YILMAZ: “OUR ELECTIONS AND THE EU’S SCHEDULE ARE RUNNING TOO CLOSE TOGETHER”
Appearing on television yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz said that if Parliament holds a vote on delaying elections set for Nov. 3, there would be no ANAP “party-line” vote, with the party’s deputies instead being free to vote as they see fit. However, Yilmaz reiterated that he personally favored delay until after December’s European Union summit since, in his view, the EU’s schedule and Turkey’s elections were running too close each other. Postponing polls would give Turkey time to amend the Elections Law, implement the EU harmonization laws and bolster its lobbying efforts, added Yilmaz. /Hurriyet/
GUREL: “TURKEY WILL NOT ALLOW ESTABLISHMENT OF A KURDISH STATE”
In the midst of a three-capital European tour to promote Turkey’s European Union membership bid, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel this week underscored Turkey’s firm opposition to any Kurdish state being established in northern Iraq. Speaking to Britain’s Financial Times, while in London, Gurel stated that Turkey would not allow a Kurdish state to emerge in the aftermath of a possible operation to topple Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Following his London visit, Gurel proceeded to Paris yesterday to meet with French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin. Gurel reportedly asked Villepin to support Turkey’s full membership bid at December’s EU Copenhagen summit. In addition, Gurel and his accompanying delegation also met with France’s Parliament and Senate commissioners responsible for the European Union. /All Papers/
TURKER IN WASHINGTON FOR IMF, WORLD BANK MEETINGS
State Economy Minister Masum Turker yesterday travelled to Washington to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and to hold discussions as part of the fourth review of Turkey’s economic program. Before departing, Turker told reporters that he would meet with US Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill, IMF Managing Director Horst Koehler and WB President James Wolfensohn aw well as representatives of the US Export-Import Bank (Eximbank) and economic officials from other countries. During these talks, Turker said he would lay out the progress of Turkey’s economic program. /Hurriyet/
GUARDED TURKISH RESPONSE TO BRITISH DOSSIER ON IRAQ
At a press conference yesterday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Huseyin Dirioz gave a guarded response to Britain’s dossier on Iraq released by British Prime Minister Tony Blair one day earlier. Dirioz said that the dossier had confirmed the importance of Iraq’s compliance with UN Security Council resolutions. Blair’s report, however, had underlined Britain’s support for any United States operation in Iraq and stated that UN efforts to avoid such intervention would be in vain. In related news, Iraqi opposition groups are set to hold a meeting tomorrow in Nevsehir in central Anatolia. In order not to offend the current Iraqi government, however, Turkey will neither participate in nor be represented at the meeting. At yesterday’s press conference Dirioz also called on the Israeli government to lift its siege of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s headquarters in Ramallah, adding that Turkey fully supported the recent UN Security Council resolution passed to this end. /Cumhuriyet/
IKDP, IPUK AGREE ON DRAFT CONSTITUTION FOR “FEDERAL IRAQ”
Two northern Iraq-based Kurdish groups have reportedly reached consensus on a draft constitution for a proposed federal Iraqi republic made up of Kurds and Arabs. The Iraqi Kurdish Democratic Party (IKDP) and the Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) put final shape to the text of the draft constitution, initially prepared by the IKDP, during roundtable meetings in northern Iraq between representatives from the two groups on Sept. 18-23. In related news, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit yesterday reiterated Turkey’s concern over the possible establishment of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq. Referring to the IKDP and IPUK leaders, Ecevit said, “Though they say that they are opposed to a Kurdish state, they are taking steps to advance this end. If they make those efforts official, more serious problems could arise.” Ecevit remarked that Turkey would not hesitate to take necessary measures should they be called for, but added, “I hope that there will be no need for this.” /Turkiye/
BREKK: “TURKEY POSTPONING ITS IMF COMMITMENTS WOULD BE IMPROPER”
International Monetary Fund Turkey Director Odd Per Brekk yesterday came to Turkey accompanied by an IMF delegation to conduct the fourth review of the nation’s economic program. Speaking to reporters, Brekk brushed aside recent indications that Turkey might postpone some of its commitments to the IMF because of the Nov. 3 elections, calling any such move “improper” since the elections date was known when the commitments were drawn up. “During the third review of the program, it was known that Turkey would hold elections in November,” stated Brekk. “We also got a letter of commitment from the government coalition leaders.” Brekk added that Turkey had been successfully applying the economic program and that things should improve greatly after the elections, when political instability ends. /Milliyet/
FOREIGN MINISTRY: “TURKEY KNOWS WELL HOW TO CONDUCT ELECTIONS”
At a press conference yesterday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Huseyin Dirioz addressed a number of current issues in Turkish-European Union relations. Commenting on a recent Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) report on Turkey’s implementation of European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decisions, Dirioz said that Turkey was in full compliance with all relevant ECHR decisions, and had also paid whatever financial penalties the court had imposed. Asked about the Council of Europe’s stated intent to send observers to Turkey’s Nov. 3 elections, Dirioz said that the nation had been conducting elections for over 50 years now and had nothing to hide or to be ashamed of. Finally responding to recent European Parliament criticism that Turkey was not displaying a helpful attitude on the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), Dirioz said that this charge was completely groundless. /Cumhuriyet/
DERVIS: “POSTPONING ELECTIONS WOULDN’T HELP TURKEY’S EU BID”
Speaking at a conference in Washington yesterday organized by the Ari Foundation, a nongovernmental organization (NGO), former Economy Minister Kemal Dervis said arguments that Turkey should postpone elections scheduled for Nov. 3 due to December’s European Union summit were mistaken. Dervis stated that postponing elections wouldn’t help Turkey’s European Union membership bid, since the EU wanted to see a determined, powerful government in Turkey. He added that the EU would be pleased if Turkey overcomes its political instability after the elections. Dervis also said that Turkey’s EU membership was achievable from the standpoints of both politics and history as well as economics. “Both Turkey and the EU will benefit from Turkey’s EU membership,” he said. “Turkey wants to get a date from the EU at December’s Copenhagen summit, but it’s much more important that the EU not treat Turkey any differently than the other 13 candidate countries.” /Milliyet/
DENKTAS’S NEW CYPRUS SETTLEMENT PROPOSES TRIPLE SOVEREIGNTY
Details of a new plan proposed by Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas at his Sept. 11 meeting with Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides were released yesterday. Under the plan, sovereignty on the island would have three distinct elements. The Turkish and Greek Cypriot founding states would transfer sovereignty on some issue areas to a common authority, while retaining others, and that authority would then share some of its sovereignty with the European Union, should Cyprus becomes an EU member. For this plan to go into effect, the two founding states would have to officially recognize each other at least 24 hours before the establishment of the common state. However, acceptance of the plan by the Greek Cypriot administration seem unlikely, reports said yesterday. Yet officials from certain Western states reportedly told Denktas that the plan also contained some useful points. Meanwhile, United Nations Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro De Soto, who has been serving as an observer at meetings between Denktas and Clerides, will be travelling to Ankara tomorrow to meet with Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal. /Cumhuriyet/
BUSINESS LEADERS CALL FOR ELECTIONS TO BE HELD AS SCHEDULED
Turkey’s elections should be held as scheduled, on Nov. 3, for the good of the country and its economic health, said a meeting of top Turkish business leaders yesterday. Speaking to a Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association’s (TUSAID) Higher Consultation Board (YIK) meeting in Istanbul, YIK Chairman Muharrem Kayhan said that elections were one of the major planks and expressions of democracy. Tuncay Ozilhan, TUSIAD’s chairman, stated that he was opposed to efforts to postpone the polls since such a delay would sow great instability. Recalling that TUSIAD had previously proposed changes to the Political Parties and Elections Law, Ozilhan said that the need for reform was no excuse to postpone elections. “These matters should be discussed after the elections,” said Ozilhan. /Turkiye/
SP: “CHANGES ARE NEEDED TO MAKE ELECTIONS JUST AND DEMOCRATIC”
A number of legal changes are needed to ensure that the Nov. 3 elections are just and democratic and to avoid a great many mistakes, said Felicity Party (SP) Deputy Chairman Mehmer Bekaroglu yesterday. Speaking to reporters, Bekaroglu said that the SP would support whatever changes were necessary to the Political Parties Elections Law. /Aksam/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION