ECEVIT: “TURKEY IS READY TO MEDIATE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE”
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit told reporters yesterday that Turkey was willing to act as mediator to find a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, adding that he would write a letter to United States President George W. Bush to tell him of this proposal. Ecevit also commented on a telephone conversation he had with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat earlier this week, saying that under his current besieged circumstances Arafat was unable to bring about an end to terrorism. Ecevit’s mediation proposal notwithstanding, Israeli authorities stated that Arafat had to act to prevent terrorist attacks on the Israeli people before any talks could begin, reports said yesterday. /Cumhuriyet/
GUREL TRAVELS TO EU CAPITALS FOR SUPPORT ON MEMBERSHIP BID
Following Sunday’s re-election to Germany’s chancellorship of Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader Gerhard Schroeder, who is supportive of Turkey’s prospective membership in the European Union, Turkey has stepped up diplomatic efforts to obtain support from EU member countries. Towards this end, Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel yesterday began a round of visits to Britain, France, and Denmark, the current holder of the EU term presidency. During his visit, Gurel is expected to tell his counterparts that Turkey would like accession negotiations to begin in 2003 and that it has no intention of accepting anything short of this. Gurel will also emphasize the important step forward that Turkey took this summer in fulfilling all the political criteria needed for accession and furthermore request that this be recognized in the EU Commission’s Progress Report set to be released on Oct. 9. /Cumhuriyet/
YILMAZ: “THE ELECTIONS WILL BE A TURNING POINT FOR BOTH TURKEY AND ANAP”
Motherland Party (ANAP) leader and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz held a meeting with ANAP-affiliated mayors and provincial assembly members yesterday at the party’s headquarters in Ankara. Speaking to the ANAP faithful, Yilmaz said, “We have two options before us: Will we make Turkey a member of the European Union which can integrate Turkey with the modern world, or will we become a Middle Eastern republic saddled with a worsening economy?” For this reason, the Nov. 3 elections are critical, said Yilmaz, and citizens should guard themselves against various political games and tricks. “A certain party -- one which would lead Turkey into a dark future -- has puffed itself up with so-called public opinion polls, and on the other hand, there is party calling itself leftist which wants citizens to lend their votes to come to power and save Turkey from the other one,” Yilmaz said. /Turkiye/
TURKER TO ATTEND IMF, WORLD BANK MEETINGS IN WASHINGTON
A delegation of Turkish officials led by Economy Minister Masum Turker is to arrive in Washington tomorrow to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. During the visit, Turker is expected to meet with IMF Managing Director Horst Koehler and WB President James Wolfensohn. The Turkish delegation includes numerous state officials, including Treasury Undersecretary Faik Oztrak, Deputy Treasury Undersecretaries Aydin Karaoz and Hakan Ozyildiz, Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti, Central Bank Vice Governor Sukru Binay, Budget and Fiscal Control General Director Durmus Oztek, Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) Chairman Engin Akcakoca and BDDK Deputy Chairman Ceyla Pazarbasoglu, as well as high-ranking officials from the Turkish Banks’ Union (TBB). /Hurriyet/
BAYKAL: “NO POLITICAL BAN CAN LAST FOREVER”
Speaking at a meeting of his party in Istanbul yesterday, Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman Deniz Baykal said that the Article 76 of the Constitution, which sets out conditions for candidates standing in elections, should be reworked. Addressing the situation of Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose parliamentary candidacy was barred last week by the Supreme Election Board (YSK), Baykal said that no one could be banned from politics forever just because of her or his thoughts and beliefs. Baykal added, though, that the state should definitely have the power to revoke, under specific circumstances, the political rights of certain individuals. “However, such measures should only be applied to people who have committed ordinary crimes or abused public resources.” /Aksam/
124 DEPUTIES SUBMIT MOTION FOR EXTRAORDINARY PARLIAMENTARY SESSION
A total of 124 deputies from the New Turkey Party (YTP), the Felicity Party (SP) and the Motherland Turkey Party (ANAP) yesterday submitted a motion to Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi requesting that he issue a call for Parliament to reconvene for an extraordinary session. The latest day Izgi could issue such a call is next Monday, Sept. 30. The motion says that the session is needed to discuss three issues, namely postponing the scheduled Nov. 3 elections, lowering the 10% election threshold, and amending the Political Parties and Election Laws. /Milliyet/
ERBAKAN, ERDOGAN REJECT YSK DECISION, FILE APPEALS
Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Necmettin Erbakan, former leader of the defunct Welfare Party (RP), yesterday rejected last week’s Supreme Election Board (YSK) decision barring them from running for seats in this fall’s parliamentary elections. Lawyers representing the two politicians have filed appeals of the decision to the YSK, but prospects of the YSK reversing it are reportedly slim. /Milliyet/
ECHR REJECTS ERDOGAN’S APPEAL FOR STAY ORDER OF YSK DECISION
The European Court of Human Rights yesterday rejected Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s appeal for it to issue a stay order of last week’s Supreme Election Board (YSK) decision barring him from running for Parliament in this fall’s elections. The ECHR deliberated on the issue yesterday and decided not to issue an injunction halting implementation of the YSK decision. In related news, Oskar Benedikt, economic counselor of the European Commission Representation to Turkey, said that the relevant bodies of the EU would soon hold an urgent meeting to discuss the YSK ruling. /Milliyet/
ERDOGAN REPLACED ON AKP CANDIDATE LIST
Following last week’s Supreme Election Board (YSK) decision barring Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Tayyip Erdogan from running for Parliament in this fall’s elections, a replacement has been named for his spot on the AKP candidate list. Businessman Kemal Unakitan, former head of the Turkish Pulp and Paper Association (SEKA), will run in Erdogan’s stead in Istanbul’s first district. /Sabah/
CYPRUS MEETING HELD IN ISTANBUL
Before resumption of direct talks today in Cyprus to seek a settlement to the island’s issues, a meeting was held yesterday in Istanbul to discuss the island with the attendance of various public figures and selected journalists long associated with the topic. Prior to the meeting, Mumtaz Soysal, a Turkish scholar currently serving as law advisor to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas, told reporters that whereas Greek Cypriots wanted to merely amend the island’s Constitution, Turkey wanted to forge a new partnership under a new pact. Stressing that Cyprus was a matter of national policy in Turkey, Soysal said, “If the Greek Cypriots continue to insist on a separate state and more closer to Greece and the European Union, the TRNC will further improve its relations with Turkey.” /Turkiye/
CENTRAL BANK HEAD: “WE WON’T MISS OUR ANNUAL INFLATION TARGET”
Speaking on television yesterday, Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti said that even if this month’s inflation exceeded the government’s economic program expectations, the target for 2002 annual inflation would remain unaffected. But Turkey’s growth will be higher than originally projected, he added. Serdengecti also stated that a possible US attack on Iraq would definitely have an impact on Turkey’s economy. “However, the more we stick to the economic program, the less will be this effect.” /Star/
TUSIAD, BOGAZICI UNIVERSITY TO FOUND FOREIGN POLICY FORUM
Under an agreement announced yesterday, a new Foreign Policy Forum will be established to contribute to scholarship and understanding of Turkish foreign policy. The forum, to be established under the auspices of the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) and Bogazici University, will be made official tomorrow with a signing ceremony between TUSIAD President Tuncay Ozilhan and Sabih Tansal, rector of Bogazici University. /Hurriyet/
ART ISTANBUL 2002 TO BEGIN TODAY
The massive “Art Istanbul 2002” exhibit will begin today in a 7,000-square-meter area of the Lutfi Kirdar Congress and Exhibition Hall. Some 75 art galleries, nine of them from outside Turkey, are set to show the works of 1,500 artists. As part of the event, conferences and competitions will also be held. The five-day exhibit will run through Saturday. /Turkiye/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION