BERLIN - New Turkey Party (YTP) leader Ismail Cem and Secretary General Istemihan Talay will come to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Interior Minister Otto Schily.
Talay, who spoke to A.A correspondent on the phone, pointed out that they would come to Berlin on August 20, and noted that they would meet Schroeder, Schily as well as officials of German Employers Union, and former German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher.
Talay said, ''the talks will be like preliminary talks of YTP's policies which we will carry out with the EU and the Germany after the elections. The talks will also have the quality of dialogue which our party will set up with the German authorities on economic and political issues.''
Pointing out that Cem, during his five years term in office as Foreign Minister, carried out relations with the EU in the highest level, and undertook very important duties in adoption of adjustment bill in the parliament, Talay said, ''the steps which we will take in the future regarding implementation of the adjustment bill and integration of Turkey with Europe, will be taken with Germany starting now, and all the information will be evaluated together.''
Stressing that there was a very big economic crisis in Turkey, and that unemployment erupted as a result of this, Talay said, ''there was shrinkage in industry. YTP plans and targets to include supporting of foreign capital, acceleration of privatization, and German industry's taking active role in Turkey in its economic program.''
Talay said that to this end, their contacts in Germany would be a pre-meeting for a possible cooperation with German officials about facilitation and acceleration of foreign capital investments to be made after YTP took part in the government.
''When YTP started to take action and during its organizational process, it asked for appointment from German Chancellor, Interior Minister and officials of Employers Association in order to take steps that would protect and develop international interests of Turkey in the election environment. It thought that such contacts would be right and beneficial. To this end, we will hold these contacts,'' Talay noted.
Asked if Vural Oger, the President of Executive Board of Oger Tours, a leading travelling agency in Germany, would join YTP, Talay said, ''Mr. Vural came to Ankara on the day we founded our party and clearly expressed his support to our party. Mr. Vural has importance for Turkey not only in regard to economic relations but also as a very modern representative of Turkey in Europe and in the world.''
Talay stated that they wanted to benefit from international relations and approaches of Oger who had always regarded Turkey's interests.
''He is not our member yet. But, he is with us. Vural Oger will also join all our contacts in Germany. We will evaluate the ways to further improve our relations with Oger,'' Talay said.
Talay added that they would return to Istanbul on August 22.