79TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY CELEBRATED
The 79th anniversary of the declaration of the Republic by the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, was celebrated with great enthusiasm yesterday throughout the country, in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), and at Turkey’s missions abroad. The first ceremony of the day in the capital Ankara began early in the morning at Anitkabir, Ataturk’s mausoleum, with the attendance of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, political party leaders, members of the Cabinet and other high-level officials. The celebrations continued throughout the day with scores of ceremonies across the width and breadth of the nation. /All Papers/

SEZER: “IT IS THE PRESIDENT’S ROLE TO APPOINT A PRIME MINISTER”
Under the Constitution, it is the president’s task to appoint the prime minister, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer told reporters yesterday at a reception marking the 79th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. When asked about Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent statement that members of the AKP would select a prime minister, Sezer said, “The Constitution assigns the power and role of appointing a prime minister to the president, not to persons not even eligible to be elected as a deputies.” Though many polls indicate that the AKP will win next Sunday’s elections, Erdogan himself has been ruled ineligible to run for deputy, which could produce an unprecedented situation should the polls prove true. Article 104, section B of Turkey’s Constitution specifies that the president has the duty “to appoint the prime minister and to accept his or her resignation.” /All papers/

GUREL: “TURKEY CAN’T ACCEPT A CONDITIONAL DATE FOR EU ACCESSION TALKS”
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel said yesterday that Turkey wouldn’t hesitate to reject a “conditional” date for its EU accession talks if the EU makes such an offer. “Turkey has taken swift, giant steps to comply with the Copenhagen criteria,” Gurel stressed. “Turkey deserves to receive a date for its accession talks in 2003, and we won’t accept any other offer from the EU.” /Aksam/

OZKOK: “TURKEY’S POLITICAL LEADERSHIP WILL DECIDE ON A POSSIBLE IRAQ OPERATION”
Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, at Anitkabir yesterday to participate in Republic Day ceremonies, declined to answer a number of reporters’ questions, saying that now was a sensitive time for Turkey so addressing political concerns would be improper. Asked about a possible United States operation against Iraq, Ozkok, Turkey’s top military officer, stated that the nation’s political leadership would decide its course on issues concerning Iraq and northern Iraq. /Milliyet/

YILMAZ: “TURKEY MAY GET A CONDITIONAL DATE AT THE COPENHAGEN SUMMIT”
After meeting with Gunter Verheugen, commisioner for European Union enlargement, Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz said yesterday that there was a strong possibility Turkey would get a “conditional date” at European Union’s Copenhagen summit in December. Speaking to reporters after the leaders’ meeting, Yilmaz said that it was impossible that Turkey would be turned back entirely at the summit, since the EU was leaning towards granting this conditional date. Other Turkish leaders have publicly said that any result short of the EU setting a firm date would be unacceptable. Yilmaz also commented that Turkey needed to work very hard in the leadup to the summit, adding that he hoped next Sunday’s general elections would help the nation’s EU bid. “The short-term performance of Turkey’s post-election government will have enormous importance,” stated Yilmaz. /Milliyet/

CEM: “THE YTP WILL SHAPE TURKEY’S FUTURE”
New Turkey Party (YTP) leader Ismail Cem yesterday confidently predicted that his party would shape the future of the nation. Speaking to reporters after meeting with an advocacy group for disabled persons, Cem said he was pleased that he and the other political party leaders were touring the country and speaking to its voters. When the people listen to us, he added, they will be able to see that the YTP is a breed apart from its competitors. /Milliyet/

FISCHER: “TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP IS IMPORTANT TO US”
Speaking at the Federal Parliament yesterday, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said, “One can have difference of opinions on Turkey’s European Union membership, but we won’t integrate Turkey for the sake of the United States.” Pointing out that Turkey was situated in a contentions region, Fischer said, “If the EU closes its doors to Turkey, that would also mean closing the doors to civil rule in this country and to those who are fighting for modernization.” He added, “Perhaps Turkey is a difficult partner in some respects, but the path that some are proposing would play into the hands of Turkey’s anti-EU membership circles and spell the end of the nation’s modernization.” /Turkiye/

BLAIR, SCHROEDER FEEL HEAT AFTER DECLARING SUPPORT FOR TURKEY
Opposition parties in Britain and Germany reacted harshly yesterday to their countries’ prime ministers, Tony Blair and Gerard Schroeder, who announced their support for setting a date for Turkey’s European Union accession talks in the wake of last week’s EU summit in Brussels. British newspaper the Daily Telegraph reported that opposition Conservative MPs as well as Labour backbenchers stated that Turkey’s EU membership bid shouldn’t be supported before a settlement was reached on Cyprus. Meanwhile, in Germany, both Angela Merkel, the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union Party (CDU), and Guido Westerwelle, the Free Democratic Party’s (FDP) chairman, criticized Schroeder’s statement of support. /Turkiye/

TALABANI: “IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS, TURKEY COULD INTERVENE IN IRAQ’S DOMESTIC AFFAIRS”
Turkey might see fit to intervene in Iraq should a Kurdish state be formed in northern Iraq or the nation’s Turkmen population be threatened, said Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) leader Jalal Talabani at a meeting of Iraqi opposition groups, according to reports in an Iranian newspaper yesterday. “We have no intention of forming a Kurdish state in northern Iraq,” added Talabani. “The Turkmens are our brothers and sisters, and in no way will we threaten them.” /Cumhuriyet/

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION