SEZER CONGRATULATES BUSH ON INDEPENDENCE DAY
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday sent a message to US President George W. Bush wishing him a happy July 4th, the US Independence Day. “I congratulate the entire US nation on the 226th anniversary of its foundation,” wrote Sezer. He added his hope that Turkey and the United States, which have enjoyed strategic cooperation for many years, would continue to work hand-in-hand in all areas, especially in the fight against terrorism, a threat to both peace and freedom. /Hurriyet/
LEADERS TO DISCUSS ECONOMY
The leaders of the coalition government chaired by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit will meet this afternoon at the Residence of the Prime Ministry to discuss Turkey’s current economic situation. Besides Deputy Prime Ministers Devlet Bahceli, Mesut Yilmaz and Husamettin Ozkan, State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis, Finance Minister Sumer Oral, State Planning Organization (DPT) Undersecretary Akin Izmirlioglu, Treasury Undersecretary Faik Oztrak, Finance Ministry Undersecretary Ertan Dikmen, Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti, and Banking Supervision and Regulation Agency (BDDK) Chairman Engin Akcakoca will be in attendance. /All Papers/
HIGH-LEVEL TURKISH POLITICIANS PLEDGE TO WORK FOR EU MEMBERSHIP IN GERMANY
A group of high-level Turkish politicians including Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, True Path Party leader (DYP) Tansu Ciller, Justice and Development Party leader (AKP) Recep Tayyip Erdogan, State Ministers Yilmaz Karakoyunlu and Tunca Toskay yesterday attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony of a new Dogan Media Group facility near Frankfurt, Germany. Offering their views of Turkey’s EU membership bid, the officials pledged to work hard for Turkey’s full EU membership. Remarking that Turkey had no time to waste, Yilmaz stated that the Turkish government needed Germany’s support to improve its relations with the European Union. For his part, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem stated that no matter what difficult times Turkey was going through, nobody had the right to cast a pessimistic cloud over the country’s future. Other officials also stated that they would strive to improve Turkey’s relations with the EU and to fulfill the Copenhagen criteria. /Cumhuriyet/
BAHCELI: “I DO NOT APPROVE OF PRESS AND POLITICIANS’ APPROACH TO ECEVIT’S HEALTH”
Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli said yesterday that he did not approve of the press and politicians’ approach to Prime Minister Ecevit’s health problems “It is not ethical to criticize the leaders who have worked hard their entire lives for the sake of their country,” Bahceli stated. /Sabah/
YILMAZ SPEAKS ON FUTURE OF TURKEY’S EU BID
Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz yesterday told his party’s Chairmanship Board about how Turkey’s European Union membership bid might proceed in view of the government’s varying views on the issue. “If our moves towards the EU are obstructed, a new government will continue the course,” he predicted. Yilmaz added that Devlet Bahceli, leader of government coalition member the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), had told the other coalition partners, ANAP and the Democratic Left Party (DSP), that they should seek opposition support to solve the death penalty issue, and he pledged that ANAP would work to do so. Yilmaz remarked that Parliament would be called back for an extraordinary session in September so as to adopt EU accession legislation, which would force Bahceli to revise his views. “First we will try to solve these issues under the present structure, but if this proves unworkable a new government can be formed,” he stated. /Milliyet/
DERVIS SCHEDULES MEETING WITH BANK OFFICIALS
State Economy Minister Kemal Dervis is scheduled to meet next Friday, July 12, with officials from Turkey’s six largest banks. Rahmi Koc, Erol Sabanci, Ferit Sahenk, Ersin Ozince, Aydin Dogan and Husnu Ozegin will attend the meeting which will be held at the headquarters of the Turkish Development Bank in Istanbul. At the meeting, Dervis will brief the bank officials about the government’s banking operations. /Milliyet/
TURKEY, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA SIGN FOUR AGREEMENTS
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday met with Beriz Belkic, the chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Ankara. After meetings between delegations representing the two countries, Turkey and Bosnia-Herzegovina signed four agreements. Under the Free Trade Agreement signed on Turkey’s behalf by State Minister Faruk Bal, Turkey agreed to lift customs taxes on industrial and agricultural products, excepting live animals and meat, in its commercial relations with Bosnia-Herzegovina. In addition, State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis signed two agreements on donations and State Minister Mehmet Kececiler signed an agreement for mutual assistance and cooperation between the countries’ customs administrations. In a joint press conference with Belkic, Sezer stated that a positive and productive atmosphere had dominated the meetings between the two countries. Belkic also visited the Turkish Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi after the meetings. /Cumhuriyet/
PEARSON: “TURKEY HAS SET AN EXAMPLE WORLDWIDE”
US Ambassador to Turkey Robert Pearson yesterday held a reception to mark his nation’s Independence Day at the US Embassy in Ankara. Speaking at the occasion, Pearson said that the state model in Turkey had set an example to many nations worldwide. Pearson also said that the US was proud to stand by Turkey’s side. State Minister and government spokesman Sukru Sina Gürel also attended the reception and gave a speech on behalf of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. /Hurriyet/
RASMUSSEN: “THE OCTOBER REPORT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR TURKEY”
Speaking at the European Parliament yesterday, European Union Term President Denmark’s Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that if Turkey implemented the Copenhagen political criteria, a date could be given for its accession negotiations at the EU’s summit in December. Rasmussen pointed out that EU Council would evaluate the Commission’s report in October. EU Commission President Romano Prodi also stressed that the October report was very important for Turkey’s future. Following Prodi’s speech at EU general session, Turkey Rapporteur and Christian Democratic Party (HDP) Deputy Elma Brok predicted that Turkey would be a part of the EU’s enlargement, adding that Turkey shouldn’t bargain on Cyprus and the European Security and Defense Policy (AGSP) issues in order to get a date for its accession negotiations. /Sabah/
BUYUKANIT: “NO CONCESSIONS ON ESDP”
Deputy Chief of the General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit said yesterday that Turkey wouldn’t make any concessions concerning the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP). Speaking to journalists at the US Embassy in Ankara’s reception for US Independence Day, Buyukanit commented on the Ankara Document, last year’s accord on the ESDP reached by Turkey, the US, and Britain. “The Ankara Document is the final word on this issue,” said Buyukanit. “Not a single letter of this document can be changed from now on.” Concerning the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, he said that it was out of the question at this time for the ISAF’s area of duty to be extended outside the capital Kabul. He added, “If the prime minister cannot participate in the Supreme Military Council, then the chief of general staff can act as chairman of the council.” /Aksam/
JUSTICE MINISTRY ISSUES REPORT ON DEATH PENALTY
The Justice Ministry recently issued a report examining Turkey’s position on the death penalty as well as discussing possible alternatives to capital punishment. Pointing out that the death penalty is no longer a matter of dispute in European countries, the report stressed that the continued existence of capital punishment in Turkey constituted an obstacle for the extradition of criminals to the country. The report included arguments both pro and con on death penalty abolition and laid out alternative punishments that might replace capital punishment. /Cumhuriyet/
TOBB CHAIRMAN TO VISIT SEZER
Union of Turkish Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu is to visit President Ahmet Necdet Sezer today. Hisarciklioglu yesterday said that he would like to convey the results of this week’s TOBB Executive Board meeting on the current situation of Turkey’s government and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. Hisarciklioglu also said that he would express to Sezer the TOBB’s concern over the current political uncertainty and situation on the markets. /Hurriyet/
SOUTH KOREAN COMMERCIAL DELEGATION VISITS ISTANBUL
A South Korean delegation led by Korean International Commercial Institution head Han Young Soo yesterday visited the headquarters of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) in Istanbul. There the delegation held talks on commercial opportunities in such fields as industrial machines, computers and textiles with representatives from over 100 Turkish companies. ITO Deputy Chairman Ugur Catbas said that he had asked the delegation to boost Turkish-South Korean bilateral trade relations, as Turkey has only a $200 million share of South Korea’s annual $300 billion in foreign trade. /Star/
CILLER PROPOSES ESTABLISHING THREE COMMISSIONS
True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller, accompanied by her party’s Deputy Chairmen Ufuk Soylemez and Mehmet Saglam, met yesterday with representatives from Turkish associations in Frankfurt, Germany. Speaking to reporters, Ciller said, “We propose establishment of three commissions on our European Union membership bid, the Cyprus issue and amendments to the political parties and elections law. Let these three commissions work for a specific period, and then try to find a settlement to those issues as a whole.” Stressing that she had reiterated for a long time that ailing Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit should resign, Ciller remarked that Turkey’s future had been stymied due to the current government. /Turkiye/
JUNE INFLATION FIGURES RELEASED
The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) yesterday released inflation figures for June. Last month the consumer price index (CPI) increased 0.6%, and the wholesale price index (WPI) rose 1.2%. Year-on-year inflation was realized as 42.6% for the CPI, and 46.8% for the WPI. /Turkiye/
TURKISH TEAM MAKES GIANT LEAP IN WORLD RANKINGS
The Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) yesterday released its monthly World Ranking of football teams on a country-by-country basis. The Turkish National Team, fresh off its historic number three showing at the World Cup semifinals, leapt ahead 10 spots to claim number 12 among 75 nations, just shy of the top 10. Five-time World Cup winner Brazil took the top spot. /All Papers/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION