ERDOGAN: “TURKEY HAS RECENTLY TAKEN GREAT STEPS FORWARD ON HUMAN RIGHTS”
Turkey has recently taken great steps forward on human rights, but further measures remain to be taken, said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday. “Our nation must break free of ideological quarreling and instead focus on development, justice, welfare, peace and production,” Erdogan told the Human Rights Advisory Board, a state-founded body bringing together nongovernmental organizations (NGO) representatives to discuss Turkey’s human rights situation. “Our government considers human rights to be a cause which will not only boost the nation’s standing, but also will strengthen ties between the state and the people.” Also speaking to the board, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that in recent months the government had implemented a number of human rights regulations that would move the nation’s European Union membership bid forward. /Turkiye/

GUL BRIEFS BAYKAL ON SEVENTH EU HARMONIZATION PACKAGE
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday met with opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal to brief him on the seventh European Union harmonization package due to be sent to Parliament this week. Speaking afterwards, Gul said that he had given Baykal details of the package, adding that he hoped to get the CHP’s support it. Gul further stated that the package would be Turkey’s last and should take effect as soon as possible. /Aksam/

GUL MEETS WITH PAPANDREOU, DISCUSSES TURKISH-GREEK RELATIONS
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday flew to Istanbul to meet with Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, who is currently in Turkey to attend the opening of Bilgi University’s summer school session on Turkish-Greek relations. During their meeting, Gul and Papandreou discussed both bilateral relations and regional issues. Later, asked about the upcoming seventh European Union harmonization package, Gul reiterated that the government would send it to Parliament this week. /Turkiye/

DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF BUYUKANIT: “AS LONG AS THE PKK/KADEK THREAT REMAINS, WE WILL STAY IN NORTHERN IRAQ”
Turkey withdrawing its troops from northern Iraq is out of question until the terrorist group PKK/KADEK is completely vanquished and its threat brought to an end, said Deputy Chief of Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit yesterday. Speaking to journalists at a reception given by the French Embassy, Buyukanit reported that during the meetings of a Turkish-US joint inquiry set up to investigate the Sulaimaniyah incident, US officials hadn’t suggested that Turkey pull back its troops from northern Iraq, adding that Ankara had just cause for the presence of its forces. Earlier this month US troops detained 11 Turkish soldiers in Sulaymaniyah, northern Iraq, acting on intelligence reports they say alleged a Turkish special forces plot to assassinate a regional Kurdish governor. Many political observers have characterized the incident as a message signaling growing US uneasiness with the continued presence of Turkish forces in northern Iraq. /Cumhuriyet/

IRISH PRIME MINISTER TO VISIT ANKARA
Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern is scheduled to arrive in Ankara tomorrow for a one-day official visit. Ahern is expected to meet separately with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan as well as President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. During the meetings, a number of issues, including Turkey’s relations with Ireland and the European Union, are expected to be taken up. Ireland has belonged to the EU since 1973, when it was known as the European Economic Community (EEC). /Turkish Daily News/

PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SHAATH TO VISIT TURKEY
Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath is due to arrive in Ankara today for a three-day working visit at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul. Shaath is set to meet with Gul and other senior government diplomats and also deliver a speech at a conference on the Palestinian-Israeli peace process and the road map for peace. /Cumhuriyet/

EP SOCIALIST GROUP HEAD SWOBODA: “EU MEMBERSHIP WOULD REQUIRE TURKEY TO MAKE CONCESSIONS FROM ITS SOVEREIGNTY”
Full membership in the European Union will require Turkey to make concessions from its principle of sovereignty, declared European Parliament Socialist group head Hannes Swoboda yesterday. Underlining that the EU constituted an extensive political project, Swoboda said Ankara’s politicians should realize that membership in the Union not only meant being part of Europe but also participating in a political entity that could one day evolve into a European confederation. “I know that Turkey is quite a nationalist country,” remarked Swoboda, who visited Ankara just last week. “Thus, should it really want to take part in this great project, it must be expected to make certain concessions.” /Cumhuriyet/

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION