BUSY SCHEDULE AHEAD IN ANKARA THIS WEEK
Following the Feast of Sacrifice, Turkish officials will have a busy schedule this week. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to travel to Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum set to begin this Wednesday in Davos. During his bilateral contacts, Erdogan is expected to discuss the Cyprus issue and will ask the world leaders to end the international isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). In addition, after getting a date to begin talks, Turkey will host the first delegation of the European Union scheduled to arrive in Ankara tomorrow. The meetings are to focus on economic issues. Furthermore, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn will visit Ankara on March 7. Meanwhile, in the runup to elections in Iraq, Turkish Foreign Ministry officials are closely following the recent developments in the country and reiterating their desire for fair and impartial elections. /Turkiye/
TALABANI: “WE HAVE RECEIVED ASSURANCES ON KIRKUK”
Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) leader Jalal Talabani said yesterday that he had received written assurance from Iraqi President Gazi al-Yawer, interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and US and British ambassadors to Iraq that Kirkuk would be restored to its former status. Speaking at the regional parliament, Talabani stated that after the end of this month’s elections, a committee would start working to help Kurdish exiles to return their homes, while the Arabs settled in the region by Saddam Hussein to return their former lands. In related news, Ankara is warning the sides on the Kurdish groups’ attempts to gain control of the oil-rich northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. The city’s status is a hot potato among the Kurdish, Arab and Turkmen groups. /Turkiye/
TRNC LEADERS TO MEET ERDOGAN
Turkish Cypriot opposition leaders – main opposition National Unity Party (UBP) leader Dervis Eroglu and Peace and Democracy Movement (BDH) leader Mustafa Akinci – are set to meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul today to discuss recent developments on the Cyprus issue. TRNC Premier Mehmet Ali Talat and Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas held separate meetings with Erdogan nearly ten days ago. The prospect of early elections slated for Feb. 20 initially came onto the TRNC agenda when the Republican Turks’ Party (CTP) and Democrat Party (DP) coalition lost their majority in parliament following resignations in April. /Aksam/
BAYKAL: “THE CONGRESS IS IMPORTANT FOR TURKEY’S FUTURE”
Opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal over the weekend met with the party’s delegates in Izmir and Denizli before the party’s 13th extraordinary congress which will be held on Saturday. Baykal said that this weekend’s congress would be important for Turkey’s future adding, however, that some circles was trying to manipulate the congress in line with their own interests. He added that fighting against corruption would be one of the main topics of the congress. /Cumhuriyet/
LIVANELI: “ALLIANCE WITH SARIGUL AT THIS WEEKEND’S CONGRESS IS IMPOSSIBLE”
Appearing on television over the weekend, opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Istanbul deputy Zulfu Livaneli, who is expected to be candidate for CHP leadership, said that alliance with Sisli Mayor Mustafa Sarigul at this weekend’s congress was impossible. “Sarigul has moral problems which have no ideological aspect,” he said. “Our struggle is ideological so an alliance with him is impossible.” He further called the dispute between CHP leader Deniz Baykal and Sarigul “inappropriate.” Livaneli stressed that he had no ambition for leadership. /Cumhuriyet/
ECEVIT: “THE CHP CAN’T FULFILL ITS MISSION DUE TO ITS OWN PROBLEMS”
Former Democratic Leftist Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit yesterday criticized the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), saying that the party’s current situation was an insult to the founder of the party Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Speaking at a press conference, Ecevit stated that the CHP couldn’t fulfill its opposition mission due to its own problems, adding that its future was uncertain. Ecevit predicted that the CHP wouldn’t contribute to the left in the country and called everyone to support the DSP. /Aksam/
TRNC TO BE REPRESENTED IN THE EC PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
Ozdil Nami from the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and Huseyin Ozgurgun from the National Unity Party (UBP) will represent the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) at the European Council Parliamentary Assembly. Their membership will be ratified tomorrow. /Sabah/
CASINI: “TURKEY WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE EU”
Turkey’s membership will contribute to the EU, said President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Pier Ferdinando Casini yesterday. “Turkey has made great reforms and taken important steps,” Casini added. “The EU has to emphasize dialogue with various cultures and religions.” /Hurriyet/
TURKISH TRUCK DRIVER KILLED IN IRAQ
A Turkish truck driver was killed this weekend in the north of Baghdad. The gasoline truck driver was ambushed by the Iraqi militants. Some 80 Turkish citizens have been killed in Iraq since the beginning of the Iraq war. /Hurriyet/
TUZMEN: “WE’VE DECIDED TO ESTABLISH TRADE TEAMS TO ASSIST OUR EXPORTERS”
State Minister Kursat Tuzmen said yesterday that the government’s goal was to increase the country’s exports to $100 billion by 2010 and $500 billion by 2023. Tuzmen stressed that the number of the staff abroad who would assist the exporters was insufficient. “We decided to establish trade teams to assist our exporters,” he said, adding that these teams will consist of representatives from the Turkish Exporters’ Union (TIM) and the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB). /Aksam/