SEZER, ERDOGAN ISSUE MESSAGES MARKING NEVRUZ
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday issued a written message to celebrate Nevruz, a day marking the advent of spring, saying that he hoped the holiday would bring peace and hope and be celebrated like a joyous festival throughout the country. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also issued a message marking Nevruz, saying that it had celebrated with great enthusiasm across a vast region for centuries. Erdogan further stressed that universal values such as love, tolerance, and forgiveness are reinforced during Nevruz. /All papers/
ERDOGAN, GUL TO TRAVEL TO BRUSSELS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to travel to Brussels, Belgium, today to attend the “European People’s Parties’ Summit” as an observer member. During an evening banquet, Erdogan is scheduled to meet with his Greek counterpart Costas Karamanlis to discuss Turkish-European Union relations as well as the Cyprus issue. Erdogan is expected to urge Greece to take steps on the issue. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, who will accompany Erdogan, is also to meet with his EU counterparts and is expected to reiterate that Ankara will extend the Customs Union to 10 new EU members, including Greek Cyprus. He will also call on EU countries to keep their promise to end the international isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) /Turkiye/
ERDOGAN URGES AKP DEPUTIES TO TAKE INTEREST IN CITIZENS’ PROBLEMS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday attended a series of opening ceremonies in Kahramanmaras, including one for the Turkoglu-Nurdagi highway. Speaking to citizens, Erdogan said that power lay in the hands of the people, adding that governments were just trying to do their will. Stressing that the government had allocated TL 15 quadrillion for road building this year, Erdogan vowed that Turkey would continue to develop under the rule of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) government. He also called on all AKP deputies to work hard to serve their constituents, pointing out that citizens supported only deputies who serve their needs. /Hurriyet/
ERDOGAN TO PAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO ISRAEL
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to pay an official visit to Israel on May 1-3. The expected visit is being interpreted by diplomatic circles as a sign of mending fences between the two countries after a chilly period marked by Erdogan’s harsh criticism of the Sharon government’s violent policy towards the Palestinians. Among the issues that the premier will discuss with Israeli officials are the Middle East peace process, and the latest developments in Syria, Iran and Iraq, as well as the Cyprus issue. /Sabah/
GUL: “GENOCIDE ALLEGATIONS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP”
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday that there was no direct or indirect linkage between the Armenian so-called genocide allegations and Turkey’s European Union membership bid. Speaking in Parliament, Gul said that Ankara had fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria as confirmed by both last October’s EU Commission report and December’s EU summit. Stressing that a History Research Group had been formed to investigate the allegations, Gul said that in the near future their findings on the issue would be released for the benefit of Turkey and the international community. /Turkiye/
NEVRUZ CELEBRATIONS TAINTED BY PRO-TERRORIST PROVOCATIONS
Celebrations of Nevruz in Turkey yesterday were tainted by the provocation and slogans of illegal and pro-PKK groups. Some 30,000 people participated in the celebrations in Istanbul, an event organized by the Democratic People’s Party (DEHAP) and a number of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). DEHAP head Tuncay Bakirhan called on the government to pay heed to the views of terrorist Abdullah Ocalan to resolve the so-called Kurdish issue in Turkey. Tension between the demonstrators and security forces rose in some of the celebrations, including the one in Istanbul, as the demonstrators chanted pro-PKK slogans, carried posters of terrorist Ocalan, damaged public property on the streets and tried to burn Turkey’s national flag. In related news, True Path Party (DYP) head Mehmet Agar criticized the events for distorting the meaning of Nevruz, which he added refers to a celebration of peace, friendship and solidarity. “Nevruz is a very old tradition dating back to ancient times,” he added. “So, it isn’t peculiar to any single culture, but should be embraced by all civilizations in the Middle East.” In addition, National Movement Party (MHP) head Devlet Bahceli charged that terrorist and pro-terrorist groups had corrupted Nevruz, making it a kind of a show of terrorist violence. He also echoed Agar’s wish that Nevruz should be celebrated as an event of peace and solidarity. /Sabah / Turkiye/
RUMSFELD FAULTS TURKEY FOR IRAQI UNREST
Appearing on public affairs TV shows on Sunday, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that he wished US troops had not been "blocked" from entering Iraq through Turkey, claiming that this had caused the postwar insurgency in Iraq to flourish. "Given the level of the insurgency today, two years later, clearly, if we had been able to get the Fourth Infantry Division in from the north through Turkey, more of the Iraqi Saddam Hussein Baathist regime would have been captured or killed," he told Fox News on the second anniversary of the US invasion. He added that “the insurgency today would be less” if the heavily armored units of the division had been permitted to use Turkish territory, as he said these troops were ready to “create a battlefield vise to squeeze adversaries entering Iraq from Kuwait.” In February and March 2003, Ankara opposed the US-led invasion of Iraq and Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) refused the US permission to open a northern front in Iraq through southeastern Turkey. /All Papers/
TURKEY TO SEND LETTER TO BRUSSELS ON ANKARA AGREEMENT’S ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL
Diplomatic sources stated that Ankara is soon to send a letter to Brussels stating that it would agree to sign the additional protocol of the Ankara Agreement, extending the nation’s Customs Union to cover all 25 EU member countries, including the Greek Cypriot administration. The Parliament is reportedly then to issue a declaration saying that as the Greek Cypriot administration does not represent the entire island, Ankara’s signing of the additional protocol does not mean its official recognition. In related news, European Parliament President Josep Borrell over the weekend stated that Turkey must recognize the Greek Cypriot administration to start its accession talks in October. In addition, EP Social Democrat Group Chairman Martin Schulz echoed Borrell’s words on the Cyprus issue, also calling on Ankara to start fully implementing its reforms as soon as possible. /Star/
EQUALITY NOW HAILS TURKEY’S PROGRESS IN WOMEN’S RIGHTS
Equality Now, a US organization working for the protection and promotion of women’s rights around the world, has just released its 2005 report documenting violence and discrimination against women in 45 countries. The report cites Turkey among 14 countries which have recently made good progress on improving women’s rights by eliminating discrimination against women in their national legislation. The paper also hails Ankara’s recent reforms in strengthening human rights and democratization. /Hurriyet/
GULER SEES NUCLEAR ENERGY IN TURKEY’S FUTURE
Speaking to reporters prior to his departure for Paris where he will attend the 21st International Nuclear Power Conference, Energy Minister Hilmi Guler stated that nuclear energy would play a very important role in Turkey’s future. “In Paris, we’ll discuss the nuclear energy issue in full detail including environmental concerns,” he said. “We’re determined on the use of nuclear energy to build our future. Our nuclear energy policy is being developed in line with the European Union acquis.” /Star/
BAYKAL: “THE SITUATION IN IRAQ HAS MADE TURKEY WEAK AND INEFFECTUAL IN ITS REGION”
Appearing on television yesterday, opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal expressed support for Land Forces Commander Gen. Yasar Buyukanit’s recent warnings that the terrorist PKK/KADEK still constituted a threat to Turkey and that Ankara’s position in the region is weak. “The situation in Iraq made Turkey weak and ineffectual in its region,” added Baykal. “The US Iraq policy has created difficulties for Turkey.” Baykal further stated that he didn’t want to create any tension between the government and the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). /Milliyet/
GERMAN SOCIAL DEMOCRAT SPOKESMEN: “ANKARA’S EU TALKS COULD BE POSTPONED”
Guenter Gloser, the European spokesman for Germany’s ruling Social Democrats, said yesterday that Ankara’s European Union accession talks could be delayed, claiming that Ankara had recently made little progress in its EU membership bid. “If this situation continues, then the accession talks could be postponed,” he added. /Cumhuriyet/
OECD TO HELP TURKEY’S FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION
Turkey is preparing for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development supervision in the fight against money laundering and financing for terrorism in light of criteria presented by the OECD. Measures are expected to be finalized by the end of September. The OECD Financial Task Force for Money Laundering (FATF) has launched its third round of country supervision, as reported by the Anatolia news agency. In this framework, Turkey began its preparations to be ready for the 2006 General Board meeting of the OECD. The FAFT first sent assessment criteria regarding the supervision of the Finance Ministry Research Institute of Financial Crime (MASAK) and requested that the ministry respond to questions concerning the criteria. MASAK then forwarded the criteria to several related ministries to get a comprehensive assessment of Turkey’s situation. /Sabah/
ANOTHER TURKISH TRUCK DRIVER KILLED IN IRAQ
North of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a Turkish truck driver was shot dead yesterday during an attack by insurgents on a convoy under the protection of US soldiers. Iraqi officials stated that identity of the driver was not known yet. /Turkiye/
MARMARIS TO HOST INTL MARITIME FESTIVAL
An International Maritime Festival will be held in Marmaris in the Aegean city of Mugla starting next Sunday April 27, the Turkish Naval Force Command said. According to the command, warships, training vessels and yachts from both Turkey and abroad will join the six-day festival which will be held under the auspices of the Turkish Naval Forces, Marmaris Deputy Governor's Office, Marmaris Municipality, South Aegean Tourist Hotels and Facilities Union, and the Maritime Chamber of Commerce. The USS Carney from the United States as well as Germany’s FGS U-17, Australia’s HMAS Anzac, France’s FS Commandant Bouan, Britain’s HMS Chatham, Israel’s INS Yaffo, Spain’s SPS Reina Sofia, Italy’s ITS Scirocco, Russia’s RS Pyitlivy, Ukraine’s UNS Kostyantin Olsansky and Greece’s HS Salamis will all be in Marmaris for the festival. Also, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain will each join the festival with one ship. Bulgaria and Romania will be represented by training vessels. Competitions, concerts, exhibitions and panel discussions will be held and films will also be shown as a part of the festival. Famous Turkish diver Yasemin Dalkilic will try to break a 125-meter diving record during the festival. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, and a number of foreign officials are expected to attend the festival, which aims to promote the Turkish maritime sector, support maritime culture, boost efforts to make Turkey a maritime country, and promote Marmaris. The Presidential Symphony Orchestra (CSO) will give a concert on board a warship for the first time as a part of the festivities. The 80-piece orchestra conducted by Rengim Gokmen will take the stage aboard a frigate set to anchor at the Port of Marmaris on April 30. The orchestra will also give a concert during the official opening ceremony of the festival, and premiere a symphony composed by Turgay Erdener for the Turkish Navy. Several other concerts will also be given by the Naval Forces Command Band and the Janissary Band. 50,000 foreign guests are expected to join this international festival. /AA/