6 June 2001

1. "Demoted Turkish minister quits", the senior Turkish minister known for his hard-hitting anti-corruption inquiries has quit the government after being reassigned to a junior post.

2. "Turkey concerned over new Irian missile", Turkey appears worried over Iran's new solid-fuel missile.

3. "Diyarbakir is who to talk to", speaking about the visit Sezer is to make to Amed today, Tas said, "If he is looking for someone to talk to, here are the people of Diyarbakir." Tas said that the people of Amed would show their will for a solution to their cultural and national demands during the visit.

4. "Turkey and EU may reach compromise on ESDP soon", it is claimed that diplomats from Great Britain, the United States and Turkey have drafted an agreement that would eliminate one of the main barriers to the establishment of a new European defense force

5. "Press group slams Turkish moves on the media", the International Press Institute (IPI) condemned Tuesday a Turkish draft law which it said would require all internet websites to submit their pages to the authorities for scrutiny before publication.

6. "South Kurdistan policies to continue", US Defense Minister Rumsfeld mainly discussed South Kurdistan in his talks with Ecevit. Rumsfeld said that the US would be "continuing the policy of former President Clinton in northern Iraq."

1. - CNN - "Demoted Turkish minister quits":

ANKARA

The senior Turkish minister known for his hard-hitting anti-corruption inquiries has quit the government after being reassigned to a junior post.

Saadettin Tantan was dismissed as Interior Minister and moved to a junior post on Tuesday.

He quit Turkey's cabinet and conservative Motherland Party on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

Tantan, who was moved to oversee customs, spearheaded an anti-corruption drive that was popular with the public.

His campaign reached high into the bureaucracy and administrations of failed banks and helped produce instability that sparked a financial crisis in late November.

It was watched closely by the European Union and IMF who see corruption as one of the chief ills afflicting Turkey.

His resignation had been expected after his humiliating demotion on Tuesday night and could threaten further instability in a crisis-wracked government.

"I am resigning from my new office because my appointment to another ministry is incompatible with my personal principles and understanding of politics," Tantan said in a statement.

"I also resign from Motherland."

It was not immediately clear what political future Tantan, a former police commander with a reputation for leading from the front, saw for himself.

Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit announced Tantan's reassignment to the ministry responsible for customs.

Rustu Kamil Yucelen had replaced Tantan as head of the Interior Ministry as part of the government reshuffle. Yilmaz Karakoyunlu was named privatisation minister.

Ecevit did not explain why he was reshuffling his government.

2. - Middle East Newsline - "Turkey concerned over new Irian missile":

ANKARA

Turkey appears worried over Iran's new solid-fuel missile.

Turkish officials said Ankara has been closely following Iran's missile development program. This includes the launch last week of Iran's new Fateh-110 missile.

The missile launch has raised concern in Ankara over the extent of Iran's success in developing intermediate-range missiles that can strike Turkey. The issue was discussed during the visit on Monday by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

On Monday, Rumsfeld held talks in Ankara with Turkish leaders. Officials said Turkey's participation in a U.S.-led missile umbrella was discussed.

"We are exploring the most cost effective and the most efficient way that missile defenses can be deployed in ways that will benefit our allies, our friends and our forces deployed overseas as well as in the United States," Rumsfeld said. "And at the point where there are specific architectures to be discussed, they certainly would be discussed in close consultation with Turkey, as well as with our NATO allies and other friends."

A Turkish Foreign Ministry official said Ankara wants Iran as well as the entire region to adopt international standards of nonproliferation. The official confirmed a report that Israel will host a meeting on missile defense with representatives from Turkey and the United States over the summer. The first meeting -- meant to discuss the establishment of a regional defense umbrella -- was held in Washington in December.

Little is known about the Fateh-110. Western intelligence sources said the solid-fuel missile is believed to be a variant of the Iranian Zalzal missile. The Fateh is believed to be a short-range missile.

3. - Kurdish Observer - "Diyarbakir is who to talk to":

Speaking about the visit Sezer is to make to Amed today, Tas said, "If he is looking for someone to talk to, here are the people of Diyarbakir." Tas said that the people of Amed would show their will for a solution to their cultural and national demands during the visit.

PKK Council of Leaders Nizamettin Tas said, "What does Sezer think about the Kurds? He should tell the people of Diyarbakir whatever he is thinking about a solution, whether positive or negative."

Speaking by telephone on the Gundem (Agenda) program on MEDYA TV the other evening, Tas talked about his views on the visit that President Ahmet Necdet Sezer was scheduled to make to Amed [Diyarbakir] today. Tas stressed that the Kurdish people wanted to know that Sezer thought about a solution for the Kurdish problem and to see what he would say on the subject. "When Sezer goes to Diyarbakir, it will be the people who will meet him. The Kurdish people to be addressed are basically the people of Diyarbakir. We, as a party, accept the stance shown by these people. If he is looking for someone to talk to, here are the people of Diyarbakir." Tas said that the people of Amed would show their demands for a solution and cultural and national demands in a clear and mature fashion during Sezer's visit, and continued to say the following: "Sezer has to listen to this and show respect for this will. He must say what he thinks about the Kurds and a solution, whether positive or negative. He must tell this to the people. We believe he will take a stance suitable to the speeches he made on democracy in the past and show consistent behavior."

Tas said that Sezer's and Ecevit's trips to Kurdistan in recent days carried particular aims, and said the following in criticism of Sezer's trip to Hakkari and Van last week: "Actually, 20-25 thousand people greeting Sezer in Hakkari. They were expecting a statement, a message from him. But this first visit was not appropriate to the expectations of the Kurdish people. Sezer visited taking all the commanders of the army by his side. He didn't speak to the people. But he spoke to the soldiers and the gangs at Semdinli. His speech was the same tone as we have come to know. It was not a trip that was very suitable to its meaning."

Village-city project is dead

Also evaluating the trip of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to Sirnak the other day, Tas said, "The Kurds were expecting nothing from Ecevit's visit. He is trying to bring to life policies that have spoiled and whose shelf-life has expired . The village-city project is dead. Ecevit is in a position of remaining in power because there is no other alternative and force for solution and, while remaining, has no function."

'Problems Report' for Sezer

The Diyarbakir Democracy Platform will present to the public the 'Problems Report' that it will give to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer during his visit to Amed today. Term spokesman for the platform Ali Oncu will hold a press conference today with other representatives to present the report that has been signed by representatives of 224 political parties, chambers, and nongovernmental organizations of the Kurdish cities. It has been learned that the report to be presented to Sezer is quite comprehensive and includes a number of daily and basic problems urgently waiting for solution and some priority legal reform for democratization in Turkey, such as: a solution to the Kurdish problem, mother-tongue education and broadcasting, lifting of OHAL (Emergency Rule), abolition of the village guard system, ending human rights violations, finding missing persons, enlightenment of 'perpetrator unknown' murders, making the necessary arrangements for a return to the village, ending capital punishment, and speeding up appropriation of resources aimed at improving the economic and social life of the people.

Meanwhile, it has been learned that the request of the team that will present the report to the press - which includes, in addition to Ali Oncu, Osman Baydemir, Zulkuf Karatekin, and Yakup Keskin - to meet with Sezer on behalf of the Democracy Platform had not yet received a response from the Presidential General Secretary as of yesterday evening.

4. - Turkish Daily News - "Turkey and EU may reach compromise on ESDP soon":

It is claimed that diplomats from Great Britain, the United States and Turkey have drafted an agreement that would eliminate one of the main barriers to the establishment of a new European defense force

Despite the statement regarding the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) released by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) prior to U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's visit to the Turkish General Staff, which said, "The proposal put forward for Turkey's attention in the Budapest meeting is far from satisfy Turkey's rightful expectations." It is claimed that diplomats from Great Britain, the United States and Turkey have drafted an agreement that would eliminate one of the main barriers to the establishment of a new European defense force.

According to an article published in the New York Times, under the draft accord Turkey would withdraw its objections to a proposed European Union force with 60,000 troops, thus easing cooperation between the union and NATO.

"The compromise, which was hammered out in secret talks in Istanbul late last month, has yet to be approved formally by the 15-member European Union or by Turkey. But diplomats hope a final agreement can be reached by mid-June, when President Bush is scheduled to visit Europe and an EU summit meeting is to be held in Gothenburg, Sweden," stated the article.

As a NATO member, Turkey is in a position to block the plans. The United States has an important stake in the issue as well. To maintain NATO's primary role and to avoid confusion, it wants the EU to rely on NATO's planners and to coordinate closely with the alliance. That would be precluded, American officials say, if the Turkish issue was not resolved and the European Union went its separate way.

The New York Times asserted that Great Britain, the United States' closest European ally and one of the prime movers behind the new European Union force, played the major role in the push for a compromise.

Led by Emyr Jones Parry, the political director of the British Foreign Office, the British presented a paper, amplifying previous EU understandings.

The proposed compromise covers European NATO members that are not members of the EU: Turkey, Norway, Iceland and NATO's three new members from Central Europe, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. Following are the compromised issues according to the New York Times' article:

Under the proposed arrangements, such nations will have "interlocutors" who will meet periodically and in the event of crises with the EU's political and security committee, the policy-making body that will decide whether to conduct a military operation. The most important element would be procedures for managing a military operation.

If it looks as if a military operation is likely, a Committee of Contributors would be convened. The committee was provided for in the understanding that emerged at the EU summit meeting in Nice in December, but the British considerably expanded its role in their paper.

The committee could review the commander's plans before an operation began and then oversee the day-to-day management of the operation. Turkey could be included under two possible situations. If the EU force used NATO assets, Turkey would have a right to participate in the operation and to serve on the committee. If it did not use NATO assets but planned an operation near Turkey, the British paper states, it would be of "particular benefit" to include Turkey.

The language is the most sensitive aspect of the proposed compromise. It stops short of an ironclad guarantee that Turkey will be included in that scenario, and leaves open the possibility that Greece could block the move.

But the British and the Americans argue that it is the best compromise that can be obtained and amounts to a political assurance that Turkey would probably be included. "The British took what was agreed in Nice and have interpreted it to the maximum," a senior allied official said.

The compromise also includes an assurance that the EU force will not intervene in the political disputes of NATO allies, a reference to Greek-Turkish disputes. The next step is for the British to present the compromise to the rest of the EU and for Turkey to give its final verdict.

The resolution of this issue would not resolve all the questions about the European relationship to NATO, but it would remove a major irritant. One senior Turkish diplomat said that there had been much positive movement but that it was premature to say a breakthrough had been achieved. But one senior Western diplomat said the proposed deal was the best the Turks could hope for.

"The emphasis is on giving the Turks input into planning and management of operations and on permanent arrangements," a Western diplomat said. "They are not getting a 100 percent guarantee that they will be invited to every single operation. The package is a good deal, and to push for more could cause the house of cards to tumble down."

5. - AFP - "Press group slams Turkish moves on the media":

VIENNA

The International Press Institute (IPI) condemned Tuesday a Turkish draft law which it said would require all internet websites to submit their pages to the authorities for scrutiny before publication. In an open fax to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, the press lobbying organisation declared that such a law, if passed, would offer the authorities the chance to suppress unwanted criticism on the web and to stifle public debate.

"The requirement to submit material to the authorities, prior to its publication, is an undue restriction of the freedom of the media and expression," wrote Johann Fritz, the head of the Vienna-based IPI. "Judging by recent actions taken by websites in Turkey, it would appear that the draft law could provide the authorities with further powers to censor information," he said. The letter made particular reference to an incident in February when a website, www.subay.net, was allegedly removed from the net because it insulted the Turkish army.

IPI urged Ecevit "to take the necessary steps to ensure that any legislation introduced concerning the media is in line with internationally accepted standards and that the current draft law is withdrawn." The Turkish government, which has come in for public criticism due to a serious economic crisis, has recently come down on a number of media outlets deemed hostile to the authorities. In April, state-run TV axed a serial which highlighted corruption and abuse of power among politicians. Last week, four Turkish columnists were jailed for their interpretation of the deadly earthquake which struck in 1999 as divine retribution for the country's anti-Islamist practices.

6. - Ozgur Politika - "South Kurdistan policies to continue":

US Defense Minister Rumsfeld mainly discussed South Kurdistan in his talks with Ecevit. Rumsfeld said that the US would be "continuing the policy of former President Clinton in northern Iraq."

ANKARA

US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Ankara to discuss certain elements in Turkish-American defense and security relations, Iraq, and the US's national missile program. Rumsfeld met with Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit on Monday, and then also had contacts with Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu.

Rumsfeld said that the new US administration under President George W. Bush would continue the policy of the previous Bill Clinton administration in making regular flights over the no-fly zones in South [Iraqi] Kurdistan and Iraq.

South Kurdistan on the agenda

Ecevit accepted Rumsfeld in the Prime Ministerial central headquarters in Ankara and the two mainly discussed the subjects of Iraq and South Kurdistan. According to information received, Ecevit explained that Turkey had sustained serious economic harm because of the embargo against Iraq and also gave the message that Iraq must not be divided. Ecevit said that Turkey must be included in meetings before implementation of "smart sanctions" against Iraq and noted that "a de facto" situation had arisen in South Kurdistan.

No missile shield yet

Rumsfeld later met with Foreign Minister Cem. Rumsfeld told Cem that the missile defense system did not yet exist and that the US was working to find a suitable method in consultation with its allies. Answering reporters' questions after his meeting with Cem, Rumsfeld said, "There is no existing missile defense system at this time. It is necessary to research the steps taken against us on this subject and to do research and testing. Unfortunately, the things that need to be done on this subject have not been done so far. Right now, a special defense structure has not been developed in our country and allied countries. We are researching this subject. We are working to find to find the minimum missile defense method from the cost aspect and to secure that it is positioned."

Criticism of China

Rumsfeld said that they did not believe that Iraq's cutting off oil would have a great negative effect on supply. He also said that the pilots of allied forces were under risk in making flights over the no-fly zones, and added the following: "This risk has been continuing for a long time. We are lucky that we have not had a loss so far. But this risk is increasing in proportion to the assistance some countries are giving in helping Iraq to develop its military possibilities and capabilities." Rumsfeld said that Iraq was gradually attaining better military capabilities, adding, "There is no list in my hand right now, but people from some countries have been helping Iraq for the past four months. For example, Chinese workers."

Following his contacts in Ankara, Rumsfeld visited the Incirlik Air Base in Incirlik, where many US soldiers are stationed.

After departing from Turkey, Rumsfeld was to go to the Ukraine and also visit American soldiers in Macedonia and Kosovo. Rumsfeld will then attend a meeting with the defense ministers of Greece, Belgium, and Finland.