Ecevit: We Want Investments And Trade From The U.S. Rather Than Help

IZMIR AIRPLANE, Jan 14 (A.A) - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has said that Turkey didn’t want help, but trade and investments from the United States. He stressed that foreign investors would ``not have to knock on fourty doors and wait for years`` to start an investment in Turkey and they would receive an answer in a maximum of three months.
Ecevit responded to reporters` questions on the airplane to the United States.
Question: What did you mean when you said ``I’m hopeful but cautious`` during your statement yesterday?
Ecevit: I have a long political life. If you have certain expectations and depend on them, sometimes it can be very upsetting. Therefore I`m being very cautious now. As I said yesterday, I`m very hopeful but I can`t know what will happen in the end. Because the United States has its own working methods. The Congress is very important. Lobbies are also important. Therefore we can`t expect everything from the government. Mr. Bush and his friends know about Turkey`s difficulties and they`ve tried their best especially regarding the IMF and the World Bank.
But we also have needs in our commercial and economic relations. We`ll discuss a number of things such as reviving the export, drawing investments to Turkey, Turkish businessmen’s needs in textile field.
I`m pleased that we`ll meet with ministers in charge of economy. That means economy will be discussed into detail. As I said, I`m hopeful but I think it`s good to be cautious at the same time.
Question: Will economy, which is the weakest link, become any stronger?
Ecevit: We`re trying to make it stronger. Last year, the United States did its best for Turkey. But actually, we want commerce and investments rather than help. We prepared announcements to be run on Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and in Turkish newspapers which are also published in Europe that call on investors to make investments in Turkey. The New Industrial Regions Law will resolve a big problem. Foreign investors will not have to knock on fourty doors and wait for years. They will be given an answer within a maximum of three months. We also made a list of businesses which had to be closed down because of economic hardships. We`ll give their addresses if there are anyone who want to invest in these businesses. We think that through such measures, foreign investments would increase in Turkey.
Question: We know you have many topics you want to bring up. When are you expecting to get a result from all these?
Ecevit: We have to be a little patient. Our relations with the United States are developing quickly. We shouldn’t expect too many things to happen too quickly.
ECEVIT: WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK FOR THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE UNITED STATES IS EXTENDING TO THE EU
Question: You picked up a copy of Quran as a present to President Bush? Why did you make this choice?
Ecevit: Certain circles wanted to show the U.S. operation against Afghanistan as a movement against Islam. Upon this, Mr. Bush stressed that this was not true and that his country had great respect for Islam. If they were against Islam, we wouldn`t have been supporting them. We thought it would be appropriate to present him a copy of Quran. We also invited our head of the Religious Affairs to our visit.
Question: Various formats are offered in the development of Turkey`s commercial relations with the United States. What will you suggest as Turkey`s demand during your meeting at the White House?
Ecevit: All of them are acceptable for us but the United States will also assess them. There could be legal obstacles in front of some of them. There could be obstacles regarding their passage from the Congress and regarding U.S. relations with the EU.
We thought it might be good to form a commission to work on the technical details. I think that a number of results will be obtained shortly after my visit which would benefit both countries. What is important is to revive economic relations with the United States and draw as many investments as we can from the United States. We have the right to ask for the opportunities that the United States is extending to the EU.
Question: There are certain gentlemen’s agreements and opportunities which the United States is offering the EU. Are you going to demand from U.S. officials to extend the same agreement to Turkey?
Ecevit: Of course, we need that. We have very close relations. The United States gives importance to Turkey`s economic development. Therefore we think the United States should naturally extend the same opportunities to us.
Question: Can the United States offer any resource for the Turkish military unit who will be sent to Afghanistan?
Ecevit: Yes, but we don`t really want to say `We can go only if we receive a financial resource`. The United States knows our economic problems and I think they`ll take that into consideration. We want to have a contribution of the Afghan people also want formaing a national Afghan army and police force. The U.S. administration could also contribute to that. The U.S. Administration knows the importance of our initiatives to maintain stability in Afghanistan. I think they should think of a solution.
Question :How will the FMS loans be cancelled? Are we going to get a result very soon?
Ecevit: I don`t know. We`ll discuss that.
Question: What would be the main message you`ll convey to the U.S. administration during this visit?
Ecevit: Cooperation besides friendship.
BUSH`S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR RICE: TURKEY IS AN EXCELLENT MODEL FOR ALL THE MUSLIMS IN THE WORLD
U.S. President George Bush`s National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice has said that Turkey`s contacts with the IMF were encouraging and that Turkey would continue receiving financial help as long as it carries out its economic reforms.
Rice held a press conference for a group of Turkish journalists prior to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit`s visit to the United States which is starting on Monday.
``Developing our economic relations is an excellent goal,`` Rice said. ``We have very good relations with Turkey in every field. Turkey is a model for Muslim countries. Its contacts with the IMF are encouraging. These contacts should continue. The reforms are very important and Turkey will keep on receiving financial aid as long as these reforms continue. Reforms and the transfer of resources go together.``
She added that economists from both countries should discuss how to increase trade between the two countries.
Responding to a question on Iraq, she said the U.S. administration hadn`t yet decided on this subject.
``Iraq was a problem before Sept.11 and it is a problem after Sept. 11. It`s a threat against its neighbors and its own people. Since we came to the government, we`re trying to decide how we can develop a more effective policy towards Iraq. Efforts are continuing about smart sanctions. We believe that different elements should be kept together. No flight zone practice is continuing,`` she explained.
Rice said that Turkey was one of the first countries which offered help to the United States. ``Turkey has terrorism experience. It knows the effects of terrorism and how it could deal with it. It understands what terrorism does to other nations. We`re very glad to be receiving Turkey`s support,`` she commented.
Rice maintained that Turkey, with its Muslim population, and secular and democratic principles, could be a model to all the Muslims in the world. Rice said Turkey`s model was ``an alternative against radical Islam.``
Rice said that her government wanted Turkey to succeed, to improve its economy, to increase its standards of living, to develop relations with Greece, to improve its education system, make advances in technology and become a modern and moderate Muslim country.
U.S. NEWSPAPERS GIVE WIDE COVERAGE TO ECEVIT`S U.S. VISIT
New York Times and Wall Street Journal newspapers have given wide coverage to the visit of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit`s visit to the United States which is starting today and his scheduled meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush.
New York Times wrote that the Iraqi issue was going to be a major topic during the discussions. The newspaper wrote that Turkey was worried that a possible operation against Iraq could spread to Turkey. Such an operation could be a strong blow on the already shaky economy and it could revive the Kurdish separatism in the region, it was stated.
New York Times said that it was very important for Ecevit and the coalition government to improve economy and therefore Ecevit would ask U.S. officials to lift the textile quotas, and decrease the limitations on Turkey`s steel export to the United States.
Wall Street Journal said that Ecevit would ask a number of questions about the U.S. plans regarding Iraq and what would be Turkey`s advantages and incitements in a possible role that would be given in the formation of these plans.
The newspaper wrote that Turkey was a key ally of the United States in the region and Turkey`s being weak would also weaken the interests of the Western nations. The paper wrote that a successful Turkish model would contribute significantly to world stability.