TURKISH, SYRIAN LEADERS VOW TO BOOST RELATIONS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday completed his two-day visit to Syria before returning to Ankara last night. During his contacts, Erdogan met with Syrian leaders including President Bashar al-Assad and his counterpart Naji al-Otari to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues, as well as last week’s historic European Union summit and the progress of Turkey’s EU entry bid. /Hurriyet/
GUL SET TO PROMOTE MIDEAST PEACE DURING VISIT
Following Prime Minister Erdogan’s visit to Syria this week, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is also set to pay a visit in the coming days to Israel to meet with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders to help resurrect the peace process to end the region’s long-lasting conflict. Gul is expected to urge Israeli officials to allow Palestinian elections scheduled for Jan. 9 to proceed without interference. /Hurriyet/
GUL: “EVEN IF WE DON’T RECOGNIZE GREEK CYPRUS, OUR EU TALKS WILL BEGIN NEXT OCTOBER”
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday gave a briefing to Parliament on the progress of Turkey’s European Union membership bid, saying that that Ankara will begin its EU accession talks on Oct. 3, 2005 even if doesn’t recognize Greek Cyprus, which he said was not a condition for the talks. Gul stressed that the government would do its utmost for a resolution on the island, adding that he expected UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to play a more active role towards this end. In related news, Gul yesterday attended a reception hosted by the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD). Addressing the gathering, Gul said the perpetrators of last week’s slaying of five Turkish security guards in Mosul, Iraq were ethnic Arabs, but declined to give further details, saying investigation of deadly attack was continuing. /Aksam/
ERDOGAN TO VISIT RUSSIA IN JANUARY
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is schedule to pay an official visit to Russia in the second week in January. During his stay, Erdogan will meet with top Russian officials including President Vladimir Putin. In addition, Erdogan and Putin are expected to cut the ribbon on a new Moscow Turkish Trade Center, set to be one of Russia’s largest shopping malls, built jointly by the Turkish Union of Chambers Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) and the Assembly of Turkish Exporters (TIM). /Turkiye/
DUTCH FM: “TURKEY’S MEMBERSHIP WOULD ENHANCE EUROPE’S POLITICAL POWER”
European Union Term President the Netherlands’ Foreign Minister Bernard Bot said yesterday that Turkey’s entry into the bloc would help Europe to be a political power in a global world. “It’s important that the EU carries considerable military and economic power, and I believe that Turkey will contribute to our political power,” added Bot. /Aksam/
PUTIN: “ATHENS SHOULD TAKE ANKARA AS A MODEL”
Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday said that he believed Turkey’s EU membership bid had boosted prospects for a resolution on Cyprus. Putin also said that Athens should take Ankara’s relations with Russia as a model because Turkey’s visa system is “more humane” than Greece’s, and it is more successful in forging sound economic ties. “Last summer 2 million Russian citizens visited Turkey because of these enlightened visa procedures,” he said. “Moreover, Turkish contractors are very active in Russia. Therefore, Turkey is a good example for Greece. If Athens adopts Ankara’s policy on Russia as a model, then I believe our relations with Greece will also improve.” /Hurriyet/
BELGIAN PM SAYS TURKEY WOULD STRENGTHEN EU
Begian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said yesterday that Turkey’s joining the European Union would strengthen the bloc. Speaking to daily Le Soir, Verhofstadt remarked that religion carried little weight as an EU criterion. Asked why Belgium has so fervently championed Ankara’s membership, Verhofstadt stated that owing to Turkey’s size and geostrategic position, the EU’s global power would increase, to the benefit of both sides. He added that he had no doubt of his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s goodwill on the matter. /Turkiye/
EU COMMISSIONER REHN TO VISIT ANKARA IN JANUARY
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn is set to pay an official visit to Turkey in January to discuss the details of Turkey’s membership negotiations and what Ankara should do by Oct. 3, 2005, the date the talks are scheduled to start. Ankara will negotiate with Brussels on such significant issues as its legislative scanning process and the harmonization protocol. Rehn is expected to meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and a number of Foreign Ministry bureaucrats. /Star/
SERDAR DENKTAS: “EVEN WITHOUT A RESOLUTION OR TURKEY’S SUPPORT, WE WON’T FORSAKE OUR RIGHTS ON THE ISLAND”
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas yesterday warned that even if a resolution isn’t reached, and even should Ankara stop supporting the TRNC, the Turkish Cypriots would never forsake their rights and if need be could take up armed resistance like that of the Palestine Liberation Organization. In related news, TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said that if the European Union and the United Nations take firm steps to end the international isolation of the TRNC, then Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos would have no choice but to accept a Cyprus resolution. /Milliyet/
RAUF DENKTAS: “PREDICTIONS A CYPRUS RESOLUTION WILL BE REACHED NEXT OCTOBER ARE OPTIMISTIC”
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas yesterday met with Onur Oymen, deputy leader of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). During their talks, Denktas dismissed as “optimistic” various predictions that a Cyprus resolution would be reached by Oct. 3, 2005, the day Turkey is to begin its European Union entry talks and is to have given some recognition to Greek Cyprus. He added that it was Greek Cypriots who didn’t want a settlement, not the Turkish Cypriots, saying, “What they want is for us to forsake our independence.” /Cumhuriyet/
PAPADOPOULOS REJECTS UN ARBITRATION ON CYPRUS ISSUE
Addressing the Greek Cypriot National Council, Greek Cypriot Administration leader Tassos Papadopoulos yesterday listed four conditions to restart the Cyprus talks: First, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan should not be an arbiter to fill in the blanks during the talks. Second, no deadline or time schedule would be accepted. Third, the Cyprus issue cannot be linked with the scheduled beginning date of Turkey’s EU membership talks (Oct. 3, 2005). And finally, no resolution not agreed on by both sides can be a subject of referendum. /Star/
IRANIAN FM KHARRAZI TO VISIT TURKEY TO DISCUSS IRAQ
Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi is set to pay an official visit to Ankara today to discuss recent developments in Iraq. Kharrazi is expected to exchange views with Turkish officials on the upcoming Iraqi elections and the possible effects on the region of the reelection of US President George W. Bush. /Sabah/