Gul: Decisions Of National Security Council Have Recommendary Character

ANKARA - Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Friday night that the decisions of the National Security Council (NSC) have recommendary character, adding the decisions of the political power is certainly the most important thing.
Responding to questions of journalists in a private tv channel, Gul said that ''the government's mission is to turn the abnormal things particularly related to Erdogan's political ban into a normal situation and to end the political bans. These are the shorcomings of the Turkish democracy. We must do these things in order to make Turkey become member of the EU. Even if EU is not on the agenda, we know the cost of the political bans in Turkey. This is our mission.''
Gul said that AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan is his friend since they were students, adding that ''we are together for a long time, and there is no problem between us.'' Gul said that he continiously talks to Erdogan either on the phone or face to face, adding that ''we will our best in order to lift the political ban on Erdogan.''
Upon another question, Gul said that he will use his authority as the prime minister.
When asked what kind of a result he expected from Copenhagen summit, Gul said that the government does its best to get a final date, but Turkey has to fulfil its mission.
Gul said that they are working on the packages of law which they will bring onto agenda after getting the vote of confidence, adding that the package will be presented not as the package of AK Party, but as the package of the parliament.
''After fulfilling our homework, we will put pressure on EU to get a final decision about our EU membership. EU can't tell us that Turkey has shortcomings, because there are certain countries to which EU is about to give a date, which have more shortcomings than us,'' Gul said.
While assessing Annan's plan on Cyprus, Gul said that ''we can negotiate it and we work on it.''
Gul said that he talked to Annan on the phone the same day and he conveyed Turkey's concerns to Annan like the settelement of many people from the south in the Turkish part. Gul said that he told Annan that Turkey wanted peace in Cyprus and Annan welcomed that.
When recalled that Erdogan proposed Cyprus, European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) and Turkey's EU membership issues to be taken up together in the same package during his meeting with British Prime Minister Blair and when asked if NSC's view on the issue was learnt, Gul said, ''Erdogan, as a leader of political party, is holding meetings and explaining his views. The people who hold meetings with Erdogan are prime ministers and also the leaders of the parties.''
Gul noted, ''our goverment has not yet received the vote of confidence. NSC will convene on November 29. We will discuss many issues. Now, the decision of political will is very important. But those issues are not recent issues and they have historical background. We are not informed about the dossiers. NSC members and the soldiers have information about the dossiers. They know the history of the issues. Our diplomats know the details of the issues better than us. We will be briefed on those issues.''
Responding to a question asking if taking up Cyprus issue together with the EU was a government policy, Gul said that they did not yet discuss the issue and added, ''we try to say that we do not have prejudices and we are in favor of finding solutions to the issues. Erdogan's statements have importance in that respect.''
Gul said that they wanted to solve the Cyprus issue, but the important thing was to reach a permament solution on the island, added, ''the agreements can be abolished 10 or 20 years later. The diplomacy is important. The view of soldiers and experts are also important. We, who have general information on the issue now, cannot say that the issue can be solved.''
When a reporter said that Council of State Administrative Cases Department General Assembly's decision to stop the execution of the decision of the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) to the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (SDIF) can cause doubts in the public opinion due to the meeting between Erdogan and Karamehmet, Gul said that the governments had no effect on the judiciary and noted that they had no role on that decision. He added that they would not do anything contrary to the laws, regulations and conscience.
Touching on BRSA's functions, Gul stated that they, as the government, would determine the general policy and the strategy on the issue and added that but BRSA would implement the policy. Gul said that they would provide Government Accounting Bureau to make more effective inspections.
Stating that they attributed great importance to the transparency, Gul said that the faults would be revealed within the framework of objectivity and legitimacy.
Upon a question, Prime Minister Gul said that there could be a department which would serve for Alawites under Religious Affairs Directorate and stated that they opposed to politicize the religions.
Responding to a question, he said that they did not want a possible operation against Iraq.
Gul added that they aimed to decrease the real interests and inflation rates.