Dervis: It Will Be Difficult If They Do Not Come To Power Alone

ANKARA - Former State Minister Kemal Dervis, who decided to join the Republican People's Party (CHP), said late on Thursday that it would be difficult if they did not come to the power alone.
Dervis responded to questions at a program live broadcast at private NTV station.
Upon a question if the CHP would form a coalition with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Dervis said that they had to come to the power alone in order to solve Turkey's problems. ''Otherwise, we will have to cope with difficult things,'' he added.
Dervis noted that he would not undertake economic responsibility if there was not harmony in the new government to be formed after the elections.
Asked if CHP would form a coalition with the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), Dervis said that he was not the leader and he did not know much about AK Party.
When he was reminded about the concerns of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit about AK Party, Dervis said that he respected to every political party for which Turkish people cast their votes and stated that ''he did not consider AK Party's statements about economy and Europe as modern and serious.''
Dervis noted that he was in favor of hundred percent belief and worship freedom when touching on the headscarf issue. He added, ''but, there are some differences in special areas and public areas. Freedom in special areas do not always suit the freedom in public areas.''
PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE FEARED OF ISSUES LIKE EDUCATION AND BROADCASTING IN KURDISH
Dervis said that he did not understand why issues like education and broadcasting in Kurdish were still discussed and noted that people should not be feared of those issues.
It was natural that people had some concerns and uneasiness because Turkey experienced a mass terrorism, Dervis said.
TURKEY HAS TO TAKE ECONOMIC MEASURES AGAINST A PROBABLE U.S. OPERATION ON IRAQ
Upon a question whether Turkey's relations with the U.S. would be harmed if it rejected a probable operation on Iraq, Dervis said, ''I cannot link loan issue with foreign policy and defense. I cannot discuss these issues. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will not blackmail us about Iraqi issue. I cannot discuss Cyprus. IMF should not intervene in these issues. These are not its business.''
A probable operation on Iraq was a big threat for Turkey, Dervis noted.
Dervis pointed out that Turkey had to take economic measures against a probable U.S. operation on Iraq.
''If the United States has seen a serious terrorism threat there, we have some responsibilities for international terrorism. We cannot say that it does not concern us,'' he added.
TURKISH ECONOMY WOULD RECOVER IN ONE YEAR IF WE HAVE A STRONG GOVERNMENT THAT COULD FAITHFULLY IMPLEMENT ECONOMIC PROGRAM
Dervis said that he hadn't known about yesterday's resignations beforehand and he didn't know how it happened.
''It would have been very good for Turkey if Bulent Ecevit, Ismail Cem and Deniz Baykal had joined before the elections as a single democratic left party,'' he commented. ''There isn't a difference between Baykal and Cem, they share the same view of the world. I've tried for a long time to unite them. Even today, I don't know why they work in two separate parties.''
DERVIS: WE'VE NEVER SIGNED A DOCUMENT WITH IMF THAT WOULDN'T BENEFIT TURKEY
Dervis said Turkey had two very serious economic crises and added that the economic recovery started in the last 17 months he has been in charge.
''We've never done anything only because the IMF asked for it. We've never signed any document if it wasn't going to benefit Turkey. There were times that we had conflicts with the IMF, but we convinced them. This was our economic program,'' he said. Dervis added that Turkey needed the IMF's support for another two or three years because of the debt load.
''We must gain the confidence of both Turkish and foreign institutions which can offer us their resources and we need the government of a single party, the CHP,'' he said. ''If we have a strong government that will be faithful to the economic program on Nov.4 or 5, the interest rates will drop, investments will start, employment will increase and tradesmen and farmers will benefit from it. In six months or a maximum of one year, the economy would start recovering.''
EU SHOULD NOT MAKE ANY IMPOSITION ON TURKEY ABOUT CYPRUS QUESTION
Copenhagen criteria did not have any connection with Cyprus, Dervis noted. To this end, he said, the EU should not make any imposition to Turkey about Cyprus question.
Dervis added, ''we did not cause the Cyprus question. The Greek military junta caused it. Both sides should make sacrifices. This is a serious problem. If we solve our political and economic problems, Cyprus question can be solved more quickly.''