PARLIAMENT REJECTS EFFORTS TO POSTPONE ELECTIONS
Topping the agenda of Parliament’s one-day session held yesterday was action to ensure that general elections already set for Nov. 3 would actually be held on that date. After weeks of speculation on the matter, a clear majority of deputies defeated efforts by members of the New Turkey Party (YTP), Felicity Party (SP) and Motherland Party (ANAP) to block Parliament from going on recess until the fall elections. A total of 191 deputies voted in favor of taking a recess, with 170 opposing it, effectively halting efforts to postpone the elections dead in their tracks. /Cumhuriyet/
SEZER: “PARLIAMENT MADE THE APPROPRIATE DECISION”
Speaking to reporters yesterday after Parliament voted to go on recess until the Nov. 3 elections, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer called the legislature’s decision “an appropriate one.” Sezer added that the elections should be held as scheduled. Asked what the outcome of the polls would be, Sezer said that no one was in a position to predict how voters would cast their ballots. In related news, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok said that Parliament’s decision to go on recess had been taken with “free will and common sense” and he hoped it would be to Turkey’s benefit. /Milliyet/
AZIZ: “IF TURKEY LETS THE US USE ITS AIRBASES, THE TURCO-IRAQI FRIENDSHIP WILL BE HARMED”
Iraqi’s Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz was received separately yesterday by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. After the latter meeting, Aziz told reporters that any military intervention in Iraq would negatively affect Turkey’s economy and security. He also remarked that if Turkey lets the US use airbases on its soil, the Turkish-Iraqi friendship would be damaged. For his part, Prime Minister Ecevit remarked that Iraq’s recent decision to readmit United Nations weapons inspectors was a positive development. “However,” Ecevit cautioned, “Iraq should fully implement the relevant UN resolutions.” The Turkish premier also conveyed to Aziz Turkey’s concern over Iraq’s territorial integrity. /Turkiye/
PARTY LEADERS HAIL PARLIAMENT’S DECISION
Yesterday’s decision by Parliament to go on recess until elections, thus derailing efforts to postpone the polls, was hailed by Turkish party leaders across the political spectrum. Prime Minister and Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit said the decision would end talks of postponing elections, which he has consistently opposed since a date was set for them on Nov. 3. Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli stated that Parliament’s decision should be respected. Rounding out the coalition leaders, Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz said he hoped after yesterday’s decision there would be no need to reconvene Parliament before November. Calling the decision to go on recess one that “saved Turkey from chaos,” Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy leader Abdullah Gul added that the key figure yesterday and man of the hour was Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, who he called “a great statesman.” Finally, True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller welcomed the decision, calling it a positive development. /Milliyet/
MEETING AT PRIME MINISTRY TO DISCUSS IRAQ CONTINGENCIES
A meeting will be held at the Prime Ministry on Friday between representatives from the National Security Council (MGK), the Office of the Chief of General Staff, the Crisis Management Center, the Prime Ministry and the General Security Directorate to prepare an action plan to be implemented in times of crisis or disaster. Special attention will be given to the problems that Turkey might face during a possible US intervention in Iraq. /Cumhuriyet/
DENKTAS: “IF THE EU ADMITS GREEK CYPRUS IN DECEMBER, THE NEGOTIATIONS WILL END”
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas declared yesterday that if the European Union admits Greek Cyprus into its ranks in December, then negotiations over the island would come to an end. Rejecting UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s assertion earlier this week that negotiations would continue even if Greek Cyprus gains EU membership, Denktas said such a decision would be a great mistake, one that would even poison United Nations efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue. /Hurriyet/
NORWEGIAN DEFENSE MINISTER TO VISIT TURKEY
Norwegian Defense Minister Kristin Krohn Devold is expected to arrive in Turkey tomorrow. A statement issued by the Norwegian Embassy in Ankara said that Devold is scheduled to visit Anitkabir, Ataturk’s mausoleum, on Friday and also meet with her Turkish counterpart Sabahattin Cakmakoglu, as well as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and State Minister Tayyibe Gulek. Devold is expected to discuss with Ecevit and Gurel the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF), which is currently under Turkish command, as well as NATO and the situation in Iraq. /Sabah/
TUSIAD GROUP MEETS WITH PAPANDREOU
Seeking support from European Union member states for Turkey’s EU bid before December’s Copenhagen summit, a delegation from the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) headed by Tuncay Ozilhan met yesterday with Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou. Ozilhan said that Turkey had largely fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria and so expects to get a date from the EU to start its membership negotiations, a proposition which Papandreou said he supported. The TUSIAD delegation then travelled to Brussels to meet with Didier Reynders and Louis Michel, Belgium’s finance and foreign ministers, respectively. /Hurriyet/
CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR: “THE FINANCIAL FALLOUT FROM AN IRAQ CONFLICT CAN’T BE PREDICTED”
Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti yesterday said that a possible war in Iraq would surely impact Turkey’s economy negatively, but added that how big a blow it would deal could not be predicted. “As yet, no one knows when a US operation might be launched, or how long it might last,” said Serdengecti, currently in Washington for meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. “Thus, its precise impact on Turkey’s economy remains a question mark.” /Sabah/
IMF DELEGATION BEGINS WORK ON FOURTH REVIEW
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation began its contacts with Turkish officials yesterday in Istanbul. As part of the fourth review of Turkey’s economic program, IMF Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen is also expected to arrive in Istanbul today and to hold meetings tomorrow with representatives from the Association of Foreign Investors, the Union of Turkish Banks, the Turkish Industralists’and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) and the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TIM). In related news, IMF European Director Michael Deppler said yesterday that if Turkey fully implements the conditions specified for the fourth review period, the IMF would extend a loan tranche totalling $1.6 billion. /Turkiye/
SEPTEMBER EXPORTS SOAR TO $3.3 BILLION
Turkey’s exports this September soared by 27.7% to reach $3.3 billion, the largest rise so far this year, said figures released yesterday by the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TIM). Exports for the January-September period also rose 12% when compared to the same period last year, added TIM, to total some $25.6 billion. /Star/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION