Baykal rejects Bush’s invitation

In a statement released by the CHP, Baykal said the meeting would not be held in order for Bush to talk with the chief opposition leader [Baykal] in Turkey, but would be limited to listening to a brief by the U.S. president.

Speaking at a *censored*tail reception at the Ankara Journalists Association on Monday, Baykal said NATO did not have the courage to send troops directly to Iraq, but had tried to circumvent the issue by agreeing to train Iraqi policemen.

Developments since the beginning of the occupation had unfortunately proved that efforts to stabilize the country had failed, said Baykal. All proposals aimed at bringing peace to Iraq should be considered, said the opposition leader. "The main problem in Iraq is not military deficiency. In fact, it would have been easier if that was indeed the case; the main problem is political weakness," said Baykal.

The only way to solve the growing insurgency is to create a political leadership that would be respected by all Iraqis, said Baykal, adding that the police force created by the occupation powers would be seen just as an appendage of the foreign forces.

He criticized the efforts to broaden the powers of an Iraqi government whose legitimacy was questionable, adding that he thought French reservations concerning the hand-over was due to its lack of apparent legitimacy.

When asked why the CHP party congress on July 3 would be closed to the public, Baykal said they would be discussing inner-party business.