ECEVIT CONCURS WITH SEZER ON INDIVIDUALLY TARGETED LAWS
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, whose term in office is set to end soon, said that he agreed with recent remarks by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer arguing that laws which apply to a single individual should be avoided. “I consider supporting Sezer’s statements my duty,” added Ecevit. “Sezer is very sensitive on secularism, and I am heartened that such a person is continuing his duty as Turkey’s president.” Ecevit also stated that Turkey would face a serious “state problem” under the government set to succeed his because, in his view, the Cabinet wouldn’t be led by a prime minister, but by a “shadow prime minister.” In both statements Ecevit was referring to the lack of clarity over who will lead the incoming government. While it is customary for the leader of the winning party to become prime minister, Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan is currently legally barred from doing so. Plans have been discussed to change the law to allow his prime ministry, which would amount to a law applying to a single person. “This problem [of Cabinet leadership] should be solved by the [incoming] ruling party [the AKP], since it wouldn’t be proper for the nation to be governed by a shadow prime minister for very long,” added Ecevit. /Milliyet/
ERDOGAN: “SEZER’S STATEMENTS WERE DISRESPECTFUL TO THE NATION’S WILL”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, leader of incoming ruling government party the Justice and Development Party (AKP), yesterday took exception to recent statements by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, characterizing them as “disrespectful to the nation’s will.” Sezer had said that laws which apply to a single individual should be avoided and that the law shouldn't be politicized, both in apparent implicit reference to calls to change the law so that Erdogan can become prime minister, a post he is currently barred from. “Politics should proceed through the nation’s will,” said Erdogan. “The incoming AKP government will always listen to ideas from other parties, but it will carry out its duty by itself. This is a requirement of democracy.” He added that if the AKP shared the duty given to it by the nation, Turkey could enter an “antidemocratic process” and such a movement could damage politics. /Milliyet/
ERDOGAN: “TURKEY NEEDS A NEW VISION”
In an interview in Sunday’s Washington Post, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the leader of incoming ruling party the Justice and Development Party (AKP), stated that Turkey needed a “new vision” and further modernization. The interview with Erdogan, whose party won a landslide victory in last week’s general elections, was also excerpted in Newsweek’s European edition. Asked whether his party constituted a threat to Turkey’s secular, democratic regime, Erdogan replied, “Our party sees secularism as an important segment of democracy. Secularism establishes the administrative structure of this country. Our political party is not Islamic. It is not based on religion. However, the Turkish media tried to place us in that category. A political party cannot be Islamist. It cannot be for Islam. These are inaccurate terminologies. Islam is a religion, and a party is just a political institution.” Erdogan also offered his views on Turkey’s IMF-backed economic program, stating that his party would review the social aspect of the program, which he charged “creates unemployment.” Asked whether the incoming AKP-led government would cooperate with an American-led invasion of Iraq, letting the US use Turkish airbases and station troops in this country, Erdogan said, “The UN decisions will have a binding effect on us. It would not be appropriate for us to act without a UN decision. If the goal is to remove weapons of mass destruction from Iraq, then Iraq appears to be willing to accept the UN specialists on this matter. According to US statements, if the reports of these auditors are positive, the problem might be solved peacefully.” /Cumhuriyet/
ANNAN PRESENTS SOLUTION PLAN FOR CYPRUS
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday submitted a comprehensive solution plan for the Cyprus issue to the two leaders on the island. Copies of the 150-page plan were reportedly also submitted to the island’s guarantor countries, Turkey, Greece and Great Britain. Annan also briefed the UN Security Council on the plan at a council meeting yesterday where the members discussed the issue. Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said yesterday in New York that following his return to the island, the plan would be discussed in detail within the TRNC’s government and Parliament and with Turkey as well. Meanwhile, Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides said yesterday that Annan expected a reply to his plan in seven days. He stated that the plan would be taken up by the Greek Cypriot National Council after he discussed it with his advisors. According to Greek sources, the plan emphasizes two fully politically equal states and a joint state formed by two founding states. The plan also proposes a rotating term presidency to represent the joint state. /All Papers/
BAYKAL: “DESTROYING OUR REGIME WON’T SOLVE THE PRIME MINISTRY ISSUE”
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that “tearing apart the regime” wouldn’t solve the “prime ministry problem” of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, leader of incoming ruling party the Justice and Development Party (AKP). Baykal, the incoming opposition party leader, was alluding to a recent exchange of words between Erdogan and President Ahmet Necdet Sezer over whether passing legislation to enable Erodgan to become prime minister would be proper or not. Asked about Erdogan’s calls for constitutional amendments to allow his prime ministry, Baykal said that the principles which Sezer had put forth in a speech on Sunday were worthy of everyone’s consideration. “Politics shouldn’t put together regulations according to its own needs, and the law shouldn’t hinder politics,” stated Baykal. He added that Turkey shouldn’t be dragged into “ill-conceived problems” and a superfluous agenda. “We should avoid creating meaningless political tension,” stated Baykal. /Milliyet/
CIA DELEGATION VISITS TURKEY
A delegation from US foreign intelligence service the CIA headed by Deputy Director John McLaughlin arrived in Ankara yesterday to hold a series of meetings with Turkish authorities. The Iraq issue and the war against terrorism will reportedly be the primary topics of discussion during the meetings. /Turkiye/
TALABANI TO VISIT ANKARA
Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) leader Jalal Talabani is to arrive in Ankara today to hold meetings with several high-level figures, including officials from the Foreign Ministry and the Office of the Chief of General Staff. According to diplomatic sources, Talabani wishes to visit Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), to convey his congratulations on the AKP’s landslide victory in last week’s elections. While Talabani is expected to discuss recent developments in northern Iraq with the Turkish officials, Ankara is planning to express its concern for the ethnic Turkmen groups residing in the region. /Cumhuriyet/
SOLANA TO STEP UP PRESSURE ON ESDP, CYPRUS
Javier Solana, EU secretary-general and high representative for the common foreign and security policy, is to arrive in Turkey on Thursday for a visit where he is expected to put out feelers to the Justice and Development Party (AKP) on the issues of the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) and Cyprus. Solana is expected to both discuss the latest developments on the ESDP issue and to convey the EU’s wish that the new AKP government should take constructive steps on these two sensitive issues. He is scheduled to meet with AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the day he arrives. /Aksam/
CHEYRE: “IRAQ SHOULD OBEY THE UN RESOLUTIONS”
Gen. Juan Emilio Cheyre, the head of Chile’s General Staff, yesterday told an audience at War Academy that the Iraq problem was an issue that belonged to the whole world and so should be solved in line with the relevant United Nations resolutions, new versions of which were passed this week. Cheyre, who is currently paying an official visit to Turkey, also asked Turkey for technical and personnel support in the war against terrorism. /Turkiye/
MOLLER: “TURKEY MAY BECOME AN EU MEMBER”
Per Stig Moller, European Union Term President Denmark’s foreign minister, said yesterday that during the EU’S Helsinki summit in 1999, Turkey had officially gained candidate status, which had paved the way for its full EU membership. “If Turkey fulfills the conditions as other candidate countries have done, it may become a full member,” said Moller. Stressing that the future course of Turkey’s candidacy would be settled at the EU’s Copenhagen summit next month, Moller said that the EU was preparing its decision on the matter. In related news, Angela Merkel, leader of German opposition party the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), told her party’s convention in Hannover yesterday that Turkey was not ready legally, politically or economically for EU membership. /Turkiye/
FOREIGN MINISTRY BRIEFS CHP ON TURKISH-EU RELATIONS
Officials from the Foreign Ministry yesterday briefed a delegation from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the incoming opposition party, on Turkish-EU relations. After the briefing, which was chaired by Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal, CHP Chairman Deniz Baykal stated that his party would cooperate with the incoming Justice and Development Party (AKP) government to promote Turkey’s EU membership bid and to put pressure on the EU member countries to set a date at December’s Copenhagen summit for Turkey’s accession negotiations. A CHP delegation is soon set to hold a series of meetings with EU officials. /Cumhuriyet/
BUSINESSMEN PROMOTE TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP BID
A Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’ Association (TUSIAD) delegation is set to meet today with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenther Verheugen in Brussels in order to promote Turkey’s EU membership bid. The delegation is to participate in a panel on Turkish-EU relations at the European Political Research Center, where TUSIAD Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan is also scheduled to deliver a speech. The delegation is also expected to meet with European Parliament Turkey Rapporteur Arie Ooslander tomorrow. In addition, another delegation led by Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu is to meet today with Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh to convey Turkey’s views and expectations on its relations with the EU. /Sabah/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION