ECEVIT: “CILLER IS BLOCKING THE ABOLITION OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT”
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said yesterday that True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller was standing in the way of Turkey abolishing the death penalty. Communicating through his spokesman, Ecevit said that Ciller’s attitude was making Turkey’s European Union’s accession process more difficult. However, he still expressed hope that an arrangement possibly involving the Felicity Party (SP) or Justice and Development Party (AKP) could still bring about the abolition. /Aksam/

YILMAZ MEETS SPANISH PRIME MINISTER AZNAR
Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz met with European Union Term President Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar yesterday in Madrid. Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Yilmaz stated that he had thanked Aznar for the inclusion of the PKK and DHKP-C onto the EU’s revised list of terrorist organizations. Relating that he reminded Aznar that PKK had recently changed its name to “KADEK,” Yilmaz said, “I said to Mr. Aznar that KADEK should also be included on the EU list. He promised to convey Turkey’s concerns on this issue to other EU countries.” Yilmaz also stated that Aznar believed there would be no obstacles to Turkey concerning its bid for full EU membership if the Turkish government managed to fulfill the Copenhagen criteria. Yilmaz also underlined that the exact date for the beginning of Turkey’s membership negotiation process should be determined at the EU’s Seville summit. /Cumhuriyet/

BAHCELI: “NO NEED FOR PESSIMISM ON THE FUTURE”
Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday said that there was no need to be pessimistic or hopeless about the future. Stating that the government was still continuing its mission, he said that opposition parties and their circles were trying to force elections and to create a new economic crisis. He also claimed that some circles wanted to exploit a crisis atmosphere and make profits through stock market and foreign currency. Pointing to the intensive work related to Turkey’s EU bid in the coming days, Bahceli said the issues on Turkey’s accession to the EU were being discussed through Parliament and that an agreement would be reached as soon as possible. He added that the tripartite coalition government was determined to carry out the economic program and that inflation had begun to decrease and exports started to rise. /Aksam/

CILLER: “LACK OF LEADERSHIP IS HURTING OUR EU BID”
True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller released a statement yesterday charging that the government’s “lack of a prime minister at the helm” was making Turkey miss its European Union membership bid. Responding to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s accusing Ciller of hindering the nation’s EU bid, Ciller said that Ecevit had also missed a chance to join the EU during his prime ministry of the early 1970s. Ciller added that the government seemed unable to take a stance on the critical EU issue, and that the coalition partners had deep disagreements on the matter. /Hurriyet/.

BAYKAL: “A DSP-ANAP MINORITY GOVERNMENT COULD BE SET UP”
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday issued a proposal which he said might break the government’s deadlock over the capital punishment issue, namely the formation of a Democratic Left Party (DSP)-Motherland Party (ANAP) minority government. Saying that both the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and True Path Party (DYP) conditionally support abolishing capital punishment, Baykal laid out this scenario: “If the Nationalist Action Party [MHP] withdraws from the coalition, then the DSP and ANAP could put together a minority government with the DYP and Felicity Party’s [SP] outside support. In such a case capital punishment could be abolished with opposition support, and elections could be held this year.” /Hurriyet/

CEM: “TURKEY WILL NOT MISS THE EU TRAIN”
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem yesterday attended a ceremony organized by the Turkish-American Businessmen’s Association (TABA) to present awards to a number of businessmen for their contributions to improving Turkish-US commercial relations. Cem spoke on his views of Turkish-EU relations, criticizing some domestic circles for developing unrealistic arguments such as “the EU will absolutely admit Turkey at all costs,” or “The EU will never admit Turkey no matter how hard the government tries,” or the like. “Turkey should begin its membership negotiation process as soon as possible,” said Cem. “I don’t believe that Turkey will miss the EU train. However, if we don’t speed up our reforms, we may be delayed in getting on the train.” /Cumhuriyet/

IZGI SPEAKS ON IMPORTANCE OF IMPROVING RELATIONS WITH THE US
Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi said yesterday that if Turkey is unable to achieve European Union accession, it should look to further develop its relations with the United States. Receiving Assembly of Turkish-American Associations (ATAA) President Orhan Kaymakcalan, Izgi said that America had been the superpower of the world for 50 years. “We shouldn’t forget its power,” he added. “We need to increase exchanges of information and do whatever we can by thinking of the effect of our lobbying activities there. We must do this.” Stating that Turkey had been experiencing significant problems, Izgi added, “So many things are said about the EU, but negative aspects concerning EU accession are taking a prominent place on the agenda. Some people think that the EU’s requests might offend the Turkish nation. Therefore we want Turkey to be a member of the EU one day but if it is unable to do so, then we will have to improve our relations with the US. Actually Turkey is attaching importance not only to being an EU member, but also to improving its relations with the US.” /Turkiye/

OZILHAN: “TURKEY CANNOT BEAR ANOTHER ECONOMIC CRISIS”
Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen Association’s (TUSIAD) Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan declared yesterday that in its current economic situation, Turkey could not bear another economic crisis. Speaking to a gathering of the Turkish-American Businessmen’s Association (TABA), Ozilhan stated that Turkey’s future lay in the European Union. He added that TUSIAD stood in favor of Turkey’s EU membership in order to ensure the nation’s prosperity within a structure offering both happiness and peace. /Aksam/

1,500 YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS GATHER IN ISTANBUL
Turkey is currently hosting the 40th Junior Chamber International (JCI or Jaycees) European Conference, which is held in a different European city each year, the conference began yesterday in Istanbul’s Lutfi Kirdar Congress and Exhibit Hall with the participation of nearly 1,500 young businessmen and administrators between the ages of 18 and 45, who represent billions of dollars in business on 34 countries. Speaking at the opening of the JCI meeting, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said that the European Union represents the future which we desire for our children. Caling the EU “the organization of the future,” he pointed out that Turkey has a younger population than any other European country. Cem added that the EU cannot rest on its laurels but must look to the future. Also on the first day of the conference, world famous business psychologist Kerry Johnson made a presentation to the participants on increasing their sales and developing their administrative skills. /Turkiye/

ITO TARGETS INCREASING TRADE VOLUME WITH THE US
Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) Executive Board Chairman Mehmet Yildirim said yesterday that through better cooperation, the trade volume between Turkey and the US could be increased from its current level of $6.5 billion to reach $10-12 billion. Speaking at the “Turkish-American Business Days Meeting” at which representatives from 200 small-and medium-sized businesses from 9 states of the US were present, Yildirim said that the US was Turkey’s most important commercial partner. Stating that the most important two issues that emerged after Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s visit to the US this January were the Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZs) and textile quotas, Yildirim emphasized the significance of enhanced rooted cooperation directed to future. /Turkiye/

SCHOLARS DISCUSS CYPRUS ISSUE, TURKISH-EU RELATIONS
Scholars of international law and European Union law yesterday discussed the possible effects of the Greek Cypriot administration’s admittance to the EU on relations between Turkey and the European Union. The scholars underlined that should the Greek Cypriot administration be admitted, this would plunge Turkish-EU relations into a dead end since the Greek Cypriots would surely veto Turkey’s full EU membership. Criticizing the EU for turning a blind eye to such adverse effects of the admittance of the Greek Cypriots, the scholars stated that the EU should postpone its decision to let the Greek administration join the Union. /Cumhuriyet/

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION