SEZER APPROVES EU HARMONIZATION LAW PACKAGE
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday approved the historic European Union harmonization law package passed by Parliament last week. A statement issued by the Presidential Press Center said that President Sezer believes the EU will display the properly sensitive attitude and show necessary attention and appreciation for the substantial steps forward taken by Turkey in its EU membership bid. /All Papers/

PARLIAMENT PASSES SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET MEASURES
Parliament yesterday passed a number of supplementary budget measures during an extraordinary session. Under the measures, Finance Ministry resources will be available for the use of the Supreme Election Board for this November's early elections. The distribution of Treasury aid to political parties is as follows: the Democratic Left Party (DSP) will get TL 19 trillion, the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) will get TL 15 trillion, and the Motherland Party (ANAP) will get TL 11 trillion. /Cumhuriyet/

GENERAL STAFF GIVES REPORT ON IRAQ TO ECEVIT
The Office of the General Staff reportedly presented yesterday a detailed report on the Iraq issue to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. In light of an evident lack of success of Foreign Ministry efforts to persuade Iraq to comply with United Nations resolutions, the General Staff decided to prepare the report for the prime minister. The document reportedly lays out details and scenarios of a possible operation in Iraq. /Cumhuriyet/

FOREIGN MINISTRY: "TURKEY EXPECTS A DATE FROM THE EU FOR NEGOTIATIONS"
Speaking yesterday on Turkey's European Union membership bid, Foreign Ministry spokesman Yusuf Buluc said that Turkey had enacted required regulations to fulfill the EU's political criteria. "Now it's the EU's turn to give us a date at this December's Copenhagen summit to start membership negotiations," he added. He also remarked that implementing the reforms was important but that it shouldn't stand in the way of Turkey's EU bid. In a related development, Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi said yesterday that the EU reforms just signed by the president, in particular those on mother tongue languages, had not been enacted solely for Turkey's ethnic Kurds. Some 35 ethnic groups live within Turkey's borders, he pointed out. /Cumhuriyet/

CEM AND BAYAR AGREE TO ACT TOGETHER BEFORE AND AFTER ELECTIONS
Former Foreign Minister and New Turkey (YT) leader Ismail Cem and Democratic Turkey Party (DTP) leader Mehmet Ali Bayar agreed yesterday to act cooperatively both before and after this November's elections. After Cem visited Bayar at the DTP's Ankara headquarters, Cem and Bayar held a joint press conference. Cem said that the two parties would seek ways to act in concert, adding that both parties shared the common political goal of renewing Turkey. For his part, Bayar stated that the talks between the two parties had come to a new stage, commenting that they had agreed to search for projects leading the way into Turkey's future. /All Papers/

US GENERAL VISITS GEN.ZORLU IN AFGHANISTAN
US Gen. Peter Pace, vice chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, yesterday visited International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) Commander Gen. Hilmi Akin Zorlu at his post in Afghanistan. Speaking to reporters after meeting with Pace, Zorlu stated that his visit demonstrated the United States' support for the ISAF under Turkey's leadership. Zorlu also said that the two generals had discussed the latest situation in Kabul. For his part, Pace thanked the Turkish government for its contributions to humanitarian aid and the fight against terrorism. /Turkiye/

TALABANI: "DEMOCRATIC TURKEY IS OUR MODEL"
Before leaving Turkey to attend today's Iraqi opposition leaders meeting in Washington, Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) leader Jalal Talabani told reporters that he wanted to build a united, democratic Iraq, not a divided one. "We don't want Turkey and Iran to intervene in northern Iraq in case of a US military attack," he added. Talabani also stated that there was no need for a war to form a democratic Iraq and that holding elections would be the best way to achieve this goal and create a democratic environment in the region. "We are taking Muslim, democratic Turkey as our model," he said. /Sabah/

KOEHLER: "TURKEY SHOULD CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT THE ECONOMIC PROGRAM IN 2003"
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Horst Koehler yesterday spoke to journalists after the IMF released a third loan tranche to Turkey totalling $1.1 billion. "Turkey has implemented the economic program successfully up to today, and it should continue to do so seriously in 2003," he said. "The government's support for the current economic program is praiseworthy and the positive affects of this stance have been felt in the economy. Inflation and interest rates have both started to fall as a result of this." He added that Turkey still needed to cut unnecessary expenses and restructure its public institutions. /Hurriyet/

TRT OPENS BUREAU IN WASHINGTON
The Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) officially opened its Washington bureau yesterday in a ceremony presided over by State Minister Yilmaz Karakoyunlu. Speaking at the opening at the National Press Building, Karakoyunlu said, "It is quite important for essential institutions such as TRT to open bureaus in foreign countries." /Cumhuriyet/

INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT RISES IN JUNE
The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) yesterday released a report giving Turkey's industrial output for this June. The report stated that industrial output had risen 6.6% as compared to the same period in 2001. After a prolonged slump since the onset of the economic crisis in February 2001, industrial production began to rise for the first time this March and this trend continued in June. /Star/

ISTANBUL TO HOST MODERN ART SHOWS
Hundreds of works of art from Istanbul's Sabanci Museum and Modern Art Museum as well as from 80 galleries from over a half-dozen countries are set to be shown at the "Art Istanbul 2002-Istanbul International Modern Art Gala" on Sept. 24-29. Art Gallery Owners' Association head Dogan Paksoy stated yesterday that nearly 2,000 original paintings would be exhibited in this event to be held at Istanbul's Lutfi Kirdar Congress and Exhibition Hall on an area of 1,000 square meters. "At a time when Turkey is taking committed steps forward in its European Union membership bid, this event has added importance," said Paksoy. "In putting together this art gala, our sights are set on turning Turkey into one of Europe's major art centers." /Aksam/

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION