SEZER EN ROUTE TO GERMANY
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will travel to Germany today to pay a working visit. Sezer is scheduled to meet with German President Johannes Rau, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and other high-level officials tomorrow in Berlin. During their meetings, Turco-German and Turco-European Union relations, and regional as well as international issues are to be discussed. Sezer is expected to return to Ankara tomorrow evening after holding a press conference at Turkey’s Embassy in Berlin. /Turkiye/
GUL MEETS WITH EP DELEGATION
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday met with a European Parliament delegation led by Turkish-EP Joint Parliamentary Commission Co-Chairman Joost Lajendik. Briefing the EP delegation on the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) European Union policy, Gul stated that the new government was planning to implement a constitutional reform package prepared by the former government “as soon as possible.” Stating that the AKP-led government was also preparing another EU reform package to be unveiled on Wednesday, Gul underlined that this new package would deal with a host of sensitive issues on which the EU had serious concerns, such as human rights and democratization. Gul also discussed the Cyprus issue with the EP officials, reiterating that the EU should set a date for Turkey’s accession negotiations in order to promote both the Cyprus peace process and the country’s democratization efforts. For his part, Lajendik remarked that the UN Cyprus plan recently presented to the two leaders of the island was a historic opportunity that should not be missed, stressing that if Turkey or Greece failed to reach an agreement on the UN proposal, the problem might worsen. /Cumhuriyet/
YAKIS: “EXTENDING A DATE TO TURKEY COULD HELP MOVE THE CYPRUS ISSUE FORWARD”
Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis left New York yesterday after paying a get-well visit to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas. Speaking to reporters before his departure, Yakis complained that the Cyprus plan prepared by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan proposed allocating all the island’s water resources to the Greek Cypriots. He said that the European Union member countries had implied that helping to solve the Cyprus issue would aid Turkey’s bid to get a date for its membership talks. “From the beginning, we’ve asserted that our bid was not related to Cyprus,” he added. “However, as they insisted on putting the issue before Turkey at every opportunity, we said, ‘First you give us a date to Turkey, then we will work with you more on the Cyprus and European Security and Cooperation Policy [ESDP] issues’.” In related news, US Secretary of State Colin Powell yesterday telephoned Yakis to reiterate the US’ support for Annan’s plan and to ask Yakis to take a positive stance on it. /Turkiye/
HANNAY URGES TURKEY TO SOLVE CYPRUS ISSUE BEFORE COPENHAGEN
Sir David Hannay, Britain’s special envoy for Cyprus, yesterday met with Presidential Foreign Affairs Chief Advisor Tacan Ildem. During their talks, Hannay said that the Cyprus issue should be solved before the European Union’s Copenhagen summit scheduled for Dec. 12. At the meeting, Ildem briefed Hannay on the views of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer regarding the UN’s Cyprus plan and also Turkey’s EU membership bid on the eve of the Copenhagen summit. After his meeting with Ildem, Hannay met with Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal. Speaking at a press conference after his meetings with Ildem and Ziyal, Hannay said that his aim was to obtain a favorable result on the Cyprus issue before Copenhagen. British Foreign Minister Jack Straw, EU Term President Denmark’s Prime Minister Per Stig Moeller and UN Special Cyprus Envoy Alvaro de Soto are also expected to visit Turkey soon. /Milliyet/
DENKTAS: “WE WILL EVALUATE THE UN’S CYPRUS PLAN”
Appearing on television after his meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis yesterday, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said that officials of the TRNC would evaluate the United Nations’ Cyprus plan. Denktas also said that his meeting with Yakis had been very positive and constructive. Denktas added that though he had briefed Yakis about his reaction to the plan, this didn’t mean that he had accepted it. “However, the UN plan could be evaluated once more,” he stated. /Milliyet/
PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE NEW GOVERNMENT PROGRAM
The Parliament will begin to debate the new Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) government program at its plenary session today. During the session, Deniz Baykal, leader of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), will make a speech in his capacity of sole opposition leader. Later, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener will answer questions about the program. AKP Deputies Ihsan Arslan and Nihat Eri will also make separate speeches to give their own views on the program. A vote of confidence is to be held in Parliament on Thursday. /Milliyet/
ERDOGAN MEETS WITH PORTUGUESE PRIME MINISTER, PRESIDENT
As part of his tour of seven European countries to seek support for Turkey’s European Union membership bid, Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan accompanied by a high-level delegation yesterday arrived in Lisbon, Portugal. Erdogan first met with Portuguese Prime Minister Durao Barroso. Following their approximately one-hour meeting, Barroso told reporters that Portugal favored Turkey’s EU membership as soon as it has fully complied with the Copenhagen criteria and the EU’s enlargement policy. “We don’t want a Europe divided by religious lines,” said Barroso. For his part, stressing that Turkey had been waiting for EU membership for 40 years, Erdogan said, “We don’t want this process to be extended indefinitely. Turkey expects a date at next month’s EU Copenhagen summit to begin its membership talks.” Later, Erdogan was received by President Jorge Sampaio. After the meeting, Erdogan and his accompanying delegation flew to Helsinki, Finland. /All Papers/
WOLFOWITZ, GROSSMAN TO VISIT TURKEY
US Assistant Secretary of State Marc Grossman and US Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz are expected to pay a visit to Turkey in the coming days. The two high-level US officials are expected to discuss a number of sensitive issues with Turkish officials such as the Iraq issue and Turkey’s EU membership bid. Both are known as firm friends of Turkey within the US administration, and Wolfowitz is reputed to be a “hawk” on the Iraq issue. /Aksam/
TURKEY PLATFORM TO CONVENE IN BRUSSELS
The Turkey Platform, an umbrella group made up of 200 domestic non-governmental organizations (NGOs), is to hold a meeting tomorrow in Brussels with the support and attendance of various European NGOs to promote Turkey’s EU membership bid. The Turkey Platform together with its European supporters is expected to issue a statement at the end of the meeting underlining that the EU should set a date at next month’s Copenhagen summit for the beginning of Turkey’s accession negotiations. In addition, EU Economic and Social Council Chairman Roger Briesch and EU Commission official for Social Affairs Anna Diamantopoulou will also attend the meeting to support the NGOs. /Cumhuriyet/
ILHAN KESICI TO JOIN THE DYP TODAY
Former Motherland Party (ANAP) Bursa Deputy Ilhan Kesici is set to join the True Path Party (DYP) today. Kesici is also expected to be a candidate for the DYP leadership at the party’s congress to be held on Dec. 14. Kesici is a former State Planning Organization (DPT) undersecretary. /Turkiye/
BABACAN: “THE ECONOMIC PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE AS IS”
State Minister Ali Babacan said yesterday that the new government would make no major changes in the economic program as carried out by the previous government. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, India, where Babacan is currently attending the G-20 meetings, he said, “Our goal is clear and definite: We are resolved to bring down inflation.” He added that growth and employment would also increase if doing so didn’t conflict with their anti-inflation drive. Babacan also met with Anne Krueger, deputy chairman of the International Monetary Fund. /Turkiye/
IMF DELEGATION TO VISIT TURKEY NEXT WEEK
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation jointly led by the Fund’s European Director Michael Deppler and Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen is scheduled to visit Turkey on next Monday and Tuesday to meet with economy bureaucrats of the new Justice and Development Party (AKP)-led government. According to a Treasury statement, another IMF delegation is also to pay a visit to Ankara the following week for the fourth review of Turkey’s economic program. /Sabah/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION