IN DEAL REACHED WITH POWELL, TURKEY TO PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN AID, PLUS FUEL TRANSIT FOR US MILITARY IN NORTHERN IRAQ
Turkey and the United States took a step yesterday to repair ties damaged by last month’s rejection of US troop deployment on Turkish soil, as they agreed to expand Ankara’s scope of cooperation with the US military campaign in Iraq. The deal was worked out during US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s visits to Turkish leaders yesterday. In addition to Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Powell met with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as well as Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok. At a joint press conference with Gul, Powell said, “We have solved all the outstanding issues with respect to providing supplies through Turkey to those [US military] units that are doing such a wonderful job in northern Iraq to keep the situation stable there.” For his part, Gul said that shipments of food, fuel and humanitarian aid supplies would be allowed through Turkey, adding that there was no need for a new parliamentary resolution for these measures and that the government would take action on its own initiative. Powell also said that US would look to Turkey to take part in the rebuilding of Iraq after the conflict there ends, which he said was “just a matter of time,” and added that Turkey would play an important role in the creation of a democratic regime in its neighbor. “The example that Turkey will provide to Iraq of a democracy – a Muslim democracy – living in peace with its neighbors” would be a key part of that role, said Powell. Regarding Turkey’s concerns about northern Iraq, Powell stated, “We are monitoring the situation very closely, we have it under control, and therefore at the moment there is no need for any movement of Turkish troops across the border.” Meanwhile, there were a number of demonstrations in Ankara protesting Powell’s visit and calling for the US to end the war in Iraq. After completing his contacts in Turkey, the US secretary of state flew to Brussels, Belgium last night for a NATO Council meeting, one which Gul will also attend. /All Papers/
GUL TO PARTICIPATE IN NATO MEETING IN BRUSSELS
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is set to arrive in Brussels, Belgium today to attend a meeting of the NATO Council. Gul postponed a scheduled visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to make the trip, but is due to visit the TRNC afterwards. US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who paid an official visit to Turkey yesterday and then left, will also participate in the meeting. /Cumhuriyet/
GUL: “I SUPPORT DENKTAS’S EFFORTS FOR A SETTLEMENT OF THE CYPRUS ISSUE”
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday that he appreciated and supported the recent efforts of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas towards settling the Cyprus issue, including this week’s letter to his Greek Cypriot counterpart containing a new package of proposals. “I support all the proposals laid out in the letter,” said Gul. “I believe that the letter will help to overcome the crisis of confidence and also boost efforts to reach a resolution on the island.” Gul added that he hoped the proposals would also help to restart negotiations between the two sides, adding that they shouldn’t pass up this chance. /Milliyet/
DENKTAS SENDS LETTER TO PAPADOPULOS GIVING NEW PROPOSALS FOR CYPRUS DEAL
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas yesterday send a letter to Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos containing a new package of proposals intended to help reach a resolution on the island, including one offering to turn over the TRNC’s Maras restricted military zone to the Greek Cypriots. Speaking to reporters, Denktas said that he hoped the six-part package would restart negotiations between the two sides and predicted that an agreement could be reached before April 16, when Greek Cyprus is due to sign an accession treaty with the European Union. Denktas remarked that there was no need for United Nations involvement during the negotiations, but that if the Greek Cypriot leader would like to have UN representatives present at the talks he had no objection. Denktas added that he expected Papadopoulos to respond to his letter as soon as possible. /Milliyet/
US MILITARY VEHICLES SENT TO NORTHERN IRAQ
Yesterday some 30 Turkish trucks carrying US military vehicles and equipment passed through Turkey’s Habur border gate into northern Iraq and later arrived in Arbil, some 100 miles (150 kilometers) past the border. Protected by US forces in the region, the vehicles were unloaded near the Ankawa Military Airbase. In related news, another convoy of 100 trucks left from Gaziantep Airport in southeastern Anatolia to travel to NATO’s Incirlik Airbase and Iskenderun Harbor. The US military transports out of Gaziantep will reportedly be completed by next Tuesday. /Turkiye/
BABACAN AND EIB PRESIDENT SIGN 350 MILLION-EURO LOAN DEALS
State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan and European Investment Bank President Philippe Maystadt yesterday signed two loan agreements in Istanbul totalling 350 million euros. The first 150-million euro loan is the final tranche of the EIB’s $600 million loan pledge following Turkey’s devastating 1999 Marmara earthquake. The second loan package of 200 million euros is to be used for financing small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) in Turkey. /Aksam/
WHITE HOUSE BUDGETS DIRECTOR: “US AID TO TURKEY IS MEANT TO BOOST ITS ECONOMY, WHOSE HEALTH IS IN BOTH OUR INTERESTS”
Speaking yesterday on US financial news network CNBC, White House Budget Director Mitch Daniels pushed the cause of $1 billion in aid to Turkey proposed in President George W. Bush’s new wartime spending bill, which is currently being debated in the US Congress. The bill is intended to help support Turkey’s economy in a difficult period of war, explained Daniels. “We hope that Congress will be responsive here,” he added. “It is not in the interests of the United States that the Turkish economy collapse, particularly at this point in time. There are some obvious differences with the new government of Turkey, but that doesn't obviate the need for them to be a successful country going forward.” Both houses of Congress are expected to pass separate versions of the bill later today before resolving differences in a conference committee next week. /Hurriyet/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION