SEZER FINISHES SYRIAN VISIT

After completing a historic two-day visit to Syria, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday returned to Turkey. Speaking to reporters at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport, Sezer said his visit had contributed to developing bilateral relations both politically and economically. Stressing that he had held fruitful meetings with his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad as well as Premier Naci Otri, Sezer said that during their talks both regional and international issues had been taken up. He added that he had pointed to the importance of Syrian troops’ pulling out from Lebanon before elections in that country. The president also stated that good relations between those two countries would help to promote regional peace and stability. /Turkiye/

SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT ARRIVES IN ANKARA

South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun yesterday arrived in Ankara to pay an official visit. He is the first South Korean president to visit Turkey in the last 50 years. Roh, who will be accompanied by a delegation of businessmen during his visit, is expected to meet with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss bilateral relations, economic ties, the North Korean situation and the Iraq issue. During his meeting with Erdogan, Roh is also expected to propose establishing a Korean-Turkish Information Technology Center. /Aksam/

US URGES SYRIA TO CHANGE ITS STANCE

During at a press conference on Wednesday, commenting on Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer’s visit to Syria this week, US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that his administration would welcome everybody giving messages to Syria as to how it can play a “more harmonious role in the region.” He added that, however, it was important that how Syrian officials receive such messages and how they act on them. Boucher also urged Syria to end its support for terrorists in the region. "We certainly think that Syria needs to look at its role in the area, needs to look at its relationships with its neighbors, needs to look at ... allowing support for groups that are trying to blow up the peace process, to sabotage the attempts at peace in the Middle East," added Boucher. "And Syria needs to change its behavior." /Turkiye/

ERDOGAN AWARDED LEADER OF YEAR

In a survey conducted by the Imedya Interactive Publication Group on the Internet, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was voted “Leader of the Year.” During an awards ceremony yesterday, Erdogan said that all leaders of the European Union member countries had experienced certain difficulties during their EU membership process. He said that if Turkey is to be a world country rather than a closed one, all difficulties on its road to EU membership must be overcome. /Star/

BAYKAL: “SYRIA SHOULD BE INTEGRATED INTO THE WORLD”

Opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said yesterday that Syria should be integrated into the world rather than isolated. Speaking to Syrian television yesterday, Baykal said that President Ahmet Necdet Sezer’s visit to this country had taken place in accordance with the people’s wishes. “There’s no need for concern about this visit,” said Baykal. Stressing that recent Syrian actions had been in line with the international community’s expectations, Baykal said that steps taken in Lebanon were a good example of this. The CHP leader added the terrorism was a regional issue and called on every country to take a firm anti-terrorist stance and join international efforts to stop it. /Turkiye/

FM UNDERSECRETARY TELLS WASHINGTON THAT SEZER URGED DAMASCUS ON DEMOCRATIC REFORM

Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ali Tuygan, during his official visit to Washington this week, met with officials at the US State Department and National Security Council. During his meetings, Tuygan reportedly said that Ankara’s dialogue with Damascus and Tehran were not in conflict with the vision of the US administration. He added that President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, during his visit to Syria this week, had urged Damascus to pursue democratic reform. Tuygan also met with US congressmen to discuss a number of issues, including bilateral relations and the so-called Armenian genocide. /Milliyet/

TRNC’S TALAT: “WE CANN’T PURSUE POLICIES WHICH FAIL TO FACILITATE A RESOLUTION”

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said yesterday that policies which fail to help a resolution on the island can no longer be pursued, adding that implementing a policy not in accordance with Ankara was out of the question. Talat, the frontrunner in this Sunday’s presidential elections in the TRNC, said that if elected president he will promote a Cyprus resolution and try to establish good relations with the European Union. /Cumhuriyet/

CHIRAC: “TURKEY SHOULD WORK VERY HARD TO RAISE ITS STANDARDS TO THE EU LEVEL”

French President Jacques Chirac said yesterday that Turkey’s religion wasn’t a problem for its European Union membership bid, adding however that Turkey’s traditions weren’t in sync with Europe’s. “They should work very hard to raise their standards to the EU’s level,” he said during a television debate over a referendum on the EU Constitution. Chirac stressed that Ankara would soon begin its EU accession talks, but that he didn’t know when Ankara will reach EU standards, adding that even it does so, the French nation will have the final say on its EU membership. /Milliyet/

THREE TURKISH SOLDIERS KILLED BY PKK NEAR SYRIAN BORDER

Three Turkish officers, one first lieutenant and two senior sergeants, were killed yesterday during a firefight with PKK terrorists in Sirnak’s Pervari municipality, near the Turkish-Syrian border. According to military sources, 21 terrorists were killed during the firefight. /Sabah/

IMF’S RATO: “TURKEY’S ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE IS IMPRESSIVE”

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Rodrigo Rato yesterday praised Turkey’s economic performance, calling it “impressive.” Rato stated that the IMF could handle Turkey’s new standby agreement in May, adding that with the standby, the Fund will release $10 billion in economic aid to Turkey. In related news, IMF First Deputy Managing Director Anne Krueger said yesterday that in the past she had never suspected that Ankara and the Fund would reach an agreement on the new standby. Last week, State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan said that issues regarding the new Letter of Intent (LOI) for the standby had been resolved. /Milliyet/
 

FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS

OUR FOREIGN POLICY AND THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA
BY NURAY BASARAN (AKSAM)

Columnist Nuray Basaran comments on Turkey’s foreign policy. A summary of her column is as follows:

“For some time now, people have been discussing Turkey’s foreign policy and recent changes in global dynamics. There are two different views concerning our foreign affairs:

The first one says that Turkey has recently begun to take some courageous steps in the international arena. It’s believed that this could help to create alternatives in our foreign policy. And the second says that the world is dividing itself into several groups and if Turkey doesn’t react quickly to this polarization, in the near future it will likely find itself alone.

It’s high time Turkey took active part in Iraq. In fact, we’re about to miss the train on that. But we must bear in mind that there are also other potential players on the field, such as the European Union.

On the other hand, we should observe well the transformation of the ex-Soviet republics towards liberalism and globalization. Today there are three types of nations holding power: developed nations which have completed their transformation, developing nations still experiencing transformation, and nations in which transformation is some time expected. We must decide whose side we’ll be on, and we should reconcile the transformation in our nation with this decision.

Of course, a nation’s foreign policy must contain alternatives, but overemphasizing these alternatives would make people see our foreign policy as ill-balanced and unstable. Therefore, we should try to spend more time observing other nations’ policies than reevaluating our own. This way we can establish an effective foreign policy.”

SYRIA WANTS TO ESTABLISH SPECIAL RELATIONS WITH THE EU
BY SEMIH IDIZ (MILLIYET)

Columnist Semih Idiz writes about Syria’s relations with both Turkey and the European Union. A summary of his column is as follows:

“Syria is on the verge of great transformation. God knows whether it will be positive or negative. But almost all regional analysts agree that if Syria withdraws from Lebanon, the country’s influence over the Middle East will weaken considerably. According to Syrian political analyst Michel Kilo, Syria’s withdrawal from Lebanon would reduce the country’s regional power and also turn its political, social and economic balances upside down.

Thus, Syria is today debating possible reforms to restructure itself. Our President Ahmet Necdet Sezer also discussed this issue with his counterpart Bashar Assad, who reportedly noted Sezer’s recommendations very carefully.

Sezer, of course, did not directly tell Assad that he should enact reforms. But he told his counterpart how useful and beneficial Turkey’s reforms have been, underlining the importance of a successful reform period for a developing country. Sezer implied that if Damascus pursues a reform policy, it would positively contribute not only to its own citizens’ welfare and prosperity but also to the entire region’s.

All Syrians I’ve talked to said that they’re actually longing for reform. However, they are also aware that there’s no magic wand they can wave to change their country all of a sudden. In other words, they want evolution rather than a revolution. They stressed that Syria needs international support during this period.

Syrians place a high premium on their relations with Turkey, because they see our country as a role model. On the one hand, they see our economic development model as a successful one, but on the other, they’re aware that Ankara’s democratic parliamentarian system based on unique historical foundations cannot be replicated by Damascus. Syrians are closely following Turkey’s practices on such economic issues as private sector incentives, regulating the banking sector and fighting corruption.

There is an important issue here. Syria also wants to establish good relations with the European Union. Full membership is out of the question, but Damascus wants to have a special relationship with Brussels. Both parties have already started to work on a partnership agreement. Although bilateral relations were badly damaged when Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated, fences can still be mended. As a matter of fact, one positive development is that European Parliament Syria Rapporteur Veronique de Kissier recently visited Damascus, drawing up a positive future perspective for Syrian-EU relations.

Assad told Sezer that he was satisfied with Turkey’s good relations with the EU, because he knows that the better Ankara’s relations are with Brussels, the more Turkey can help to boost Syrian-EU relations.”