RECTORS PRESENT "TURKISH HIGHER EDUCATION STRATEGY" REPORT TO SEZER
Rectors from 77 universities led by Board of Higher Education (YOK) head Erdogan Tezic yesterday presented a report entitled "Turkish Higher Education Strategy" to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. A Strategy Development Commission was founded under YOK for this report, which aims to discuss the problems of universities and propose solutions to them. The report includes sweeping proposals to address problems in all areas of higher education. Speaking at a press conference following the meeting, Tezic said that the report was the fruit of a year-and-a-half of work, adding that he would send it to institutions related to universities. "The report will take its final shape and then be presented to the government," he added. "We tried to form a system in line with Turkey's realities." Tezic added that the government would evaluate the report and make a decision whether to apply it or not. Asked whether he thought university entrance exams should be abolished, Tezic said that as universities have a limited capacity such exams were inevitable, adding, "But changes could be made to the exam system." /Sabah/

IRAQI FM ZEBARI MEETS WITH SEZER, ERDOGAN, AND GUL
Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, currently in Ankara for an official visit, yesterday met separately with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss a number of issues, including bilateral relations. During his meeting with Erdogan, Zebari said that Iraq needed Ankara's leadership to end the Sunni-Shiite conflict and said that he appreciated the contributions of the Turkish government towards solving the issue up to now. Saying that he placed importance on the role of Erdogan in the alliance of civilizations, Zebari added that Iraq needed Turkey on all issues, including security. He further lamented that some regional countries were intervening in Iraq's internal affairs. Erdogan said that solidarity between all groups in Iraq was crucial for stability in the country. Later, Zebari met with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to discuss the terrorist PKK. Speaking at a joint press conference afterwards, Zebari said, "We're trying to control our borders. The security of our country has the priority, but don't think that we disregard your security. The cooperation between our countries on the PKK will increase after security is ensured in our country." /Milliyet/

GUL TRAVELING TO WASHINGTON TO MEET WITH RICE
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is due today to travel to the US to meet with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to discuss bilateral relations. Gul's two-day visit will focus on such issues as Turkish-US relations, Iran, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and the terrorist PKK. After their meeting, Rice is expected to announce a "Common Vision Document," considered to be a roadmap between Ankara and Washington. /Aksam/

GEN. OZKOK: "COOPERATION IS NEEDED FOR WORLD PEACE"
Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok said yesterday that no country of the world could find resolution to security issues all by itself. Addressing a seminar yesterday in Ankara, Ozkok said that concrete results could only be obtained through cooperation between nations. Stressing that Turkey had pursued a foreign policy based on Ataturk's principle of "Peace at Home, Peace in the World," Ozkok said it lent support to all activities to ensure both regional and global peace and would continue to do so. /Turkiye/

TRNC'S TALAT MEETS WITH PAPADOPOULOS
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday emphasized one more time that he was ready for negotiations to find a comprehensive and permanent solution to the Cyprus issue. President Talat met with Greek Cypriot administration leader Tassos Papadopoulos for the first time in two years at the residence of Michael Moller, the UN secretary-general's special representative in Cyprus, in the UN-controlled buffer zone to mark the newly appointed third member of the Committee of Missing Persons (CMP), Christophe Girod, taking office. Afterwards Talat told a press conference that he was ready for negotiations on the Cyprus issue as well as to meet with UN Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari along with Papadopoulos. /Star/

TURKEY SUPPORTS UN ENVOY'S CYPRUS EFFORTS
Turkey yesterday expressed support for the efforts of United Nations Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari, who has started a tour between Ankara, Athens and Cyprus to start a new meeting process within the parameters of the Annan plan. Gambari yesterday met with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in Ankara. During the meeting, Gul reportedly told Gambari that an important opportunity had been missed in 2004 and that Turkey would support the Cyprus process being conducted under the auspices of the UN. /Cumhuriyet/

EC PRESIDENT BARROSO WARNS TURKEY ON GREEK CYPRUS
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso yesterday said that Turkey's European Union membership negotiations were generally on track but that improvement was needed in order to avoid serious problems about Cyprus. At a joint press conference with new EU Term President Finland's Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, Barroso said that there would be serious repercussions should Turkey not open its airports and harbors to Greek Cypriots. Barroso also said that today's meeting of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus President Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot administration leader Tassos Papadopoulos was encouraging and added, "Solving this problem would naturally facilitate taking further steps. They're not strictly tied to each other. They're separate issues. But it's obvious that we need progress on the Cyprus issue." /Cumhuriyet/

JUNE INFLATION FIGURES RELEASED
The Turkish Statistics Institute (TUIK) yesterday released inflation figures for June. The consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.34 percent month-on-month for an annual rise of 10.12 percent, while the producer price index (PPI) was up 4.02 percent month-on-month and 12.52 percent year-on-year. Turkey's inflation returned to double digits for the first time in nearly two years in June. Price rises are generally lower in June due to seasonal factors, and in June 2005 the CPI rose 0.10 percent and the PPI fell 0.48 percent. /Sabah/