ECEVIT TO ATTEND NATO SUMMIT
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit will leave for Bucharest, the capital of Romania today for a one-day trip to attend the NATO Candidate Countries’ Heads of State and Government Summit. Ecevit is expected to attend the opening of the summit and address the meeting. He is also scheduled to meet with Romanian President Ion Iliescu and Prime Minister Adrian Nastase, as well as his Croatian counterpart Ivica Racan and US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage. /All Papers/
CEM: “TURKEY HAS TWO GOALS”
Speaking at an East-West Institute meeting organized by the Eurasia Strategy Group yesterday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said that Turkey had two goals, namely to obtain European Union membership and to become a center in Eurasia. Cem also said, “I believe that as long as Turkey has good relations with the EU, this will positively affect Turkey’s relations with the Balkans and Eurasia, and that while Turkey maintains good relations with the Middle East and Eurasia, Turkey’s image in the European Union will improve.” /Hurriyet/
KARZAI TO VISIT TURKEY
On the heels of last week’s visit from US Vice President Dick Cheney, this week Ankara will be the scene of busy diplomatic traffic. Afghan interim government Prime Minister Hamid Karzai, UN Special Envoy for Cyprus Alvaro de Soto and Macedonian President Boris Traykovski are all expected to visit Ankara. During his visit on March 27-29, Karzai is scheduled to meet with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem. Major topics on the agenda are recent developments in the command of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan and Turkey’s possible contributions to restructuring the Afghan military and economy, as well as education and humanitarian aid. /Turkiye/
UK EXTENDS ITS COMMAND OF PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN AFGHANISTAN
British Foreign Minister Jack Straw stated over the weekend that the UK would continue to lead the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan beyond next month. Straw remarked that he did not expect British troops to remain in the country for "very long." Stating that Turkey’s possible future command of the force had been thrown into doubt, Straw said, “We said we'd be there for a matter of months, as a lead authority it's going to be extended for a little while, but in the long march of history this is a limited operation.” Straw also recalled that Turkey had concerns on the financial burden of leading the forces due to its domestic economic crisis, adding, “I’m not absolutely certain Turkey would be willing to take over the role.” /Cumhuriyet/
TURK: “CAPITAL PUNISHMENT PROBLEM WILL BE RESOLVED WITHIN THREE YEARS”
While touring a prison in Bartin yesterday, Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk told reporters that Turkey’s problem concerning the abolition of capital punishment, a pressing issue for its EU membership, would be solved in three years’ time. Turk said, “Even if Turkey no longer actually carries out capital punishment, it is the only country in Europe with this sanction still on its books,” Turk said. “The problem of capital punishment will be solved within three years. There is an exception in the European Convention of Human Rights supplementary protocol no. 6 saying that capital punishment is allowable for crimes committed during war or threat of war. Now there is a drive to abolish capital punishment in these cases as well. Turkey cannot stand outside these developments, as it wants to become an EU member. The existence of capital punishment is in some cases preventing the extradition of people who have committed crimes in Turkey and then taken refuge in European countries. This is hindering our anti-crime efforts.” /Sabah/
YILMAZ TO VISIT CUBA
Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz will travel to Cuba on March 31 to pay a five-day visit to the Caribbean nation. Yilmaz will be accompanied by State Minister Yilmaz Karakoyunlu and Cavit Kavak, Yilmaz’s foreign affairs advisor. Yilmaz is scheduled to meet with Cuban leader Fidel Castro and other officials to discuss ship construction as well as cigar production. /Aksam/
GREEK ENERGY MINISTER TO VISIT TURKEY
Greek Energy Minister Akis Cohacopulos will travel to Turkey on Thursday to meet with his Turkish counterpart Zeki Cakan. He is to hold negotiations concerning a project to transport Iranian and Siberian gas from Turkey to Greece. According to Cohacopulos the realization of this project could do a great deal to resolve problems between Turkey and Greece and to facilitate bilateral rapprochement. The project’s estimated price tag is $300 million. /Sabah/
TURKEY EARNED $7.4 BILLION FROM PRIVATIZATION OVER 17 YEARS
State Minister Yilmaz Karakoyunlu said yesterday that since 1985, Turkey had earned revenues of $7.4 billion from its privatization program. Answering an interrogation motion by Felicity Party (SP) Ankara Deputy Zeki Celik, Karakoyunlu said that over the last 15 years privatization had not been realized at the desired level due to a lack of technological knowledge as well as political instability. He stressed, however, 1998-2000 had seen the pace of developments pick up with 30 public organizations privatized and 118 facilities and estates sold. The state minister also stated that privatizations worth some $1.5 billion were planned for this year. “If the privatization process is carried out by a fully authorized, independent and legally empowered organization, it will be done more efficiently and quickly,” he added. /Turkiye/
OECD: “THE TURKISH ECONOMY IS RECOVERING”
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Turkey Desk Chief Alexandra Bibbee said yesterday that the Turkish economy was recovering. Alexandra also said that the organization was working to gauge the growth of the Turkish economy for the current year. “An economic program supported by the International Monetary Fund can be successful if the proper measures are taken beforehand, but for this success the passage of time is also needed,” Alexandra added. /Star/
EU GRANT TO SUPPORT TURKISH SMALL BUSINESSES
Turkish Union of Chambers and Stock Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu held a press conference yesterday to introduce a new program entitled “Development Program for Turkish Chambers.” Stating that the EU would grant one million Euros to the program, Hisarciklioglu said that the program’s aim was to improve the quality of the services which Turkish small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) provide. Oskar Benedikt, economic counselor of the European Commission Representation to Turkey, stated at the press conference that the EU was working in collaboration with the EU Investment Bank to support Turkish SMEs. /Cumhuriyet/
MEETINGS TO DEVELOP TURKISH CYPRIOT ECONOMY
A number of development models for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) were discussed at meetings jointly organized by the Turkish Democracy Foundation (TDV) and the Turkish Cypriot Association of Development Platform (KTKP-D) over the weekend. Bulent Akarcali, Motherland Party deputy chairman as well as TDV chairman, presented a model proposing to establish a technology center on the island much like the US’ famed Silicon Valley. Akarcali stated that the island might become a center for scientific studies using advanced computer technology. Furthermore, TRNC Deputy Prime Minister Salih Cosar stated that the TRNC would always stand by Turkey and that the two countries would accompany each other on their paths towards the EU. /Cumhuriyet/
WOOLSEY: “TURKEY’S SUPPORT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT”
Speaking to CNN yesterday, former CIA Director James Woolsey said that Turkey’s support would be vitally important for any military operation against Iraq. Saying that the US wouldn’t need the support of any country besides Turkey for such an operation, he added, “But to get this support, the US needs to have serious consultations with Turkey.” On the same program, he also asserted that Iraq had connections which lay behind last September’s attacks on the US. /Hurriyet/
SIMGE PAPER CO. MERGES WITH FRENCH CONCERN
Antalis, one of Europe’s largest paper companies, announced over the weekend that it was merging with Turkish paper company Simge. Paris-based Antalis is active in 34 countries with annual revenues of 2.5 billion euros and sales of 2 million tons. Speaking of the merger, Simge Board of Directors Chairman Ibrahim Sisman said, “With Simge’s experience and Antalis’ know-how, our aim will be to elevate the standards in the paper industry.” /Aksam/
“FORUM ISTANBUL” TO DISCUSS TURKEY’S FUTURE
In the leadup to the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic, Turkey’s future concerning such issues as democracy, politics, law and economics will be discussed during the “Forum Istanbul” to be held in Istanbul on Tuesday and Wednesday. At the forum, experts will discuss Turkey’s place in the world from 1923 to 2003, and attendees will include President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, State Economy Minister Kemal Dervis, Harvard University’s Benjamin Friedman and Dani Rodrik and Yale University’s Oktay Sinanoglu as well as internationally prestigious figures from the economic, scientific and political worlds, including Fatih Terim, Cem Kozlu and Vural Oger. /Aksam/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION