ECO LEADERS’ SUMMIT CONCLUDES
The Seventh Leaders’ Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (OEC) ended yesterday in Istanbul. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer represented Turkey at the summit. During the one-day gathering, Sezer had bilateral meetings with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Iranian President Mohammed Khatami, Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev and Tajik Foreign Minister Imamali Rahmanov. Sezer then gave a banquet at the Ciragan Palace for the leaders attending the summit. /Hurriyet/
MGK TO CONVENE NEXT WEEK
The National Security Council (MGK) is set to convene next Tuesday, Oct. 22, one week earlier than scheduled. The MGK, chaired by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, will reportedly discuss recent developments in northern Iraq. Other topics at the gathering will be the European Union’s Progress Report on Turkey released last week and the Cyprus issue. /Milliyet/
HUNGARIAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT TURKEY
Hungarian President Ferenc Madl is set to arrive in Turkey today as a guest of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. Madl first is scheduled to tour the Aegean coast city of Izmir and then on Thursday start his official program in Ankara. Madl is also to meet with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi. /Star/
TURKEY CONDEMNS TERRORIST ATTACK IN BALI
Turkey has formally condemned a weekend terrorist attack on the island of Bali in Indonesia, which killed at least 188 people and injured scores more. In a written statement, the Foreign Ministry conveyed Turkey’s condolences to Indonesia, the attack’s victims, and their friends and families. It said the attack had served as an unfortunate reminder of how terrorism poses a threat to all countries worldwide, one that requires a more effective, coordinated response to defeat it. /Turkiye/
TURKEY TO PREPARE ITS OWN PROGRESS REPORT
Following last week’s release of the European Commission Progress Report on Turkey, selected Turkish government institutions, namely the EU General Secretariat and related bodies, have decided to prepare their own progress report. It was decided at a meeting held yesterday between officials from the secretariat that the report would be submitted to the European Commission after its completion. /Cumhuriyet/
CAKMAKOGLU: “TURKEY WILL NEVER ALLOW A KURDISH STATE TO BE ESTABLISHED IN NORTHERN IRAQ”
Appearing on NTV yesterday, Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu gave his views on the latest developments in northern Iraq. Remarking that Turkey would never allow a Kurdish state to be established in the region, Cakmakoglu stated that there were a number of steps Ankara could take, including the use of armed forces or shutting its border gates, should Iraqi Kurdish groups attempt to set up an independent state. Çakmakoglu added that he did not believe that a US-led operation against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein could take place before Nov. 3, the date of Turkey’s general elections. “I believe that the Bush administration will take into consideration Turkey’s views and concerns before launching a military strike,” said the defense minister. /Cumhuriyet/
BAHCELI: “THE MHP SHOULD BE PART OF THE POST-ELECTION GOVERNMENT”
Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli said yesterday that neither the post-Nov. 3 Parliament nor its government should be formed without MHP participation. Bahceli stated that after coming to power, the MHP would carry out a new economic recovery program. “We will also implement administrative reform and try to govern the country with 21 ministers, including the prime minister,” said Bahceli. Turkey currently has 36 state minister posts. He also said that the MHP had acted responsibly this summer during Parliament’s debates over a package of European Union harmonization laws, one which eventually passed despite MHP opposition. “The current government has made greater efforts for EU membership than any government in the last 40 years,” stated Bahceli, whose party has been part of the tripartite ruling coalition for three years. “However, some circles have tried to paint MHP as opposed to Turkey’s EU membership.” /Milliyet/
BAYKAL: “A NEW, ELECTED GOVERNMENT SHOULD SET TURKEY’S COURSE ON IRAQ”
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday declared that recent talk by the current “lame duck government” of possible Turkish involvement in an Iraq intervention was not serving the country’s best interests. “A decision on such involvement should be made by an elected government [after Nov. 3], one supported by a majority of the people,” stated Baykal. Speaking to the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO), Baykal said that the current situation in northern Iraq was the consequence of mistaken policies at the hands of the government. “Turkey has sat and watched the developments from afar,” he added. “It failed to take measures when the time was ripe.” /Turkiye/
TURKEY TO CONVEY ITS CONCERNS ON IRAQ ISSUE TO US OFFICIALS
Ahead of a possible US operation in Iraq, Turkey is preparing to make contacts with the Bush administration to discuss all dimensions of the Iraq issue. The National Security Council (MGK) is due to convene on next Tuesday, Oct. 22, to discuss the issue and definitively formulate Turkey’s stance. The Turkish government is planning to once again convey its concerns to the Bush administration. Turkey believes that a recent draft constitution drawn up by Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) leader Massoud Barzani and Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) leader Jalal Talabani should be considered null and void and that the US should work to block Kurdish groups from occupying oil-rich Kirkuk as a capital city. Meanwhile, the IKDP and IPUK are preparing to send delegations to Ankara in an attempt to ease Turkey’s concerns. /Cumhuriyet/
TURKER: “RUMORS OF WAR IN IRAQ CAN HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON TURKEY”
Economy Minister Masum Turker told reporters yesterday that rumors concerning a planned United States operation in Iraq could have negative effects on the Turkish economy. He stated that if such an attack came to pass, it would have negative repercussions on Turkey’s trade, production and tourism, but the worst effects would be seen in the interest on Turkey’s foreign debt. However, despite the probable negative effects of an operation, Turker stated that he believed Turkey was strong enough to weather any hardships that might come. /Cumhuriyet/
KUTAN: “NEXT MONTH’S ELECTIONS CARRY GREAT IMPORTANCE”
Felicity Party (SP) leader Recai Kutan said yesterday that next month’s elections carried great importance for Turkey’s future, adding that the people should bear this in mind when casting their ballots. “Turkey is facing a host of political, economic and social problems, and a government prepared to overcome these problems should come to power next month,” said Kutan. The SP leader added that after coming to power, his party would support Turkish agriculture. /Turkiye/
IKDP REP: ”THERE’S NO NEED FOR TURKEY TO BE CONCERNED”
Responding to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s recent statement that the situation in northern Iraq had taken a wrong turn, Safeen Dizayee, Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) representative to Ankara, said yesterday that there was no need for Turkey to be concerned. Stressing that reports of recent developments in northern Iraq had been exaggerated, Dizayee said, “We assure the Turkish premier that we have no hidden agenda.” He then asked that politicians refrain from using the northern Iraq situation as election campaign fodder. Dizayee added that a high-level delegation from the IKDP would visit Turkey to hold a series of contacts with Turkish officials within the next one or two weeks. /Turkiye/
US OFFICIAL: “THE US DOESN’T WANT A KURDISH STATE IN NORTHERN IRAQ EITHER”
Addressing Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit’s recent statement that the current situation in northern Iraq was spinning out of control, an unnamed top-level US official stated yesterday that the Bush administration didn’t believe the latest developments in the region were paving the way to the establishment of a Kurdish state. Stating that discussions on the establishment of a federation in the region had been held for over a decade, since 1991’s Gulf War, the US official remarked that Turkey should not consider the recent developments as representing fundamental breaks from the past. He reiterated that it was official US policy not to favor the establishment of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq. /Aksam/
US STATE DEPARTMENT: “TURKEY SHOULD ESTABLISH RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA”
United States Assistant Secretary of State Richard Armitage yesterday sent a letter to the House of Representatives, the lower house of the US Congress, telling congressmen of US efforts to encourage Turkey to establish relations with Armenia. The letter stated that the Bush administration was putting pressure on Turkey to open border gates on the Turkish-Armenian frontier and establish economic and cultural relations with Armenia. “We believe that such an initiative would contribute to both the Turkish and Armenian economies,” the letter added. /Cumhuriyet/
IMF DELEGATION TO DEPART
Following a press conference today, an International Monetary Fund delegation headed by Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen is expected to depart from Turkey today. The delegation, which has been in Turkey since Oct. 3 as part of the fourth review of the nation’s economic program, has completed its work with Turkish officials on a new Letter of Intent. /Turkiye/
FUKUYAMA: “TURKEY IS A MODEL FOR THE ISLAMIC WORLD”
Speaking at a conference yesterday, prominent writer and political philosopher Francis Fukuyama said that Turkey stood as a model for the rest of the Islamic world. Turkey is the only country in the Islamic world with a liberal democracy and a definite upward trend, added Fukuyama. He also said that Turkey’s attitudes towards its European Union membership bid, the Kurdish issue and the fight against terrorism were appreciated by Washington. /Aksam/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION