SEZER’S LETTER TO EUROPEAN LEADERS URGES EU TO SET DATE FOR ACCESSION TALKS
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has sent a letter to the heads of state of European Union countries in the leadup to the key Brussels summit beginning today, the Presidential Press Office announced yesterday. The letter emphasizes that Turkey expects to receive a date at December’s Copenhagen summit for its EU accession negotiations to begin in 2003. In his letter, Sezer warned the European leaders that the Turkish public would be greatly disappointed, and Turkish-EU relations be badly affected, were the EU to issue a decision contrary to Turkey’s expectations. “We hope that the EU will make a fair and just decision, one which will serve not only Turkey’s interests but also those of the EU,” stated Sezer. “And this decision should be one which sets a date for Turkey’s accession talks to begin in 2003.” /Cumhuriyet/
BUSH PHONES SEZER TO DISCUSS IRAQ, CYPRUS, OTHER REGIONAL ISSUES
US President George W. Bush yesterday made a telephone call to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told a daily press briefing. “The presidents discussed a range of issues pertaining to the United States-Turkey strategic partnership, which stretches from the Balkans to the Caucuses, and the Middle East to Afghanistan,” said Fleischer. “They discussed cooperation on Iraq and agreed on the need for Iraq to comply fully with the United Nations Security Council resolutions. They also conferred on other issues of mutual concern, including Cyprus, support for Turkey's progress toward EU ascension, and Turkey's strong record on economic reform.” /Aksam/
ECEVIT: “THE US’ CHANGE OF HEART GIVES US HOPE”
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit told reporters yesterday the view that war is not the only solution to the Iraqi issue was gaining increasing currency among top US decision makers, adding that this development gave him hope. Ecevit also stated that the US had made no specific requests towards Turkey concerning a possible military operation in Iraq. “Turkey attaches great importance to Ataturk’s principle of ‘Peace at home, peace in the world’,” said Ecevit. “I hope that the Iraqi problem will be solved through peace, not war.” /Hurriyet/
CILLER: “THE DYP WILL KEEP ALL ITS PROMISES AFTER COMING TO POWER”
Speaking at the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) yesterday, True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller said that her party was different from Turkey’s other political parties, pledging that it would keep all its promises after coming to power in next month’s elections. Criticizing the rival Republican People’s Party (CHP), she stated that the public stances of various CHP deputy candidates were at odds with each other. “One of them says he opposes the International Monetary Fund, and the other says that it’s good for Turkey to continue cooperating with the IMF,” said Ciller. “This mixed message is incomprehensible.” She also criticized the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the frontrunner in some opinion polls, charging that it lacked a prime minister candidate should it come to power. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the AKP’s leader, has been banned from running as a deputy, which would produce an unprecedented and unclear situation should the AKP win a plurality in Parliament. /Milliyet/
BAYKAL REBUFFS AKP CLAIMS
Declaring that the Republican People’s Party (CHP) had no “special ties” with anybody, CHP leader Deniz Baykal yesterday firmly denied claims from the rival Justice and Development Party (AKP) that his party had a special relationship with a particular Turkish media group. “Everyone should lay all their cards on the table, since democracy is based on transparency,” added Baykal. “The CHP hasn’t made a ‘special bargain’ with anyone.” /Milliyet/
ERDOGAN: “THE AKP WON’T BE HELD BACK BY THIS CLOSURE CASE”
Responding yesterday to news that Turkey’s chief prosecutor had asked the Constitutional Court to close his party down, Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkish democracy had once again been dealt a serious setback. “Filing such an motion mere days before elections has clear significance,” said Erdogan. “However, these kinds of efforts won’t affect our party either legally or politically. We will continue to walk on our way together with the citizens.” Meanwhile, Erdogan, accompanied by AKP Deputy Chairmen Vecdi Gonul and Yasar Yakis, last night attended a dinner hosted by Ireland’s ambassador to Turkey. At the occasion, which the 14 other EU member states’ ambassadors also attended, Erdogan reportedly expressed his party’s views and told of its policies should it come to power in the Nov. 3 elections. /Turkiye/
GUREL-FISCHER MEETING HOPEFUL ON TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP PROSPECTS
During talks in Berlin yesterday with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, Turkish Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel reportedly received assurances that Germany would do its utmost to support Turkey’s European Union membership bid. Fischer told Gurel that Germany would push at December’s EU Copenhagen summit for Turkey to receive a date to start its accession negotiations as soon as possible, reports say. In related news, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder reportedly told EU Term President Denmark’s Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen that Germany favored Turkey getting a date at the December summit. /Milliyet/
BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER STRAW: ”WE SUPPORT TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP”
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, British Foreign Minister Jack Straw said that Great Britain hoped the EU would set a date at December’s Copenhagen summit for Turkey’s accession talks to begin. “We want to see Turkey, which has taken giant steps towards full membership and passed rapid political reforms, receiving a date at the Copenhagen summit,” said Straw. /Cumhuriyet/
IRAQI TRADE MINISTER VISITS TURKEY
Iraqi Trade Minister Mohammed Mehdi Saleh yesterday arrived in Istanbul to participate in an Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Permanent Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (ISEDAK) meeting. Saleh told reporters that Iraq was ready to cooperate with Turkey in every field, adding that he was pleased with Turkey’s opposition to a US military campaign against his country. /Cumhuriyet/
NECIRVAN BARZANI ARRIVES IN ANKARA, SAYS HE WANTS TO IMPROVE IKDP-TURKISH RELATIONS
Necirvan Barzani, the nephew of Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) leader Massoud Barzani as well as prime minister of the so-called Kurdistan regional government, yesterday arrived in Turkey together with IKDP international relations chief Hoshyar Zabari to hold a series of meetings with Turkish Foreign Ministry officials. Speaking to reporters at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport, the two northern Iraqi officials stated that they were visiting in order to exchange views with Turkish officials on the latest developments in northern Iraq. Remarking that the IKDP wanted to improve its relations with Turkey, Barzani said, “I don’t believe that the situation in the region is out of Turkey’s control. The IKDP always respects Turkey’s national interests and understands its concerns.” /Star/
CHIEF PROSECUTOR SEEKS CLOSURE OF AKP
High Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor Sabih Kanadoglu yesterday filed a motion at the Constitutional Court seeking the closure of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) on the grounds that the party had failed to obey completely the decision of the top court. At the beginning of this year, the Constitutional Court ordered AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan to step down as a party founding member and gave him six months to leave. Last week, Erdogan gave up his party founding member position but retained his post as chairman. In a separate case, an Ankara court judge yesterday ordered police to bring Erdogan to court to face charges of illicit earnings. He had failed to appear at two previous hearings. The next hearing is set for Dec. 25, well after the Nov. 3 general elections. /All Papers/
OZILHAN: “TURKEY’S ECONOMY HAS FUMBLED”
Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan yesterday say that though Turkey had been very successful in football, it had failed both politically and economically. “The best thing to do now would be to save Turkey from this crisis situation,” he stated. Addressing the opening of the 11th National Quality Congress in Istanbul, Ozilhan said, “In order to promote Turkey as a brand worldwide, we need to put our policy, economy and international relations back on track.” Also speaking at the congress, prominent scholar and author Francis Fukuyama predicted that the European Union would raise its barriers to enlargement, thus making it more difficult for other countries to join the Union, including Turkey. Pointing to Turkey’s recent reforms, Fukuyama stated that the EU had no good reason to exclude Turkey. /Turkiye/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION