ERDOGAN GOES TO SAUDI ARABIA FROM SUDAN
Ending his official visit to Sudan, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday proceeded to Saudi Arabia. Erdogan is accompanied on his visit by State Ministers Besir Atalay and Mehmet Aydin. Erdogan and his delegation were welcomed by officials from the Turkish Embassy as well as Organization for the Islamic Conference (OIC) Secretary-General Ihsan Ekmeleddin, a Turkish scholar. During his stay in Saudi Arabia, Erdogan will meet with Ekmeleddin to discuss a number of issues and hold a joint press conference. /Turkiye/

ARINC TRAVELS TO FINLAND FOR OFFICIAL VISIT
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc yesterday travelled to Finland at the invitation of his Finnish counterpart Paavo Lipponen to pay an official visit. Speaking before his departure, Arinc commented on recent incidents in Diyarbakir around funerals of PKK terrorists, saying that some were trying to use the funerals to spread terrorist group propaganda. "However, they failed to do this," said Arinc. "The events were disappointing, but now they are under control." Arinc stated that though not many people participated in the incidents, great harm was done. He added that those behind the incidents would be found. /Turkiye/

FOREIGN MINISTRY WORKING TO CLOSE ROJ-TV
Claims that Roj-TV has a role in the recent incidents of Diyarbakir, which occurred under the pretext of funerals of PKK terrorists, have moved the Foreign Ministry. Speaking at a weekly press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Namik Tan said the ministry was working to get the Danish-based channel shut down. "Evidence that Roj TV promotes, encourages and directs terrorist activities is being forwarded to the authorities of the related countries, firstly to Denmark." said Tan. /Star/

INTERIOR MINISTER CONDEMNS INCIDENTS IN DIYARBAKIR
Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu yesterday said that the incidents in Diyarbakir occurred due to provocations of Roj-TV by supporters of terrorism. In a written statement about the incidents, Aksu said, "An illegal meeting and demonstration march was organized by supporters of the terrorist PKK by the provocation and inspiration of Roj-TV, the broadcaster of the separatist organization. The aim of the planners and activists of this incident is to destroy the unity and integrity of our country. As I have said many times before, no one can reach their aim by organizing terrorist activities. Our security forces will expose the planners and activists, bring them to justice, and impose the appropriate penalties." /Star/

DYP LEADER AGAR: "TURKEY CAN PROTECT ITS INTEGRITY"
Opposition True Parth Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar yesterday attended his party's Fifth Region Meeting in Izmir. Touching on recent incidents of violence and demonstrations of terrorism supporters, Agar said, "I am speaking to mindless people who want to divide Turkey. Turkey will protect the integrity of its 70 million citizens from any threat. This can be in either Diyarbakir, or Adana, or Mosul [Iraq] if necessary." Agar expressed his sorrow over the recent incidents in Diyarbakir and also criticized the government's economic policies. /Turkiye/

PACE: "TURKEY AND THE US ARE CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT ALLIES FOR EACH OTHER"
Addressing the 25th meeting of American-Turkish Council (ATKC) and Turkish-American Business Council (TAIK) in Washington yesterday, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Peter Pace said that Turkey and the US were two crucially important allies for each other, adding that Washington was very pleased to have an ally such as Ankara. He said that he understood the civilization in Turkey while he was in Istanbul. Stressing that PKK was a terrorist group, Pace said that this group had killed thousands of soldiers and citizens over more than three decades, adding that after a stable government is established in Iraq, Turkish, US, and Iraqi officials could work together to eliminate the PKK presence from northern Iraq. "This doesn't satisfy Turkish officials, but this is the right solution to the issue," he said. Pace further stated that Iraq's territorial integrity was a shared goal. /Milliyet/

US ASSISTANT SEC'Y OF STATE BRYZA: "WE HAVE NO INTENTION OF WEAKENING MONTREAUX"
US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matt Bryza said yesterday, "The US is seeking to strengthen security in the Black Sea, but has no intention of putting a hole in the Treaty of Montreaux." Speaking in Washington at the 25th Annual Conference of the Turkish American Business Council (TAIK) and American Turkish Council (ATC), Bryza said, "We need to make clear our aims in the Black Sea. We have no intention of doing anything to remove or to weaken the Treaty of Montreaux. And we also don't want to cause strains with Russia." /Cumhuriyet/

KRETSCHMER: "THE TURKISH NATION BEING MUSLIM ISN'T AN OBSTACLE TO TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP"
Speaking at the reopening ceremony of the Mugla Culture House restored by the Mugla Municipality, European Union Commission Ankara Representation head Hansjoerg Kretschmer said that Turkey was protecting its cultural heritage while taking strides into the future. Saying that he was impressed by the natural beauties in Turkey, Kretschmer commented on Turkey's European Union membership bid. "The fact that the Turkish nation is Muslim isn't an obstacle to Turkey's EU membership," he added. /Aksam/

ARMENIAN FM: "WE HOPE TURKEY OPENS ITS BORDER DURING ITS EU PROCESS"
Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said yesterday that Yerevan supports establishing diplomatic relations with Turkey. "The Turkish-Armenian border is the only closed border in Europe," he added. "We don't have any preconditions for opening the border. We hope Turkey will have to open its border to Armenia during the European Union process." Touching on the so-called Armenian genocide, Oskanian said, "Prime Minister [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan's proposal was to say to Europe, `We're following the issue.' There's no need to research the issue again." /Milliyet/

IMF DELEGATION TO ARRIVE IN TURKEY FOR BUDGETARY ISSUES
A delegation from the International Monetary Fund is due to arrive in Ankara tomorrow to discuss budgetary issues. The delegation is expected to meet with Turkish officials to discuss recent economic developments in Turkey, including budgetary expenditures. The IMF may be concerned about the government's tax cut on textile products as well as its raise for civil servants since it considers these a deviation from fiscal discipline. /Sabah/