GUL: “TURKEY WILL BE READY FOR ITS EU BID BY NEXT FALL”
Speaking to Milliyet daily yesterday, Prime Minister Abdullah Gul pledged that Turkey would pass all the European Union harmonization laws necessary for its EU membership bid by the end of next year, just as the EU is set to publish a progress report on Turkey. “The EU won’t be able to find anything to object to in its 2003 progress report,” predicted Gul. “At last week’s Copenhagen summit, French President Jacques Chirac said that Turkey should insist on getting an date earlier than 2004.” The summit set December 2004 as the date the EU would consider scheduling Turkey’s membership talks. Gul also stated that the Cyprus issue carried great importance for Turkey’s EU bid and that it shouldn’t be politicized. Commenting on a possible United States operation against Iraq, Gul said that Turkey had made no commitments to the US, but that should a dispute arise between the two sides, Turkey would take a clear stance. “Turkey wants a peaceful solution in the region,” he stated. “However, in case of an operation, the Turkish Armed Forces [TSK] would certainly fight for the nation’s rights.” /Milliyet/
SCHROEDER: “TURKEY COULD START MEMBERSHIP TALKS WITH THE EU IN 2005”
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said yesterday that should the European Union decide at its December 2004 summit that Turkey is ready for membership negotiations, then those talks would begin in mid-2005. Turkey and the EU will continue in the future to make serious but difficult negotiations on Turkey’s membership bid, stated the German leader. Schroeder added that he was pleased that 10 countries were slated to join the EU in 2004 and that the EU had presented a positive perspective to Turkey at last week’s Copenhagen summit. /Milliyet/
VERHEUGEN: “TURKEY SHOULD BE PLEASED WITH THE EU’S DECISION”
European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen said yesterday that Turkey should be pleased with the decision that the EU made on it during last week’s Copenhagen summit. “For the first time, the EU issued a firm decision on Turkey and set a date to decide on its accession talks,” added Verheugen. “Never before have we done something like that.” Verheugen also stated that Europe’s borders should be clearly defined. “In addition to the EU’s 10 new members, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and other Balkan countries should take their places within the EU,” he said. “However, there the Union’s enlargement must come to a halt.” Bulgaria and Romania are next in line behind the 10 new members to get EU accession talks, a step which the Union failed to take on Turkey last week. /Hurriyet/
GOVERNMENT TO FORM PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON EU AFFAIRS
Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat, deputy chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Central Executive Board, yesterday said that a committee for European Union affairs would be established in Parliament to aid in Turkey’s EU membership bid. Following a four-hour meeting chaired by AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Firat said that Erdogan had briefed the board on last week’s summit in Copenhagen as well as his recent visit to the US. Stressing that much hard work lay ahead for Turkey’s EU bid, Firat stated that a new committee in Parliament would be established to follow progress on the matter. He added that the government’s Emergency Action Plan had also been discussed at the meeting. /Turkiye/
TUSIAD: “FOLLOWING COPENHAGEN, TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP BID IS ON TRACK”
At last week’s Copenhagen summit the European Union effectively firmed up its perspective on Turkey’s membership bid, said a statement issued yesterday by the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD). The statement added that even though the EU’s decision on a date for the beginning of Turkey’s accession negotiations had not fully met the nation’s expectations, it did officially confirm that the EU was projecting a future for the Union which would include Turkey. To this end, Turkey should pursue concrete, rational and realistic policies, the statement stressed, adding that there was an urgent need to improve human rights and democratic standards in the country. /Sabah/
TRNC WORKS TO MEET FEBRUARY DEADLINE FOR SETTLEMENT
A group of top-level Turkish Cypriot officials, headed by Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas, held a meeting yesterday in Ankara. On the agenda of the meeting were details of the policy to be pursued on Cyprus peace talks through which a settlement on the island is expected to be reached before Feb. 28, 2003, the deadline the EU advised in its closing declaration at last week’s Copenhagen summit. Denktas previously announced that peace talks with the Greek Cypriots could only be resumed with the condition that the economic embargo on the TRNC be lifted. In related news, Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and ruling Justice and Development Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan both denied yesterday that the government had pledged to find a solution to the Cyprus problem before the EU’s Feb. 28 deadline as a concession for Turkey’s EU membership bid. “The Cyprus issued did not play a central role during Turkey’s contacts at the Copenhagen summit pertaining to our efforts to get a date for accession negotiations,” said a statement issued by the Prime Ministry yesterday. /Cumhuriyet/
BAYKAL TAKES ISSUE WITH YAKIS’ STATEMENT ON TSK’S STATUS ON CYPRUS
Opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday took sharp exception to remarks by Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis earlier this week concerning Turkish forces on Cyprus. Yakis had said that in the absence of a settlement before the EU-set Feb. 28, 2003 deadline, units of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) present on the island to protect its Turkish Cypriot population would technically be an “occupying force” on European Union member soil. These remarks were grossly mistaken, charged Baykal, “and unfortunate. The government should announce at once that the remarks don’t represent Turkish government policy.” The EU agreed last week to admit Greek Cyprus into its ranks, erroneously taking its administration to represent the entire island, including the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) where TSK forces are stationed. /Cumhuriyet/
TRNC TO RENEW SEARCH FOR CYPRUS SETTLEMENT
Ergun Olgun, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ (TRNC) presidential undersecretary, said yesterday that he had agreed to a request by Didi Tsirter, assistant to UN Cyprus Envoy Alvaro de Soto, to renew efforts to find a settlement on the island in light of the European Union’s green light given last week to Greek Cypriot accession. After arriving in Ankara yesterday, Olgun met with TRNC President Rauf Denktas, who is currently undergoing medical treatment. He said that there would be a meeting to evaluate recent developments as chaired by Denktas with the attendance of Tahsin Ertugruloglu, the TRNC’s foreign and defense minister, as well as Turkish officials. “Then the matter will be discussed within the TRNC government and its other political parties and a joint policy will be established,” said Olgun. Stressing that de Soto would arrive in Cyprus after the New Year, Olgun stated that he expected to return to the TRNC with Mr. Denktas either today or tomorrow. /Turkiye/
TOBB HEAD: “EVEN IF THE EU ISN’T READY FOR TURKEY, WE’RE READY FOR THE EU”
Last week’s European Union Copenhagen summit proved that even though the EU doesn’t seem ready for Turkey, Turkey is surely ready for its EU membership, yesterday commented Rifat Hisarciklioglu, chairman of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchange (TOBB). Hisarciklioglu also said that the Cyprus issue would be solved after guaranteeing the future of the island’s Turkish Cypriots. Also touching on economic issues, Hisarciklioglu said that Turkey’s growth and inflation targets should be considered together, adding that a reduction in inflation shouldn’t result in slower growth. /Milliyet/
JUSTICE MINISTER CICEK: “CORRUPTION WILL BE ROOTED OUT”
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek yesterday vowed that the government would wage a war in order to root out corruption in Turkey. Speaking at the Education Center for Justice and Prosecutor Candidates in Ankara, Cicek said, “Our European Union membership bid has become Turkish state policy. Whether the date is 2004 or 2005, Turkey will join the EU.” Commenting that Turkey had been sharply criticized by the EU for its shortcomings in the judicial area, the justice minister said that the implementation of laws was more important than their mere passage. Speaking on corruption, Cicek stated that it was one of the most insidious threats to the republic and that therefore there should be a war fought against it. “If need be, we will make amendments to the system in order to eradicate corruption,” added Cicek. /Turkiye/
ANAP, DSP TO HOLD CONGRESSES
The Democratic Left Party (DSP) and the Motherland Party (ANAP), two ex-government parties now lacking representation in Parliament due to their poor showing in last month’s elections, are both set to hold important congresses in the coming months. The ordinary congress of the DSP, which led the last government but polled less than 1% in November’s elections, is set for sometime between April 2003 and April 2004. A number of DSP deputies, however, are pushing for an extraordinary congress to be held before that period. With the retirement of its longtime leader Mesut Yilmaz, ANAP is due to elect a new chairman at its Jan. 11 ordinary congress. The candidates for the post are as follows: acting Chairman Ekrem Pakdemirli, Ali Talip Ozdemir, Lutfullah Kayalar, Bulent Akarcali, Ahmet Ozal, Oltan Sungurlu, Gunes Taner and Isin Celebi. /Turkiye/
TURKISH CULTURE CONGRESS BEGINS
The Fifth Turkish Culture Congress is set to begin today at Ankara’s Capital Teacher Guesthouse with the participation of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. During the four-day gathering, over 300 participants will deliver speeches in 16 sessions on various subjects ranging from secularism to the Turkish language, handicrafts, historiography, philosophy and music. /Hurriyet/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION