oct. 16. The conference, entitled "Turkey Beyond 2008," will focus on developments in private investment funds, the economic climate, and the legal business framework. Mehmet Simsek, Turkey's state minister for the economy, is expected to attend the gathering, along with leading businessmen. /Sabah/