ERDOGAN TOUTS PROGRESS TOWARDS ANKARA’S EU TALKS
Speaking at his party’s Central Executive Board (MKYK) meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan lauded a number of positive developments towards Turkey beginning its accession talks with the European Union next year, adding that during a meeting last month in Berlin French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder had both supported the start of the talks. “They told me that the EU would give an unconditional date at its December summit for Ankara’s accession talks,” added Erdogan. /Milliyet/
GUL VISITS PORTUGAL
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, paying a two-day official visit to Lisbon as part of Ankara’s lobbying efforts to get European Union member states’ support before the December EU summit, yesterday met with Portuguese officials including his counterpart Antonio Monterio and Parliament Speaker Mota Amaral. During their talks, in addition to Turkey’s EU bid, bilateral relations, the Cyprus issue, Iraq and the Middle East peace process were taken up. He was expected to meet today with President Jorge Sampaio and Prime Minister Santana Lopes. After completing his contacts in Lisbon, Gul is set to proceed to Brussels to represent Turkey during two days of European Council meetings. /Star/
GERMAN GREENS LEADER VISITS ISTANBUL
Germany’s visiting Greens Group leader Claudia Roth accompanied by a delegation yesterday held contacts in Istanbul. Roth visited the Armenian and Fener Greek Patriarchates. Speaking to reporters at the German Consulate, Roth said that she was holding a series of meetings with Turkish officials to see how the nation’s reforms were being implemented, adding that there were certain shortcomings. The Greens leader then traveled to Diyarbakir in the late afternoon. /Milliyet/
US AMBASSADOR EDELMAN: “THERE WILL BE NO CHANGE IN AMERICA’S TURKEY POLICY”
United States Ambassador to Ankara Eric Edelman yesterday spoke at the Turkish-American Association one day after the US presidential elections. After George W. Bush’s declaration of victory, Edelman said that he didn’t expect that the president’s second term would see any changes to US policy on Turkey. Stressing that Turkey was a strategically important US ally, Edelman underlined that this would be the case no matter who occupies the White House. /Star/
DIE RELEASES OCTOBER INFLATION FIGURES
The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) yesterday released month-on-month inflation figures for October. Inflation last month was 2.22% on the consumer price index (CPI) and 3.23% on the wholesale price index (WPI), pushing year-to-year CPI to 9.86% and WPI to 15.48%. /All papers/
SERDENGECTI PREDICTS STRONGER LIRA IF TURKEY GETS DATE FOR EU TALKS
Addressing a meeting of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) yesterday, Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti predicted that the lira would appreciate further if Ankara gets a date at December’s European Union summit to begin its accession talks. Treasury Undersecretary Ibrahim Canakci also briefed TOBB members on recent economic developments, and Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) Chairman Tevfik Bilgin spoke on the banking system. /Aksam/
YALCINBAYIR: “THE REPORT’S IDEAS ON MINORITIES SHOULD BE RESPECTED”
A new government report on Turkey’s minorities may surprise some, but its ideas should be respected, said Bursa Deputy Ertugrul Yalcinbayir yesterday. Arguing that the controversial report prepared by the Human Rights Advisory Board (IHDK) does not violate state regulations, Yalcinbayir, a former deputy prime minister, said that the report is legal. /Hurriyet/
COSKUN: “FOREIGN CAPITAL WILL DRIVE UP INVESTMENTS”
Speaking at a conference on investment in Turkey during its European Union accession, Industry and Trade Minister Ali Coskun yesterday predicted a rising influx of investments through injections of foreign capital. “The foreign investment influx should rise to $2.5 billion by year’s end,” added Coskun. /Sabah/