ANKARA (A.A) - 24.07.2002 - The New Turkey Party (YTP) said on Wednesday that it supported all of the proposals in the draft package of bills on adjustment with the European Union (EU) that Motherland Party (ANAP) leader, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz presented to leaders yesterday.
Releasing a statement, YTP said that its leader Ismail Cem had not told Yilmaz yesterday that they would oppose to this package. ''On the contrary, Cem expressed support to this bills package.''
Defending that the news in a newspaper today was ''totally wrong'', it said, ''during the meeting between Cem and Yilmaz, Cem and other YTP officials said these: We support all these proposals including death sentence and education and broadcasting in mother tongue. These three issues are open to separatist exploitation. So it is much more appropriate to complete this EU package with some other bills which limit such an exploitation. This opinion was also publicly announced while Cem was serving as the foreign minister. Cem told Yilmaz that the New Turkey will support this reform package of the ANAP in public and parliament even if its proposal for retriction of such an exploitation is not accepted.''