GUREL: "THE DSP HAS BEEN SABOTAGED"
Recently appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel yesterday attended the first Bor Culture and Arts Festival in Kutahya. Speaking to reporters, Gurel claimed that his Democratic Left Party (DSP) had been sabotaged by certain circles which have been frustrated in their attempts to take direct control of Turkey's politics and government. He predicted that 46 deputies who resigned from the DSP last week would soon return to the fold of the party, as they had no real differences with the party's principles. Regarding criticisms of the DSP by his predecessor Ismail Cem, who left the party last week and announced he was assembling a new political formation, Gurel said that it was not ethical to criticize the party after abandoning it "without any apparent reason." Stating that he had never stood in the way of Turkey's European Union membership, Gurel said that Turkey deserved that membership. "However," he added, "Turkey should never make concessions from its national interests just to advance along this road." /All Papers/
CEM: "OUR FUNCTION IS NOT TO ACCUSE OR OVERTHROW THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT"
Appearing on CNN Turk yesterday, Former Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said that the function of the new political formation that he announced last week was not to accuse or overthrow the current government. Cem also said that he found the rhetoric of the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) about State Minister Kemal Dervis very unsuitable, adding that Dervis would meet later this week with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. Cem stated that his new formation needed three months to get ready for elections. "November looks to be the date for elections, September seems to be difficult," Cem added. Cem yesterday met with former Culture Minister Istemihan Talay in order to discuss the new formation. /Sabah/
ERDOGAN CRITICIZES CEM'S NEW FORMATION
Speaking at a meeting of his party, Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Tayyip Erdogan criticized the new political formation taking shape under former Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, calling it is an "imaginary group" lacking any program or politics. Erdogan also said that the current coalition government had come to the end of its life and that recent political developments had become a national problem rather than just the internal problems of a single party. /Aksam/
US DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY WOLFOWITZ VISITS TURKEY
US Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said yesterday that neither the United States nor Turkey would welcome the formation of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq. Arriving in Istanbul yesterday, accompanied by Gen. Joseph Ralston, commander of the US European Command, and US State Department Undersecretary and former US Ambassador to Turkey Mark Grossman, Wolfowitz was reportedly set to ask for Turkey's views about a possible US military attack on Iraq. In public addresses and speeches, Wolfowitz has frequently singled out Turkey's secular government for praise. An official statement on his visit said that Turkish-US relations, particularly those on defense and security, would be reviewed and regional and international issues would be discussed. In a conference in Istanbul, pointing to Turkey's current political and economic issues, Wolfowitz said that Turkey should continue its modernization process. Emphasizing the US administration's support for Turkey's European Union membership bid, he stated that economic progress would continue if political stability were ensured. Regarding the Iraq issue, Wolfowitz said that the US was looking for a new administration in Iraq. "If ethnic and religious leaders come together, territorial integrity in Iraq would be ensured," he said. "We know that Turkey is not in favor of the establishment a Kurdish state in northern Iraq. The US administration also would not support such a development." Meanwhile, Wolfowitz met with State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis yesterday at a dinner. He is expected to proceed to Afghanistan today and then return to Turkey to continue his meetings with Turkish officials. /Turkiye/
IRAQI OPPOSITION LEADERS DISCUSS TURKEY'S ROLE IN OPERATION AGAINST SADDAM
A group of Iraqi opposition leaders met in London over the weekend to discuss ways to overthrow Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and how to run the country in the post-Saddam period. Calling on the United States to help them in toppling Saddam without causing harm to the Iraqi civilians, the opposition leaders stressed that Turkey would have to assume an important role in such a military operation aimed at bringing peace and stability to the country. The meeting was endorsed by the Iraqi National Congress, the main opposition umbrella group. Around 90 former Iraqi officers along with representatives from Kurdish, Arabian and Assyrian groups attended the gathering. A military council was elected to work towards overthrowing Saddam and establishing civilian rule. Maj. Gen. Tawfiq al-Yassiri, the group's spokesman, said the council would ensure that a democratic government would take control when the current regime was ousted. Maj. Gen. Najib al-Salhi emphasized that if the US launched a military operation which could destroy the infrastructure of the country or bring harm to the Iraqi civilians, neither the Iraqi people nor the international community would give their support. The Iraqi leaders also underlined that an operation without Turkey's support would be extremely expensive and carry the risk of excessive casualties. Subsequently, the leaders agreed on three main points: an independent Kurdish state could not be established in northern Iraq, the operation could not be launched without Turkey's support, and the operation should be designed so as not to hurt Turkey's economy. /Cumhuriyet/
SLOVAKIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER KADLECHIVOKA TO VISIT TURKEY
Maria Kadlechivoka, Slovakian deputy prime minister for European Union affairs, is to arrive in Turkey to pay an official visit as the official guest of Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz. Turkish-EU relations as well as the EU's enlargement process and current situations of the candidate countries are expected to be taken up during the gathering. /Cumhuriyet/
CILLER: "PARLIAMENT SHOULD CONVENE ON JULY 22 TO SET A DATE FOR EARLY ELECTIONS"
Main opposition True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller yesterday issued a written statement saying that her party had submitted a motion to convene Parliament at the beginning of next week, on July 22, to set a date for early elections before December. "Parliament needs to decide on a date to discuss both the elections law and early elections," she said. Ciller also added, "If the Motherland Party [ANAP] is honest about the European Union issue, they should support our motion, otherwise it will be clear that they are using the EU issue as a political tool." /Milliyet/
CAKMAKOGLU: "ONE DOESN'T NEED PERMISSION TO RESIGN"
Speaking to reporters in Kayseri yesterday, Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu offered his views of recent developments in Turkish politics. When asked about Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's comment that his coalition partner the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) opposed his stepping down as a prime minister, Cakmakoglu, a member of the MHP, remarked, "One doesn't need permission to step down from the government." Commenting on Ecevit's meeting with former Interior Minister Saadettin Tantan last Friday, Cakmakoglu said that Ecevit might have needed to briefed on certain issues by the former minister. He also suggested that State Economy Minister Kemal Dervis should resign. /Turkiye/
TOBB DELEGATION TRAVELS TO SPAIN
A delegation from the Turkish Union of Chambers (TOBB) went to Spain yesterday to attend a Spanish-Turkish Business Council meeting. The Turkish delegation, made up of 250 businessmen, will discuss issues such as cooperation with Spain and Spain's support for Turkey's European Union membership bid. Delegation head TOBB Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu will attend the meeting today, and the talks are due to end on Wednesday. /Star/
SPAIN TO PROVIDE TURKEY WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Spain is to provide Turkey with technical assistance in order to help the Turkish government improve its relations with the European Union. A memorandum of accord is to be signed today in Ankara between the two countries, a document which is aimed at improving the countries' bilateral cooperation on EU matters. /Cumhuriyet/
TURKISH EXPORTS TO BRITAIN RISE
The Turkish Exporters' Union announced yesterday that in the first six months of this year Turkey's exports to Great Britain had increased by $2.61 million to reach a total of $1.3 billion. In the same period, exports to Russia rose by $97 million to reach $428 million and exports to the United States, Turkey's third-largest trading partner, saw the largest boost, some $85 million. /Star/
NUMBER OF TURKISH WORKERS GOING ABROAD RISES
The State's National Employment Organization (Is-Kur) stated yesterday that in January-May of this year, a total of 12,354 Turkish workers were sent to a host of different countries, a rise of some 4,000 compared to last year. Is-Kur added that Turkey had sent the most laborers to Saudi Arabia, Russian Federation and Germany, whereas it sent the least to Austria, Switzerland, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg and Ireland. During that period, 5,000 workers were sent to Saudi Arabia, 3,000 workers to the Russian Federation, 1,467 to Germany, one apiece to Luxembourg, Ireland and Austria, and two workmen to Denmark. A total of 8,000 workers were sent to various countries last January-May, said Is-Kur. /Milliyet/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION