SEZER WELCOMES TURKISH-EUROPEAN FOUNDATION ADMINISTRATORS
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday received Turkish-European Foundation administrators on the first anniversary of the foundation's establishment. Foundation's Executive Board Chairman Ziya Muezzinoglu said if the European Union found itself unable to embrace Turkey at its southern and eastern edge, then European integration would remain unfulfilled. Muezzinoglu briefed Sezer on the aims of the foundation. "Since its foundation," he said, "Turkey has implemented a series of radical reforms to move in line with the democratic values espoused by the European countries and under the guidance of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Turkey and the EU need each other. Integration with the EU should be carried out on the basis of full membership relations and with conditions equal to those of the other EU member countries. Starting membership negotiations with the EU is of the utmost importance in terms of Turkey's future. We believe our president will support the efforts to meet these needs." /Cumhuriyet/
TURKEY TO DOSTUM: "ESTABLISHING AFGHAN ARMY IS VITAL"
Gen. Rashid Dostum, the deputy defense minister in Afghanistan's interim government, met yesterday with Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli. Ecevit told Dostum that the establishment of an Afghan national army and police force were very important to sustain peace in the country. Ecevit also said that Turkey would continue to give full support to Afghanistan. Senkal Atasagun, undersecretary of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), also attended the meeting. /Hürriyet/
GAYDALI DISCUSSES TURKISH MODEL WITH AFGHAN LEADER
State Minister Edip Safter Gaydali yesterday evaluated his meeting with Hamid Karzai, the prime minister of the interim government in Afghanistan, and said that the Turkish experience with regional development could provide a model for Afghanistan. The issue of the establishment of domestic Afghan security forces was also discussed. Gaydali also related that Karzai had spoken of the importance of a strong army and told him, "If we had a strong army like Turkey, we would not be in our current situation." /Hürriyet/
MHP OPPOSED TO AMENDING ARTICLE 312
Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday came out against total abrogation of controversial Penal Code Article 312, an article that the government wants to amend. Speaking at the MHP's parliamentary group meeting, Bahceli said the proposed amendments to Article 312 would neither save nor punish anyone. He said that his party was against either the total lifting of the article or making radical amendments to it in a manner that would "make it empty shell." Bahceli stated that exempting from punishment provocative speech or behavior which incites separatism and discrimination could not be reconciled with democracy or the notion of freedom of speech. "For us, propagating separatism instigating unrest have nothing to do with freedom in a democratic, pluralist society," Bahceli said. Regarding Kurdish-language education, Bahceli claimed that the campaigns for this were all organized by the separatist terrorist organization PKK. He underlined that under the Constitution no language other than Turkish could be thought in Turkish schools. The MHP leader added that those who demand that Turkey lift the death sentence even for times of war and terrorists as well should first work to fight terrorist groups that endanger the Turkish people's fundamental right: the right to live. Bahceli said his party was against a complete lifting of the death penalty. On the Cyprus issue, Bahceli stressed that the island was a national cause for the Turkish public. He said that Cyprus constituted one of the critical matters in Turkey's relations with the EU. Bahceli also stated that he sincerely hoped that the current peace process in Cyprus would succeed. /All Papers/
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARIANS ISSUE RESOLUTION ON CYPRUS
The European Council's Parliamentarians Assembly (ECPA) yesterday passed a resolution urging both the Greek Cypriot administration and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to act to improve the situation on the island. Addressing the former, the ECPA told it to avoid political messages that might provoke Turks concerning the issue of EU membership. The resolution also emphasized that international negotiators on the Cyprus issue should act more sensibly concerning the titles of Turkish Cypriot administrators. The ECPA urged the Greek Cypriots to make the efforts necessary for the Turkish side to be able to participate in membership negotiations with the EU and also to brief the Turkish side on the advantages of the EU. The ECPA further urged the Turkish side to act more positively vis-à-vis the EU and to lift limitations on Greek Cypriots' personal contacts. The resolution also put forward that the TRNC act more reasonably concerning its political parties' meetings with Greek Cypriot political parties. /Cumhuriyet/
ISRAEL SEEKS TURKISH HELP TO RESTART PEACE PROCESS
Even as Israel has toughened its stance with the Palestinians and their leaders, it sent its Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Avi Gil and Defense Minister Undersecretary Amos Yaron yesterday to Ankara in an effort to ensure its continued good relations with Turkey. Gil and Yaron blamed Palestinian leader Yaser Arafat for the increasing tension in the region and urged Ankara to use its influence on Arafat. Gil was welcomed by Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and later released a statement to journalists. Stating that Israel attached a great deal of importance to its relations with Turkey, Gil said, "Therefore we would be very grateful if Turkey contributed to ending the crisis and restarting political dialogue." Gil added that he believed that Turkey's messages would be given to the Palestinian side in the proper way and that Israeli Foreign Minister Simon Perez and his Turkish counterpart Cem would meet in New York as part of the Davos meetings on Jan. 31. The Turkish side reportedly emphasized to the Israeli officials that it would not be realistic to request that the violence cease completely before restarting negotiations and added that the increasing violence was strengthening those opposed to peace. During Yaron's contacts, efforts to solve problems of defense industry cooperation between the two countries were in the foreground. During Yaron's meetings, the situation of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and Israeli companies in various modernization projects was discussed. /Cumhuriyet/
KUTAN: "THE GOVERNMENT MUST WITHDRAW THE "MINI DEMOCRACY PACKAGE"
Felicity Party (SP) leader Recai Kutan called yesterday for the government to withdraw the "mini democracy package" which was prepared by the government and is due to be debated at the Parliamentary Justice Committee today. Addressing the SP's group in Parliament yesterday, Kutan said, "These amendments to Penal Code Articles 159 and 312 would be no improvement in terms of democracy and freedom of expression. On the contrary, the government is setting a condition on 'the possibility of disturbing public order' to the crime of incitement in Article 312 that is ripe for exploitation." /Turkiye/
YILMAZ SUPPORTS AMENDMENTS
Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz yesterday expressed his satisfaction at the amendments in the "mini democracy package." Before leaving for Bulgaria to attend Joint Economic Commission (KEK) meetings in that country, Yilmaz told reporters that he was in favor of an expansion of that rights and freedom. Regarding petitions for Kurdish-language education, he said that the Constitution and current laws wouldn't allow them." /Turkiye/
TURK: "KURDISH EDUCATION PUSH IS PKK DRIVEN"
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said yesterday that the efforts to push for Kurdish-language education were supported by the terrorist organization PKK. Pointing out that such education in Kurdish was contrary to the Article 142 of the Constitution, Turk said the citizens working for this were being directed by the PKK. He said, "By provoking people, the terrorist organization is forcing them to submit petitions. They want to take the issue to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and put this in the world spotlight. We have to be on our guard against this game." Meanwhile, Education Minister Metin Bostancioglu also stated that education could not be conducted in any language other than Turkish. He said, "If these petitions are politically motivated, then we must deal with this." /Turkiye/
IRAN AND TURKEY CELEBRATE NATURAL GAS PUMPING
An official ceremony was held yesterday to mark the commencement of pumping in the Iranian-Turkish natural gas pipeline nearly one-and-a-half months ago. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Zeki Cakan and Iranian Petrol Minister Bijen Namdar Zanganeh attended the delayed ceremony. Cakan went to Iran through the Gurbilek border gate with an accompanying delegation. Zanganeh gave Cakan a warm welcome on the border, and there were no adverse incidents. Two ministers and delegation then went to the measuring situation in Bazargan. Iranian Deputy Gas Minister Muhammed Nejad spoke of the importance of the pipeline, underlining its significance for Iran. /Aksam/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION