SEZER TO VISIT IRAN
The Presidential Press Office yesterday announced that President Ahmet Necdet Sezer is scheduled to visit Iran on June 17-18 as an official guest of Mohammad Khatami, Islamic Republic of Iran President. Sezer is to travel to Iran with State Minister Mehmet Kececiler, who is responsible for customs and co-chairs the Turkish-Iranian Joint Economic Commission (KEK). /Turkiye/
SEZER HOSTS SHP LEADER
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer hosted Social Democratic People’s Party (SHP) leader Murat Karayalcin and the members of its Central Executive Council yesterday. Karayalcin presented the party’s program to Sezer and stated that their chairman would be elected with the direct participation of the SHP’s members, which would pave the way to greater democracy. Karayalcin also said that SHP supported Sezer’s view on changing the Election and Political Parties Law. In their talks, Sezer remarked that last week’s Cankaya EU summit had been positive and that he was hopeful about the European Union membership process. /Star/
ECEVIT MEETS WITH DSP DEPUTIES
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit yesterday welcomed a group of Democratic Left Party (DSP) officials, Deputy Director General Tayfun Icli, Zeki Sezer, Group Deputy Chairman Emrehan Halici, Accountant Mecit Sekercioglu and Deputy General Secretary Suleyman Yagiz, at his library. Ecevit called on the deputies to pick up pace on work related to Turkey’s European Union membership bid. He also asked Parliament to continue its work on abolishing capital punishment as well as teaching and publishing in mother tongues by reaching an agreement with the coalition partners and opposition parties. /Aksam/
CABINET CONVENES UNDER BAHCELI
The Cabinet convened yesterday under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli. The major issue discussed during the meeting was the prospect of early elections. Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti briefed the Cabinet on Turkey’s recent monetary policies. Upon being asked by Minister of Culture Istemihan Talay whether or not early elections would adversely affect the Turkish economy, Serdengecti replied that speculations on the future of the current government were disquieting the financial markets and hurting the current balances which have recently been established in the economy. The ministers also exchanged views on the targets of the economic program such as expected rates of growth and inflation. /Cumhuriyet/
YILMAZ: “THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE ON ITS ROAD”
Appearing on NTV yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz said that the current government would continue on its road until one of its partners leaves the coalition. Yilmaz also said that if the government managed to steer clear of certain obstacles it could continue its mission until April 2004, the normal scheduled date for elections. /Turkiye/
EP TO EU CANDIDATE COUNTRIES: “REFORMS MUST CONTINUE”
The European Parliament is set to discuss and vote on a report concerning the enlargement of the European Union at its Plenary Session tomorrow. The report prepared by German Christian Democrat member Elmar Brok calls on the EU candidate countries to make further reforms. It details the current conditions in the 12 candidate countries on their paths towards the EU. In addition, a bill attached to the report was approved last month in Brussels at a Foreign Relations Commission meeting. It includes a paragraph on Turkey, stating that the Turkish government must continue its constitutional reforms concerning democratization. The bill also underlined that Turkey has achieved significant progress since 2001. /Cumhuriyet/
GUREL: “WE WANT TO KNOW THE EU’S REAL INTENTIONS”
State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel yesterday accused certain domestic circles who have been arguing that Turkey is about to “miss the train of the European Union” of misinforming and misleading Turkish society. Stating that it would not be correct to make haste on such a sensitive issue on which all segments of society should reach agreement, Gurel remarked that he believed that Turkey would solve its problems with great determination and added that relations between the Turkish government and the EU would not be adversely affected by domestic discussions on Turkey’s bid for full membership. “We can solve the problem of the death penalty,” said Gurel. “However, Turkey wants to know what the real intentions of the Union are. Neither Turkish non-governmental organizations [NGOs], nor political parties nor society at large is opposed to the EU. However, the EU must be objective in its dealings with Turkey. For example, the Cyprus issue has, in fact, nothing to do with Turkish-EU relations.” /Cumhuriyet/
INTERIOR MINISTRY RELEASES ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION REPORT
The Interior Ministry has released a report detailing Turkey’s efforts to fight the plague of human smuggling. The report, which was written partially in response to a recent US report faulting Turkey’s efforts to date, says that 364,00 illegal immigrants were captured and 175,000 deported over the last five years, and that this year alone Turkey spent some 364 billion Turkish liras to deport illegals from Turkey. The report stated that Turkey was a “transit route” for migrants from such countries as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, and Bangladesh so that they can make their way into European countries, and that Turkey was a “target country” so they can work. The report, which stated that illegal immigrants’ routes of passage had shifted to the south and north as a result of Turkey’s fight against illegal immigration in 2000 and 2001, added, “In the most recent period, African migrants began to favor Italy and France, and ships coming from Sri Lanka and India have started to follow the Suez Canal and also Southern Cyprus, Greece and Italy.” The report added that over the last five years nearly 45,000 people had been denied entrance to Turkey on the suspicion that they were involved in illegal immigration. /Milliyet/
BAYKAL: “CABINET CANNOT DECIDE WITHOUT PRIME MINISTER”
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said yesterday that a decision cannot be taken in the Cabinet without the prime minister, stressing that the Cabinet was a basic institution of the Constitution and the democratic regime. He added that the prime minister could leave Cabinet meetings for a short time but that the Cabinet meeting could not be held without the prime minister present. Baykal was apparently referring to Monday’s Cabinet meeting, which was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli due to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s illness. Constitutional law scholar Professor Erdal Onar echoed Baykal’s view, calling Monday’s meeting outside the bounds of law. /Hurriyet/
AKP: “CAPITAL PUNISHMENT COULD BE ABOLISHED CONSTITUTIONALLY”
Insisting that capital punishment should be abolished only through an amendment to the Constitution, Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that he had told last week’s Cankaya’s summit that abolishing capital punishment and replacing it with life imprisonment without parole should be enacted simultaneously. However, at least 367 votes are required to make such an amendment, and this seems a distant prospect. Meanwhile, a bill now facing Parliament contains an amendment which proposes ending the death penalty. /Hurriyet/
US PUSHES BACK TURKISH INDUSTRIAL ZONE BILL TO FALL
The Bush administration’s first attempt to pass legal regulations necessary for the establishment of Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZ) in Turkey yesterday met with postponement. A bill containing the needed framework as well as giving the US president expanded authority was discussed in the US Senate late last month. However, a number of senators objected to the section on the QIZs plus other provisions, mostly on the grounds they had neither been consulted nor given a chance to study the issue. The Bush administration thus tacked on the QIZ matter to another bill which will be discussed this fall, prior to US congressional elections, and pledged to brief the Senate on the matter. The QIZs were promised to Turkey earlier this year in recognition both of its stalwart friendship with the US and its support for the war on terrorism. /Milliyet/
BREKK: “STICK WITH THE PROGRAM”
IMF Turkey Representative Odd Per Brekk said yesterday that it was very important for Turkey to apply and stay on track with its economic program. Brekk also said that despite all political contingencies, success was the only way forward and an attainable goal. “Turkey has a great opportunity here to break away from high inflation and interest rates,” Brekk added. /Turkiye/
GARANTI BANK SELECTED BEST FOREIGN FINANCING BANK
Garanti Bank has been selected the best bank in Turkey for foreign trade financing service by the journal Global Finance, the bank announced yesterday. Garanti will receive the honor at an awards ceremony in Washington, DC this September on the sidelines on an International Monetary Fund–World Bank meeting. Its co-honorees in the category include Citigroup (best foreign financing in the US and worldwide) and HSBC (best in Asia). Global Finance also selected Garanti “Best Bank in Turkey” in 1999 and 2000. /Milliyet/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION