SEZER CANCELS PLANS TO ATTEND COPENHAGEN SUMMIT
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said yesterday that he had decided not to go to the EU’s Copenhagen summit as previously planned, since he thought it unlikely that a date for Turkey’s European Union membership negotiations would be given during the summit beginning on Thursday. Speaking to reporters before receiving the Belarus and Greek ambassadors to Turkey, Sezer stated that certain EU member countries had given negative signals before the summit. “For this reason, I won’t go to Copenhagen. If they were to give a date to Turkey, I would go,” said Sezer. “Turkey has done its homework by passing the EU harmonization laws, and now it’s the EU’s turn. The summit will be a test for the Union. We will understand whether they are sincere.” /All Papers/
ERDOGAN: “TURKEY WILL REVIEW ITS POSITION AFTER COPENHAGEN”
Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with European Union Term President Denmark’s Foreign Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Copenhagen. After the one-hour-plus meeting, Erdogan told reporters that the EU was continuing to erect ad hoc barriers against Turkey’s membership bid. “Turkey is the sole candidate country without a date to begin accession talks,” said Erdogan. “This situation is difficult to understand.” Stressing that Turkey’s EU membership would serve both its own interests and those of the Union, Erdogan said, “Extending a date for Turkey’s accession talks and then its EU full membership would constitute proof of a meeting of civilizations.” Charging that the EU was applying double standards against Turkey, Erdogan stressed, “Following the summit, Turkey will review its position with Europe.” For his part, Rasmussen said that Turkey should fully implement all of the EU criteria. Asserting that the EU had the same standards and principles for all membership candidates, Rasmussen added that a date for talks would be given to Turkey only when it implements all the criteria. /Turkiye/
ERDOGAN TO MEET BUSH, POWELL, OTHER US OFFICIALS, THEN VISIT ANNAN
After meeting with Denmark’s Foreign Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Copenhagen, Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday flew to the United States. As part of his visit, Erdogan delivered a speech to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. Today, the AKP leader is scheduled to be received by US President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin Powell, and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. After meeting with representatives of the US Jewish lobby and the American-Turkish Council, Erdogan is set to proceed to New York to meet with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. During his contacts in the US, Erdogan is expected to chiefly discuss the Cyprus and Iraq issues, as well as Turkey’s European Union membership bid, with the US officials. After completing his meetings in the US, Erdogan will return to Copenhagen, Denmark to follow the EU summit beginning there on Thursday. /Turkiye/
BABACAN TO VISIT WASHINGTON IN MEETING FOCUSING ON ECONOMY
State Minister Responsible for the Treasury Ali Babacan will fly to the United States today to hold a series of contacts with US government and private sector officials. Babacan is scheduled to attend a meeting of the Assembly of Turco-American Associations and deliver a speech there. Then he will meet with US Treasury officials and representatives of a number of rating institutions and investment banks. Babacan is expected to be accompanied by Treasury Undersecretary Faik Oztrak, Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti and State Planning Organization (DPT) Deputy Undersecretary Birol Aydemir. /Turkiye/
OZILHAN: “I BELIEVE TURKEY WILL GET A DATE FROM THE EU BEFORE 2004”
Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan said yesterday that he believed that Turkey would get a date from the European Union before 2004 to start its membership negotiations. Ozilhan stated that Turkey would benefit from being a full member of the EU and that the nation shouldn’t waver from this aim. “Turkey needs time to complete its reforms to be a member of the Union,” he said. “Perhaps Turkey won’t get a good result at Copenhagen, but it will be a full member when it completes its democratic reforms.” Ozilhan added that he hoped Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Ireland, and Britain would all support Turkey at the summit. /Hurriyet/
GUL GETS BAYKAL’S SUPPORT ON EVE OF COPENHAGEN
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul met with opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday on the eve of the European Union’s Copenhagen summit to seek his support for Turkey’s efforts for EU membership. During their talks, Baykal urged Gul not to accept the United Nations’ Cyprus plan before Turkey gets a date for membership talks during the summit scheduled to begin on Thursday. Gul said that he would insist on getting a date from the EU to start Turkey’s membership negotiations next year. Baykal stated that his party would support the government at Copenhagen. Gul also briefed Baykal about recent developments on the Cyprus issue and a possible US operation in Iraq. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Gul said that the government and the opposition party CHP were presenting a united front on Turkey’s foreign policy. Baykal stated that the government was going to Copenhagen with the CHP’s full support. /Hurriyet/
GUL MEETS WITH US SENATORS BIDEN, HAGEL TO DISCUSS CYPRUS, IRAQ
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday met with two senior United States senators at the Prime Ministry building in Ankara. The visit by the two senators, Democrat Joseph Biden and Republic Chuck Hagel, both top members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, came amidst a key week for Turkey on a number of vital issues. Speaking at a press conference after the hour-long meeting, Biden said that an agreement on the Cyprus issue should be reached as soon as possible in order for Turkey to get US economic aid. Biden added that the US Congress hoped that Turkey would be able to both improve its economy and also solve the Cyprus issue. “The stance of the new ruling Justice and Development Party [AKP] will determine how the US proceeds on economic aid,” he said. Touching on Turkey’s relations with the European Union, Biden said that the US would also benefit from Turkey’s full EU membership. The two senators also reiterated the US’ support for Iraq’s territorial integrity, and its opposition to a Kurdish state in northern Iraq. “Whatever the outcome [after a possible war] in Iraq, it must be a united Iraq, with the borders that exist today,” said Biden. In related news, EU Parliament Chairman Pat Cox called Gul yesterday to say that he was very pleased with the AKP government’s efforts to pass a number of EU harmonization laws on the eve of the Copenhagen summit. Cox and Gul are reportedly set to meet before the summit which begins on Thursday. Gul also met with Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Secretary-General Abdulvahid Belkaziz. /Milliyet/
SOLANA: “TURKEY HAS ALREADY RESERVED ITS PLACE IN EUROPE”
Turkey has already made a place for itself in Europe, but only it can decide whether it has both the will and desire to reach its ultimate goal of European Union membership, argued Javier Solana, the EU’s high representative for foreign and security policy, in an opinion piece appearing in yesterday’s New York Times. “Turkey is a subject of intense discussion in Europe today,” wrote Solana. “The reasons are obvious: the change in the political landscape in Ankara and the expectations this has generated; the historic opportunity for a solution to the Cyprus issue offered by Secretary-General Kofi Annan of the United Nations; and the decisions to be taken this week by the European Council at Copenhagen on the next steps in the European Union enlargement process.” Remarking that Turkey had “already booked its place in Europe,” Solana commented that if Turkey wished to assume its place in Europe, then, like all the other candidate countries before it, Turkey must chart the course that will get it there. He asserted that there were two crucial questions that can be answered only by the Turkish government: “Can it take the road to Europe? And does it wish to do so? To answer the first question, Turkey must meet the criteria required for the initial stage of accession negotiations. Whether Turkey wishes to take its place in Europe is a question only it can answer. The Cyprus settlement plan proposed by Annan on Nov. 11 offers everybody an opportunity to write a new chapter in the history of an island that has for too long been divided. Both Turkish and Greek Cypriots should embrace the secretary-general's proposal.” /Cumhuriyet/
BERLUSCONI TO VISIT TURKEY AFTER COPENHAGEN
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and an accompanying delegation including Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and Defense Minister Antonio Martino are expected to pay an official visit to Turkey following the EU’s two-day Copenhagen summit on this Thursday and Friday. Berlusconi reportedly wants to improve Turkish-Italian relations and encourage Turkey on its EU membership bid. /Sabah/
BUSY DIPLOMATIC TRAFFIC ON CYPRUS
Prominent diplomats recently held meetings with Greek Cypriot administration leader Glafcos Clerides to discuss the latest developments on the Cyprus issue ahead of this Thursday and Friday’s EU Copenhagen summit, an important gathering where Greek Cyprus is likely to be invited to join the Union. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Special Representative to Cyprus Alvaro de Soto, US State Department Special Cyprus Coordinator Thomas Weston and European Parliament Chairman Pat Cox recently visited the island and discussed the details of Cyprus’ EU membership bid with Greek Cypriot officials. The diplomats stressed that Annan’s Cyprus plan was a historic opportunity for both sides on the island, its Turkish and Greek Cypriots, which should not be passed up. /Aksam/
US STATE DEPT: “KADEK IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION”
KADEK, the label adopted last year by terrorist group the PKK, has been officially designated a terrorist organization on the US State Department’s latest listing of such groups. In line with this designation, the United States government will work to freeze any financial assets KADEK holds in the US and to stop any US financial transactions involving the group. The “PKK, also known as KADEK” is number 16 on the State Department’s list of 35 terrorist organizations. /Turkiye/
GERMAN INDUSTRIALISTS’ GROUP ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BID
Speaking to the Financial Times yesterday, Michael Rogowski, head of the German Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association, said that it would soon release a statement detailing its support for Turkey’s European Union membership bid. In the leadup to this Thursday and Friday’s EU Copenhagen summit, voices in support of Turkey’s membership are on the rise. The German group had met with a delegation from its Turkish counterpart, the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD), during the latter’s lobbying tour for Turkey’s bid. The group is said to be favor of a fast track for Turkey’s membership, saying that further delays could harm the growing trade relations between Germany and Turkey. /Milliyet/
IMF DELEGATION BEGINS FOURTH REVIEW
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation chaired by Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen yesterday began the fourth review of the nation’s economic program. Kahkonen met in Istanbul with representatives of the private and banking sectors. At the end of the fourth review, the IMF is to decide whether to disburse a $1.7 billion loan tranche to Turkey. In addition, another IMF delegation chaired by Odd Per Brekk, the Fund’s Turkey representative, yesterday held a series of meetings with Turkish economy bureaucrats in Ankara. /Cumhuriyet/
WORLD BANK DELEGATION TO VISIT TURKEY NEXT WEEK TO DISCUSS ISTANBUL APPROACH
World Bank Turkey Director Ajay Chibber yesterday stated that a delegation was to visit Turkey next week to discuss recent developments on the Istanbul Approach, a financial restructuring program. The WB is expected to make a decision to release a loan amounting to $500 million to support Turkey’s efforts towards financial restructuring. /Star/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION