SEZER APPROVES NEW APPOINTMENTS FOR VACANT MINISTRY POSITIONS
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday approved new appointments to a number of vacant ministerial positions. Under the decree, Democratic Left Party (DSP) Deputy Necdet Tekin became education minister, while Melda Bayer and Mehmet Kocabatmaz were assigned to be state ministers of the Cabinet. /Turkiye/
CABINET MINISTERS MEET
The Cabinet ministers chaired by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit convened yesterday at the Prime Ministry with the attendance of several newly appointed ministers from the Democratic Left Party (DSP). Melda Bayer, who was appointed state minister responsible for family to replace Hasan Gemici, became the first female minister in the current government. At the one-hour-plus meeting, recent political and economic developments were reportedly discussed, while a 5% increase for the second half of the year in civil servants' salaries was also approved. /All Papers/
COALITION LEADERS MEET
Following the Cabinet ministers' yesterday's meeting, the three leaders of the coalition government, Prime Minister and Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit and Deputy Prime Ministers Devlet Bahceli and Mesut Yilmaz, the leaders of the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) and Motherland Party (ANAP) respectively, had a previously unscheduled meeting at the Official Residence of the Prime Ministry. During the meeting, the topic of early elections was taken up. However, reportedly no consensus was reached on a date for elections. /Turkiye/
TWO MORE RESIGNATIONS FROM THE DSP
Resignations from the senior coalition partner Democratic Left Party (DSP) continued yesterday. DSP Deputies Evliya Parlak and Cahit Savas Yazici submitted their resignation petitions to the Bureau of Parliament. With these defections, the number of DSP deputies' resignations from their party officially reached 35, and the number of the party deputies in Parliament fell to 93. /Turkiye/
YILMAZ MEETS WITH ANAP OFFICIALS
Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz yesterday met with his party officials to evaluate current political developments. Yilmaz then met with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to convey him ANAP's views. Yilmaz and the officials agreed that steps must be taken on Turkey's European Union bid, but if this proves unworkable then the nation should proceed immediately to elections. Yilmaz also said that his party agreed with the opposition contention that Parliament should be recalled. /Hurriyet/
CEM EXPECTED TO RESIGN TOMORROW
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem reportedly decided yesterday to resign from the Democratic Left Party (DSP), according to a number of news organizations. A series of intensive meetings were held between Cem, former Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan and State Economy Minister Kemal Dervis yesterday. Cem is expected to announce his resignation tomorrow. /Cumhuriyet/
EU KEEPS AN EYE ON CEM
Diplomatic sources stated yesterday that European Union Commission Chairman Romano Prodi's and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen's scheduled visits to Turkey for next week might be postponed due to the uncertainty which has recently engulfed Turkish politics. The EU Commission officials stated that they were waiting for the instability to come to an end since the visits of EU officials would be pointless if Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem were to resign. Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Ministry officials stressed that Turkey attached great importance to Prodi's visit since the Turkish government believed that it would give impetus to Turkish-EU relations. Prodi is now scheduled to visit Turkey on July 18-19 and to meet with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer as well as Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz. /Cumhuriyet/
CILLER MEETS WITH DERVIS
Main opposition True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller yesterday met with State Economy Minister Kemal Dervis in Ankara. At the meeting, Dervis said that state economic officials were working hard to save the economy from being hurt by recent political developments. Ciller and Dervis touched on the issue of Turkey's European Union accession process during their meeting and agreed that Turkey should take urgent steps for its EU membership. Dervis asked Ciller whether the elections could be held next spring and Ciller answered, "If the current political uncertainty continues, this will be a serious problem for the country. A US operation in Iraq is possible, and early elections should be held this fall before such an operation." She added, "Early elections should be held before the end of this year." After the meeting Ciller told reporters that the DYP unconditionally supported Turkey's EU accession process. /Aksam/
BAYKAL: "TURKEY SHOULD GO TO ELECTIONS WITH THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT"
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday held separate meetings with Union of Turkish Commodities and Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu and Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan in his office. Baykal stated that there was no need to search for a new government. "Turkey should go to elections under the current government, we are losing time," Baykal added. Baykal also said that Parliament should be recalled for an extraordinary session. /Hurriyet/
MHP SUBMITS PARLIAMENT RECALL PROPOSAL
Yesterday, Nationalist Action Party (MHP) group representatives submitted their offer proposing to recall Parliament for an extraordinary session on Sept. 1-3 to make a decision on early elections. Receiving the offer with the signatures of 125 MHP deputies, well above the 103 needed to submit such a proposal, Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi said that he would do what was required. /Turkiye/
GUREL: "GOVERNMENT SHOULD CARRY ON"
Appearing on news channel NTV yesterday, newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister Sukru Sina Gurel commented on calls in some quarters for government to dissolve in favor of a new formation. "We need to bear in mind the consequences of a possible government change," said Gurel. "Those promoting instability and drawing on the current chaos should remember this, too." He added: "The continuation of this government is vital for the country's interests, which is why it must carry on." /Cumhuriyet/
DENKTAS REBUKES INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOR BIAS OVER CYPRUS
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas yesterday declared that if the international community maintained its biased attitude towards the Cyprus issue the problem would remain unresolved. Denktas was responding to a UN Security Council meeting evaluating the direct talks process between Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides. The meeting yesterday accused the Turkish side of failing to support the goal of reaching solutions to the island's basic problems by the end of last month and also of having an "unconstructive" attitude. Denktas responded: "Of course the dilemma will remain at a standstill if the international community does not give up its 40-year-long partiality in favor of the other side of the conflict and persists in calling that government the only legitimate one on the whole island, and if the sole policy of that government is to benefit from this advantage at all costs." Denktas charged that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and UN Envoy Cyprus Alvaro de Soto continued to deny that no solution for the island could be reached before an honest diagnosis is made of the issue. /Cumhuriyet/
DENMARK'S TURKEY AMBASSADOR HOPPE EVALUATES TURKISH-EU RELATIONS
In an interview with Turkish daily Cumhuriyet, European Union Term President Denmark's Ambassador to Turkey Christian Hoppe offered his views on a number of significant issues such as the Turkish-EU relations, the Union's enlargement project and the Cyprus issue. Remarking that the Copenhagen summit to be held in December was of great importance for Turkey's EU bid, Hoppe said that Turkey should continue its reforms through October, since its performance would be evaluated in the Progress Report to be prepared by the EU Commission. Hoppe underlined the importance of Copenhagen criteria for Turkey, recalling that each step to be taken by the Turkish government in order to fulfill these criteria would be highly appreciated by the EU. Asked whether KADEK would be included on the EU's list of terrorist organizations, Hoppe said, "The list is being continually revised. Denmark believes that KADEK is a continuation of the PKK terrorist organization. Therefore, we may believe that the EU will add it to its list." In addition, Hoppe also stated that Denmark placed a high premium on the Union's enlargement project, voicing his belief that the two parties on Cyprus would reach a settlement in the following months. Satisfied that Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders had made significant progress in the recent peace talks, Hoppe stated that reaching a permanent solution on the issue would not be a condition for Cyprus' admittance to the EU. /Cumhuriyet/
IMF: "THE PROGRAM IS WORKING, BUT POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY IS HURTING"
International Monetary Fund Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen yesterday urged the government to stick to its economic program. Speaking to reporters after meeting with Foreign Capital Association (YASED) officials, Kahkonen said that the current economic program has been improving macroeconomic balances but that persistent political uncertainty was making foreign investors nervous. "The Macroeconomic environment and stability are very important for foreign direct investment," Kahkonen added. /Hurriyet/
CHHIBBER: "TURKEY'S ECONOMIC PROGRAM WILL PROGRESS MORE QUICKLY IF THE POLITICAL UNCERTAINITY ENDS"
World Bank Turkey Director Ajay Chibber said yesterday that if Turkey's political uncertainty ends, its economic program would go forward at greater speed. "The economic program has started to show results," he stated. "There are three ways to achieve reforms, namely enacting rules and regulations in the public sector, forming a structure to facilitate public participation, and pushing mechanisms to encourage investment." He also added that many measures had been achieved in public expenditure management and institutional reform, but that the reforms needed to continue. /Aksam/
FINAL STAGE ACCORD SIGNED ON BAKU-CEYHAN
A final stage accord was signed yesterday for the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan (BTC) Crude Oil Pipeline Project, which was developed in order to transport crude oil reserves in the Caspian Sea to Ceyhan in Turkey through Azerbaijan and Georgia via pipelines. The parties initialed the pipeline assurance bidding agreement of the BTC Project, which will make Turkey a crossroads of international energy corridors. Turkey's Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (BOTAS) and Noksel Steel Pipes, Mannesmann Pipe Industries and Umran Steel Pipes, which are participating in the Turkish consortium as pump and pipe providers, signed the agreement. The agreement will now be sent to oil producer BP Amoco, which is acting on behalf of Main Export Pipeline Company (MEPCO). /Aksam/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION