SEZER VETOES APPOINTMENT DECREES
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday vetoed a number of recent Cabinet civil service appointment decrees on the grounds that making such appointments so close to elections would be unethical. Sezer had previously informed the government after Parliament voted to hold elections on Nov. 3 that he would block any such appointments if they were not vital to the smooth functioning of the state. Over the past three weeks the Cabinet forwarded several appointment decrees to the president, all of which were vetoed yesterday.
ECEVIT CALLS FOR LEFTIST UNITY UNDER DSP BANNER
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit yesterday issued a call for everybody who espouses the views of the democratic, national left to unify under the banner of his Democratic Left Party (DSP). Speaking at a Prime Ministry press conference, Ecevit said that the DSP had long been the sole bastion of unity among an otherwise fragmental left. He stated that his call was not meant for all leftists, but rather only for those defending the views of the national left. Regarding efforts to postpone elections set for Nov. 3, the prime minister said, “The DSP has been opposed to the early elections from the very beginning. However, now it’s too late to postpone them.” /All Papers/
PARTY LEADERS RESPOND TO CILLER’S CENSURE PROPOSAL
Turkey’s political life, already consumed with election campaigning along with proposals to delay the November elections, yesterday received another jolt in the form of a proposal made by True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller. “We are ready to support any censure motion to bring down the current government,” said Ciller in a statement. “However, elections should be held at their scheduled time.” Following her declaration, the Felicity Party (SP) decided to withdraw a censure motion that it had previously submitted to Parliament. Speaking on the matter, New Turkey Party (YTP) Secretary-General Istemihan Talay said that his party would support such an initiative. “We aren’t eager to be in an election government, but we do want to hold polls under a trustworthy government,” he said. Talay also added that the YTP was in favor of holding elections on Nov. 3 as scheduled. Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Tayyip Erdogan also weighed in the issue, calling such initiatives “disrespectful” and vowing that his party would have no involvement in such “provocative” actions. Meanwhile, coalition government partner Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz stated that his party would not support the initiative. To bring down the government, the votes of 276 deputies would be needed. No party in Parliament besides the DYP and the YTP has given support to Ciller’s proposal. /Turkiye/
ZIYAL MEETS WITH WOLFOWITZ, GROSSMAN IN WASHINGTON
Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal, who is currently visiting the US, yesterday met with Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and US Assistant Secretary of State Marc Grossman, the later a former US ambassador to Turkey. During their talks, Turkish-US relations were discussed along with a number of important issues such as Iraq, Cyprus, Turkish-European Union relations and the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP). After the meeting, a high-level US official told reporters that the Bush administration wanted to thank Turkey for its support in the war against international terrorism. “Turkey has a pivotal role in our fight against terrorism,” said the official. “The US is lending its full support to Turkey’s EU membership bid. The recent reforms passed by the Turkish Parliament displayed its determination towards this goal.” /Cumhuriyet/
KIVRIKOGLU HANDS OVER HIS DUTIES TO OZKOK
Chief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu, who is set to officially retire tomorrow, yesterday handed over his duties to his successor at the post, Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, in a ceremony in Ankara. Among those present to witness the handover were President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Deputy Prime Ministers Mesut Yilmaz and Devlet Bahceli, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and numerous other state ministers. In his speech for the occasion, Kivrikoglu stated that there was a continued need for measures to counter separatist, reactionary threats which still pose a danger to Turkey. “The Turkish Armed Forces [TSK] will never allow opponents of Turkey’s republican order to exploit the opportunities which democracy offers as a cover to damage our basic principles,” he said. “The terrorist PKK can’t escape responsibility for its actions merely because it now calls itself KADEK.” Kivrikoglu added that the TSK was not opposed to Turkey’s European Union membership bid. /Milliyet/
IKDP REPRESENTATIVE ZABARI VISITS TURKEY
Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) foreign policy head Hoshyar Zabari arrived in Ankara yesterday to brief Turkish officials about the recent Iraqi opposition leaders’ meeting in Washington earlier this month. He is expected to discuss a number of sensitive issues with the officials, including IKDP leader Massoud Barzani’s recent statement that if the Turkish forces were to move into northern Iraq, forces from the IKDP would “bury” them there. /Cumhuriyet/
YILMAZ: “I’M CONFIDENT ANAP WILL SURPASS THE 10% ELECTION THRESHOLD”
Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz yesterday confidently predicted that his party would surpass the 10% threshold in November’s elections. “ANAP will certainly attract as many votes in these elections as it did in the last ones in 1997,” said Yilmaz. “Our surveys say that over half of the voters remain undecided, and we expect to win over most of this group.” /Milliyet/
OZYER RESIGNS FROM ANAP, BASESGIOGLU JOINS AKP
Motherland Party (ANAP) Mugla Deputy Hasan Ozyer resigned from the party yesterday after meeting with ANAP leader Mesut Yilmaz. Including Ozyer’s resignation, the number of ANAP deputies in Parliament fell to 71. In related news, former ANAP Kastamonu Deputy Murat Basesgioglu, who resigned from ANAP last week, yesterday joined the Justice and Development Party (AKP). /Milliyet/
LAGENDIJK: “TURKEY WON’T GET INTO THE EU UNLESS THE CYPRUS ISSUE IS RESOLVED”
Joost Lagendijk, co-chairman of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Commission, told reporters yesterday that Turkey wouldn’t be admitted into the European Union unless the problem of Cyprus is resolved. He added that he was informed of this condition during Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz’s visit last week to Denmark, the current holder of the rotating EU presidency. Lagendijk also said that pressure was being put on both the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides to reach a settlement, adding however that a settlement still wouldn’t guarantee Turkish accession. Remarking on possible future political systems for Cyprus, Lagendijk noted that the EU favored a system with “one state, one president and two autonomous regions.” /Aksam/
DENKTAS: “IF THE GREEK CYPRIOTS JOIN THE EU ALONE, THE TRNC MIGHT INTEGRATE WITH TURKEY”
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas yesterday stated that if the European Union was to let the Greek Cypriots join the EU as the sole representative of the entire island, then the TRNC might begin considering integration with Turkey as a solution. Denktas remarked that under such circumstances he would have to begin thinking of “alternative solutions” for the future of the Turkish Cypriots. The Greek press gave wide coverage to Denktas’s warning, claiming that Turkey and Turkish Cypriots were “bluffing” in order to block Greek Cypriots from joining the EU. /Cumhuriyet/
WASHINGTON TIMES: “PRESIDENT BUSH SHOULD PRIORITIZE PUSH FOR TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP”
US daily The Washington Times yesterday urged the Bush administration to make Turkey’s European Union membership bid a top priority, saying such membership would be beneficial for all parties concerned. In an unsigned Times editorial, the paper remarked that “Turkey’s entry into the EU would give Western, progressive, free-market policies a foothold in the Middle East … [and] provide a critical example to other countries in the region.” In pushing Turkey’s EU bid, Bush should “lean on his European friends … to set a date” for Turkey’s membership negotiations,” the editorial added. Finally, the EU “should demonstrate [that] it does, ultimately, want Turkey to join the club,” the paper concluded. /Turkiye/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION