Selections From Todays Turkish Press
The controversy between the Prime Ministry and Presidency came to an end late on Monday, when President Ahmet Necdet Sezer sent a notice to the Prime Ministry requesting that a vetoed amendment to raise deputies' salaries to be published in the Official Gazette. With the publication of the vetoed amendment, Article 27 of a 34-article package approved by Parliament three weeks ago, in the Official Gazette yesterday, the referendum process officially started. Answering reporters' questions Sezer said, "I believe the issue can be solved without a referendum. There will be a 120-day period following its publication. If Parliament amends the 86th article properly and if it is published before the end of the period, there will be no need for a referendum." /All Papers/
PARLIAMENT SEEKS SOLUTION ON REFERENDUM ISSUE
Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi met yesterday with coalition parties representatives seeking a solution to the referendum issue. Government parties are planning a new, one-article amendment to void a pay rise for deputies, which had caused a weeklong political controversy between the government and the Presidency. The vetoed article will be reverted to its original form to void the pay raise. The government parties are planning to begin debate on the one-article law after debates on the new Civil Code draft are completed. /All Papers/
TURKEY'S THREE CONDITIONS FOR A "PEACE FORCE"
Turkey, which is still in the midst of its own economic crisis, has conveyed its economic and strategic concerns to the US and Britain about the formation of a "Peace Force" to be sent to Afghanistan. Turkey is asking the UN to pay the cost of the operations, to define its duties clearly and to not rush in planning the formation of such a force. /Turkiye/
ISMAIL CEM VISITS TURKMENISTAN
As part of their tour of Central Asian countries, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ismail Cem and an accompanying delegation, were received by Turkmenistan Head of State Saparmurat Turkmenbasi yesterday. During the meeting, regional and Afghanistan issues were discussed. Afterwards, Cem told reporters in Askabat that if Turkey were asked to contribute to a "Peace Force" its approach would be positive. /Turkiye/
ANKARA PROPOSAL TO END AFGHANISTAN CRISIS
Ankara has suggested to the Pakistani "Islamic Front Fighting for Afghanistan" to hold a meeting in Istanbul in order to find a solution to the crisis in Afghanistan and to form a broad-based government. According to news in the Frontier Post newspaper, which is published in Pakistan and monitors the pulse in the border city of Peshawar, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has suggested to the Islamic Front as well as Afghan politicians and leading figures that they meet in Istanbul. Citing "reliable sources," the paper states that the meeting is expected to last six days and that it will include participants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran . The Islamic Front Fighting for Afghanistan recently sent a delegation to Afghanistan and made a similar proposal. The news failed to say how this Foreign Ministry proposal was made./Turkish Daily News/
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE TURKEY REPORT
The European Parliament General Assembly isset to debate on Wednesday October 24 a report on Turkey, prepared by French Christian Democrat Alain Lamassoure. The report will then be voted on the next day. The bill based on the report states that Turkey has gained dynamism thanks to becoming an official EU candidate country, that domestic reform movements and political dialogue have both increased and that despite the economic crisis and other tensions within the coalition, the government supports the reform program and has the political will to see these reforms carried out. The bill also states that failure to come up with a satisfactory solution on Cyprus would adversely affect the EU enlargement process. It further expresses satisfaction that Turkey's Parliament is working hard to improve human rights and make intensive reforms towards democratization. The bill supports the Turkish government's efforts and initiatives towards economic reform and calls for EU financial support to be provided in a timely and effective manner. The bill asks that Ankara take a more constructive approach towards the Cyprus issue and expresses satisfaction in the development of Greek-Turkish dialogue./Turkish Daily News/
DERVIS ON CNN TURK
Speaking on CNN Turk, Minister of State responsible for Economy Kemal Dervis said that a high-level IMF mission would visit Turkey this week. Dervis said, "We must complete discussions on the 2002 budget. The IMF has taken a decision of principle for additional loans. This week is very important since we expect significant developments to take place." Adding that discussions between financial and manufacturing sectors had achieved considerable success, Dervis said that all banks should act harmoniously to support firms which engage in exports. He said that if the conditions necessary for an atmosphere full of confidence were sustained, Turkey might begin to develop faster than expected. /Milliyet/
WESTON TO VISIT ANKARA
US Special Coordinator for Cyprus Thomas Weston is to visit Ankara today. Weston is expected to be received by Foreign Minister Ismail Cem. US State Department Cyprus Representative James Sivers will accompany Weston. Weston is expected to visit Cyprus after completing his meetings in Turkey and Athens. /Cumhuriyet/
KDP DELEGATION IN ANKARA
Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Massoud Barzani's nephew, Nechirvan Barzani, who is responsible for regional administration of the party, arrived in Ankara yesterday. He met with Foreign Minister Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal and the Foreign Ministry Middle East Department Chairman Ambassador Turkekul Kurttekin. /Cumhuriyet/
SECURITY MEETING WITH IRAN
The 8th of the Higher Security Commission meetings will be held today as part of the security cooperation meetings which have been held since 1992 between Iran and Turkey. A delegation chaired by Iranian Deputy Interior Minister Gholam Hossein Bolandian arrived in Ankara for the meetings yesterday. /Cumhuriyet/
ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT TURKEY
Turkey and Italy are expected to reaffirm their commitment to measures ranging from political to financial steps to combat terrorism during Italian Foreign Minister Renato Ruggieri`s whilwind visit to Turkey late Tuesday. The stop over of the Italian minister in Ankara follows a three-leg tour to Syria, Lebanon and Iran, where the Italian minister was scheduled to meet top leaders, including Syrian President Beshir Asad and Iranian President Mohammed Khatemi. Ruggiero arrives late afternoon today and is expected to have one-and-a-half hour talks with Foreign Minister Ismail Cem at his residence. The open-agenda talks are expected to focus on the recent terrorism crisis, the future of Afghanistan and international cooperation against terrorism. Within this framework, the Turkish side is expected to raise the question of activities of the PKK terrorist organization in Italy. Cem and Ruggerio are also expected to exchange views on their respective visits to Central Asia and the Near East./Turkish News/
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO DISCUSS REPORT ON TURKEY
Tomorrow the General Council of the European Parliament will discuss a report on Turkey, which was prepared by French Christian Democrat Alain Lamassoure. The advisory draft law that is attached to the report will be voted on at the general council session on October 25. Meanwhile, a group of parliamentarians proposed an amendment urging Ankara to recognize the so-called Armenian genocide. /Sabah/
ROCHE'S INVESTMENT
In Gebze yesterday, the Roche Group laid for the second-biggest solid tablet production facility in the world. Minister of Health Osman Durmus, Roche Forma World Chairman William Burns, Roche's Executive Board Chairman in Turkey Faruk Yoneyman, and the of the Eczacibasi Executive Board Chairman , Bulent Eczacıbasi attended the foundation laying ceremony for the facility, which will be constructed by the company for 60 million US dollars on an area of 18,000 square meters. During the ceremony, Yoneyman gave a speech saying that the facility would begin operation at the end of 2003 and that it would make exports to Eastern European countries. For his part, Burns said that with this investment they showed their confidence in Turkey. /Sabah/
TOURISM PROBLEMS DISCUSSED
During a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and attended by Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan, State Minister responsible for Economy Kemal Dervis, Minister of Tourism Mustafa Tasar, Minister of Transportation Oktay Vural, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal problems concerning tourism were discussed. Ways for Turkey to increase its tourism revenue next year and possible measures to soften the blow on Turkish tourism of the terrorist attacks against the US were discussed. Also were discussed discussed a reduction in the Value Added Tax, which is currently 18%, a single annual setting of museum entrance costs, and announcing this price in euros for the benefit of European tourists. During the meeting, Tasar argued for the necessity of opening new areas of investment so as to move tourism into new areas. Also discussed during the meeting were proposals to encourage civilian aviation; to accept tourism revenue as exports incomes; hold off increasing increase the visa fees and to decrease this fee to 10 US dollars. /Cumhuriyet/
FROM SHANGHAI TO BRUSSELS BY DERYA SAZAK (MILLIYET)
Columnist Derya Sazak commented on the two important summit meetings held over the weekend. A summary of his column is as follows: "World leaders held two important summit meetings this weekend, one in the Asia-Pacific region and the other in Europe. One should not wonder at the distance between Shanghai and Brussels. As the military operations against Afghanistan are intensifying, the steps for parcelling the world taken between the US, Russia and China recall the days following the World War II. Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) summit hosted by Chinese head of state Chiang Zemin saw important talks with US President Bush and Russian President Putin. For the US President, it was important to gain the support of China, which maintained its silence on the developments in Afghanistan. Mr. Bush not only added Zemin to the rapprochement he had achieved with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but also gained APEC's support for the fight against terrorism under the umbrella of the UN. In return, the Russian and Chinese leaders are insisting on upholding Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty in a way which would prevent Mr. Bush's election dream from being carried out. In Europe, the Western leaders met in Ghent to the north of Brussels and discussed the 'European Platform' in the process of EU enlargement. Just as at the Nice meeting, Turkey was not invited to this platform open for candidate countries. Foreign Minister Cem duly reacted by saying, 'The EU should not discriminate among candidate countries.' EU Commissioner Responsible for Enlargement Verheugen stated that claims that Turkey's full EU membership was not favored were untrue and told the member countries that as the negotiation process with Turkey went on, they could not say, 'You need not be concerned. Turkey can never be a member.' However, these words were not enough to hide certain blemishes. It seems that theTurkey's status as a mere candidate for EU member candidacy is being preserved. Recent reforms in the Turkish Constitution had no impact on the EU summit. Due to the ongoing operations in Afghanistan, Turkey's increasing strategic importance should have blown favorable winds in Brussels. Have we been able to explain the reforms in our Constitution to the world? "