ECEVIT MEETS WITH BULGARIAN PRIME MINISTER
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit yesterday met with Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Sakskoburgotski, currently making an official visit to Turkey, to discuss issues of bilateral relations. At a press conference after their meeting, Ecevit stated that relations between the two countries had developed over the last few years and had in turn contributed to stability in the Balkans region, adding that Turkey would give full support to Bulgaria’s NATO membership bid. Ecevit also told reporters that at the meeting he had thanked the Bulgarian premier for having taken decisive steps to prevent terrorists groups, active in Turkey, from finding safe haven in Bulgaria. Commenting on problems between the two countries, Ecevit remarked that the two neighbors had no political problems and what problems did exist were of a merely bureaucratic nature. /Cumhuriyet/
ECEVIT: “TURKEY WILL DO WHATEVER IS NEEDED TO KEEP NORTHERN IRAQI ASSEMBLY IN LINE”
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit pledged that should a regional Parliament convening this week step beyond acceptable limits, Turkey was ready to do whatever was necessary to counter this. “If this Parliament goes too far, Turkey will take any needed action,” stressed Ecevit. “There have long been efforts to establish an independent Kurdish state in the region. Actually, a de facto state has already been founded there, but Turkey has kept it under control. But if this regional assembly tries to pass itself off as a bona fide state parliament and so move to a more official status, Turkey will intervene with all its weight.” The regional Parliament convened under northern Iraq’s two main leaders, Jalal Talabani, leader of the Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK), and Massoud Barzani, leader of the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP). /Aksam/
YILMAZ MEETS WITH HIGH REPRESENTATIVE SOLANA
Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, who is currently in Brussels to represent Turkey at the European Convention, met yesterday with the high representative of the European Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), Javier Solana. At a press conference after their meeting, Yilmaz stated that they had discussed the European Union Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), developments in Iraq and Turkey’s EU membership bid. /Cumhuriyet/
VERHEUGEN: “THE US HAS INCREASED PRESSURE ON THE EU FOR TURKEY”
At yesterday’s regular weekly meeting of the European Commission, Commissioner Responsible for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen reportedly stated that the United States had increased pressure on the European Union to give a date to Turkey, at December’s Copenhagen summit, for the start of its accession negotiations. Verheugen also reportedly have told his fellow commissioners that he didn’t believe Turkey had fulfilled all the EU’s political criteria and that getting a date at the summit didn’t look likely. /Cumhuriyet/
TURKER: “AN OPERATION IN IRAQ WOULD HARM TURKEY”
Speaking to reporters yesterday at Istanbul University’s new academic year opening ceremony, State Minister for the Economy Masum Turker said that a possible operation in Iraq would harm Turkey. “The most important issue would be over 2 million refugees seeking shelter in Turkey,” stated Turker. “Such a situation would cause social and economic problems.” He also remarked that Turkey’s production, tourism revenues and many other areas would be badly affected by such an operation. /Turkiye/
DENKTAS MEETS WITH CLERIDES, ANNAN IN NEW YORK
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas yesterday met with Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan at United Nations headquarters in New York. Denktas told reporters before the meeting that if the European Union admits Greek Cyprus into its ranks in December, then the Cypriot negotiations process would end and the island remain divided. In related news, Denktas is to have an operation next Monday on his aortic valve at New York’s Columbia Presbyterian Health Center. /Hurriyet/
CILLER: “RATHER THAN FORMING A COALITION WITH THE AKP, WE WOULD PREFER NEW ELECTIONS”
Speaking to reporters during her visit to the Aegean town of Urla yesterday, True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller said that if her party were presented the opportunity to form a government coalition with the Justice and Development Party (AKP), she would reject it, preferring instead to go to new elections. Ciller also said that if her party comes to power, their first order of business would be to amend the Elections Law, specifically in order to establish a two-round election system in Turkey. /Sabah/
TURKEY TO PARTICIPATE IN NATO MANEUVERS IN ITALY
The Turkish Armed Forces’ (TSK) Navy and Air Force are set to participate in NATO’s Destined Glory-2 amphibious maneuvers, taking place on Oct. 5-15 in Italy, the Turkish General Staff announced yesterday. Also slated to participate in the exercises are fellow NATO members Greece, the United States, Germany, Belgium, Britain, Spain, Italy, Canada and Norway. /Star/
TERRORIST OCALAN’S DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED TO LIFE IN PRISON
The death sentence passed three years ago on terrorist Abdullah Ocalan was yesterday commuted to life in prison without parole, under a decision by Ankara’s State Security Court (DGM) No. 2. Before his capture in 1999, the 15-year terrorist campaign of Ocalan and his terrorist PKK group was responsible for the loss of 30,000 lives. The DGM ruled yesterday that the death penalty abolition passed by Parliament as a part of this summer’s European Union accession package was applicable to Ocalan’s case. Under the terms of the legislation, Ocalan’s life sentence will be ineligible for parole or any future amnesty programs. /Hurriyet/
TUSIAD: “THE IMF IS WAITING TO SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN AFTER THE ELECTIONS”
An International Monetary Fund delegation headed by IMF Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonnen yesterday arrived in Turkey and met with the Foreign Investors’ Association (YASED), the Turkish Banks Union (TBB), the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) and the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TIM). Speaking after meeting the delegation, TUSIAD Board of Directors member Cem Duna stated that the IMF was waiting to see the results of elections in Turkey set for Nov. 3. /Hurriyet/
HISARCIKLIOGLU: “THE POLITICAL PARTIES OWE THE PEOPLE THE DETAILS OF THEIR PROGRAMS”
Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu said yesterday that the nation needed to know details of the programs of the various political parties before voting in the Nov. 3 elections. “The parties should explain how they will roll over Turkey’s debts and shrink the public sector,” said Hisarciklioglu. “The most important thing now is for the parties, before elections, to present their economic programs and explain how they intend to raise Turkey’s standards of living.” Asked about the International Monetary Fund, he stated that Turkey wouldn’t be able to meet some of its commitments to the IMF because Parliment had decided to go on recess until next month’s elections. /Turkiye/
BAYKAL: “THESE ELECTIONS WILL DETERMINE TURKEY’S FUTURE”
Speaking at a ceremony to introduce his party’s candidates for deputy, Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said yesterday that the Nov. 3 elections would be no ordinary elections, that instead they carried great importance since they would determine Turkey’s future course. “Turkey has recently experienced what life without the CHP is like, and now they can see that it isn’t good,” said Baykal, whose party, Turkey’s oldest, failed to meet the representation threshold in the last elections. Also touching on the “call to prayer” issue, which had reportedly riven his party over whether it should be issued in Arabic or Turkish, Baykal suggested the issue was moot, that the party was more focused on the “people factor” and that all Turks could be proud of the call. Baykal added that his party had projects which would raise the standards of living of Turkey’s farmers and tradesmen. /Turkiye/
SEPTEMBER INFLATION IN LINE WITH TARGETS
The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) yesterday released month-on-month inflation figures for September. Inflation in September was 3.1% on the wholesale price index (WPI) and 3.5% on the consumer price index (CPI). In the first nine months of the year, cumulative inflation was 21.7% and 20.1% on the WPI and CPI, respectively. With these new figures, Turkey seems to be on track to meet the annual inflation rate targeted under its economic program for this year, namely 35%. /All Papers/
DEMIREL: “THE IRAQ SITUATION IS COMPLEX”
Former President Suleyman Demirel yesterday attended a ceremony to mark the opening of Kadir Has University’s new academic year. Speaking to reporters about a possible operation in Iraq, Demirel said that the situation was very complex. Asked about rumors that the United States’ ultimate aim was to control oil resources in the region, Demirel stated, “In my opinion, the first aim is to rid the region of weapons of mass destruction.” He also added that recent developments in northern Iraq were under control and that there was no need for worry. /Turkiye/
TAYLAN TAKES CHAMPIONSHIP IN WOMEN’S WEIGHTLIFTING
At the Fifth European Young Women’s Weightlifting Championship in Rome yesterday, Turkish lifter Nurcan Taylan, 48 kilograms, took home three gold medals, two for lifting 80 and 95 kg in the snatch and clean-jerk categories, and a third for 175 kg, taking the overall crown. Additionally, at the parallel 28th European Young Men’s Championship in the same city, lifter Ertan Isbasaran, 56 kilograms, scored the gold medal with a 110-kg lift in the category. /All Papers/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION