FISCHER: “WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF TURKEY”
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem yesterday met with his German counterpart Joschka Fischer in Berlin. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Fischer said that Turkey has an important place in the Middle East, Balkans and Central Asia. “Turkey also plays an important role for the security in Europe,” Fisher added. Fischer also said that Germany supported and would continue to support Turkey’s European Union membership, adding that obtaining a date to start its full membership negotiations was within Turkey’s power. For his part, Cem stated that Germany had always supported Turkey in its EU membership bid. Cem also said that Turkey doesn’t want any special favors. Everything is mentioned in the Copenhagen criteria, he added, and Turkey’s aim is to fulfill these criteria and start negotiations. /Hurriyet/
DENKTAS, CLERIDES WRAP UP FOURTH ROUND OF TALKS
The fourth round of peace talks between the two leaders of Cyprus, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides, concluded yesterday without reaching any settlement. United Nations Special Representative to Cyprus Alvaro de Soto stated that efforts aimed at reaching an agreement on a number of issues before the end of June had come to naught. De Soto added that the peace talks would take a break until July 16 due to his visit to UN headquarters in New York. Denktas told reporters that during the meeting, the Belgium model had been taken up and that the two sides had discussed the Greeks’ views on the matter. Upon leaving his office for the meeting, Denktas commented on European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Guenther Verheugen’s recent statement that “The EU will admit the Greek Cypriot administration even if without Turks.” Denktas said, “I thank Verheugen for beginning to express the realities of the situation. He finally recognized that we could not be forced to join. The integration of Cyprus as a whole is only possible when the Turks’ sovereignty, equality and existence of their state are accepted. Then, a joint administration can be established to access to the EU together.” Denktas added that if the EU takes in the Greek Cypriot administration, it would be a kind of confirmation of the Turkish Cypriots’ existence. /Turkiye, Cumhuriyet/
YILMAZ: “PARLIAMENT CAN BE CALLED FOR A SESSION IN SEPTEMBER”
Before the Motherland Party (ANAP) Chairmanship Board’s yesterday’s meeting, ANAP leader Mesut Yilmaz told reporters that Parliament would be called for an extraordinary session in late summer for intensive work. Concerning the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchange’s (TOBB) declaration on the future of the government issued yesterday, Yilmaz said, “The government is already looking for ways to overcome the prevailing uncertainty in politics. We will continue our consultations over the next two months both among ourselves as well as other political parties. I expect Parliament to be called for an extraordinary session in September.” /Turkiye/
BAYKAL: “TURKEY’S EU BID IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE COALITION”
Speaking to news channel NTV yesterday, Republican Peoples’ Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit had spoken too optimistically after Monday’s leaders’ summit. Baykal criticized the government’s stance on the European Union membership process and stated, “The EU issue is much more important than the government for Turkey.” He added, “The government can’t continue his mission due to Ecevit’s health problems and its failure to take the required steps for EU membership.” Baykal also remarked that Turkey was in danger of falling into another economic crisis, as a number of credit rating institutions had indicated. He said that early elections were becoming more inevitable with each passing day, but that the CHP wasn’t insisting on the issue. /Milliyet/
KUTAN: “ECEVIT’S HEALTH PROBLEMS ARE CAUSING POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY”
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Felicity Party leader Recai Kutan said that Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s health problems were causing political uncertainty and that it was time for Ecevit to resign. Kutan alleged that Ecevit had gotten the post of prime minister with the support of “other powers” and that he could step down whenever these powers wished it so. /Sabah/
MHP: “FOGG WILL BE TURKEY’S GOODWILL AMBASSADOR”
Nationalist Action Party (MHP) deputy leader Sevket Bulent Yahnici predicted yesterday that departing European Commission Representative in Turkey Karen Fogg would take on a role as Turkey’s goodwill ambassador to the European countries and European Union administration after leaving Ankara. Following a visit with Fogg, Yahnici said that his party was in an intensive dialogue and cooperation with her. Recalling that Fogg’s tenure in Turkey was nearing an end, Yahnici added, “We believe that she will be Turkey’s goodwill ambassador to European countries and the EU itself. Sometimes Fogg cross-examined or judged Turkey, or it seemed that way. However, as a result of these examinations and judgments, she clearly became very knowledgeable about Turkey and Turks vis-a-vis the EU bureaucracy. I believe that this will work to Turkey’s advantage.” /Aksam/
COLOMBIAN SENATE SPEAKER HONORS IZGI
Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi yesterday was decorated with an honorary sash of gratitude by visiting Colombian Senate Speaker Carlos Garcia Orjuela. The sash was presented, Orjuela said, to recognize the happiness felt by Colombian citizens living in Turkey. Izgi thanked him for the honor and pledged to work to further bilateral Turkish-Colombian relations. Orjuela also remarked that drug smuggling was an international problem and that the two countries should cooperate to combat it. /Turkiye/
CILLER: “THE GOVERNMENT ISN’T FULFILLING ITS EU REQUIREMENTS”
True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller claimed yesterday that the government was not fulfilling the necessary requirements for Turkey’s European Union membership bid and that she had no hope of them doing so in the future. In a written statement, Ciller said that the main obstacle in front of Turkey for its EU membership was the government itself. “Certain circles are also not letting the ruling parties cooperate with the opposition on EU issues,” she stated. “But, in a dilemma of ‘the EU or the government,’ the coalition parties have chosen the government and their position without a thought for Turkey’s future.” She added that the coalition parties should give up blocking Turkey’s EU membership and reiterated her call on Parliament to work through this summer and to cooperate regarding EU issues. /Turkiye/
GERMAN EMBASSY CONTRIBUTES TO NATIONAL EDUCATION CAMPAIGN
The Ankara Provincial Education Directorate announced yesterday that some 10 billion TL raised by a summer fair held by the German Embassy in Ankara had been donated to the “Support for National Education Campaign.” Dr. Uta Schmidt Clausen, the wife of Germany’s ambassador, delivered the donation check to Deputy Provincial Education Director Yuksel Sezgin. /Aksam/
CAMARA CALLS FOR SPANISH INVESTMENT IN TURKEY
Spain’s Ambassador to Turkey Manuel de la Camara yesterday issued a call for Spanish investors to invest in Turkey, which he characterized as “an attractive country for investment.” He added that opportunities should be created for such investors to put money and capital into Turkey. /Star/
FITCH AFFIRMS TURKEY’S CREDIT RATINGS
International rating agency Fitch yesterday affirmed Turkey’s sovereign credit ratings, saying that the country’s foreign currency and local currency remain rated B, while its short-term rating was also affirmed at B. However, the agency also said that continued political uncertainty in Turkey carried a risk to the country’s long-term financial health. /Hurriyet/
KAHKONEN: “PROGRAM IS GOING WELL, DESPITE SOME WEAKNESSES”
International Monetary Fund Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen said yesterday that the economic indicators showed that the government’s program was going well despite the political instability caused by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s health problems. “However the latest market indicators such as the decrease in the value of TL and high interest rates show that some economic conditions are still very weak,” he added. “The public banks are being regulated by the banking operations and now is the time for private banks.” /Sabah/
TOBB REQUESTS THAT ECEVIT WITHDRAW
The Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) yesterday held an Executive Board meeting to evaluate the current situation of Turkey’s government and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. TOBB Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu stated after the meeting that the TOBB believed that Ecevit, who has been serving for Turkey for many years, would not let the country plunge into chaos and that he would establish a sound administrative structure to address the country’s political instability. Although the TOBB made no formal call for Ecevit to step down, Hisarciklioglu’s statement was widely seen as an indirect request for a change in the prime minister’s chair. /Cumhuriyet/
“PHILOSOPHY 2002 MEETING” IN ASSOS
Assos, a spot on the Aegean coast where famous Greek philosopher Aristotle spent several years of his life, will host an international philosophy meeting starting tomorrow. The aim of "Philosophy in Assos", a nonprofit organization, is to gather philosophers in Assos in order to create a casual, informal atmosphere for discussion and dialogue on philosophical problems. Foreign and Turkish philosophers and students and scholars of philosophy will have the opportunity during the three-day meeting to discuss a wide range of philosophical issues. /Cumhuriyet/
YOUNG TURKS HONORED IN HOLLYWOOD
Two young Turks working in graphic design and promotion for movies got top honors at last week’s Key Arts Awards handed out in Los Angeles. The Key Arts is the only international competition recognizing outstanding achievements in film marketing and promotion. At the awards ceremony, Emrah Yucel won first prize in the Festival Poster category as creative chief for a “Hollywood Film Festival” poster. In addition, Goktug Sarioz also took first place as editor for a TV commercial for “Scary Movie 2.” “It’s amazing that two young Turkish designers came out first in the awards,” said Yucel. “I was very excited when nearly 1,500 people applauded me. People have begun to recognize us in the world of film and filmmaking, and we’re very proud.” /Aksam/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION