MGK TO MEET TODAY

The National Security Council (MGK) will meet today under the chairmanship of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. The meeting's agenda is expected to focus mainly on foreign issues. Among the issues expected to be taken up at the meeting are Turkey-EU relations, the latest developments on the Cyprus issue (after the TRNC's declaration of withdrawal from the proximity talks), future policies over Cyprus, allegations of the so-called Armenian genocide. The MGK is expected to approve decisions made to reject any manner of EU attempts to put the solution of the Cyprus issue as a political condition for Turkey's full EU membership, and to reject the UN's perspective on the issue which does not take the realities of the island into consideration. /Cumhuriyet/

CEM ADDRESSES EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Foreign Minister Ismail Cem delivered a speech yesterday at the meeting of the European Parliament in Brussels. Replying to questions particulary on Cyprus, Kurds, Armenia, the role of the National Security Council and inflation posed by the European Parliaments, Mr. Cem pointed out the following major topics during his speech: 1) Turkish soldiers are not an occupying force on Cyprus. How can an army occupy its own land? Turkish soldiers landed on Cyprus to save both Turks and victims of a fascist coup d'etat. 2) The events which occured in 1915 are of course not desired by anyone. However, we should consider who the occupying force in the region was at that time and how they acted. 3) There is no minority problem in Turkey. The Republic of Turkey has never discriminated against people living in its territory. Turkey is against the ethnic criteria being placed before it. 4) Turks living in Germany have also asked for minority rights, why is Germany opposed to it? 5) We find Turkey's Accession Partnership Document (APD) affirmative in general. However, we object to the addition of extra conditions, other than those declared at the Helsinki Summit. /Turkiye/

ACCESSION PARTNERSHIP DOCUMENT TO BE DISCUSSED

The Accession Partnership Document (APD), declared by the European Commision Nov 8th, is expected to be discussed during the Council of General Affairs meeting to be held Dec 4th. Furthermore, EU-Turkey relations were taken up at a meeting organized by the European Policy Center. Speaking on the addition of the Cyprus issue to the APD's short-term targets, European Commission's Chief of Turkey Desk, Alain Servanti, said the statement does not mean the Cyprus issue has to be solved in 2001. /Turkiye/

SCANDAL AT THE MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Yesterday, during Foreign Minister Ismail Cem's address the parliament, DHKP-C militants entered the European Parliament's building and chanting slogans and holding placards opposing Turkey and Minister Cem. It is not yet clear how the two militants got into the building, which is supposed to be one of the best protected buildings in the world. After being taken into custody, the militants were then released by the security unit of the Parliament. /Turkiye/

BAHCELI: "NO CONCESSION FOR THE EU"

Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, said as Turkey expresses its desire to be a EU member, the Union continously puts barriers before it. Speaking at his party's parliament group meeting, Bahceli said, "It should be understood that no targets and promises are more superior to or more preferable than Turkey's existance, unity and future." He added Turkey will always stand by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in its just cause. /Turkiye/

MEY'S STATEMENT ON TURKEY'S STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE

Speaking at a conference on military-technology relations, Chairman of Strategic Analysis Institute and academician at Koln University in Germany, Holger Mey emphasized Turkey's strategic importance. He said, "The US acknowledges Turkey's importance more than the EU does. It shouldn`t be Turkey demanding to enter the EU, rather it must be the EU which wants Turkey entrance." /Cumhuriyet/

TURKEY-RUSSIA MEETING ON AFGHANISTAN

Turkey and Russia exchanged views on Afghanistan at the meeting between Turkish Foreign Ministry's Afghanistan Coordinator, Ambassador Aydemir Erman and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov in Moscow. Both sides agreed that a solution is possible for Afghanistan with a government in which all political groups are represented. /Cumhuriyet/

MINISTRY OF CULTURE PREPARES TWO BOOKS ON SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

The Ministry of Culture prepared two books on the allegations of the so-called Armenian genocide, approaching the issue from two different perspectives. The books include Turkey's reply to the allegations and reflects Turkey's views on the issue. /Cumhuriyet/

BRIEFING ON HYDROGEN ENERGY TO NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

At today's convention of the National Security Council (MGK), two Turkish scientists, Prof. Nejat Veziroglu and Prof. Beycan Ibrahimoglu will give a briefing titled " The Energy Problem in the 21th Century and the Development of Turkey". President of the Clean Energy Research Center at the Miami University, Prof. Veziroglu, is the first scientist to put forth the idea of producing energy from hydrogen in 1974. Prof. Ibrahimoglu is specialized in thermodynamics and has proven in experimentally a new form of the substance. /Hurriyet/

RUSSIA'S FAVORITTE: TOURISM MINISTRY'S TURKEY PROMOTION

It was stated the promotional slogan by the Turkish Ministry of Tourism "Feel Life in Turkey" was the most favored ad of the Russian people. /Cumhuriyet/

ERCEL: "NO NEED FOR ANY SUPPLEMENTARY MEASURE"

Treasury Undersecretary, Selcuk Demiral, President of the Turkish Central Bank, Gazi Ercel, and the Chairman of the Banking Regulation and Supervision Board (BDDK), Zekeriya Temizel, met with representatives of 19 banks regarded as "market shaping banks". At the meeting the the current economic fluctuation was discussed. The parties tried to clarify the reasons and determine measures to prevent the extensive demand for foreign exchange and the increase in the interest rates. At the end of the meeting, Mr. Ercel, , said there would not be any change in the implementation of the stabilization program. He said, "We have enough foreign currency and there is no need to take extra measures." /Hurriyet/

MEDA FOR TURKEY

The European Union approved giving Turkey Euro 150 million to support structural reforms within the framework of Mediterrenean Development Aid (MEDA). A statement by the European Commission Turkey Representative said, "Upon its promise over certain issues such as reaching the EU standards in working conditions, health, social security, continuing the agricultural reforms, preventing gender discrimination and adopting environmental laws in sinc with EU laws, Turkey has gained this aid." The statement went on to say the aid was a part of a larger package the EU has allocated for Turkey. /Cumhuriyet/

WORLD BANK'S TURKEY REPORT TO BE DISCUSSED

The World Bank's Turkey Report is to be discussed in a conference titled "Turkey Report and Stable Development" in Istanbul today. Among the figures delivering a speech in the conference are Deputy Chairman of World Bank, Johannes Linn, Chairman of Banking Regulation and Supervision Board, Zekeriya Temizel, Treasury Undersecretary Selcuk Demiralp and World Bank Turkey Representative, Ajay Chibber. /Cumhuriyet/

COTTARELLI: "CURRENT ECONOMIC CONDITIONS DO NOT THREATEN STABILIZATION PROGRAM

The IMF Chief of Turkey Desk, Carlo Cottarelli, said the fluctuation experienced recent days in the Turkish economy are not to an extent which would threaten the fate of the economic stabilization program. There would not be given any further immediate credit by the IMF to back the program. /Milliyet/

KOBI CREDITS FOR GAP REGION

According to a statement by the Office of the Treasury Undersecretary, 17,94 % of the total credits allocated for small and medium size enterprises (KOBIs) throghout Turkey were transferred to GAP (Southeastern Anatolia Region Project) region. /Cumhuriyet/

$800 MILLION INFLOW OF FOREIGN CAPITAL

The Head of Foreign Capital Department, Faruk Yoneyman, said $800 milion de facto foreign capital will come to Turkey this year. $150 million is for new investments and the rest is for the enlargement of existing investments. /Sabah/

AWARD TO TURKISH JOURNALIST FROM GREECE

The Brussels' correspondant of the Hurriyet Newspaper, Zeynel Lule, received "The Konstantinos Kalligas Award" given by the Greek department of the Association of European Journalists (AEJ). /Hurriyet/

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

PUTTING THE EGGS IN TWO DIFFERENT BASKETS BY EROL MANISALI (CUMHURIYET)

Columnist Erol Manisali comments on the policy Turkey should follow from now on. A summary of his column is as follows: "Today Turkey is being squeezed into a corner by the EU and the US. Both of them support the wishes of Greece on Kurdish and Armenian issues, and the games over Turkey will continue. So long as there is petroleum and natural gas in the region, and Greece and Armenian lobbies in the West, the potential demands from Turkey will not end. As Turkey has put all its eggs into the Western Basket it will never free itself from this corner. In our region there are neighbours which cannot be incorporated into the West completely, such as Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. In a way they too share the same fate as Turkey. Recently, Brussels has been trying to find ways to put these countries under its influence and control, without admitting them into the EU. There have been important changes in Russia with the advent of President Vladimir Putin. Russia does not want to depend upon the EU or the US in a world with only one super power. Relations with Asia have been brought to the fore, and Russia is trying to improve its ties with Iran, Iraq, and Syria. That is why Russia violated the Iraqi embargo. Important messages were conveyed to Turkey during the Russian Prime Minister's visit. Russia is trying to improve its ties with Turkey by claiming common interests. During the Ukrainian President's visit, extraordinary messages were also given to Turkey. The Ukraine is aware it shares the same fate as Turkey. The Ukraine wants to further improve ties between our two countries in all areas, including defense. At present Turkey has been squeezed into a corner by the West on Kurdish, Armenian, Aegean and Cyrus issues. The West is implementing an arms embargo on Turkey; Europe does not want to take the country into its defenses. With all these impositions, Europe sees Turkey's resistance weakening and an atmosphere suspicious of EU intentions being created. The EU wants to use this climate to their advantage. However, they do not have any intention of admitting Turkey into the Union in the future. Following the 1990s, prevailing world and regional conditions have changed. Turkey could not draw up a foreign policy to protect its national interests and put all its eggs into the same basket, that of the West. Using this opportunity Western states have begun to scratch old wounds such as demanding land for the Armenians, statehood for the Kurds and implementation of Greek requests. On these issues they began taking important steps during the last 7-8 years. Today the only way out is for Turkey to put its eggs in different baskets. For example, improving ties with the countries of the region. Turkey does not have to sever its ties with the West. However, it must further ties with its neighbours such as Iran, Iraq and Syria. Enhancing Turkey's influence in the region will provide opportunities to establish balanced relations with the West. Such a development is in harmony with the national interests of the country."

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