ECEVIT: “YILMAZ SAID THAT POSTPONING THE ELECTIONS WAS INEVITABLE”
Speaking to reporters after his Tuesday meeting with Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that Yilmaz had told him a postponement of November’s elections was inevitable. “Yilmaz didn’t explicitly demand a postponement, but said that it couldn’t be avoided,” Ecevit stated. “But I told him that if the Nationalist Action Party [MHP] quits the government at this point [per Yilmaz’s demands], such a move would hurt the economy.” He added that Yilmaz’s problem couldn’t be Turkey’s European Union membership bid, since there was no reason for Turkey to be swayed from this goal. “The entire nation stands behind our EU bid,” remarked Ecevit. Asked what would happen should ANAP leave the government, Ecevit said that the minority government would then do its best to lead the country. He added, however, that Parliament would have the final say on the matter. /Milliyet/

YILMAZ: “THERE WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING”
Speaking at his party’s Executive Board meeting yesterday, Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz said that he had no intention whatsoever of trying to postpone elections scheduled for Nov. 3 and that Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit had completely misunderstood his intentions. Yilmaz stated that at his meeting with the prime minister on Tuesday he had merely proposed establishing a new government, one fully committed to the objective of European Union membership, on the grounds that the coalition partner Nationalist Action Party (MHP) was trying to hinder efforts to implement the harmonization laws adopted earlier this summer. /Cumhuriyet/

BAHCELI CRITICIZES YILMAZ
Following Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz’s statements Tuesday that the current government could no longer serve due to the Nationalist Action Party’s (MHP) judicial appeal of four European Union harmonization laws, MHP leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday harshly criticized Yilmaz. At a press conference, Bahceli claimed that a “great game and conspiracy” were being played on Turkey and Turkish people. Stressing that Yilmaz was scrounging for reasons to postpone the Nov. 3 elections whatever the cost and bring down the current government in the process, Bahceli said, “Certain circles are in a great panic, as they know that the forthcoming elections will spell their end.” Bahceli remarked that if ANAP withdraws from the government, the MHP would continue to serve with its remaining partner. /Turkiye/

GUREL: “TURKEY UNDERSTANDS THE US’ GRIEF OVER SEPT. 11 LIKE NO OTHER NATION”
Turkey itself suffered under a years-long terrorist campaign, and thus is in a unique position to understand the pain and sorrow the United States felt after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel in a letter of condolence sent to US Secretary of State Colin Powell yesterday. “The Turkish people were shocked by these terrorist attacks and felt a tremendous sorrow,” Gurel added in his message to mark the attacks’ first anniversary. /Aksam/

CILLER: “THE DYP IS OPPOSED TO POSTPONING ELECTIONS”
True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller said yesterday that her party would take no part in scenarios aimed at postponing the Nov. 3 elections. At a joint press conference in Parliament held with Democratic Turkey Party (DTP) leader Mehmet Ali Bayar, Ciller commented on recent discussions concerning the postponement of early elections. “As the DYP has been calling for elections for over three years,” Ciller said, “now our supporting such efforts is out of question.” Stressing that postponing the elections would not serve Turkey’s interests, Ciller stated, “We will not allow certain circles to postpone elections, whatever models are proposed for the formation of a new government.” In addition, pointing to the DYP and DTP’s alliance for the early elections, Ciller said that the two parties had taken the first step towards an important cooperation and also signalled a unification on the center-right. /Turkiye/

YSK CHAIR: “ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD IN NOVEMBER AS SCHEDULED”
Supreme Election Board (YSK) Chairman Tufan Algan said yesterday that recent political developments would have no effect on elections being held on their scheduled date, Nov. 3. Algan stated that even if a government coalition partner withdrew or a crisis ensued, the elections would not be postponed. “Under the Constitution, a government stays in power until the next one is sworn in,” he added. “If the current government serves until the new one takes the reins, the election schedule will take place as planned.” /Aksam/

TURKEY TO ASK FOR IMF LOAN ADVANCE
During Economy Minister Masum Turker’s visit to Washington, DC set for Sept. 25, Turkish officials are expected to ask the International Monetary Fund to disburse a $1.6 billion loan tranche earlier than scheduled. The reason for this request, said the officials yesterday, is the looming general elections scheduled for Nov. 3. /Cumhuriyet/

CB GOVERNOR: “SHORT-TERM FIXES COULD LEAD TO NEW CRISES”
Speaking at the opening of the sixth International Economy Congress in Istanbul yesterday, Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti said that applying short-term fixes to Turkey’s economy would run the risk of causing new crises. “The solutions to our problems lie in the establishment of sound financial policies,” he added. Serdengecti also said that a number of reforms and new fiscal policies enacted by the government were working to cushion the economy against shocks and crises. /Star/

KUTAN: “THE SP WANTS ELECTIONS TO BE HELD IN NOVEMBER”
Felicity Party (SP) leader Recai Kutan said yesterday that his party wanted elections to be held in November as scheduled, the efforts of some political parties not withstanding. Kutan added that he had yet to decide whether or not to push a censure motion which his party previously submitted against the coalition government. /Milliyet/

BBP TO STAND BY ITSELF IN ELECTIONS
Efforts to form an alliance of the Felicity Party (SP) and the Great Union Party (BBP) for the November elections have been broken off, involved officials said yesterday. The SP reportedly rejected a plan under which joint candidate lists would place BBP candidates first in 40 provinces and second in others. BBP leader Muhsin Yazioglu said that his party would enter the elections under its own banner, without any alliance. /Turkiye/

KONONOV: “TURKISH BUSINESSMEN SHOULD INVEST IN RUSSIA”
Valeri Ivanovic Kononov, secretary-general of the Turkish-Russian Business Council and counselor to the Russian Trade Ministry, yesterday told the Bursa Chamber of Trade Industry (BTSO) during a visit that Turkish businessmen should put their money in Russia. “We call on Turkish businessmen to visit and invest in Russia,” Kononov said. Kononov also stated that relations between Turkey and Russia should not be based on trade alone. /Sabah/

TURKEY TO STORE EXCESS NATURAL GAS
Turkish energy officials announced yesterday a plan under which imported natural gas exceeding the national demand would be stored in underwater depots beneath the Sea of Marmara. The plan would eliminate large compensation payments Turkey has been making to Russia and Iran, incurred whenever Turkey failed to purchase an amount of natural gas specified in contractual agreements. /Aksam/

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