SEZER VISITS IGDIR ON HIS WAY TO IRAN
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer is to visit Iran after completing his contacts in Igdir, an eastern Anatolian province. Sezer is to attend a number of meetings in Igdir to examine programs and projects which are aimed at improving social and economic conditions in the region. Sezer is afterwards scheduled to pay an official visit to Iran as an official guest of Iranian President Mohammed Khatami. Mehmet Kececiler, co-chairman of the Turkish-Iranian Joint Economic Commission (KEK), is expected to accompany Sezer. Recent regional and international developments as well as bilateral relations will be discussed during Sezer’s visit. /Cumhuriyet/
CRITICAL WEEK FOR EU MEMBERSHIP
The week ahead looks to be a critical one for Turkey’s European Union membership bid. Friday and Saturday will see the EU’s midyear summit held in Seville, Spain. At this summit Turkey will be represented by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem. Sezer and Cem will tell the EU leaders that it is both psychologically and socially important for Turkey to be given a date for starting its membership negotiations. /Hurriyet/
YILMAZ VISITS KONYA, ADANA
Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz yesterday said that Turkey’s EU membership would also help to develop its tourism. Yilmaz made the remarks at the opening ceremony for Konya’s new Hilton Hotel. Pointing out that Konya was both an agricultural and trade center, Yilmaz commented that the new hotel would be an important first step for Konya to become an important tourism center as well. Recalling that Turkey’s initial breakthrough in tourism was made during the ANAP government headed by late Prime Minister Turgut Ozal, Yilmaz said, “Now, Turkey should accomplish its second breakthrough in tourism.” The deputy prime minister then proceeded to the province of Adana and attended a ceremony held for the opening of bridges constructed on the Catalan Dam. Addressing the crowd, Yilmaz said that regional administrations should be empowered more to enable better administration, as it was not possible to do so through the central government. /Turkiye/
GUREL TO ATTEND TURKISH-EU JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION MEETING
A Turkish-European Union Joint Parliamentary Commission meeting is to be held today in Brussels. A delegation co-chaired by State Ministers Sukru Sina Gurel and Kursat Eser will represent Turkey at the gathering. Among the major issues expected to be discussed at the meeting are the Cyprus issue and Turkey’s bid for full EU membership. Gurel is to explain Turkey’s views on the Cyprus issue to the European parliamentarians, who often makes decisions against Turkey due to the Greek Cypriot and Greek lobbies in the international community. /Cumhuriyet/
CILLER URGES PARLIAMENT TO SKIP RECESS, DISCUSS CYPRUS
True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller said yesterday that the government’s primary problem in terms of its European Union membership bid is the Cyprus issue. Ciller also urged all the parties in Parliament to stay in Ankara to address a host of important matters, starting with the Cyprus issue. “The Parliament should not go on recess this summer,” Ciller added. /Hurriyet/
BAYAR CALLS FOR EARLY ELECTIONS
Democratic Turkey Party (DTP) leader Mehmet Ali Bayar yesterday called for early elections, saying that they would save Turkey from “poor administration.” Bayar also said that European Union membership would increase the standard of living in Turkey. “In order to be stronger and richer, Turkey should join the EU,” Bayar added. /Milliyet/
TURKEY RATIFIES UN CONVENTION AGAINST RACISM
Turkey ratified the United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination this weekend. The parties to this convention have pledged themselves to take joint and separate action for the achievement of one of the purposes of the United Nations, namely to promote and encourage universal respect for human rights and basic freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion. Turkey did, however, note a reservation to the convention’s Article 22, which reads as follows: “Any dispute between two or more States Parties with respect to the interpretation or application of this Convention, which is not settled by negotiation or by the procedures expressly provided for in this Convention, shall, at the request of any of the parties to the dispute, be referred to the International Court of Justice for decision, unless the disputants agree to another mode of settlement.” /Cumhuriyet/
NEW PROJECTS FOR AFGHANISTAN
Olcay Unver, chairman of the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) Regional Development Administration, said yesterday that a package including eight projects for Afghanistan had been prepared and that the projects had been submitted by the Foreign Ministry to Brussels and Japan for approval. Unver said, “We want to carry out investments in Afghanistan similar to GAP to ensure social and economic development in that country.” He added that a delegation had returned from Afghanistan after carrying out a series of meetings with officials and now resources were being sought for its financing. /Turkiye/
1.5 MILLION STUDENTS TAKE SELECTION EXAM
About 1.5 million students took the student selection exam held yesterday in order to to be eligible to enroll in university. Student Selection and Placement Center (OSYM) head Fethi Toker said that the exams had been conducted without a hitch. The results will be announced in July, after which the successful students will submit their preference forms for placement. /All Papers/
DERVIS: “PUBLIC DEBTS ARE NO LONGER A PROBLEM”
State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis said yesterday that Turkey’s public debts no longer constituted a problem and that this development would have a positive ripple effect into other areas of the economy. Responding to a motion made by deputies of the True Path Party (DYP) and Justice and Development Party (AKP), Dervis said that when debts can’t be rolled over this pushes up interest rates, which in turn starves production of capital needed for growth. But since we have implemented the government’s economic program successfully, he added, public debt rollover is not a problem and interest rates have fallen. He further remarked that the economy’s structural problems had been years in the making and so could not be solved in just a day. However, Dervis remarked, though Turkey isn’t completely out of its crisis, there are real reasons for us to be hopeful. /Hurriyet /
TRADE DELEGATION TO GO TO IRAQ
Foreign Trade Undersecretariat (DTM) officials stated yesterday that more than 300 people had applied to be part of a commercial delegation trip to Iraq on the sidelines of the Turkey-Iraq Joint Economic Commission (KEK) meetings to be held on June 29-July 4. Due to the large number of applications received, it was decided that two planes rather than one would be arranged for this journey. Additionally, applications will be accepted for one more week in order to encourage maximum participation. During the KEK meetings, Turkey’s delegation will be chaired by State Minister Edip Safter Gaydali. The aim of the bilateral businessmen’s meetings is creating new business opportunities. The transportation and meeting arrangements will be handled by the Forum Fair Company. In addition, Iraqi Commerce Minister Muhammed Mehdi Salih said that Iraq attached a great deal of importance to its commercial relations with Turkey. Saih added that border trade was continuing between the two countries. /Aksam/
DTM TRIP TO IRAN POSTPONED
A Foreign Trade Undersecretariat (DTM) commercial delegation visit to Iran which had been scheduled to begin this Friday has been postponed. More than 200 applications were made for the trip as organized by the Central Anatolian Exporters’ Union. The reason for the postponement is that President Ahmet Necdet Sezer is scheduled to travel to Iran this week, and it was felt that a meeting a month or two after Sezer’s visit might be more beneficial. /Aksam/
TURKEY BOOSTS EXPORTS TO RUSSIA, EASTERN EUROPE
Turkey’s exports to Russia and the countries of Eastern Europe increased in the first five months of the year, while those to the Middle East decreased, the Exporters’ Union announced yesterday. During the January-May period, exports to European Union countries reached $6.9 billion, an increase of only 2.7%. Turkey’s exports to Italy fell by 10.9% to hit $909 million. Exports to France and the Netherlands also increased, by 2.2% and 3.7% respectively. Finally, exports to Britain showed a sharp jump of 27.2% during the period to reach $1.1 billion. /Milliyet/
“MINI-QUAKE” SEISMIC EXPERIMENT COMPLETED
A seismic experiment carried out late last week by the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) to get insights into the possible time and magnitute of a possible earthquake in the Adapazari region was successfully completed, TUBITAK officials announced yesterday. The experiment involved triggering a “mini-earthquake” too mild to be felt. Results of the experiment reportedly will be tabulated within one or two months. /Turkiye/
CORUMLUOGLU RECEIVES ICG AWARD
Orhan Corumluoglu from the Sisecam Research Center was yesterday awarded the International Commission of Glass’ (ICG) Prof. William E. S. Turner Prize. Corumluoglu was deemed worthy of this award for his successful research into chemical resistance and analysis. /Aksam/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION