ERDOGAN CALLS ON WORLD LEADERS TO COOPERATE AGAINST TERRORISM
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday urged all nations to cooperate in efforts against terrorism. Speaking at the Third Summit of the Council of Europe, which brings together heads of states or government from 46 countries in Warsaw, Poland, Erdogan stated that Turkey was ready to play a special role in efforts to strengthen dialogue between different religions and cultures. “Terrorism has no religion, culture, race or nation. In addition, no religion tolerates terror or killing innocent people,” said Erdogan. On the other hand, also addressing the two-day gathering, reiterating his country’s allegations of genocide at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire, Armenian President Robert Kocharian pledged to work to win international recognition of these claims. In addition, the Turkish premier held a one-hour meeting with Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev. The two leaders discussed recent developments concerning Nagorno-Karabakh, an area occupied by Armenian troops over the last decade, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline as well. After their talks, Erdogan said that Ankara was closely following developments in its friendly neighbor Azerbaijan. /Turkiye/
ALPAGON DUE TO VISIT ISRAEL
National Security Council (NSC) Secretary General Yigit Alpagon is set to travel to Israel today to pay an official visit at the invitation of his Israeli counterpart Giora Eiland. During three days of contacts, bilateral relations and regional issues, as well as ways to develop cooperation between the security councils of the two countries, will be discussed. /Star/
EXTRAORDINARY CONGRESS PRESSURE IN DYP, MHP
Following the True Path Party’s (DYP) administrative board meeting last weekend, people left off the board’s list of management staff started lobbying for an extraordinary congress. DYP leader Mehmet Agar’s Advisor Aydin Menderes said, “If there was a mistake, the DYP will correct it. If necessary, another congress will be held.” Four deputies who resigned in protest of the congress’ decision accused Agar of not keeping his promise to include certain deputies on the list. Meanwhile, requests for an extraordinary congress rose in the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) as well. Former State Ministers Namik Kemal Zeybek and Husnu Yusuf Gokalp, leading nationalist Ramiz Ongun, and a group of former deputies yesterday paid a visit to support former MHP Ankara Provincial Chairman Emin Yazici, who has initiated efforts for an extraordinary MHP meeting. At his office, Yazici said that a movement had been started by Central Executive Board member Ercan Koc and certain congress delegates in Ankara and that an extraordinary congress was the place where the MHP’s problems and early elections can be discussed. /Turkiye/
GREEK CYPRUS SENDS REPRESENTATIVE FOR POSSIBLE NEW PEACE TALKS
Greek Cypriot envoy Tasos Tzionis started his contacts at the United Nations in New York yesterday, where he went as the representative of Greek Cypriot administration leader Tassos Papadopoulos. Tzionis is working to ensure the UN doesn’t impose an arbitrator or timetable on new peace talks and will express the Greek Cypriot administration’s “concerns.” Stating that he had expressed his belief that certain conditions should be established so a new round of negotiations can begin, Papadopoulos said, “If there are no preliminary conditions, negotiations won’t start.” /Cumhuriyet/
FOREIGN MINISTRY TO FIGHT SWISS CHARGES AGAINST TTK HEAD
The Foreign Ministry yesterday determined its strategy concerning legal charges brought against Turkish Historical Society (TTK) head Yusuf Halacooglu by a local prosecutor in Zurich, Switzerland. Halacoglu was charged due to remarks he made denying the so-called Armenian genocide allegations. Under this strategy, Halacoglu will make no declaration to the Swiss prosecutor or court. If the court rules against Halacoglu, and thus against Turkey, Halacoglu will reject this decision at a superior court in Switzerland. If the superior court accepts his arguments and overrules the decision of the local court, Turkey will be able to use it as a trump card against other countries which take a similar stance. However, if the Swiss courts convict him, Halacoglu will apply to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). /Hurriyet/
STATE MINISTER TUZMEN COMPLETES VISIT TO MONGOLIA
State Minister Kursad Tuzmen yesterday returned to Turkey after completing his contacts in Mongolia. During his visit, Tuzmen, accompanied by a delegation of 80 people including businessmen and bureaucrats, had talks with Mongolian officials to develop trade and economic relations between the two countries. After attending the Turkish-Mongolian Fourth Joint Economic Council (KEK) meeting, he also opened a Turkish Industrial Products Fair in the capital Ulan Bator. /Turkiye/
TURKEY RANKS AS FIFTH-CHEAPEST COUNTRY IN OECD REPORT
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) comparative price level classification for March reported that Turkey ranks as the fifth-cheapest country, following the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Mexico. /Sabah/