ECEVIT VISITS ESKISEHIR

At the weekend, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit visited Eskisehir to attend the opening ceremonies of some facilities built by the Eskisehir Municipality. Addressing the people, Premier Ecevit said that the coalition partners were working in great harmony and the Government was achieving important accomplishments. Stressing that certain circles were producing imaginary scenarios recently, Mr. Ecevit said: "They are expecting the toppling of the government in October or November. This will not come to pass, as, there is no alternative of this government." /Turkiye/

BAHCELI CRITICIZES THE APPROVAL OF THE SO-CALLED GENOCIDE BILL

Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Nationalist Action Party(MHP) Devlet Bahceli chided the US Congress on the approval of the draft bill on the so-called Armenian Genocide at the Subcommittee of the House of Representatives. Mr. Bahceli said, "None of the parliaments have the mission or claim to distort the historical facts of a country. History should be used to enlighten the future of humanity in an era of increasing efforts for global peace and stability, not to darken it." /Sabah/

MINISTER OF JUSTICE TURK WARNS THE US

Stating that the approval of the so-called Armenian genocide bill by the US Congress will seriously damage both bilateral relations between Turkey and the US and NATO alliance, Minister of Justice Hikmet Sami Turk warned the US and Armenia. Mr. Turk said that if Armenians continued such attempts against Turkey, it was not possible to improve the bilateral relations between Turkey and Armenia. Pointing out that they hoped the House of Representatives would take a decision to the benefit of all, Mr. Turk said, "Nobody could benefit from the approval of the bill. On the contrary, it aggravates the feelings of grudge, hostility and revenge between the two nations. Meanwhile, certain unions, chambers and associations held a protest in Adana. Speaking at the demonstration, the Head of Cukurova Intellectuals Association, Idris Sahin, stated that it was not possible to accept the decision of the US sub-committee on the International Operations and Human Rights. /Hurriyet/

TURKS' CAMPAIGN IN THE US

After the approval of the so called Armenian genocide bill by the sub-committee of the House of Representatives, Turks living in the US have started a campaign to prevent the ratification of the bill at the International Relations Committee. The signatures collected by the Assembly of the Turkish-American Associations, Federation of the Turkish-American Associations and Turkish Forum will be submitted to the Congress on Monday. The bill will be taken up at the 50-member committee this week. /Turkiye/

ANKARA'S CONCERN OVER THE AEGEAN ISSUE

Ankara has been increasing its efforts to exclude the Aegean issue from Turkey's EU accession partnership document. The EU Commission is in close contact with Ankara when preparing the accession partnership document. After Foreign Minister Ismail Cem's and Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry Faruk Logoglu's contacts were completed in Brussels, Head of EU Commission's Turkey Desk Alain Servantine arrived in Turkey. Mr. Servantine will hold a series of talks in Ankara to discuss the accession partnership document and advance document with the Turkish officials. He will also be informed about the harmonization report approved by the Council of Ministers. It was reported that the EU Commission was preparing to announce the Advance Report for Turkey on Oct. 8. A high-level official responsible for the EU Affairs said, "We do not have any concern over the Cyprus issue since there will be no more decisions beyond the Helsinki decisions. However we are uneasy with the Aegean issue.", and added, "We believe that the EU is going to determine a framework which will satisfy Turkey." /Cumhuriyet/

NEW DOCUMENT CONCERNING CYPRUS ISSUE

It was claimed that the United Nations (UN) presented a five-page proposal concerning the constitution to the Greek-Cypriot side during the fourth tour of Cyprus proximity talks in New York. According to the Greek-Cypriot press, this informal document concerning the constitution envisages a rotating presidential election. According to this document, the founding States will have their own constitutions and their own flags. Meanwhile, there are reactions against the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs George Papandreou's policy concerning Cyprus and relations between Turkey and Greece from the Greek-Cypriot side. Newspapers wanted Papandreou to stop meeting the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ismail Cem. Newspapers also claimed that Papandreau's policies had worried the Greek political world. /Aksam/

ISRAEL PRAISES TURKEY ON MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS

Israeli Ambassador to Turkey, Uri Bar-Ner, said that Turkey, and particularly Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, has played a very positive role in the Middle East peace process. Mr. Bar-Ner said, "We view Turkey's role as very constructive." Speaking to journalists in Ankara, Bar-Ner noted that Mr.Cem explained to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat that Israel had not been planning to build a synagogue in the Noble Sanctuary and was influential in convincing Arafat not to declare the Palestinian state as he was planning to do so on Sept. 13. /Turkish Daily News/

TURKEY TO COOPERATE WITH GEORGIA AGAINST ORGANIZED CRIME

The Turkish and Georgian Interior Ministries have signed a protocol envisaging cooperation between the two countries for the prevention of organized crime. Interior Minister Sadettin Tantan, who has been on an official visit to Georgia, met his Georgian counterpart Kakha Targamzade on Friday. Following the meeting, the two ministers signed the protocol. /Turkish Daily News/

MUMCU IN PRAGUE

Minister of Tourism Erkan Mumcu left for Prague yesterday to participate in the meetings organized with the cooperation of the IMF and the World Bank. Mr. Mumcu will return to Turkey on Wednesday. /Turkiye/

KUTAN IN BRUSSELS

The leader of the Virtue Party (FP) Recai Kutan and an accompanying delegation left for Brussels, Belgium to hold some meetings. During the three-day visit, Kutan and his delegation is expected to meet NATO Secretary-General George Robertson, European Trade Union Confederation's Secretary-General Emilio Gabaglio and Belgian Senate Deputy Chairman Jean-Mari Happart. /Turkiye/

SYRIAN INTERIOR MINISTER TO VISIT TURKEY

Turkey has been continuing its efforts to improve its relations with Syria. Syrian Interior Minister Muhammed Harba and a Syrian delegation will visit Turkey between Sept 26-29 as the official guests of the Interior Minister Sadettin Tantan. The discussions will be focused on the security issues between the two countries and aimed at developing cooperation in this area. Mr. Harba will visit State Minister Husamettin Ozkan. /Cumhuriyet/

TURKEY TO MODERNIZE SEVEN C-130 PLANES

Seven C-130 military cargo planes belonging to the Turkish Air Force will be modernized, enabling them to make intercontinental flights. The modernization project is meant to contribute to the efforts to reinforce the Turkish defense forces and to increase Turkey's deterrent capacity. It is reported that most of the preparatory work in connection with the C-130 modernization project, which has been on the Defense Industry Undersecretariat agenda for the last few years, has been done. /Turkish Daily News/

US QUESTIONS ECONOMIC STABILITY

State Minister Recep Onal, who previously answered IMF's Chairman Horst Kohler's questions about the determination of the Turkish Government in implementing the economic stability program, this time met US State Department's Deputy Secretary Responsible for Economic Affairs, Alan Larson. Onal said, "Larson pointed out Turkey's importance for the US and they want the economic stability program to be successful in Turkey. Larson also told us that the US wants to cooperate with Turkey on energy investments through the 'build-operate-transfer' model and about the natural gas projects. During this meeting, we told him that Turkey had begun to implement a series of measures. We added that Turkey would make the most comprehensive arrangement while presenting the 2001 Budget to the Turkish Grand National Assembly." /Milliyet/

PANEL ON TURKISH ECONOMY IN PRAGUE

The Turkish economy was discussed in a panel organized by the Institute of International Finance(IIF) within the framework of the IMF Fall Conventions in Prague. IIF European Department economist Jeffrey Anderson said at the panel that the Turkish economy was developing more rapidly than expected. Mr. Anderson said, "The primary importance was given to the stability in external balance rather than the financial consolidation in the Turkish economy. If current accounts deficit could be better managed, a firm fiscal policy is implemented and the budget of 2001 is prepared in accordance with the stability program, the demand of the international investors for the stocks of the Turkish companies may increase also with the implementation of privatization and the restructuring of companies. If the program is implemented as it is planned, Turkey can compensate the decline in the competitive power resulting from the revaluation of Turkish lira. /Sabah/

NATURAL GAS AND ENERGY CONFERENCE STARTS

A conference entitled "Natural Gas and Energy" is set to start in Istanbul next week. The conference will start on Tuesday with an inauguration address by Energy and Natural Resources Minister Cumhur Ersumer and will last two days. Representatives from the state-owned Turkish Pipeline Transportation Company (BOTAS), the World Bank and BP-Amoco are also scheduled to address the conference. /Turkish Daily News/

GAP RAILWAY PROJECT

The initial studies regarding the infrastructure of the GAP Railway Project will be speeded up. The project will be realized by a loan from the Spanish government and it is expected to cost $1 billion dollars. The line will be 832 km in total lenght and it will begin from the border of Iraq, and passing through Diyarbakir and Sanliurfa, it will be connected to Iskenderun Harbor. /Turkiye/

ISO REPORT

The Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ISO) will present a report that contains the problems and their suggested solutions about employment and exports to the government today. The committee headed by the Chairman of the Istanbul Chamber of Industry Hüsamettin Kavi, will be recieved by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli and State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz. It will be their third visit to Ankara this year. The first and the second were in January and April respectively. /Star/

EUROPEAN QUALITY AWARDS TO BE GIVEN

European Quality Awards will be given on 27 September in Istanbul. The winners of the European Quality Awards will be announced during the gala night of the 'Perfection Forum', organized by the European Foundation of Quality Management (EFQM) at Lutfi Kirdar International Sports and Exhibition Palace. Turkish companies have won six awards in the last four years during the European Quality Awards ceremonies including the application of Netas Company in 1995. During the Perfection Forum, Istanbul will host many distinguished speakers such as Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Rosevelt Thomas, John Mole and Graham Shaw. /Aksam/

CDRSEE'S COMMON HISTORY WORKSHOP IN ISTANBUL

The Center for Democracy and Reconciliation in Southeastern Europe (CDRSEE) organized a workshop entitled "The Balkan Empires: Common Heritage, Different Inheritors" in Istanbul. The workshop hosted by the Sabanci University was aimed at developing the scientific historiography and removing hostile expressions from the history books of the Southeastern European countries. Deputy Chairman of the CDRSEE's Council for the Text Books Halil Berktay stated, "This workshop is a meeting for only scanning and critisizing. We will try to develop new proposals for this new understanding of history. We will look for possible solutions and convey our views to the European Council and the governments of the related countries." /Hurriyet/

FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...

THE ARMENIAN RESOLUTION AND RECONAISSANCE FORCE BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)

Columnist Fikret Bila writes on the acceptance of the Armenian Resolution by a House subcommittee. A summary of his column is as follows: "The acceptance of the Armenian Resolution by the US House of Representatives International Operations and Human Rights subcommitteee regarding the so-called Armenian Genocide has led to tension in the relations between Ankara and Washington and Ankara and Yerevan. The Resolution is expected to be voted at the US House of Representatives International Relations Committee on Thursday. The Armenian Resolution has two proposals; one of them is to call upon the President for issuing an annual message commemorating the Armenians using the word 'genocide' on April 24 and the other is to train US Foreign Service officers, officials of the US Department of State on the issue. The aim is to have the claim that Armenians were massacred by the Turks to be accepted by the US and commemorate it every year. When Kocharian became Head of State after Petrosyan, the policy obsessed with certain events in history has been inflamed. As in every election year, the Armenian lobby has intensified its efforts on the issue. Under the present conditions and within the framework of international relations what would Yerevan and Washington achieve or lose by the acceptance of such a resolution? It is nothing but a dream for Armenia to believe that this will have a concrete effect on the solution of their problems other than having an historical claim to be accepted by the US House of Rperesentatives and forcing other states to do so. Armenia which seems to be independent legally, has not gained economic and political independence in the real sense. It is a country living in poverty and dependent on Russia economically, in war with Azerbaijan. It has no ties with the outer world and the only tunnel through which it can breathe is Turkey. Good relations with Turkey will relieve Armenia both economically and politically and trying to pass a resolution from the House of Representatives despite all these considerations and a possible political retaliation by Turkey means that they are undertaking great risks. In fact, such a resolution does not have any concrete benefits for Washington. What is more, Washington which was in strategic cooperation with Turkey in the Middle East, Northern Iraq, the Caucasus and the Balkans has to forsake Ankara's contributions to officialize a claim of which the truth is not known. Ankara may discuss the issue at length at the next National Security Council(NSC) on 29 September. The 'measures' which can be taken against both Washington and Yerevan can be brought to the agenda of the NSC in a package. In addition to implementing an economic and political isolation policy against Yerevan, and a proposal for not lengthening the term of duty of the 'reconnaisance force' based in Incirlik may come to the agenda. Just as the House of Representatives accepts a resolution against Turkey in spite of the US Administration, TGNA may accept a decision ending Reconnaisance Force's mandate even though Ankara does not want to do so. Prime Minister Ecevit's reservations concerning Northern Iraq problem, the US policy over the region and 'Poised Hammer' and 'Reconnaisance Forces' are known. When Turkey's influence, function in the Middle East, Central Asia, Iraq, the Caucasus and the Balkans and its contributions to the US are taken into consideration as a whole it would be better for Washington to take steps with evaluating the possible retaliations to come from Ankara."

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