NSC TO CONVENE TODAY
The National Security Council (NSC) headed by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer is to convene today at the Cankaya Presidential Palace. During NSC’s regular monthly meeting, the Iraq and Cyprus issues are expected to be taken up. In related news, Prime Minister Abdullah Gul last night met with Cabinet ministers who will attend the NSC gathering to review today’s agenda of the meeting. /All Papers/
PARLIAMENT TO DISCUSS IRAQ PROPOSAL TOMORROW
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government yesterday decided to delay a vote on a proposal to tomorrow, allowing US troops to be stationed in Turkey as well as sending Turkish troops to northern Iraq. “We want the proposal to be debated on Saturday,” said Salih Kapusuz, a senior member of the AK Party. He said discussions that were ongoing within the party since Wednesday didn’t seem likely to end before Saturday. AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that the proposal would be voted in Parliament without waiting for United Nation’s second resolution on the issue. He said, “It is not clear when the UN will decide on the matter.” Meanwhile, the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) announced yesterday that it would vote against the proposal and the party decided not to support it. “This is the first time in the Republic of Turkey’s history that foreign troops will land in Turkey,” CHP leader Deniz Baykal said at a party meeting yesterday. /All Papers/
PREMIER GUL, GERMAN FM FISCHER MAKE PHONE CONVERSATION, DISCUSS POSSIBLE WAR IN IRAQ
Premier Minister Abdullah Gul and German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer made a phone conversation and conferred on recent developments concerning the prospect of US-led war in Iraq, said a press release yesterday. The release stated that Gul told Fischer that Turkey was ready to contribute to the UN Security Council’s efforts to find a peaceful solution to settle the Iraq crisis without resorting to a war. /Cumhuriyet/
TALABANI: “IRAQI KURDS HAVE NO INTENTION TO ESTABLISH A KURDISH STATE IN NORTHERN IRAQ”
Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) head Jalal Talabani said yesterday that Iraqi Kurds had no secret plans over northern Iraq such as establishing a Kurdish state in the region in the post-Saddam period. Speaking at an Iraqi opposition gathering convened yesterday in Salaheddin, northern Iraq to discuss Iraq’s postwar future, Talabani stated that the IPUK favored a federal democratic regime in the country, adding that this regime would embrace all of the opposition groups including Iraq’s ethnic Turkmen population. /Cumhuriyet, Sabah/
ANNAN URGES DENKTAS AND PAPADOPOULOS TO MAKE QUICK DECISION ON THIRD REVISED CYPRUS PLAN
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos met at an UN compound in Lefkosha UN-manned buffer zone yesterday to discuss the third revised Cyprus plan. Following the meeting Denktas told reporters that Annan characterized the plan as “the last opportunity,” and requested of the both leaders to make their decisions on it in 10 days and then hold a referendum on the issue on March 30. /Cumhuriyet/
MHP LEADER BAHCELI: “INTERVENTION TO IRAQ ISN’T LEGITIMATE”
Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli said yesterday that Turkish people had been disappointed by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) ruling and that the government had abused Turkish nation’s political will. Criticizing the government’s foreign policy, Bahceli said, “It is carrying out an unclear and inconsistent policy.” The government seems to be in favor of a peaceful resolution. On the other hand, preparations for a war are continuing, said the MHP leader. Remarking that an intervention to Iraq was not yet confirmed by the international community, Bahceli said that Turkey’s stance shadowed its reputation and effectiveness. /Turkiye/
ILDEM: “THE PRESIDENT BELIEVES THAT PARLIAMENT WILL TAKE A DECISION ON THE PROPOSAL IN LINE WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW”
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Presidential Foreign Affairs Chief Adviser Tacan Ildem said that President Ahmet Necdet Sezer had stated that he kept his belief that allowing US troops to be stationed in Turkey should be based on “international legitimacy” standards and that it was Parliament to make a decision on Iraq proposals. “The president stated that Parliament will decide on whether these standards were maintained and he believes that members of Parliament will take a decision on the proposal in line with international law,” Ildem stated. “However, the president’s personal opinion will not be above Parliament’s decision.” /Hurriyet/
US GEN. MYERS: “US VICTORY AGAINST IRAQ WOULD MAKE THE WORLD MORE SECURE THAN IT WAS IN THE PAST”
Speaking at a ceremony in New York yesterday, United States Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Myers said that the US victory in an operation against Iraq will make the world more secure than it was in the past. Myers added that the Iraqi government had deployed missiles near by the border of Turkey and Kuwait and that the US had destroyed some of them. /Aksam/
TUSIAD CHAIRMAN: “IF PARLIAMENT REJECTS THE PROPOSALS ON IRAQ, TURKEY’S ECONOMY WOULD BE NEGATIVELY AFFECTED”
Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan said yesterday that if Parliament doesn’t approve the proposals on Iraq which will allow the US troops to be stationed in Turkey, this would affect Turkey’s economy negatively. Ozilhan stated that the interest rates and exchange rate would increase if Parliament rejects the proposals on Iraq. Ozilhan also remarked that if the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government doesn’t waste the loan on populist expenses but carefully use it in rolling over Turkey’s debts, the economy would grow faster after the operation. “The economic package will compensate costs Turkey will be exposed to due to an operation against Iraq,” Ozilhan added. Also speaking at the TUSIAD meeting, Rifat Hisarciklioglu, Turkish union of chambers and commodities exchange chairman, said that the US economic package would enable Turkey to roll over its public sector’s domestic and foreign debts more easily. “It’s clear that a US-led operation against Iraq will affect the economy adversely at the beginning of the operation which is impossible to deny,” he said. “The important thing is to use the loan to roll over Turkey’s debts. If Turkey can easily roll over its debts, this will also boost Turkey’s production.” /Milliyet/
BESIKTAS DEFEATED SLAVIA PRAGUE
Turkish football team Besiktas yesterday recorded a 4-2 victory over the Czech Republic’s Slavia, enough to advance the team to quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup. /All papers/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION