SEZER: “TURKEY SHOULD PRESERVE THE TURKISH AERONAUTICAL ASSOCIATION”
Turkey should work to preserve the Turkish Aeronautical Association (THK), said President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday. Addressing a THK meeting, Sezer lauded the group as one of the Turkish Republic’s cornerstone organizations, adding that the development of aeronautics is closely related to the nation’s security and economic development. /Hurriyet/
ERDOGAN VISITS KONYA, STRESSES ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accompanied by Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and other officials paid a visit to the central Anatolian city of Konya over the weekend. Speaking to a Local Administrations Meeting at the city’s Culture Center, Erdogan said that Ankara wanted to join the European Union and expected a positive decision at this week’s historic EU summit. “In case of a negative outcome, something which is extremely unlikely, we’ll continue to follow our path by re-naming the Copenhagen criteria as the Ankara criteria.” said Erdogan. He added that local governments have a great responsibility in the country’s development and that when they function well, the citizenry is satisfied. Later Erdogan attended a ground breaking ceremony for a 2,000-plus-unit mass housing project and the opening of a Mevlana Culture Center. /Turkiye/
PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE PENAL ENFORCEMENT BILL
Parliament’s General Assembly is set this week to debate a 124-article Penal Enforcement Bill as a final legal adjustment before the crucial end-week European Union summit. In addition, during tomorrow’s session, Parliament is expected to take up an opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) motion concerning Turkey’s EU membership bid. /Turkiye/
EP TO DISCUSS TURKEY REPORT
The European Parliament is set to today debate a report on Turkey just days before the historic fall European Union summit. The report prepared by Dutch Christian Democrat MEP Camiel Eurlings recommends that the EU begin accession talks with Ankara without further delay. /Turkiye/
TWO KEY MEETINGS SLATED IN RUNUP TO SUMMIT
Two pivotal meetings setting the stage for the historic end-week European Union summit are to be held in Brussels tomorrow. First, the EU foreign ministers will discuss the Union’s last draft statement on Ankara’s possible accession talks, an issue which will be the focus of the summit. Second, in Strasbourg the European Parliament’s General Assembly will debate MEP Camiel Eurlings’ recent report on Turkey. /Aksam/
BELGIAN PM TO PUSH TURKEY’S EU TALKS WITH CHIRAC
Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt is due to meet with French President Jacques Chirac on Wednesday in Brussels, reportedly in an effort to persuade him to unambiguously support Ankara’s European Union accession talks at this week’s historic EU summit. Verhofstadt will also meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Brussels on the same day. /Aksam/
TURKISH AMBASSADORS TO KEY EU STATES TO MEET IN BRUSSELS
Turkey’s Ambassadors to London, Paris, Berlin, The Hague and Madrid as well as its permanent representative to the EU, Oguz Demiralp, will convene in Brussels tomorrow to discuss Turkey’s prospective accession talks. The ambassadors will also evaluate what should be done concerning the decision on Turkey’s talks expected at this week’s historic EU summit. /Aksam/
BAYKAL CALLS ON GOVT TO STAY DETERMINED ON TURKEY’S ACCESSION TALKS
Opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said yesterday that since Turkey had fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria set out by the European Union, any proposal made at this week’s historic EU summit besides full membership should be rejected. He called on the government to stay fixed on the goal of Ankara’s accession talks but to have a backup plan should the summit’s results prove disappointing. “It should stay determined on this matter,” added Baykal. /Cumhuriyet/
AGAR CHARGES EU CONDITIONS AMOUNT TO LESS THAN FULL MEMBERSHIP
Permanent restrictions on the free movement of Turkish workers and lack of financial support for agriculture aim to make Turkey a “special partner” rather than a full member of the European Union, charged True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar yesterday. “A decision which ignores Turkey’s rights and presses for a de facto special partnership is not acceptable.” said Agar. /Star/
BAHCELI: “THE GOVT IS MAKING TOO MANY CONCESSIONS FOR EU MEMBERSHIP”
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday charged that the government was making too many concessions for the sake of Turkey’s European Union membership bid. “The government is pushing for the acceptance of EU criteria rather than making the EU accept Turkey,” Bahceli said. /Star/
TUSIAD HEAD URGES EU LEADERS ON ANKARA’S ACCESSION TALKS
Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) head Omer Sabanci yesterday sent a letter to leaders of European Union member states urging the EU at its historic summit later this week to give a date for the start of Ankara’s accession talks with the aim of full membership. In the letter, Sabanci said that the European Council’s decision on Turkey’s entry talks would mark the beginning of a new era in Turkish-EU relations. /Cumhuriyet/