SEZER RECEIVES ERDOGAN, OZKOK TO DISCUSS TURKISH-US RELATIONS
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday received Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok to discuss the future of Turkish-US relations. They reportedly discussed the detention of Turkish soldiers by US forces in Sulaimaniyah, northern Iraq earlier this month and subsequent developments. A joint Turkish-US inquiry released a statement on the incident earlier this week. /Sabah/

ERDOGAN MEETS WITH IRISH PRIME MINISTER AHERN, DISCUSSES TURKEY’S EU BID
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with his visiting Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern to discuss Turkey’s European Union membership bid. Ireland is due to assume the EU’s rotating presidency next January. During their talks, Erdogan sought Ireland’s support for Ankara to begin accession negotiations after the EU’s December 2004 summit. For his part, Ahern praised Turkey’s recently passing the sixth EU harmonization package. He added that next May, during Ireland’s presidency, he hoped to admit a united Cyprus into the EU’s ranks. Speaking afterwards, Erdogan said that Turkey’s top goal was to get a date to begin accession talks with the Union. “Our government is determined to implement all necessary reforms by the end of this year,” said the premier. /Milliyet/

ERDOGAN: “GREECE SHOULD OPEN ITS BORDERS TO VISITING TURKISH CYPRIOTS”
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with Ali Buluc, Turkey’s ambassador to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). During their meeting, Erdogan spoke of Turkey’s decision earlier this year to unilaterally lift visa requirements for Greek Cypriots visiting Turkey for short periods. Greece should extend the same courtesy to citizens of the TRNC, said Erdogan. /Anatolia News Agency/

TOP US GENERALS TO VISIT ANKARA IN WAKE OF SULAIMANIYAH INCIDENT
US Supreme Allied Commander in Europe Gen James L. Jones and Gen. John Abizaid, the head of US Central Command and successor to Gen. Tommy Franks, are scheduled to arrive in Ankara today. There they are set to meet with Turkey’s top military commander, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, and are expected to discuss the US detention of 11 Turkish soldiers in Sulaimaniyah, northern Iraq earlier this month as well as how to defeat PKK/KADEK forces in the same region. /Aksam/

BAYKAL LEAVES FOR ITALY TO ATTEND SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL MEETING
Opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday flew to Italy to attend a meeting of the Socialist International. Speaking before his departure, Baykal told reporters that such issues as postwar Iraq and the Middle East peace process would be taken up during the two-day meeting. Baykal said that Socialist International officials had recently visited the region and would tell the meeting what they saw. “Problems on the Iraq issue and the Israeli-Palestinian dispute are holding back international peace and stability,” said Baykal. “The CHP will express its views and approaches towards the Iraq issue.” /Anatolia News Agency/

ATALAY PLEDGES NEW PRESS LAW HARMONIZED WITH EU STANDARDS
State Minister Besir Atalay yesterday announced the draft of a new Press Law at a press conference at Ankara’s Bilkent Hotel. The draft, which was prepared in accordance with all relevant EU norms, proposes a wholesale revision of the current Press Law. Atalay stated that the main goal of the bill was to expand the scope of freedom of the press in line with all relevant universal values and EU standards in particular. He added that the draft was due to be submitted to Parliament together with another bill on the Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) at the beginning of the new legislative year, after Parliament’s summer recess. /Sabah/

TUSIAD, US CYPRUS COORDINATOR WESTON ADDRESS FUTURE OF ISLAND
Bogazici University and the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’ Association (TUSIAD) yesterday jointly hosted a conference entitled “The Annan Plan: Dreams and Realities” to discuss recent developments on the Cyprus issue. TUSIAD Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan told the gathering that the issue should be resolved as soon as possible to further Turkey’s own national interests. “TUSIAD has never believed in forsaking Cyprus,” added Ozilhan. “However, we can see that policies which isolate Turkey from the rest of the world only work against us.” Also speaking at the conference, US State Department Cyprus Coordinator Thomas Weston said that Washington considers UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s plan “the last opportunity” for the island. Arguing that the plan presents a fair and balanced settlement, Weston argued that a unified Cyprus would greatly help Turkey’s own EU membership bid. /Cumhuriyet/

DE SOTO AIDE: “ANNAN’S PLAN WOULD EXPAND TURKEY’S RIGHTS ON CYPRUS”
In an address to yesterday’s Cyprus conference jointly hosted by TUSIAD and Bogazici University, Robert Dann, an aide to UN Cyprus Envoy Alvaro de Soto, said that Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s plan would give Turkey more rights and responsibilities concerning Cyprus. Underlining his disagreement with those who believe Annan’s plan will be difficult to implement, Dann stated, “The plan would actually expand the scope of Turkey’s rights and responsibilities on Cyprus. It would also guarantee the island’s territorial integrity, security and constitutional order. Greek Cypriots are looking more favorably at the plan than the Turkish Cypriots and their leaders.” Broaching the possibility of a federal Cypriot state, Dann added, “These nations could move forward under a new name and a new flag.” /Turkish Daily News/

IMF’S DAWSON: “STATEMENT ON FIFTH REVIEW IS EXPECTED TOMORROW”
The start of the sixth review of Turkey’s International Monetary Fund-supported economic program has been held up due to delays in negotiations and certain legislation, said IMF External Affairs Director Tom Dawson yesterday. But, speaking to a Washington press conference, he signalled that combining the current fifth review and the sixth was unlikely to happen. “The [visiting] mission that is hopefully completing tomorrow is conducting the fifth review, so that is a review underway,” Dawson stated. “Therefore, there would be a sixth review at a later point. I fully expect that the Fund will have a statement when [the mission] concludes tomorrow.” Dawson also called it premature to set a date for the IMF Executive Board to discuss Turkey. “Time is running short at this point, but … we will, again, informally let you know when we have a date,” he said. He added that the delay of the sixth review was part of a “natural process.” /Milliyet/

MASSIVE RESEARCH SHIP SET TO BEGIN OIL EXPLORATION IN BLACK SEA
The Ramform Challenger, one of the world’s largest seismic research vessels, yesterday docked in Istanbul prior to embarking on exploration for oil in the Black Sea. The ship’s 50-day exploratory mission is a joint venture between the Turkish Petroleum Cooperation (TPAO) and British Petroleum. /Anatolia News Agency/