Ecevit: Dervis Pionnered Initiative To Split Up D.S.P.

ANKARA - Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said on Saturday that they did not think of returning from November 3 elections.
Ecevit responded to the questions in live tv broadcast in CNN Turk.
When asked about delay of elections, Ecevit recalled that his party had been the only party opposing early elections at the beginning, stressing that things got confused after sometime.
Ecevit said many parties apart from them launched initiatives to delay elections, and noted that, ''we did not find it appropriate, because all the procedures regarding had been completed. It was not something right to disrupt them make them upside down. It was obvious that the public felt strage about this. To this end, we reached to the idea that it was not right to delay elections.''
Pointing out that rumours about him were not right, Ecevit said, ''I mean some parliamentarians who wanted to delay elections tried to make me the leader of a minority government. We don't have any connection with them. We have not launched any initiatives in this respect. We don't think of returning from November 3.''
Ecevit said they would go to the Parliament on October 1, stressing that they could convene Party Assembly if necessary. ''However, according to my impresions, our friends think that it would be the most correct decision to hold electons on November 3.''
Ecevit said they did not feel the need to take a group decision regarding postpoment of early elections.
Ecevit said, ''there is a consistency in our party. To this end, we won't probably have a need to give certain extaordinary decisions. Although we were against early elections at the beginning, the time of holding elections has come. To this end, I think that continuing procedures without taking a strange decision is the right thing. But, of course, it is not possible to foresee who will behave in what way at the parliament at this moment. We think that elections should be held in the earlier set date.''
When the journalist said, ''request of New Turkey Party (YTP) deputy Gaffar Yakin to meet you was perceived as accepting an interlocutor,'' Ecevit said, ''no, we do not have such an intention. That deputy insisted on meeting us. I did not find it right because our decision is clear. We knew why that friend would come to us. But, I did not want to get involved in these things and I did not want to upset him. To this end, I asked one of our friends to meet him.''
Asked if there was not any possibility to evaluate the proposal, Ecevit said, ''no, there was not any discussion between those friends.''
When the journalist noted that ''there was a proposal to form a minority government under his leadership,'' Ecevit said, ''we did not even think of this. And, we do not think that it is right to think of such a thing. We do not want people to get the impression that we have such a wish.''
PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT: ''DERVIS PIONNERED INITIATIVE TO SPLIT UP DSP''
Upon a question about elections, Ecevit said statement of Kemal Dervis, saying that 'a new political scenerio is needed,' made the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) launch some initiatives.
When asked ''what happened that Dervis made a statement in the summit,'' Ecevit said, ''it is difficult to predict. However it is a fact that we invited Mr. Dervis to overcome the crisis. However, he began to concentrate on politics instead of economy after sometime. This began to confuse the atmosphere. Meanwhile he insistently began to bring early elections onto agenda. Mr. Dervis said things did not go well, yet signs indicating that things go well began to appear on the other side. Of course he had positive contributions to this. However he said things did not go well. I felt strange about this because in fact the things were going well.''
Ecevit said, ''Mr. Dervis began to be interested in politics more than economy after a point. He began to take interesting steps. First of all he pioneered initiatives to split up DSP. Meanwhile troika appeared. Ismail Cem, Husamettin Ozkan and Kemal Dervis came together and launched initiatives to split up DSP. However they could not succeed.''
Stressing that there was a separation in DSP group but that the organization stood still strongly, Ecevit said Dervis gave up New Turkey Party (YTP) and went to Republican People's Party (CHP). He said, ''he had that strange plans. I am a politician but I am not able to conceive of such politicians. I have not seen such a politician.''
Asked whether he would call Dervis again today, Ecevit said, ''there is no use in dealing with the past. I think that I would think once more due to my experiences. There are friends among us who can be very successful in these issues. For example, Masum Turker replaced Dervis' post and he is working more. He knows Turkey's conditions better.''
Ecevit added, ''there was a certain team to establish good relations with the IMF and World Bank when the crisis began. To this end, Dervis came to my mind. It was my idea. Other coalition partners accepted it. It is interesting that the journalists asked me who Dervis was when I decided to call him. Turkey did not know him until that day.''
When a journalist said, ''Dervis has become one of the most popular personalities in Turkey thanks to you. Now, he is a member of the Republican People's Party (CHP)'' and asked if Dervis could contribute to CHP, Ecevit said, ''I cannot know.''
When he was reminded that Dervis wanted Ecevit to withdraw from prime ministry, Ecevit said, ''he requested me to leave my post in one of our meetings. He implied that it would be correct if I withdrew from my post. I did not dwell on this issue.''
Asked if he did not ask Dervis for what reason he was requesting his withdrawal, Ecevit said, ''I was undergoing an illness. Not only Dervis but also some other people from DSP wanted me to leave the post.''
When reminded about the attempts to postpone the elections, Ecevit noted, ''politics is being made on a very unreliable ground. At the same time, very confusing changes have started to occur among politicians. A deputy who has expressed his devotion to a political party on every occassion is joining another party a few days later. For example, a deputy who expressed sorrow over resignations from DSP joined the newly-founded party the other day and got a post there.''
ECEVIT: ''I DO NOT TRUST PUBLIC SURVEYS AT ALL''
Ecevit noted that Democratic Left Party (DSP) got more than votes shown in public surveys in the former elections and said, ''I do not trust public surveys at all. It is not possible for DSP to get so few votes.''
Asked if postponement of elections would cause a regime problem in Turkey, Ecevit said, ''no, it shouldn't. Sometimes, it can cause such a problem and sometimes it won't. There is not a certain rule.''
When he was reminded about results of public surveys that DSP could not exceed 10 percent electoral threshold, Ecevit noted, ''public surveys have always seemed against us. Despite this, we always increase our votes in elections. I do not trust the public surveys at this stage. It is not possible for DSP to get so few votes. Moreover, we have launched our election campaign before other parties. We have held five campaigns. We are getting extraordinary interest of people in our campaigns. I believe that we can get a good result in this elections. I do not have any concerns.''
Speaking about the initiatives to lower the threshold in elections, Ecevit said, ''as far as I know, 10 percent threshold has not been seen in any democratic country. Countries implement 5 percent threshold the most. I think it should not be above 5 percent in Turkey. It is too late for such searches now. However, I can not know what decision can be passed from the Parliament.''
Responding to a question, Ecevit said his health condition and the results of the analysis are very positive.
When journalists said harmonization among the coalition partners was disrupted as the elections approached, and when recalled the statements of Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz against him, Ecevit said, ''unfortunately atmosphere began to be overshadowed as elections approach. Unexpected things happened. A few weeks ago Mr. Yilmaz said, ''you leave prime minister, if you don't Bahceli should withdraw.'' When Bahceli did not withdraw, he said a government comprised of a joint delegation should be set up. When nothing of those happened, he began to put forward different ideas. The atmosphere is rather confused. Very different views are being mentioned.''
Ecevit said, ''we were getting along very well till the statements about early elections are being told. I had been exerting extreme efforts to have positive relation. But things began to change with the election.''
ECEVIT: ''WE WILL BE UNEASY ABOUT TRANSFORMATION OF PARLIAMENT IN NORTHERN IRAQ INTO A FORMATION IN THE LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT''
Upon a question about Turkey visit of Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz, Ecevit said that talks were being made with Baghdad administration continuously.
Ecevit noted that economic relations with Iraq had developed very much and added, ''there is not any problem in our relations with Iraq in our respect. But, these latest developments will bring onto agenda issues like the decision of the United States. We will have the opportunity to learn about views, tendencies and concerns of the Baghdad administration.''
When he was reminded that ''an actual state was founded'' in Northern Iraq and discussions were made that Turkey could enter Northern Iraq to this end, Ecevit said, ''I hope there will not be any need for it. However, some Kurdish leaders in Northern Iraq, especially Barzani, is in the mood of challenging Turkey. It is seen that they have some tendencies to begin the process of transition from actual state to legal state. We are uneasy about this. We expressed our uneasiness a few times in recent days.''
When the journalist said, ''Barzani and Talabani are saying that Kirkuk is theirs'' and asked, ''what will Turkey's attitude be about this insistence and if a war uncertainty occurs? Will Turkey permit it,'' Ecevit said, ''of course, we will react to any behaviour that contradicts with legal interests of Turkey. But, I hope that there will not be any need for such reactions. Balances have been shaken in Iraq. Kurdish clans in Northern Iraq, especially Barzani, have started to assume a challenging attitude towards Turkey. We have stated that we will not accept these in recent days.''
''As you are meeting with Mr. Aziz here, parliament will convene in Northern Iraq after a long time. Those efforts will be accelerated. Do you think of reacting this?'' Ecevit said, ''anyway, there had been a parliament in Northern Iraq. However, it could not work for a long time. It was working like a local administrations parliament. However, now that its transformation into a formation in government level will create uneasiness for us.''
When asked if a hot clash in the region would delay elections, Ecevit said, ''the elections approached. I don't think there will be changes, and I don't wish something like this.''
Responding to another question, Ecevit said he has not yet received a response to the letters he had sent to the U.S. President George Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon regarding the developments in Palestine.
Ecevit said, ''of couse Israel has some rightful complaints. Some radical groups nested in Palestinian territory launch inciting action apart from the control of Yasser Arafat. In response very heavy pressures are imposed on Palestinians. Field of activity has not been given to Arafat. Thus it is not something realistic to say that, 'Mr. Arafat put those terrorists in their places' because Arafat can not go out of his room. He is not able to answer telephone calls. We have stated that this is unjust.
When asked, ''are new decisions expected in National Security Council (NSC) meeting that will take place on Monday regarding issues like Iraq and Cyprus. Will there be a basic change in Turkey's attitude,'' Ecevit said, ''I don't think that there will be a basic change. I don't see such a probability.''