ECEVIT: “ERDOGAN SHOULD STEP DOWN FROM THE AKP HELM”
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Prime Minister and Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit called Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s continuing at the AKP’s helm “inappropriate” and suggested that he step down. “Erdogan wants to stay at this post despite a number of legal challenges,” added Ecevit. “This means that he doesn’t want anybody else to lead the AKP.” Last week Turkey’s top state prosecutor filed for the closure of the AKP, citing Erdogan’s defiance of a court order to give up his leading party posts. Despite Erdogan’s ineligibility to become a deputy -- and, by implication, prime minister -- his party is the apparent frontrunner ahead of this Sunday’s elections. /Milliyet/

CEM: “THIS TALK OF WAR IN IRAQ STINKS OF OIL”
Speaking yesterday at a campaign rally in the western Anatolian city of Mugla, New Turkey Party (YTP) leader and former Foreign Minister Ismail Cem charged that talk of a possible US-led war in Iraq “has the stink of oil,” adding that getting Turkey into such a war was “inconceivable.” “We shouldn’t be involved in this war,” said Cem. “If we do, Turkey will suffer enormous and irreversible damage.” /Cumhuriyet/

REVISED EU TERRORIST LIST AGAIN FAILS TO INCLUDE KADEK
The European Union’s official list of terrorist organizations, newly revised and released this week, has once again failed to include KADEK, the continuation of the terrorist PKK. The EU cited a supposed lack of terrorist acts perpetrated by KADEK as justification for its failure to add the group. This July, after years of efforts on Turkey’s part, the EU added the terrorist PKK to the list, whereupon the group promptly changed its name to KADEK. Turkey has been lobbying ever since for this situation to be rectified. Currently, the EU includes the PKK and the DHKP-C on its terrorist list. /Hurriyet/

DE SOTO: “A CYPRUS SETTLEMENT COULD BE REACHED BY YEAR’S END”
Alvaro de Soto, the United Nations special envoy for Cyprus, arrived yesterday in Ankara. Following a three-and-a-half-hour meeting with Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal, de Soto labeled as “mere speculation” rumors that the UN had prepared a statement on a solution for the Cyprus issue. Stressing that he was hopeful for a permanent solution for Cyprus before the end of this year, de Soto stated that such a solution would require courage from both sides on the island. He added that Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas’s recent health problems had affected the process of direct, face-to-face meetings. Also following yesterday’s meetings, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Yusuf Buluc stated that the ministry had reiterated to de Soto that the UN should not interfere with the direct negotiations process between the island’s two leaders. De Soto is to leave for New York today to submit a report to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan about his contacts with Turkish officials. /Turkiye/

BOUCHER: “THE US OPPOSES THE BANNING OF POLITICAL PARTIES”
Asked yesterday by reporters about the Turkish state prosecutor’s bid to close down the Justice and Development Party (AKP), US State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said that the US opposed the banning of political parties. “The US supports democracy and broad political participation in Turkey and elsewhere. We oppose the banning of political parties that are expressing their views in a peaceful and democratic manner,” Boucher told a daily press briefing in Washington. “Democracy, we believe, is most successful when there's free and open debate, including in elections,” he added. /Sabah/

TURKISH TROOPS RENOVATE HISTORICAL KABUL MOSQUE
Afghanistan’s capital Kabul yesterday marked another step in its reconstruction with the reopening of a historical mosque as renovated through the efforts of Turkish troops stationed in the country. Speaking at the Shah With Two Swords Mosque’s reopening ceremony, Maj. Gen. Hilmi Akin Zorlu, commander of the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, said that Turkey had spent $75,000 to renovate the important mosque. A number of materials were brought from Turkey especially for the project, he added. /Turkiye/

GREEK OFFICIALS VISIT PATRIARCHATE, REITERATE SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BID
Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos and Deputy Culture Minister for Sports Giorgos Lianis, who were in Turkey for last night’s Fenerbahce-Panathinaikos football match, yesterday visited the Fener Greek Patriarchate in Istanbul. At a meeting with Patriarch Bartholomeos, Papandreou said that Greece supported Turkey’s accession to the European Union. “During Greece’s EU term presidency next year, we will do what we can for Turkey’s membership,” added the Greek foreign minister. Bartholomeos also said that whenever he met with European statesmen, he did his best to lobby for Turkey’s EU bid. /Turkiye/

OZTRAK: “THERE SHOULD BE NO NEED TO POSTPONE TURKEY’S DEBTS”
Speaking at Ankara University yesterday, Treasury Undersecretary Faik Oztrak said that if Turkey continued its positive economic growth through the end of the year, as expected, there should be no need for it to postpone its debt payments. Oztrak labeled Turkey’s current economic program a “success,” saying that there was no need to draw up a new economic program. “Our program has raised Turkey’s growth and created new jobs,” boasted Oztrak. “Moreover, the International Monetary Fund is set to release $1.6 billion in credits after Sunday’s elections.” Oztrak added that any small delay in the credits wouldn’t pose a problem. /Hurriyet/

LEYLA GENCER TO RECEIVE PUCCINI HONOR AWARD
World-renowned Turkish opera soprano Leyla Gencer is due to receive the prestigious Puccini Honor Award from the Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation at a ceremony tomorrow at Lincoln Center in New York City. Gencer’s long and distinguished singing career includes leading roles in such operas as “Madam Butterfly,” “Tosca” and “Turandot,” among other works. /Cumhuriyet/

TURKISH, GREEK OFFICIALS PLAN FOR 2008 EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Greek Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos and Sports Minister Giorgis Lianis yesterday met with Turkish Sports Minister Erdogan Toprak to discuss planning for the 2008 European Football Championship, an event which Turkey and Greece have vowed to organize jointly. During their talks, Venizelos reiterated that Greece supported Turkey’s European Union membership bid. Toprak said that good relations between the two countries had begun in 1998 and continued with Turkey’s tragic 1999 Marmara earthquake. “The European Football Championship will contribute to friendly relations between our two countries as well as world peace in general,” added Toprak. /Milliyet/

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