MGK DISCUSSES SECURITY, TURKISH-US RELATIONS, CYPRUS
The National Security Council (MGK) chaired by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer met yesterday. Present at the meeting were Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Chief of the General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu, deputy prime ministers Devlet Bahceli, Mesut Yilmaz and Husamettin Ozkan, council member ministers, military commanders, the gendarmerie chief commander and the MGK secretary-general. An official statement issued following the six-hour meeting said that the main topics discussed included: domestic and foreign threats to Turkey's security, in particular a recent push for Kurdish education backed by the terrorist PKK, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's visit to the US earlier this month and relations with that country; and finally developments on the Cyprus issue and the current political situation on the island. /All Papers/
ECEVIT VISITING BULGARIA TODAY
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit will visit Bulgaria today as a guest of his Bulgarian counterpart Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Reportedly, Ecevit is expected to ask that Bulgaria ease its visa requirements from Turkish citizens. Ecevit said yesterday that he also hoped to improve Turkish-Bulgarian commercial relations. /Hürriyet/
CEM TO CONVEY ARAFAT'S MESSAGE TO PERES
In the wake of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's recent messages to Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, the world's eyes are again focused on Turkey's efforts towards urging peace and stability in the Middle East. Turkish diplomatic sources stated yesterday that ongoing violence in the region was the biggest obstacle to peace and stressed that mutual trust must be established for the efforts towards peace to be successful. Israeli commentator Hagit Ben-Yakov argued yesterday that Arafat's messages showed he was aware of the fact that he was no longer trusted. "The international community must persuade Arafat to take measures against terrorism," said Ben-Yakov. "Arafat must end his hostile policies against Israel." In addition, Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem is expected to convey Arafat's message and Turkey's views on the issue to Israeli Foreign Minister Simon Peres tomorrow in New York during the World Economic Forum. /Cumhuriyet/
TELEPHONE DIPLOMACY SPURS DIALOGUE ON AEGEAN
Turkey and Greece have decided to start a new process of dialogue in order to work out their differences concerning the Aegean. Reportedly, the decision to initiate a dialogue on this subject was taken by Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and his counterpart George Papandreou last weekend during a telephone conversation. The two foreign ministers are set to first meet on Feb. 1 in New York and than on Feb. 12-13 to start the dialogue. Papandreou said that the bilateral talks would be within the framework of the principles of international law and the inviolability of borders, adding that that Greece had nothing to fear from such a process. /Hürriyet/
NEW AFGHAN ARMY TO BE TRAINED BY THE US, NOT TURKEY
US President George W. Bush stated yesterday that the US would help establish and train a new Afghan army and police force. Turkey had previously announced that it wished to help Afghanistan build a new army. However, the Bush administration has signaled that the US is committed to playing a leading role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. Turkey is scheduled to take over command of the peacekeeping force led by Great Britain in April for its final three months of duty. /Cumhuriyet/
SWEDISH DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER WALLEN VISITS TURKEY
On an official visit to Turkey yesterday, Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Lena Hjelm-Wallen stated that Sweden supported Turkey's bid for full EU membership. Hjelm-Wallen discussed Turkish-EU relations as well as bilateral relations during a two-hour meeting with his Turkish counterpart Mesut Yilmaz, who hosted the Swedish politician. Wallen remarked that Turkey should meet the political criteria set out by the EU as soon as possible in order to begin its negotiation process. Yilmaz briefed Wallace on Turkey's recent constitutional amendments, the new Civil Code and the National Programme. He also voiced Turkey's dissatisfaction with the EU's recent list of terrorist organizations, which excluded the PKK and DHKP-C. /Cumhuriyet/
FOGG: "THE TURKISH PEOPLE SHOULD BE INFORMED ABOUT EU'S TARGETS"
Karen Fogg, the EU Commission's Representative in Turkey, stated yesterday that the nation's government should inform the Turkish people about the "real aims" of the EU and added that its domestic harmonization laws should be enacted as soon as possible. Fogg made the remarks in Istanbul in a speech to a panel on Turkish-EU relations organized by the Economic Development Foundation. Underlining the importance of this year for Turkey, Fogg argued that the EU's main goal was to improve the economies and standards of living of its member states. Meanwhile, Turkish Secretary-General for EU Affairs Volkan Vural stressed that Turkey was determined to meet the EU's criteria for the sake of democracy and human rights. /Cumhuriyet/
GREEK DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS ISTANBUL
Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Yannis Magriotis and his wife Fotini traveled to Istanbul yesterday where they were welcomed by that city's Greek Consul General Panos Kalogrepoulos, whereupon they proceeded to Heybeliada Island to visit the historic Ayatriada Monastery there. The Magriotis couple also visited the private Heybeliada Greek School, an ancient school for clergymen. Magriotis said that they had come to Istanbul three years ago for their honeymoon, adding, "I visited Istanbul and all its islands 30 years ago, but this is my first time seeing the Ayatriada Monastery. My only wish was to pray in this old monastery." The couple was also due to attend a commemorative ceremony with Greek Patriarch Bartelomeos II today. "Saint Basilios, Saint Gregorios and Saint Hrisostomos will be commemorated in all the Orthodox churches today for their contributions to education," Magriotis said. "We will attend the ceremony in Istanbul and pray as well." Magriotis, who became Greece's deputy foreign minister two months ago, said that he was very optimistic about Turkish-Greek relations. /Milliyet/
MEAT FROM SACRIFICES ABROAD TO BE RETURNED TO TURKEY
Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate announced yesterday that the meat of 55,000 sacrificed sheep to be killed by Turkish pilgrims would be brought back to the country and given to the poor and people living in the earthquake-hit Marmara region. "Last year, the meat of the sheep sacrificed by Turkish pilgrims was sent to our sister countries such as Azerbaijan and Bosnia through the Islamic Development Bank," Directorate head Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz told the Sabah daily. "This year we signed a protocol with the bank directing that meat from the sacrifices would be brought to Istanbul using the necessary climate and food safety conditions and then distributed to the poor regions of Turkey through the provincial directors of religious affairs." /Sabah/
TURKISH OFFICIALS ON WAY TO WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
The World Economic Forum is set to begin tomorrow and is due to last through Feb. 4. Some 3,000 people are expected to attend the meeting in New York city, including 30 head of states, more than 100 government ministers, dozens of heads of international organizations; representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the media as well as scientists, artists and performers. The new world situation in the following the September terrorist attack on the US is expected to dominate the meeting's agenda. Representing Turkey at the gathering will be State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti, Ziraat Bank Board of Directors Chairman of the Executive Board Vural Akisik and Privatization Board Chairman Ugur Bayar. They will attend a number of meetings and panels where Turkey's economic situation will be discussed, and they hope to attract more foreign investors to the country. /Turkiye/
TAYLOR: "TURKEY IS GOING WELL"
John Taylor, the US Treasury's undersecretary for foreign affairs, arrived in Turkey yesterday and held meetings with representatives of the banking sector and businessman. Taylor also met with State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis and with academics from Bogazici University. Commenting on the economy, Taylor said "The economic program that the government is implementing is very important, and we are very happy with the improvements in Turkey." Turkey is going well, Taylor added. /Hürriyet/
S&P UPGRADES TURKEY'S OUTLOOK TO POSITIVE
International credit rating agency Standard and Poor's announced yesterday that Turkey's outlook had been raised from stable to positive, while its current credit rating of B- was reaffirmed. Economic circles are saying that Turkey's credit rating will likely be raised in the near future. Meanwhile, experts from Schroeder Salomon Smith Barney who have recently been holding meetings with banking sector representatives in Istanbul and Ankara predicted smooth sailing at the Feb. 4 IMF Executive Board meeting where Turkey's Letter of Intent and the release of new loans will be discussed. /Turkiye/
MIGROS SHOPPING CENTER REOPENS IN BAKU
The first Migros shopping center outside Turkey reopened yesterday after a $4.5 million reconstruction project in the wake of a fire there last year. Among those who attended the reopening of the Ramstore Hatai Migros in Baku, Azerbaijan were Turkish Ambassador in Baku Unal Cevikoz, Koc Holding Consumer Group Chairman Cengiz Solakoglu, Migros Director General Omer Bozer and Migros Board of Directors head Oktay Irsidar. Migros reported that the fire had broken out due to technical faults but that it had only taken six months to get the store back to working order. /Aksam/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION