MGK TO MEET TODAY
The National Security Council (MGK) will meet today at the Cankaya Palace chaired by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. Both domestic and foreign developments are on the meeting’s agenda. /Star/
BAHCELI: “FOR THE DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT WOULD BE NEEDED”
Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday attended the “International Turcology and Turkish History Research Symposium” and addressed the meeting. Speaking to journalists after the meeting about the Council of State’s recent vote saying that amendments to the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) to abolish the death penalty were possible without having to amend the Constitution, Bahceli said, “The MHP respects the Council of State’s decision. However, we believe that a constitutional amendment would be necessary.” /Turkiye/
US STATE DEBT: “A NEW NAME WON’T HELP THE PKK”
The United States weighed in yesterday on the terrorist organization PKK’s recent name change, saying that merely changing its name could not help the separatist group. US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said, “Such organizations sometimes take on new names, but we continue to watch and follow them closely and determine their ties to terrorism. When we see that such a group has taken on a new name, we then add it to our list of terrorist organizations. In other words, we don’t stop following them.” Boucher added that both the US State Department and Treasury prevent terrorist organizations from accessing or raising money under new names. “We have a procedure so that organizations can’t change their names and evade penalties by such actions,” he said. The terrorist PKK has been on the US State Department’s list of international terrorist groups for many years. Groups that are identified as terrorist organizations by the US can neither be legally active nor open bank accounts, nor raise money on US soil. /Aksam/
MAJ. TOYTUNC LAID TO REST IN ANTALYA
Maj. Cengiz Toytunc, who was killed in an armed attack on the West Bank earlier this week, was laid to rest in the southeastern province of Antalya yesterday. The first ceremony for the slain officer was held at Ankara’s Kocatepe Mosque. In attendance were President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Chief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu, military officials and citizens as well as Israel’s ambassador and the Palestinian military attache. Toytunc’s body was later sent to Antalya and after a funeral, he was interred there. Maj. Toytunc, a member of the unarmed Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH), was killed in a gun attack by parties unknown on Tuesday. In the same attack, another Turkish officer, Huseyin Ozarslan, was injured, while a Swiss observer was also killed. /All Papers/
DE SOTO VISITS ANKARA
United Nations Special Envoy for Cyprus Alvaro de Soto arrived in Turkey yesterday to brief Turkish officials on recent developments concerning the direct talks process between Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides. Remarking that he believed a permanent solution would “absolutely” be reached on the island, de Soto met with Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal. The UN envoy stated that the two leaders of the island had made significant progress in their recent peace talks. /Cumhuriyet/
ISAF’S TERM OF DUTY EXTENDED, LIMITED TO KABUL
Even as plans for Turkey to take over the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan were discussed during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit yesterday, the UN Security Council decided to extend the ISAF’s term of duty and confine its operations to the capital Kabul. Ole Peter Kolby, Norway’s permanent representative and the council’s current chair, said, “The ISAF’s term of duty has been extended six months beyond June 20, when it had been due to expire.” Kolby remarked that the members of the council had reached a consensus that the ISAF’s area of duty would not be expanded beyond Kabul. /Aksam/
PKK ESTABLISHES PARTY IN NORTHERN IRAQ
The terrorist organization PKK, which recently changed its name to the “Peoples’ Freedom Party” at its so-called eighth congress, has reportedly begun to implement plans to establish new parties around the region where it is active. Under these plans, a new party named the “Kurdistan Democratic Solution Party” has been established in northern Iraq as an alternative to Jalal Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Masoud Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the two parties currently dominant in the area. The PKK is also expected to establish new parties in Iran and Syria in the near future. /Turkiye/
TURKEY AND GREECE SIGN GAS PIPELINE DEAL
Turkey and Greece yesterday signed a historic gas pipeline deal under which 500 million cubic meters of natural gas will flow to Greece from Turkey by 2005. The deal was signed by BOTAS General Director Gokhan Bildaci and Arististes Vakilis, the head of Greek energy concern DEPA. Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Zeki Cakan and Greek Development Minister Akis Tsohatsopoulos attended the signing as witnesses. Of the 285 kilometers of pipeline connecting Turkey and Greece under the deal, 200 kilometers will be within Turkey’s borders and 85 kilometers on Greek soil. /Hurriyet/
IMF’S DAWSON: “TURKEY HAS MADE A GOOD START”
International Monetary Fund Foreign Relations Director Tom Dawson yesterday stated that Turkey had made a good start in implementing its new economic program. Stating that the IMF was planning to hold a meeting on Turkey in April, Dawson said that a new loan amounting $1.1 billion was expected to be released to the country at that time. /Cumhuriyet/
PARLIAMENT PASSES BORROWING LAW
Parliament yesterday passed the Borrowing Law, which is one of the pre-conditions for the International Monetary Fund to grant $1.1 billion in additional loans to Turkey this April. /Hurriyet/
OZILHAN: “TURKEY’S ECONOMY IS STILL ON KNIFE’S EDGE”
Turkish Businessman’s and Industrialists’ Association President Turncay Ozilhan said yesterday that despite some improvements, Turkey’s economy was still on “the knife’s edge.” The business leader added that in such a situation, just one mistake could put Turkey in danger of becoming another Argentina. /Star/
INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT BIENNIAL SLATED FOR ISTANBUL THIS OCTOBER
The International Environment Biennial will take place in Istanbul this October, the event’s organizers announced this week. The main theme of the biennial has been decided on as “The Future of Natural Life.” Journalists, artists and politicians will gather to discuss environment problems and to attend a number of panels, symposiums, film festivals and exhibitions at the biennial. /Cumhuriyet/
KAZAKH WRITER VISITS TURKEY
Famous Kazakh writer Abish Keklibayev is currently visiting Turkey to attend events marking the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish-Kazakh diplomatic relations. Keklibayev yesterday received an award from the Foundation to Serve the Turkish Culture for his contributions to the relations between Kazakhstan and Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/
ANTALYA HOSTS ARCHAEOLOGY FILM FESTIVAL
The International Kubaba Archeology Documentary Festival, organized by the Inan Kirac Research Institute and the Association of Documentary Filmmakers, will begin today in Antalya. The audience will enjoy 33 outstanding films from Turkey, France, England, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Egypt and Iran for free during the festival that lasts through Sunday. /Aksam/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION