ECEVIT: “DERVIS NEEDS TO MAKE A DECISION”
Speaking on CNN Turk yesterday, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that it was unacceptable for Economy Minister Kemal Dervis to continue “travelling to and fro” conducting political business, adding that Dervis needed to make a decision between staying with the government and leaving it. Echoing DSP deputy leader Emrehan Halici’s words from earlier this week, which were widely interpreted as calling for Dervis’s resignation, Ecevit spoke of both his Democratic Left Party’s (DSP) and his own personal uneasiness with Dervis’s situation. Calling on Dervis to act in a manner “appropriate for a state minister,” Ecevit said that Dervis must choose between joining the New Turkey (YT) or continuing to serve the government. “Before moving into politics, it was Dervis’s duty to work on the Turkish economy,” said the prime minister. “He had been doing a good job but recently his interest in politics has predominated. He spoke of instability in Turkey, saying that politics and the economy shouldn’t be mixed, but then he proceeded to do just that. Dervis is an important member of our government. However he is involved in intense negotiations with other parties and political formations. Certain circles in Turkey have lured him with the prospect that he could orchestrate Turkish politics, but this isn’t so easy as he may think.” Also in the CNN Turk interview, Ecevit said that his health was good but he was avoiding feeding the rumor mill with a checkup. /Cumhuriyet/
YILMAZ MEETS WITH ECEVIT
Speaking to reporters after meeting with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz stated that Ecevit was opposed to creating alliances between parties. Yilmaz said that he had presented to Ecevit a model under which parties could create such alliances. /Cumhuriyet/
PARLIAMENT RESUMES SUMMER RECESS
Following last week’s passage of a historic package of European Union harmonization laws, Parliament adjourned yesterday to resume its summer recess. The recess interrupted by the extraordinary EU law session will last through Oct. 1, said Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Murat Sokmenoglu. Some deputies had wanted to extend the extraordinary session to consider a job security bill or supplementary budget measures, but calls for this were rejected. /Turkiye/
FOREIGN MINISTER GUREL: “WE WILL NOT CONDUCT AN OPERATION IN IRAQ WITH JORDAN”
Speaking in Ankara yesterday before flying to Jordan to pay an official visit, Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel said that there he would discuss regional issues with his counterpart, Marwan Muasher. “There is no possibility of Turkey conducting an operation in Iraq with Jordan,” he said. “Jordan’s King Abdullah spoke recently with the United States about the recent developments, and the purpose of my visit is to learn about his talks and evaluate regional issues with our good neighbor Jordan.” /Turkiye/
CEM VISITS FORMER PRESIDENT DEMIREL
New Turkey (YT) leader Ismail Cem visited former President Suleyman Demirel yesterday at his office for nearly an hour. Speaking to journalists afterwards, Cem said that he and the senior statesmen had discussed recent events and that he always benefited from Demirel’s wisdom and experiences concerning developments both at home and abroad. Praising Demirel as a valuable source of experience for Turkey, Cem said, “The meeting we held today was very beneficial and important. Our conversation was pleasurable and meant a great deal to me.” peaking to journalists, Demirel said that certain legal arrangements were necessary so the parties can establish alliances in the coming elections. /Hurriyet/
DERVIS: “PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT KNOWS I AM SEEKING A BETTER FUTURE FOR TURKEY”
Responding to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s criticisms of him in a televised interview yesterday, Economy Minister Kemal Dervis called the charges that he was mixing politics and his government duties “surprising” and characterized the prime minister’s comments as “an outburst.” Dervis said that similar comments earlier this week by Emrehan Halici, the group deputy leader from Ecevit’s Democratic Left Party (DSP), should have sufficed, since he had understood their meaning. “I expected that Halici’s message would be enough, and that they would wait for me to act,” Dervis stated. “Mr. Ecevit’s outburst about me was surprising. Actually after I heard Halici’s comments, I thought about meeting Mr. Ecevit, but then changed my mind because he knew I was in the midst of a political search to seize the opportunity for a better future for Turkey. I had told him as much previously. Remember, I resigned before but my resignation wasn’t accepted. When we talked at that time, even then I was in a political search. Now, what has changed since then? I wonder if my rejecting offers to join the DSP has anything to do with this.” Dervis added that he had begun to suspect that certain circles were working to turn Ecevit against him. /Aksam/
DERVIS: “WITH EU MEMBERSHIP, TURKEY COULD ACHIEVE 8% GROWTH”
Speaking at an Eskisehir Trade Union meeting yesterday, State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis said that European Union membership would help the Turkish economy gain momentum. Even during the EU membership process, more foreign investors would invest in Turkey, and eventually Turkey could achieve annual growth of 8%. Dervis added that Union itself needed Turkey in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. /Sabah/
TALABANI VISITS TURKEY TO DISCUSS IRAQ SITUATION
Iraqi Patriotic Union Of Kurdistan (IPUK) leader Jalal Talabani yesterday arrived in Ankara in the leadup to an Iraqi opposition meeting in Washington set for this Friday. Turkey will reportedly focus on finding a peaceful resolution to the Iraqi issue with Talabani. Talabani today is expected to meet with Foreign Ministry and defense officials. He is also scheduled to meet with former President Suleyman Demirel and Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan. /Cumhuriyet/
ERTUGRULOGLU: “THE EU IS APPLYING DOUBLE STANDARDS IN CYPRUS”
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Foreign and Defense Minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu charged yesterday that the European Union was not being sincere in its approach to the Cyprus problem. “In 1980 when Greece was about to join the Union, the EU didn’t ask it to solve the Cyprus problem,” he observed. “Yet when it comes to Turkey they say that first the Copenhagen criteria should be fulfilled.” This double standard shows that the EU is not being sincere, he added. Ertugruloglu also said that his criticism of the EU’s policies should not be seen as a rejection of the EU itself, since EU membership is a goal. /Cumhuriyet/
EU TERM PRESIDENCY PRAISES TURKEY’S EU REFORMS
The European Union Term Presidency, currently held for six months by Denmark, issued a statement yesterday voicing its support for Turkey’s recent legislative reforms, adding that a definite decision on Turkey’s EU membership bid was dependent on the steps the nation takes before December’s Copenhagen summit. These reforms are important, said the statement, but they must be implemented as soon as possible. In related news, EU Commisioner Romano Prodi said yesterday that now was too early for Turkey to get a date to start negotiations with the EU. /Milliyet/
VERHEUGEN: “HARMONIZATION LAWS WILL HELP TURKEY TAKE ITS PLACE IN EUROPE”
European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen said yesterday that the EU had been pleased with the EU harmonization laws enacted last week by the Turkish Parliament, calling their passage “wonderful.” Verheugen phoned Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz two days ago and reiterated that Turkey could take its place in Europe with a number of legal amendments, among which are abolition of the death penalty and the right to education and broadcasting in mother tongue languages, both part of the EU reform package passed. Yilmaz said that Verheugen’s views were of the utmost importance for Turkey. Verheugen added that at December’s Copenhagen summit the European Commission would do its best to give a date to Turkey for membership negotiations. /Hurriyet/
IMF DISCUSSES LETTER OF INTENT, LOAN TRANCHE TODAY
The International Monetary Fund Executive Board will discuss Turkey’s Letter of Intent (LOI) today. The board is expected to release a third loan tranche totalling $1.1 billion to the country after the meeting. The loan tranche is expected to be approved before tomorrow, when the IMF is to begin its summer recess. /Turkiye/
AGREEMENT REACHED ON WATER SALE TO ISRAEL
The Energy and Natural Resources Ministry stated yesterday that Turkey and Israel had reached an agreement under which the latter would buy 50 million cubic meters of water annually from Turkey over 20 years. The statement added that a committee to be jointly chaired by Turkish and Israeli officials would be established to discuss and finalize arrangements on transporting the water from Turkey to Israel. The committee will hold its first meeting in Ankara, it added. /Aksam/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION