SEZER, ERDOGAN SPEAK ON THE ENDURING IMPORTANCE OF ATATURK
The passing of Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk 66 years ago was commemorated yesterday throughout the country and at Turkey’s foreign missions abroad. In Ankara, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended a Turkish Language Institute conference on Ataturk. Addressing the gathering, Erdogan said that Ataturk had no need to depend on a particular doctrine or ideology. “The basis of his world view was rationalism,” said Erdogan. For his part, Sezer praised the Treaty of Lausanne, which was forged under Ataturk’s watch, saying that it was the only pact from that period which still remains in effect. Sezer stressed that the single-state structure was indispensable for the unity of the nation. Also present at the conference were Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, Constitutional Court Chief Justice Mustafa Bumin, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, and National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Yigit Alpogan. /Aksam/

ERDOGAN MEETS WITH IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with visiting Iraqi Foreign Minister Vail Abdullatif. During their talks, Abdullatif briefed Erdogan on the ongoing military offensive in Fallujah, adding that the operation was intended to end the threat of terrorism to the Iraqi people, bring stability, and lay the groundwork for the country’s upcoming elections. Erdogan urged the coalition forces and Iraqi interim government to take care of civilians in the region. Condemning the recent terrorist attacks and killings of Turkish citizens in Iraq, Erdogan said that those slain had been helping the country’s reconstruction. He asked the Iraqi government to take all necessary measures to protect civilians in Iraq. /Turkiye/

GUL: “GREEK FIGHTER JETS HARASSED TURKISH F-16s OVER THE AEGEAN”
Turkish F-16s were harassed over the Aegean earlier this week by Greek fighter jets, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday. Gul stated the Turkish F-16s were flying as part of NATO exercises and that Turkey had immediately notified NATO’s AWACS plane in the area about the harassment. He added that Ankara was trying to develop its relations with Athens in all respects and sincerely hopes that disagreements over the Aegean will be resolved in a peaceful manner. /Turkiye/

SLOVAKIAN FM DUE IN ANKARA TODAY
Slovakian Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan is due to arrive in Ankara today for an official visit. Kukan is expected to meet with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to discuss a number of issues, including bilateral relations, Turkey’s European Union membership bid and regional and international issues. Tomorrow Kukan is to meet separately with Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. /Cumhuriyet/

KRETSCHMER: “TURKEY IS MAKING RAPID PROGRESS TOWARDS EU MEMBERSHIP”
European Commission Representative in Turkey Hansjoerg Kretschmer said yesterday that Ankara was making rapid progress towards its European Union membership. During a visit to Hakkari Governor Erdogan Gurbuz, Kretschmer said that the EU Commission was closely watching Turkey’s progress, adding that there were still a number of criteria which needed to be implemented. /Cumhuriyet/

LAGENDIJK: “ANKARA’S TALKS SHOULD AIM AT FULL EU MEMBERSHIP”
Turkey’s eventual membership in the European Union will be a blow to both terrorist Osama bin Laden and theories of a “clash of civilizations,” said Joost Lagendijk, co-chair of the Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee, at a panel yesterday in Washington organized by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and Germany’s Heinrich Boll Foundation. “When Turkey joins the EU, those who say a bridge cannot be built between Islam and the West will be proven wrong,” Lagendijk told the panel entitled “Turkey in the European Union: Consequences for Europe.” Lagendijk urged the EU to give Turkey a date for accession talks at its summit next month. He also emphasized that when Ankara’s negotiations begin, the focus should be on full membership, rebuffing calls for a “special partnership.” /Star/

KOHL: “TURKEY HAS NO CHANCE OF GETTING INTO THE EU”
Turkey has no chance of joining the European Union, claimed former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl yesterday. Speaking on German television, Kohl alleged that EU leaders were deceiving Ankara with promises of membership. “Even these leaders know that Turkey’s accession talks will last for 10 or 15 years and they won’t be in power then,” added Kohl. “I favor a special partnership with Turkey, because this is the most rational way.” /Hurriyet/

TRNC’S TALAT DECIDES AGAINST FORMING NEW GOVT
After being appointed this week by Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas to form a new government, Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader and Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat has reportedly decided against trying to do so. During talks among CTP members, the party agreed that new initiatives would be fruitless, and that instead early elections were needed. Talat is expected to return his mandate to Denktas without waiting the customary period, two weeks. Under the TRNC’s Constitution, early elections can be called by either the Parliament or the president. /Turkiye/

UNAKITAN MEETS WITH WB’S KATSU TO DISCUSS RECENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS
Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan yesterday met in Ankara with Shigeo Katsu, the World Bank’s vice president for Europe and Central Asia, to discuss recent economic developments. Speaking before their meeting, Unakitan said that a Council of State decision was needed for the privatization of state oil company TUPRAS, adding that the Privatization Administration (OIB) would do what the decision requires. Katsu said that he tried to visit Turkey each year in order to see the country’s progress firsthand. /Aksam/