CABINET RESOLVES TO ENACT ALL EU REFORM LAWS BY PARLIAMENT’S SUMMER RECESS
During yesterday’s Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the ministers resolved to enact all remaining needed European Union harmonization laws by July 1, the start of Parliament’s summer recess. After the meeting, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek told reporters that Parliament would work hard before the recess to enact bills on the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) and the disabled as well as compensation for damage incurred during the fight against terrorism. He added that today Parliament would debate recent developments in Iraq and the Middle East. Stressing that Ankara was greatly concerned about the situation in the region, Cicek said that Turkey wanted to see stability and peace established. /Turkiye/
GUL, BRITAIN’S PRINCE ANDREW DISCUSS WAYS TO BOOST TRADE TIES
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday received Britain’s Prince Andrew to discuss ways to boost trade ties between their two countries. Today the visiting prince is expected to be received by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and State Minister Kursat Tuzmen. He is also due to hold contacts in Istanbul on Thursday. /Aksam/
GUL: “THE TRT WILL BEGIN WORK ON THE MOTHER TONGUE BROADCAST ISSUE”
Speaking after a meeting of the European Union Reform Watch Group, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that studies for adaptation to the European Union were continuing at full speed, adding that Ankara would not leave itself vulnerable to “excuses” from the Union. He stated that state broadcaster TRT would soon begin work on the issue of broadcasting in mother tongue languages. “The TRT Board of Directors will convene today to make a decision on the issue,” said Gul. He further stressed that Turkish-EU relations were at a critical juncture and that membership negotiations should begin by the end of this year. Justice Minister Cemil Cicek and Internal Minister Abdulkadir Aksu were also present at the meeting. /Cumhuriyet/
EU’S PATTEN: “IF THE UNION FAILS TO GIVE ANKARA A DATE FOR TALKS, THIS WOULD HURT OUR RELATIONS WITH THE ISLAMIC WORLD”
Chris Patten, the European Union commissioner for external relations, warned yesterday that if this December the EU fails to give Ankara a date to begin its accession talks, then this would hurt the Union’s relations with the Islamic world. "We cannot help but be conscious of the symbolism, at this time, of reaching out a hand to a country whose population is overwhelmingly Muslim," Patten told a press conference. "I believe we can avoid the clash between the West and Islam which some predict and a few pray and conspire for." He later added that the EU should realize "the beginning of negotiations with Turkey, whatever the uncertainty of the outcome, would lead to a very different Turkey and very different relations between Europe and the Islamic world." /Aksam/
UN’S SIMONSEN: “TURKEY WILL ATTRACT MORE FOREIGN CAPITAL AFTER ITS EU ACCESSION TALKS BEGIN”
United Nations Turkey Coordinator Jakop Simonsen said yesterday that he believes that this December Ankara will get a date from the European Union to begin its accession talks, adding that foreign capital would flock to Turkey during the negotiation process. “All other countries which began their accession talks attracted more foreign capital,” said Simonsen. He urged Turkey to invest more in education, adding that Ankara had always played a constructive role in the quest for peace in the Middle East. “Turkey plays an active role in the region and will continue to do so,” he said. /Aksam/
EU COMMISSION HEAD PRODI: “THE EU’S DOOR IS OPEN TO TURKEY”
European Union Commission head Romano Prodi yesterday firmly rejected any proposal for a “special partnership” for Turkey in lieu of full EU membership. Stressing that the EU had previously promised Turkey full membership when it fully implements the Copenhagen criteria, Prodi stated that the Union would halt its expansion after Turkey’s accession. In related news, in a recent statement, newly elected German President Horst Kohler said that he favored Turkey’s membership under special conditions. /Turkiye/
GERMANY’S SCHILLY: “TURKEY WILL BE A BOON FOR EUROPE”
Speaking at a meeting in Istanbul yesterday, German Interior Minister Otto Schily said that Turkey had long since turned its face towards Europe, and warned that if the European Union rebuffed its accession now, it would be betraying its own future. Stressing that Europe would reap financial and economic rewards from this accession, Schily said Turkey’s membership would have a particularly beneficial effect on Germany. He predicted that Turkey would serve as a bridge between the EU and the Islamic world and would be a boon for Europe. /Turkiye/