BTC PIPELINE PROJECT TO OFFICIALLY OPEN TODAY
Leaders from Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia will gather at the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, Turkey today to formally inaugurate the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline project designed to carry the oil riches of the Caspian Sea to the West. The project, hailed as the "Silk Road of the New Century," with a capacity of 50 million metric tons a year, is expected to become the main export route for the oil resources of the Caspian Sea. The head of today's ceremony, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, last night hosted a dinner for some 650 senior guests from around the world visiting Turkey to attend the opening of the BTC, including Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, as well as Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok were also present at the gathering. /Turkiye-Sabah/

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT ALIYEV: "WE SHOULD BOOST COOPERATION"
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev yesterday praised the excellent state of Turkish-Azerbaijani relations, adding that they want to strengthen this cooperation. Speaking at a ceremony where he received Ekovitrin Magazine's "Eurasian Politician of the Year" award, Aliyev said that he wanted relations between the two countries to develop more and hailed today's opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline as a momentous historical event. Stating that Turkey and Azerbaijan are "one nation, two states," Aliyev added, "This is reality. At the same time, this is our policy. Turkish-Azerbaijani relations are at the highest level. We want to increase this cooperation. Our unity is our future." /Hurriyet/

ERDOGAN: "WE'RE MAKING EFFORTS TO EASE TENSION IN THE MIDEAST"
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday visited Malatya to attend his Justice and Development Party (AKP) provincial congress and attend a number of opening ceremonies. Speaking to fellow party members, Erdogan said that Turkey could not be silent to the developments in the Mideast, adding that they were trying to find a settlement to the violence in the region through peaceful means. He also called on media to act responsibly on the Mideast issue. /Turkiye/

IN WAKE OF DINK VERDICT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION URGES LEGAL CHANGES
The European Union Commission yesterday expressed disapproval of an appeals court upholding the conviction of journalist Hrant Dink for "insulting Turkishness." EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn yesterday made a statement calling on Ankara to change all articles of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) which restrict freedom of expression. "That verdict is the first final one by Turkey's top judicial level about the interpretation of TCK Article 301," he said. "In this sense, it establishes a binding case law that will set the trend for lower courts to follow when applying Article 301 in the future." /Hurriyet/

EC REPRESENTATIVE KRETSCHMER: "OPENING PORTS DOESN'T MEAN RECOGNITION"
Hansjoerg Kretschmer, the outgoing head of the European Commission Representation to Turkey, stated yesterday that Turkey opening its ports to Greek Cypriots is the European Union's priority but that it doesn't mean recognizing Greek Cyprus. Speaking at a press conference in Ankara, Kretschmer expressed disappointment in the sharp decline in polls of Turkish public support for EU membership, adding that the reasons for this should be explored. The European Commission representative maintained that though a lot of attention was being focused on predictions of an upcoming "train crash" between Turkey and the EU, and that certain delays may occur, he didn't believe that Turkey's EU process would be interrupted. Kretschmer's tenure in Ankara is soon set to end. /Cumhuriyet/

US PRAISES TRIPARTITE MEETINGS HELD ON CYPRUS
Washington has hailed the result of last weekend's meetings between United Nations Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos. At a press conference Tuesday, US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said, "We welcome the result of the meetings between Gambari, Papadopoulos and Talat," adding, "We look forward to the start of talks by the end of the month, as agreed by the leaders, on both everyday and substantive issues. It was to be hoped that the contacts would lead to the opening of comprehensive negotiations." The US is prepared to assist the UN and the two sides in this important effort and will continue to encourage the parties to remain flexible and engaged, McCormack said. /Milliyet/

YOUNG EUROPEAN BUSINESS LEADERS TO MEET IN ISTANBUL
The Confederation of the European Young Businessmen Associations (YES), representing some 40,000 people from 14 countries, will meet in Istanbul tomorrow. During the two-day gathering, some 50 businesspeople will be briefed on Turkey's investment opportunities. State Minister for the Economy and chief EU talks negotiator Ali Babacan is expected to tell these leaders about Turkey's economic progress and its efforts towards European Union membership. /Sabah/