PARLIAMENT TO CONVENE TODAY
Parliament will convene today to hold an extraordinary session upon a proposal submitted by 141 deputies from the True Path Party (DYP) and the Justice and Development Party (AKP). In order to hold a Parliament session, a minimum of 184 deputies needs to be in attendance. Government coalition partners the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), the Motherland Party (ANAP), and the Democratic Left Party (DSP) as well as the Felicity Party (SP) and deputies recently resigned from DSP are expected to be absent from the session. If the quorum of deputies cannot be reached, the session will have to be cancelled. /All Papers/
ECEVIT: “IT’S THE GREEKS WHO DIVIDED CYPRUS INTO TWO NATIONS”
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit explained his views on the Cyprus issue along with a number of other important matters facing Turkey on state channel TRT1 over the weekend. Underlining that it was the Greeks who had divided the island of Cyprus into two nations, Ecevit stated that the Peace Operation launched by Turkey under his prime ministership in 1974 had been a major attempt to solve the problems of the island. “The Cyprus issue has nothing to do with the European Union,” said the premier. “If the EU admits the Greek Cypriot administration, then it would have to accept the co-existence of two separate states on the island.” Stressing that there were two independent nations and states on Cyprus, Ecevit added that the EU had no right to attempt to bring these two nations together by force. /Cumhuriyet/
ECEVIT: “HADEP AND THE AKP MAY CAUSE TROUBLES IN TURKEY”
Appearing on TRT’s Pazar Panorama yesterday, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit expressed his views on various topics. Regarding predictions that in upcoming elections the Justice and Development Party (AKP) would win the most seats and that the People’s Democratic Party (HADEP) would pass the 10% election threshold, Ecevit said, “If those scenarios come true, Turkey may face a serious regime crisis.” Referring to AKP leader Tayyip Erdogan’s recent statements indicating that he had changed, Ecevit said that there was no evidence to back up these claims. “Certain parties are trying to cooperate with HADEP, which is indeed a representative of separatist activity and has a close relationship with terrorist organization head Abdullah Ocalan,” Ecevit said. “All parties should stand against it, rather than cooperating with it.” He added, “I have never been in favor of a ban on political parties or individuals. However, their real faces should be revealed.” Remarking that he preferred elections be held at their normally scheduled date in April 2004, Ecevit said that although the current government had lost its majority in Parliament, the government still had duties to perform. /All Papers/
BAHCELI INSISTS ON NOV. 3 FOR EARLY ELECTIONS
Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday rejected Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s request to postpone elections. Bahceli said that MHP would continue to insist on Nov. 3 for early elections, adding, “Now we will see if the opposition is sincere or not on early elections.” Bahceli also charged that the new political formation headed by former Foreign Minister Ismail Cem did not respect the people’s will. /Star/
GOKALP TO ATTEND ECO MEETING IN PAKISTAN
Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Yusuf Gokalp is to travel to Islamabad, Pakistan today to attend an Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) meeting. The three-day meeting, which is to last through Thursday, is expected to focus on a number of important issues, such as improving cooperation on agricultural matters as well as regional problems and recent developments in the agricultural sector. /Cumhuriyet/
NEW FORMATION TO BECOME ‘NEW TURKEY’ PARTY
Members of the new political formation led by former Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and former Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan are expected today to become an official political party under the name, “Yeni Türkiye” (New Turkey). /Star/
IMF DELEGATION TO LEAVE TURKEY TODAY
International Monetary Fund Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen and an accompanying delegation are expected today to leave Turkey after holding a final press conference. Turkey’s new Letter of Intent (LOI) is to be sent to the IMF after it is approved and signed by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Deputy Prime Ministers Devlet Bahceli and Mesut Yilmaz, State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis and Central Bank Chariman Sureyya Serdengecti. /Star/
RESIGNATIONS FROM THE DSP CONTINUE
Resignations from senior coalition partner the Democratic Left Party (DSP) continued over the weekend when the party’s Kirklareli deputy, Nural Karagoz, left the DSP. Including this defection, the party now has 64 deputies in Parliament. Meanwhile, the number of deputies in the coalition parties' government has fallen to 270. /Cumhuriyet/
AKP RESPONDS TO ECEVIT’S CHARGES
Responding yesterday to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s statement that his party constituted a threat, Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy Group Chairman Salih Kapusuz said, “Ecevit is worried about the AKP since he thinks that it will receive more votes than Ecevit’s own Democratic Left Party [DSP].” Kapusuz also charged that Ecevit had proven unable to prevent his party from falling apart and had lost his deputies’ trust. “Ecevit is saying these things due to his own frustration,” he added. /Aksam/
IYIMAYA: “WE DON’T CONSIDER HADEP OR THE AKP AS THREATS”
True Path Parpy (DYP) Amasya Deputy Ahmet Iyimaya said yesterday that his party didn’t consider the People’s Democratic Party (HADEP) or the Justice and Development Party (AKP) as threats to Turkey. “The Turkish Republic is very sound,” he said. “Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit is trying to postpone early elections with these allegations.” Iyimaya also asked why Ecevit was making these charges now since in his five years as prime minister he had not addressed the issue. /Aksam/
NGOs CRITICIZE US PLANS FOR IRAQ INTERVENTION
Two non-governmental organizations (NGOs), a trade group and a business group, over the weekend came out against a possible United States military operation in Iraq, charging that such an operation would damage the delicate balances of the Turkish economy and plunge the country in a permanent economic and social recession. “A US operation in Iraq would ruin all our economic balances and threaten our country’s territorial integrity,” said Ankara Chamber of Commerce Chairman Sinan Aygun. In addition, the Turkish Union of Chambers of Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) issued a statement contending that a US operation in the region would mean nothing but destruction and chaos for innocent civilians. /Cumhuriyet/
YOUNG BUSINESS LEADER ENDORSES TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP BID
Muharrem Yilmaz, deputy chairman of the Confederation of European Young Businessmen’s Associations, said yesterday that Turkey should make its intentions concerning its European Union membership clear. Speaking in Athens at the confederation’s meeting on “Business Culture in Europe,” Yilmaz said, “We should not approach the EU indecisively, but rather we should draw closer to the EU through understanding that Turkey’s and the EU’s path are parallel.” /Sabah/
TURKEY TO PUSH WASHINGTON FOR INCLUSIVE QIZS
A group of Turkish industrialists has bounded together to ensure that a number of Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZs) set to be established in Turkey will include the nation’s labor-intensive sectors. The US Strategy Work Group, an umbrella organization bringing together members of Turkish Assembly of Exporters (TIM), the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) and the Turkish Association of Industrialists and Businessmen (TUSIAD), is set to meet soon with US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick and a number of US congressmen. “The US suggested the QIZs earlier this year but then excluded our labor-intensive sectors,” said Turkish Textile Industrialists’ Association (TGSD) Chairman Umut Oran. “This is unfair to Turkey, and we will address it in Washington. In addition, US policies have done great harm to Turkey’s southeast. The Gulf War cost us some $80-90 billion, and the loss in border trade has stifled the region’s development. The QIZs were promised as compensation, and we deserve them.” In addition, TIM Chairman Oguz Satici said that strategic cooperation between Turkey and the US should be reflected in their economic and commercial relations as well. /Hurriyet/
ITALIAN TELECOM CEO: “WE HAVE GREAT EXPECTATIONS FOR TURKEY”
Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM) CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera said yesterday that even as his company was pulling back investments in France, Spain and Austria to the tune of 3.3 billion euros, it planned to expand in Turkey and became a leading player in the country’s telecom sector. Speaking to Turkish journalists during a “Technology days” meeting in Rome, Provera said that Turkey was an important strategic market very close to Europe. Provera, who is also the CEO of tiremaker Pirelli, added, “Due to Pirelli’s years of experience in the Turkish market, I am well acquainted with your country. Pirelli has a strong presence in Turkey and Turkey has a strong industrial structure. This situation represents a tremendous opportunity for mobile phone users. Moreover, we expect the economic crisis in Turkey to end before too long.” Predicting that Turkey could easily overcome its crisis, Provera stated, “Turkey is a very strong country both strategically and potentially. We have great expectations for Turkey in the future, and we believe that Turkey will satisfy these expectations.” /Hurriyet/
FINAL FAREWELL TO DEAN OF TURKISH JOURNALISTS TOKER
Representatives of the Turkish media and many other prominent figures will pay their final respects to Metin Toker, the dean of Turkish journalists, at his funeral today in Ankara. Toker died on Thursday in Ankara after a long illness. Four separate public memorial services will be held in Ankara. /All Papers/
MORE TOURISTS CHOOSING TURKEY
Bucking a worldwide slump in tourism, Turkey saw both the number of tourists visiting its shores and the money they spent rise during the first quarter of this year. The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) announced yesterday that 1.4 million tourists had traveled to Turkey this January-March, up from 1.3 million in the same period last year. In addition, the amount of revenue earned per tourist also increased by some 11.9%, to reach a countrywide total of $886 million. /Sabah/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION