SEZER: “NO BARGAINING WITH THE PKK”
At a conference entitled “Turkey’s and the World’s Vision at the Dawn of 2002” held yesterday, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer offered his views on recent foreign and domestic affairs. Stressing that Turkey was determined to fulfill the Copenhagen criteria to join the European Union, Sezer stated that Turkey would never make concessions from its national interests for the sake of EU membership. He remarked that EU membership should not be considered the sole choice for the Turkish nation but rather one of various alternatives in Turkey’s multidimensional foreign policy. “Turkey’s bid for EU membership is not standing in the way of our pursuing sound, rational foreign policy,” said Sezer. “Turkey should develop policies to improve relations with its neighboring countries. The EU countries can’t exclude Turkey from discussions concerning its future.” Continuing with the issue of the PKK terrorist group, Sezer addressed the PKK’s recent efforts to reform itself into a political movement by changing its name and stressed that Turkey would never bargain with the PKK, no matter its name or purported status. /Cumhuriyet/
CEM: “TURKEY COULD HOST MIDEAST PEACE SUMMIT”
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said yesterday that he would like to bring together in Turkey representatives from both Israel and the Palestinians in order to find a solution to the current Mideast conflict. Cem conveyed his suggestion to US Ambassador to Turkey Robert Pearson in the hopes that US support might lend his suggestion momentum. Cem also said that the US had a special responsibility towards the Middle East, and called on Washington to play a leading and active role in the search for a peaceful settlement. Cem reminded Pearson of Turkey’s success at February’s historic Organization for the Islamic Conference-European Union (OIC-EU) Joint Forum, adding that the same success could be achieved with this initiative if Turkey gets the US’ backing. If Turkey manages to bring both sides together, the summit would likely be held at Ciragan Palace in Istanbul. Pearson reportedly said that the idea of Turkey hosting such a summit had merit, as Turkey is one of the few nations which enjoys good relations with both Israel and the Palestinians. /Hurriyet/
COUNCIL OF EUROPE: “THE PKK IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION”
The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly released a report yesterday addressing the situation in Turkey’s southeastern region. The report expressed satisfaction with the progress of the government’s “Return to Villages” project. Additionally, it described the PKK as a “terrorist organization” and laid the blame for migration out of the region on the PKK’s campaign of terrorism and violence. The council report went on to condemn the PKK’s terrorist activities and called on it to end the violence.
TURKEY ASKS IRAN TO EXTRADITE PKK TERRORIST
Turkey has asked Iran to extradite top PKK terrorist commander Cemil Bayik. Turkey’s Ambassador to Iran Selahattin Alpar said yesterday, “We have official information indicating that Bayik is in Iran, and we have accordingly asked Iranian authorities to extradite Bayik to face justice for the crimes that he committed in Turkey.” /Star/
KARZAI’S VISIT TO TURKEY BEGINS TODAY
A visit by Afghan interim government leader Hamid Karzai to Turkey, which had to be postponed late last month due to an earthquake in northern Afghanistan, is set to begin today. Karzai, accompanied by the Afghan ministers of foreign affairs, health, higher education and information and culture, is expected to arrive in Ankara this afternoon. During his two-day visit, Karzai is scheduled to be received by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and to meet with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit as well as Foreign Minister Ismail Cem. Major topics on the agenda for talks include the latest developments regarding command of the Afghan peacekeeping force, Turkey’s possible contributions to the restructuring of the Afghan military and economy, humanitarian aid and regional issues. /Turkiye/
YILMAZ, CILLER SPEAK OUT MIDEAST CONFLICT
Leaders of two of Turkey’s political party leaders yesterday evaluated recent developments in the Middle East in the wake of Israeli troops’ laying siege to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Speaking at the group meeting of the Motherland Party (ANAP), Deputy Prime Minister and ANAP Chairman Mesut Yilmaz remarked that the Middle East conflict posed a major threat not only to the region but also to world peace in general. “Turkey can’t protect its national interests with a passive Middle East policy,” said Yilmaz. “That’s why Turkey should pursue an active policy and do its best to end the escalating violence in the Mideast. First of all, Israel should be persuaded to end its operations in the Palestinian territories. In addition, the Palestinians’ suicide bombings and armed attacks should also be brought to an end.” True Path Party (DYP) Chairman Tansu Ciller also weighed in on the situation yesterday, voicing criticism that government policy on the conflict was “unclear,” especially considering its relations with Israel. /Cumhuriyet/
BAHCELI REQUESTS TIMETABLE FROM EU
Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli met yesterday with European Parliament Turkey-EU Joint Parliament Committee Co-Chairman De Heer Joost Ladendijk and the delegation of parliamentarians accompanying him. The meeting, which was also attended by EU Commission Representative to Turkey Karen Fogg, lasted for almost 45 minutes. Reportedly, issues where MHP and EU views are at odds, such as the death penalty and Kurdish broadcasting and education, were not discussed. When asked by Ladendijk how the MHP viewed the EU, Bahceli said, “If MHP was opposed to the EU, would it have accepted the National Program?” Bahceli told the parliamentarians that he didn’t want the EU to be a pawn in the terrorist PKK’s “politicization game.” Furthermore, he requested a timetable with a view towards Turkey starting full EU membership negotiations by the end of this year. /Sabah/
DUTCH PARLIAMENTARIAN ADDRESSES PKK ABSENCE FROM TERRORIST LIST
Gerrit Jan van Oven, a Dutch parliamentarian currently visiting Turkey at the head of a delegation, yesterday spoke to reporters about the failure of the European Union and individual EU member countries to recognize the PKK as a terrorist group. Characterizing the PKK terrorist group as an “organization,” van Oven said that it was hard for the Netherlands to call a group “terrorist” if it had not actually committed terrorist acts on Dutch soil. Meeting with Turkish State Minister Nejat Arseven, van Oven addressed the PKK’s absence from the EU’s terrorist list by saying that a new list was in the works. “The EU hasn’t yet completed the new list,” he said, “and discussions on the matter are continuing.” Van Oven is deputy chair of a parliamentary committee on EU relations in his home country. /Turkiye/
DEPUTY OZAL JOINS ANAP
Ahmet Ozal, Malatya deputy and son of late President Turgut Ozal, yesterday relinquished his independent status in favor of joining the Motherland Party (ANAP). Counting Ozal, the number of ANAP deputies in Parliament has now risen to 79, while that of independents has fallen to 13. /Turkiye/
PKK ESTABLISHES NEW POLITICAL PARTY
The terrorist organization PKK has reportedly established a new political party in northern Iraq called the “Kurdistan Democratic Solution Party.” European representatives of the party held a press conference yesterday in Brussels to brief reporters on their party’s program and to argue that the party would advocate for a free and democratic Iraq. /Cumhuriyet/
INFLATION FIGURES BEAT EXPECTATIONS
Inflation figures for March released yesterday by the State Institute of Statistics (DIE) were lower than many analysts had expected. Monthly inflation in March was 1.9% on the wholesale price index (WPI) and 1.2% on the consumer price index (CPI). The figures for year-on-year WPI and CPI inflation were 77.5% and 65.1%, respectively. /Turkiye/
BOGAZICI’S FOUNDING RECTOR DIES
Professor Aptullah Erdogan Kuran, the founding rector of Bogazici University and the first chairman of its History Department, died this week in Istanbul. Kuran is to be buried in Asiyan Cemetery in Istanbul today following a ceremony to be held at Bogazici University and funeral prayers at Bebek Mosque. /Sabah/
ISTANBUL TO HOST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
The International Istanbul Film Festival will open its curtains to audiences on April 13-24. The festival’s section called “From Literature to Film” will present an outstanding selection of movie literary adaptations from countries as varied as Albania and Cuba. /Milliyet/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION