Ecevit: Government Will Remain In Charge Till Scheduled General Elections

ANKARA (A.A)- 01.07.2002 - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said on Monday that the coalition partners ''did not definitely want early elections and agreed that the government should remain in charge till the scheduled general elections. ''We have once again stressed these.''
Following the leaders' summit, Ecevit told reporters that their meeting was very fruitful.
Ecevit said, ''we have held a very beneficial and comprehensive meeting on leading problems in Turkey. Meanwhile, we have once more agreed that the government does not absolutely want early elections and that it should remain in charge till the scheduled general elections. We have once again stressed these.''
''This government has made very efficient and good initiatives. This government has made a number of legislative works which will overcome the problems neglected so far and which will bring solutions to those problems. This government will conclude many other initiatives in the following two-year period. To this end, this government will remain in charge,'' Ecevit added.
ECEVIT: GOVERNMENT WILL TRY TO MEET ALL EXPECTATIONS OF NATION
Ecevit said that the government would try to meet all the expectations of the nation as soon as possible.
Ecevit said that they debated economic problems at their meeting and noted that they would hold contacts with the high-level economy bureaucrats in coming days.
Then, they would continue to launch other initiatives and convene the Council of Ministers, Ecevit stated.
Ecevit said that necessary works about the working life would be completed as soon as possible and went on saying, ''our government will try to meet all expectations of our nation as soon as possible. We do not have any concerns about this. I would like to express my gratitude to my distinguished friends Devlet Bahceli, Mesut Yilmaz and Husamettin Ozkan for their valuable contributions to this productive and beneficial initiative.''
When a reporter requested him to clarify the election date, Ecevit said that the government would remain in charge till the scheduled general elections.
When asked whether they had discussed also the European Union (EU), Ecevit said, ''we have reviewed the works and preparations necessary for our EU membership. And we will try to finish them as soon as possible. If parliamentary group chairmen of the opposition parties accept it, our parliamentary group chairmen will come together with them in the summer and they will finalize the works on political life if they accept it. And I believe that the next legislative year would be very beneficial and productive for Turkey.''
When asked whether it could be said that they had removed reservations of State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Ecevit said, ''we don't have reservations but there are issues on which we reached a consensus. And these issues are very important. We have carried out a work which is very beneficial for coalition government partners. This government does have the characteristic and skill of reaching a consensus. The government has once again displayed another specific example of this harmony. So I congratulate and thank my friends.''