ERDOGAN, GUL MEET WITH IRAN'S LARIJANI TO URGE COMPLIANCE ON NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Ali Larijani, the secretary general of Iran's National Security Council and the country's chief nuclear negotiator, currently in Ankara for an official visit, yesterday met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, and National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Yigit Alpogan to discuss a number of issues, including Iran's nuclear program. During their meeting, Gul said that Ankara was concerned about the program, adding that tension was rising over the issue. "First you have to persuade the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," said Gul. He added that Tehran should accept the alternative mechanism proposals of countries such as Russia. For his part, Larijani claimed that there were efforts to prevent Muslim countries from possessing nuclear technology, adding that Iran didn't have any military aims. "We cooperated constructively with the IAEA and allowed the inspection of our facilities," he said. Stressing that Turkey was an influential country in the region, Larijani said that Ankara could help Iran prove its good will. Later, Larijani met with Erdogan. During their meeting, Erdogan said that Iran had the right to obtain nuclear energy with peaceful goals just like any other country, but that this should be done "transparently." Larijani stated that Iran wanted a diplomatic solution. "We want nuclear energy with peaceful goals and are working to be transparent," he added. In related news, Erdogan is due to travel to Austria tomorrow to attend a summit of European Union heads of states and governments. During his stay in the country, Erdogan is due to meet with his Austrian counterpart Wolfgang Schussel. /Sabah/

TURKEY RECALLS AMBASSADORS TO FRANCE, CANADA
Reacting sharply to Canada's recognizing the so-called Armenian genocide and the French Parliament's possible approval of a bill criminalizing "genocide" denial. Turkey has recalled Ambassador to France Osman Koruturk as well as Turkey's Ambassador to Canada Aydemir Erman. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Namik Tan yesterday stated that the both ambassadors have been recalled for a short time for consultations about the recent developments. /Star/

IRAQI PRESIDENT TALABANI: "WASHINGTON WON'T LET ANKARA LAUNCH CROSS-BORDER OPERATIONS INTO IRAQ"
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani claimed over the weekend that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had assured Iraqi officials that Washington won't let Ankara launch cross-border operations into Iraq. According to Kurd-Sat Television, at a press conference on Saturday the Kurdish leader said that at this point, a withdrawal of US-led forces from Iraq would be a mistake since it would increase the possibility of an outbreak of a civil war between the country's ethnic and religious groups. However, Talabani stated that a partition of Iraq was a remote possibility. He said the reality is that there are no more obstacles on the road to establishing a new Iraqi government. He also expressed the political will to attain democracy and freedom in Iraq. /Cumhuriyet/

ISRAELI FM TO VISIT TURKEY
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will make his first visit abroad to Ankara after the establishment of the new cabinet. According to diplomatic sources, the visit could come as early as next week. Hamas and Turkey's role in the region will be most important issues of the visit. Also touching on President Ahmet Necdet Sezer's visit to Israeli set for next month, a diplomatic source said, "The foreign minister's visiting Ankara prior to the visit of President Sezer will help to improve relations." /Cumhuriyet/

ANKARA APPLAUDS WITHDRAWAL OF US REQUEST FOR BLACK SEA PRESENCE
Turkish officials on Monday praised the US' decision to withdraw its proposal to extend NATO's ongoing Operation Active Endeavor in the Mediterranean to include the Black Sea. "Washington's decision to back-pedal on their request to extend the NATO operation was made after taking Turkey's concerns into consideration since it would have undermined the principles of the Montreaux Convention. The US' move will contribute to Turkish-US relations," a Turkish official said, applauding the move. US officials conveyed their intention to drop the suggestion to Turkish officials late Sunday. The decision came as a result of attempts by Turkish officials to persuade their US counterparts to backtrack by saying that the Montreaux Convention, signed in 1936, limits the activities of foreign warships in the Black Sea and in the Straits. /The New Anatolian/

EU COMMISSION REPORT PRAISES TURKEY'S ECONOMY FOR 2006-2007
A new report published by the European Union Commission expresses positive remarks on Turkey's economy for 2006-2007. Stressing sound growth in the economy and strengthening macroeconomic stability, the report did caution that next year's scheduled elections could affect public outlays. The report stated that Turkey's exports are expected to rise further. Despite pressure due to high oil prices, inflation will fall as a result of tight monetary policy, predicted the commission report. The report further predicted that growth would be 5.8% by the end of this year and 5.5% next year. /Milliyet/

BABACAN: "OUR IMF STANDBY AGREEMENT RUNS THROUGH MAY 2008"
State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan said yesterday that Turkey's debt to the International Monetary Fund, had fallen from $23.5 billion to $11.8 billion as of Friday. He stated that the government hadn't yet made a decision on early debt payment. He said Turkey's IMF agreement signed runs through till May 2008 and that it was very important for the country's mid-term economic performance. Babacan stated that there was an important reform agenda ahead to improve Turkey's investment climate, adding that one of the issues set to be addressed was the "administrative judiciary." Babacan added that Turkey's long-term development wasn't dependent on the IMF or the World Bank but on foreign direct investment (FDI), predicting that Turkey would attract more FDI this year. /Aksam/

9TH EURASIA ECONOMY SUMMIT HELD IN ISTANBUL
The 9th Eurasia Economy summit was held in Istanbul yesterday with the participation of ministers, deputies, and representatives from business commitments of 30 countries. Addressing the gathering, former President Suleyman Demirel said that there were 442 nuclear plants worldwide, adding that he hoped Turkey would also build one of these plants. "But we're late," he said. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer also sent a message to the conference, saying that the Eurasia region continued to attract interest with its natural resources and economic development opportunities. He added that boosting cooperation between the regional countries would also contribute to all Eurasian countries. /Turkiye/