SEZER MEETS WITH HIS POLISH COUNTERPART KWASNIEWSKI
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who is currently in Warsaw for an official visit, yesterday met with his Polish counterpart Aleksander Kwasniewski as well as Prime Minister Marek Belka. Speaking at a joint press conference, Sezer said that they had discussed a number of issues, including Turkey’s EU bid, with both leaders expressing their support for it. He further congratulated Poland for its recent EU accession, adding that he welcomed the country’s membership. “The EU’s expansion is a process,” said Sezer. “Turkey gaining membership will be an important stage in this.” For his part, Kwasniewski said that his country supported Ankara beginning its accession talks with the Union, adding that he had told Sezer that Turkey should be an EU member. /Aksam/
GUL: “PLAYING GAMES WITH KIRKUK IS DANGEROUS”
Speaking after returning to Ankara from Saudi Arabia yesterday, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that he expected Saudi officials would support Turkey’s push to end the international isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’s (TRNC). He added that his visit was beneficial and satisfactory, and that the TRNC, the upcoming Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Istanbul summit, Iraq and Palestine had all been discussed. Asked about reports of efforts to change the ethnic makeup of the northern Iraqi towns of Mosul and Kirkuk, Gul said, “We’re closely monitoring developments there. Turkey’s reaction to deliberate attempts to create a de facto situation there will be clear. Playing games with Kirkuk is dangerous.” /Cumhuriyet/
GOVT SUSPENDS PUSH FOR YOK BILL
Prime Minister and Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that his government would suspend for now its push for passage of the controversial Board of Higher Education (YOK) bill following its veto last week by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. Addressing his party’s parliamentary group meeting, Erdogan said, “Our priority is enacting the European Union harmonization laws.” After Turkey gets a date to begin accession talks at the December EU summit, added Erdogan, the government will again take up the YOK issue more comprehensively. Calling Turkey a “gold key” for the EU, Erdogan said that excluding it would weaken the Union. He further urged Brussels to give a date to Ankara, arguing that there was no good obstacle or excuse for not doing so. /Milliyet/
CHP’S BAYKAL WELCOMES GOVT DEFERMENT OF YOK BILL
Commenting yesterday on the government’s controversial Board of Higher Education (YOK) bill, opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that he welcomed the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) decision to suspend efforts for the bill for the time being. Speaking at his party’s parliamentary group meeting, Baykal said that it would be better not to stir up public anxiety, either now or in the future. Commenting on the inter-CHP dissident movement, Baykal warned that the rebels could harm the party. /Turkiye/
SECOND OECD MINISTERIAL-LEVEL CONFERENCE STARTS TODAY
The Second Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Ministerial-level International Conference on small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) is set to begin today in Istanbul’s Lutfi Kirdar Congress and Exhibition Hall. The first conference took place in Italy in 2000. The conference, beginning with meetings of SME working groups, is being hosted jointly by Turkey’s Directorate General of Small- and Medium-Size Industry Development (KOSGEB) and the Union of Turkish Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB). Nearly 70 ministers from member countries and non-OECD countries and about a 1,000 technocrats and businessmen will attend the conference, along with representatives of international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Following a business symposium tomorrow, a reception will be held at the Topkapi Palace. The conference will end on Saturday after the release of a press statement. /Anatolian News Agency/
IPUK’S SALEH: “WE FAVOR GOOD RELATIONS WITH ANKARA”
Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) official Barham Saleh, who is currently in Ankara, yesterday met with Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal and reportedly asked for Ankara’s support on energy and infrastructure issues. Speaking after their meeting, Saleh said that he favored good relations with Turkey. He further stated that he had been offered the post of deputy prime minister of Iraq’s new interim government, but that he hadn’t yet decided whether to accept. Asked about the situation of Iraq’s ethnic Turkmen, he said that they should be represented in domestic Iraqi institutions. /Cumhuriyet/
TRNC AWAITS ANNAN REPORT TO REACH SECURITY COUNCIL
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is set today to present a report on Cyprus prepared by former Cyprus Envoy Alvaro de Soto to the Security Council. Commenting on the matter, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said that he expected the report would include a call to end the international isolation of the TRNC. He added that it would be milestone in the island’s new era. /Turkiye/
ISRAEL CALLS ERDOGAN’S CRITICISMS “REGRETTABLE”
Speaking to reporters yesterday, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman called “extremely regrettable” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent statement criticizing Israeli actions in Palestine. "The comments of the Turkish prime minister yesterday in Istanbul as well as his previous statements are extremely regrettable," said the spokesman. "The main obstacle to the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians is the terrorist killings carried out by Palestinian terrorist organizations which have taken the lives of hundreds of innocent Israelis over the course of the last three years." Speaking at this week’s 11th World Editors Forum (WEF), Erdogan stated that during Ankara’s efforts to contribute to the Mideast peace process, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had failed to cooperate, adding that recent developments served to demonstrate this. /Cumhuriyet/
BABACAN MEETS WITH TOBB HEAD TO DISCUSS ECONOMY
State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan yesterday met with Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TOBB) head Rifat Hisarciklioglu to discuss recent economic developments. Speaking afterwards, Babacan said that the government would soon announce a new economic program, since Ankara’s current standby agreement with the International Monetary Fund is set to end next year. “We want to announce the new program before the end of summer,” added Babacan. /Hurriyet/