SEZER RECEIVES ECEVIT, KIVRIKOGLU
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer met yesterday with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit for more than an hour as part of the prime minister's regular weekly visits. Chief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu also attended the meeting in which domestic and foreign developments, including a possible United States military operation in Iraq, were reportedly discussed. /All Papers/
PARLIAMENT TO CONVENE ON MONDAY
Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi yesterday recalled Parliament to convene on next Monday, July 22, for an extraordinary session. A proposal submitted by the True Path Party (DYP) and also supported by Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies proposed that Parliament convene on that day to debate early elections to be held on Nov. 3 as well as European Union harmonization laws and amendments to the Political Parties and Elections Law. As articles regarding the EU laws were not specified individually, Izgi made his call by taking into consideration only the topics of an election date and the Political Parties and Elections Law. However, the coalition government partners had agreed to reconvene Parliament on Aug. 1. If a quorum of 184 deputies cannot be reached next Monday, the extraordinary session will have to be cancelled or rescheduled. /Turkiye/
ECEVIT RECEIVES IMF DELEGATION
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit welcomed International Monetary Fund (IMF) Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen and Turkey Representative Odd Per Brekk at the Prime Ministry's offial residence yesterday. This meeting was also attended by Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sukru Sina Gurel and State Minister Kemal Dervis. The participants did not speak to the press after the meeting, but reportedly the IMF delegation used it to present to Ecevit its views on the Turkish economy. /Aksam/
GUREL: "TURKEY WON'T FORSAKE ITS EU MEMBERSHIP BID"
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel met yesterday with Ankara ambassadors of European countries at an official dinner. Gurel said that Turkey would cooperate with current European Union Term President Denmark to implement the Copenhagen criteria for its EU membership. He also said that his being the new foreign minister wouldn't cause any changes to Turkey's foreign policy. "Turkey will not forsake its EU membership bid," he added. He also said that Turkey was continuing its efforts to join the EU, adding that the EU should know that Turkey is determined in its membership bid. /Milliyet/
CEM: "OUR NEW FORMATION WILL UNITE THE TURKISH NATION"
Former Foreign Minister Ismail Cem yesterday visited Kayseri, a central Anatolian province where his constituency lies, in advance of the establishment of the new political formation he heads, expected early next week. Remarking that the aim of the new formation was to alter Turkey's political and economic fabric hand-in-hand with all classes and sectors of society, Cem said, "We will refrain from pigeonholing people according to their political affiliations. Our aim is to bring together all Turkish citizens irrespective of their political parties. The new formation will pave the way for a real unification in Turkey." /Cumhuriyet/
GROSSMAN: "ADDING TURKEY TO THE UNION WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH THE US AND THE EU"
US Deputy Secretary of State Marc Grossman yesterday met with EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen in Brussels after completing his official visit to Turkey. During the meeting, Grossman told Verheugen that Turkey was very important for Washington and that it would be in the best interests of the European Union to add Turkey to its ranks. "Bringing Turkey into the Union would be beneficial for both the US and the EU," Grossman added. Grossman also said that should Turkey fulfill the Copenhagen criteria, the EU should respond positively to this. Grossman also outlined the United States' stance towards Iraq, explaining that the US administration was determined to end the current regime in Iraq with Turkey's support. /Hurriyet/
US DELEGATION ENDS OFFICIAL VISIT TO TURKEY
A visiting US delegation headed by Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz along with Deputy Secretary of State Marc Grossman and Commander in Chief of US European Forces Gen. Joseph Ralston ended its official visit to Turkey on Wednesday. During the delegation's three-day stay, interrupted by a scheduled visit to Afghanistan, Turkish officials told the US contingent that Iran and Saudi Arabia should also be taken into consideration when making policy in the region. The Turkish officials briefed the US delegation on Turkish-Iranian relations and told them of the possible consequences of a military operation both domestically and in the region I general. "The territorial integrity of Iraq is very important for Turkey and the terrorist organization PKK should not have any place in a post-Saddam Iraq," the officials added. /Hurriyet/
TURKEY BEEFS UP BORDER SECURITY WITH IRAQ IN EXPECTATION OF US OPERATION
Talk of a future US military operation in Iraq has spurred the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) to beef up security along the Turkey-Iraq border. A buffer zone has been established to guard against retreat or attack into Turkish territory. Additional troops have been moved over the last three weeks to bordering provinces and districts, including Mardin, Sirnak and Hakkari, to ensure security there. Stating that Turkey's strategic importance and US military facilities within Turkey might make the nation a target for Iraqi forces, officials say that the security measures at Incirlik Airbase in Adana and NATO facilities in Izmir have been bolstered as well. /Sabah/
BRITISH REPRESENTATIVE TO CYPRUS HANNAY MEETS WITH TRNC OPPOSITION LEADER TALAT
Mehmet Ali Talat, chairman of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), the main opposition party in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), yesterday met with Britain's Special Representative to Cyprus Lord David Hannay in London. After the meeting, Talat stated that Lord Hannay was dissatisfied with recent developments in mainland Turkish politics, since he believes the latest events in the wake of resignations and defections from Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's party Democratic Left Party (DSP) could throw the future of Cyprus negotiations into doubt. Talat said that he had conveyed the message to Lord Hannay that the European Union should determine a calendar for Turkey's EU bid if it did not want to cause further uncertainty concerning the Cyprus issue. Meanwhile, a meeting which was supposed to be held yesterday morning between TRNC President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides was postponed due to Denktas' health problems. /Cumhuriyet/
SP TO SUBMIT CENSURE MOTION AGAINST GOVERNMENT
Felicity Party (SP) leader Recai Kutan declared yesterday that his party would submit a motion of no confidence to the Bureau of Parliament in order to bring down the government. Addressing SP deputies in Parliament yesterday during his party's group meeting, Kutan said that the political crisis in Turkey could only be overcome by elections. "As the current government has lost its political and numerical support, it cannot hold elections," Kutan said. "Tomorrow we will submit a censure motion to bring down the government, and we expect Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi to call on Parliament to debate this motion." Meanwhile, yesterday Democratic Left Party (DSP) Antalya Deputy Ahmet Sancar Sayin added his name to this week's list of DSP resignations. With his defection, the number of DSP deputies in Parliament fell to 65, while that of the coalition government decreased to 271. /Turkiye-Star/
BAYKAL: "NEW FORMATION CAN'T CHALLENGE THE CHP"
Speaking to reporters at his party's headquarters yesterday, Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that his party's policies were attracting increasing public support. "The CHP is the only party which has tried to tackle Turkey's economic crises and corruption," said Baykal. He also predicted that the new political formation led by former Foreign Minister Ismail Cem wouldn't cut into the CHP's voter base. Commenting that there were "two Turkeys," one found on the pages of newspapers and TV screens and the other found in the land of Anatolia, he added, "No one should ignore the real people of Anatolia." /Milliyet/
DAWSON: "DEVELOPMENTS IN TURKEY ARE GOING WELL"
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Foreign Relations Director Tom Dawson yesterday declined to comment on recent political developments in Turkey, including plans for early elections, but did say that its economic program was overall proceeding soundly. Speaking at a press conference in Washington, Dawson said that he was following developments in Turkey closely and added, "An IMF delegation is in Turkey right now, and things are going well." /Aksam/
IMF DELEGATION: "CLOSE DOWN MORE BANK BRANCHES"
After his recent meetings with executive board members of Turkish state banks, IMF Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen has expressed his satisfaction with the government's recent attempts to restructure the banking sector. However, he also remarked that more bank branches should be closed down and work to privatize the banking sector should be accelerated. /Star/
IRAQI DIPLOMAT THANKS TURKEY
Iraqi Embassy Charge d'Affaires Tarik Hamaney said yesterday that he was grateful for the Turkish government's policies. Speaking at the 34th anniversary of the establishment of the Iraqi Embassy in Ankara, Hamaney said, "We know that the Turkish public considers Iraq its friend. Our two countries enjoy good relations. Turkey and the other countries have said loud and clear that they don't favor any operation by the US against Iraq." /Sabah/
JOURNALIST METIN TOKER DIES
Journalist-writer Metin Toker, the dean of Turkish journalists, died yesterday in Ankara after a long illness. Toker was the son-in-law of former President Ismet Inonu. Toker had served as a columnist for Milliyet daily for many years. /Hurriyet/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION