COMPETITION FOR TURKISH JET FIGHTER CONTRACT HEATS UP
President Ahmet Necdet will leave for Bosnia and Herzegovina today for a two-day official visit. During Sezer’s meetings, bilateral political and economic relations as well as recent regional and international developments are expected to be discussed. /Cumhuriyet/
Speaking at a meeting of his party in Gaziantep over the weekend, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, who recently blasted the government’s anti-terror policies by saying that Erdogan would sit at the negotiating table with the terrorist PKK. Erdogan stated that Baykal had brought the PKK leaders to Parliament, referring to a 1991 political coalition with leaders of Kurdish parties who to date have not denounced the PKK. Later, Erdogan commented on recent economic developments. /Star/
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is scheduled to attend an unofficial NATO-European Union summit to be held on April 27 in Sofia, Bulgaria. As part of the gathering, Gul will meet with his US counterpart Condoleezza Rice and EU officials. The Iran, Iraq and Cyprus issues are expected to dominate the talks. Due to Gul’s recent ear ailment which precludes air travel, he will travel to Bulgaria via car. /Turkiye/
The Turkish Police Force yesterday celebrated the 161st anniversary of its foundation. To mark National Police Day, a march from Mecidiyekoy to Taksim was held with the attendance of police officers and students from the police academy as well as a crowd of people. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu issued a message pointing to the importance of the police force in society and lauding policemen and policewomen for their efforts to ensure public peace and security. /Turkiye/
Opposition True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar yesterday visited Mugla’s district of Marmaris following his visit to Fethiye. Addressing the gathering in the district, Agar evaluated both domestic and foreign developments. He further criticized the government’s anti-terror policies. Agar added that the nation had brought the Justice and Development Party (AKP) to power more than three years ago to end their poverty. /Star/
Recai Kutan, acting chairman of the Felicity Party (SP), was elected the party’s chairman at the second general party congress held yesterday at Ataturk Sports Hall. Addressing the gathering, Kutan said that the east and the southeast had faced the destruction wreaked by terrorist attacks. “The first thing to be done is to heal this destruction, forge strong ties with the local people and find scientific and logical solutions to the problem,” said Kutan. He also stated that Kurdish-speaking people of Turkey form one of the major elements of the country. “The harshest answer should come from our Kurdish citizens to European circles running after minority rights and their supporters. We don’t believe a great Turkey is possible without a solution to this issue,” added Kutan. /The New Anatolian/
Behind-the-scenes meetings between high-level intelligence officials of Turkey and some Arab countries to coordinate a joint strategy in case civil war breaks out in Iraq are reportedly behind a push to avoid Iraq falling under Iranian influence and the new Iraqi administration under Shiite dominance. Iran and Syria not being invited to the meetings between Turkey, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates has brought the danger of a front in the axis of the US in the Middle East. The meetings, which diplomats and intelligence officials attended, were started before last December’s Iraqi elections. During the meetings, the aim was reportedly “to prevent the Shiites getting more than 50% of the votes and to put together a Sunni bloc.” /Cumhuriyet/
The European Union Commission is getting prepared to freeze financial cooperation with Turkey. Perceptions that Ankara is neglecting necessary steps to develop financial cooperation which have been required since 2002 could cost dearly. A sum of money of 1 billion euros from last year expected to be granted to Turkey will reportedly go back into EU coffers. The EU Commission will state its stance towards freezing financial cooperation at the April 26 meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Inspection Committee. In related news, EU Term President Austria is preparing to ask Ankara to have the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ (TRNC) Maras go to the Greek Cypriots. Under Austria’s new proposal, Maras would reportedly be given to the Greek Cypriots and in return, the TRNC’s Gazimagosa port would be opened to international trade under the control of EU Commission. /Hurriyet/
Last year Turkey was the number seven country within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in terms of its current accounts deficit, which totaled $23 billion. According to OECD figures, Turkey was the number eight country in terms of its current accounts deficit as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), namely 6.4%. The US carried the highest current accounts deficit, at $804.9 billion. /Aksam/
Competition between a US company and a four-nation European consortium to win a Turkish procurement contract on the purchase of fighter jets is growing fierce. Officials from US firm Lockheed Martin, the lead company in the development of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), a US-led multinational program that will build the next-generation F-35 jet, reportedly said they plan to award domestic Turkish defense industry involvement worth more than $3.5 billion should Turkey choose to purchase the JSF. Turkey will decide by year’s-end whether to join the production phase of the JSF program. Turkey is currently a participant in the program’s development phase. /Turkish Daily News/
