Turker Comes To Washington D.C.

WASHINGTON D.C. - State Minister Masum Turker arrived in Washington D.C. on Thursday to participate in the IMF and World Bank fall term meetings.
Responding to questions of A.A, Turker said that it was not possible to postpone the early elections in Turkey.
''The election lists have become final, it is not possible to postpone the elections, because the parliament will open on the first of October and on the second of October, citizens will start to cast votes at customs gates,'' Turker said.
Upon a question asking if Turkey asked for any demand from the U.S. administration to meet the damage of Turkey in case of an operation against Iraq, Turker said that ''Turkey does not need to ask for an additional money under the existing conditions. However not only the operation itself, but the possibility of such an operation against Iraq negatively affects and will affect Turkey.''
Turker said that Turkey explains to American officials that there will be an increase in the refugee number, tourism and economic loss in Turkey due to the increase in oil prices in case of an operation against Iraq, adding that ''certainly it is the Foreign Ministry which carries out the concerned contacts. We discuss such possible losses of Turkey with our counterparts who are charged in economy. It is not possible to make a clear account of our possible loss.''
When asked if there is a problem in ensuring the targetted 6.5 percent of non-interest budget surplus due to the difficulties in oil prices, Turker said that there is no problem in fulfilling the commitments within the scope of IMF programme.
''The increase in oil prices will cause an unexpected payment in balance of payments due to the cost of oil on one hand. On the other hand, when the consumption in Turkey decreases, there will be also in decrease in revenues. These will not significantly affect the budget. But if the oil prices increase more than expected, this will cause serious loss for us,'' Turker said.
Turker said that important part of the commitments towards IMF have been completed, adding that there can a delay in the studies regarding the tax reform that will be prepared by the Finance Ministry. Noting that it is difficult to prepare a tax reform in the atmosphere of early elections, Turker said that a total of 45,000 workers have to be dismissed until June, 2003 within the commitments made to IMF. Turker noted that they target to dismiss 30,000 workers until the end of October and 18,000 of them retired themselves. ''There is no need for us to dismiss them, the workers ask for their retirement themselves. Resignations come within every three months,'' Turker said.
When asked if there was a difficulty in IMF's approach about the election economy, Turker said that they didn't do anything in economy for elections. Turker said that there was no distortion from the programme.
Upon a question related to former State Minister and Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate deputy Kemal Dervis's being in Washington D.C. at the same time with the fall meetings of IMF and World Bank, Turker said that he had no problem related to this issue.
When recalled Kemal Dervis's statement that the economic programme was going well at a meeting which was held by a nongovernmental organization in Washington D.C., Turker said, ''he knows how much sensitivity we are showing to that issue. If he says 'there is no deviation in the programme and it is going well', I think IMF and World Bank easily say this.''
Responding to a question on the last loan tranche which would be taken from IMF and which was planned to be released to Turkey in mid-November, he said that necessary commitments on that issue were fulfilled.
Turker stated that the difficult part in the programme has already been completed and added that the government which would come to power after the elections would implement the advantageous part of the economic programme.
Turker will meet with the officials of IMF and World Bank in Washington D.C. Turker will also have a meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill.
Turker will attend a meeting on reconstruction of Afghanistan, in Washington D.C. and later meet with U.S. Undersecretary of State Alan Larson who is in charge of economic affairs on Thursday.
Turker is expected to leave for Turkey on October 1.