DERVIS DECIDES NOT TO JOIN YTP, BUT VOWS TO CONTINUE EFFORTS FOR LEFTIST UNITY
Former State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis yesterday finally declared a much-awaited decision on where he would cast his political lot. Dervis said that he wouldn’t join the New Turkey Party (YTP), citing its rejection of efforts to unite Turkey’s leftist political parties. Following a meeting with Confederation of Turkish Labor Unions (Turk-Is) Chairman Bayram Meral yesterday afternoon, Dervis held a press conference. Stressing that he has been unable to obtain any results from his contacts with the YTP administration, Dervis said that he regretted that the YTP was apparently not interested in joining those efforts. “They may have sound reasons to do this, and I respect them,” said Dervis. “However, I think efforts to unite social democrats should continue. In this case, it is not possible for me to join the YTP.” He emphasized the importance of Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal’s recent call for the unification of leftist parties under the CHP’s banner. “Just joining a party is not enough,” he commented. “We should present people an option with new dimensions. I want to thank Baykal for his important step. I will continue my efforts with him. But we shouldn’t neglect or ignore even a single vote of the social democrats.” Meanwhile, regarding Baykal’s call for unification, the YTP’s Central Executive Council released a statement saying that the party would go into this November’s elections with its own identity. /All Papers/

ECEVIT FINDS DERVIS’S STATEMENTS SUPRISING
Speaking on NTV yesterday, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that he found former Economy Minister Kemal Dervis’s same-day press conference on his political allegiances surprising. “Dervis implied that he would work with Republican People’s Party [CHP] leader Deniz Baykal,” he stated. “However, in the past, Baykal ended up splitting the parties that he led. Dervis doesn’t know our political history, so he is trying to work with the CHP as if it were a cohesive political party.” He also said that Dervis had encouraged half of the Democratic Left Party (DSP) deputies to leave the party and join the New Turkey Party (YTP). “He laid the groundwork for departures from the DSP,” Ecevit remarked. “I invited him to our party from the beginning, but now there is nothing I can do.” /Milliyet/

YILMAZ TO TRAVEL TO COPENHAGEN
Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) Chairman Mesut Yilmaz is to travel to Copenhagen on Tuesday to discuss with Danish officials Turkey’s latest efforts towards full EU membership. Yilmaz is expected to meet with EU Term President Denmark’s Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Foreign Minister Per Stig Moller. Turkish Secretary-General for EU Affairs Volkav Vural is also expected to accompany Yilmaz during his visit, which is being seen as an important event for Turkey’s EU membership bid in the runup to the EU foreign ministers’ meeting scheduled for Aug. 30-31. Yilmaz will tell the Danish officials about recent steps taken by the Turkish government to fulfill the EU’s Copenhagen criteria. Danish officials stated that they would express their satisfaction with Turkey’s recent efforts on democratization and the advancement of human rights. /Cumhuriyet/

US EMBASSY IN ANKARA: “THE US PLACES A HIGH PREMIUM ON ITS RELATIONS WITH TURKEY”
The United States Embassy in Ankara stated yesterday that the US Congress’ swift approval of the sale of six early warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft to Turkey displayed how much importance the US places on its strategic partnership with Turkey. “The successful cooperation between the US government, US company Boeing [the AWACS producer] and the Turkish government shows the great importance the US and Turkey attach to their bilateral relations,” said US Embassy officials. “This also demonstrates the support given to Turkey by the US Congress.” /Cumhuriyet/

FOREIGN MINISTRY: “TURKEY WAS READY FOR BARZANI TO ATTEND IRAQI OPPOSITION MEETING”
Both the Turkish Foreign Ministry and the US Embassy in Ankara yesterday denied a statement by Iraqi Kurdish Democratic Party (IKDP) London Representative Hoshyar Zebari indicating that IKDP leader Massoud Barzani has been unable to attend the Iraqi opposition meeting in Washington due to Turkey hindering his passage through its territories and also cancelling his diplomatic passport. According to an article in the New York Times, Barzani refused to attend the meeting out of disappointment over Bush administration policy and disputes between Kurdish leaders and Turkey as well as logistical problems. “Turkey cancelled Barzani's diplomatic passport and made it difficult for US military officials in Turkey to provide air transport to Barzani,” said Zebari. Denying these allegations, one high-level US official said that despite these statements to the contrary, Turkey had in fact proposed hosting Barzani during his visit. “IKDP leader Massoud Barzani is a leader who can visit our country whenever he wishes,” said Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Yusuf Buluc. “Although his diplomatic passport has expired, he hasn’t yet applied to Turkish authorities for a renewal. I think there is a lack of communications between Zebari and Barzani.” Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan stated, “Barzani was invited to the meeting, and he wanted to come. The United States worked to facilitate his travel to the United States, but for a variety of logistical reasons he was not able to come.” /Cumhuriyet/

CILLER CALLS ON CENTER-RIGHT PARTIES TO UNIFY
Appearing on television yesterday, True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller called on Turkey’s center-right parties to unify under the DYP’s banner. Ciller stated that for the sake of political stability in Turkey, the center-right should be unified. “Some 70% of Turkish citizens are on the right, and unification of the right would present true stability,” added Ciller. Ciller remarked that this unification should include everybody, not only one person or a single party. /Hurriyet/

PISKINSUT: “LEFTIST PARTIES SHOULD UNITE UNDER THE CHP”
Socialist Democratic Party (TDP) leader Sema Piskinsut said yesterday that her party considered Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal’s call for the unification of leftist parties as a positive step. “This call should be supported instead of stymied,” she said. “The leftist parties should be united under the CHP’s roof.” /Milliyet/

KARAYALCIN: “BAYKAL’S CALL WAS ONLY TO THE YTP”
Social Democrat People’s Party (SHP) leader Murat Karayalcin yesterday said that Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal’s call for leftist party unity was meant only for the New Turkey Party (YTP). “This call wasn’t addressed to our party,” he stated. After meeting with Karayalcin yesterday, Freedom and Solidarity Party (ODP) leader Ufuk Uras said that the leftist parties offered the only way of overcoming Turkey’s political and economic crises. “The leftist parties need to be represented in Parliament, and all of us have a responsibility to achieve this,” he stated. /Milliyet/

YASAR NURI OZTURK JOINS CHP
Yasar Nuri Ozturk, former dean of the Theology Faculty at Marmara University, yesterday joined the Republican People’s Party (CHP). Speaking at his induction ceremony, Ozturk said that CHP leader Deniz Baykal supported his views and that he found Baykal to be a unique political leader. Ozturk added that the CHP was both an old and a new political party. For his part, CHP leader Baykal stated that CHP was embracing people from every sector of society. /Sabah/

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