GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN CICEK: "STEPS TAKEN BY THE US FOR THE TERRORIST PKK AREN'T ENOUGH"
Justice Minister and government spokesman Cemil Cicek yesterday stated that Turkey was in contact with US and Iraqi administrations on the terrorist PKK issue. Speaking after yesterday's Cabinet meeting, Cicek said that the coordinator to be appointed by the US on the fight against the terrorist PKK was emanating from the need to implement the work with the US quickly and to obtain results and added, "There are some statements and some steps are taken. But these aren't enough to meet Turkey's expectations. We're in expectation on a further point." /Cumhuriyet/
TURKEY TO PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN AID FOR LEBANON
Turkey will provide humanitarian aid for Lebanon under Israeli bombings for more than two weeks. The aid will be about $1.2 million. The Foreign Ministry made a statement about the aid, saying that Turkey would provide $1 million for Lebanon and $200,000 for Syria to meet the needs of the Lebanese refugees. The statement added that Turkey would continue to stand by friendly Lebanon. In related news, Red Crescent yesterday sent 13 trucks to Lebanon to provide humanitarian assistance to the Lebanese. /Milliyet/
SAUDI KING IN TURKEY FOR KEY MIDEAST TALKS
Saudi Arabian King Abdullah is starting a key official visit to Turkey today to discuss ways to stop an escalation of the Middle East crisis with top Turkish officials. King Abdullah's visit to Turkey will be the first from a Saudi king in four decades, and both Turkish and Saudi officials are attaching great importance to the visit which will facilitate an exchange of ideas on key regional issues, including Lebanon, Iraq and Iran. During his three-day visit, the king will be accompanied by some 400 delegates, including several members of the royal family, ministers, high-ranking officials and a large number of Saudi businessmen. /The New Anatolian/
TWO DEPUTIES RESIGN FROM SHP
Social Democrat People's Party (SHP) Izmir Deputy Hakky Akalin and Amasya Deputy Mustafa Sayar yesterday resigned from the SHP. The deputies said that they resigned since SHP didn't condemn the recent PKK attacks. Sending a letter to SHP leader Murat Karayalcin, Akalin and Sayar said that it was impossible for them to defend policies which they didn't consider beneficial for Turkey's national unity. /Sabah/
BBP LEADER VISITS SYRIA
Great Union Party (BBP) leader Muhsin Yazicioglu yesterday travelled to Syria. During his stay in Damascus, Yazicioglu will meet with Syrian President Bashar Assad to discuss bilateral relations and recent Israeli bombings in Lebanon. He is also expected to meet with other Syrian top officials. Yazicioglu is accompanied by a delegation during his visit and expected to return to Turkey on Thursday. /Turkiye/
SOLDIERS KILLED BY PKK TO BE LAID TO REST TODAY
Funeral ceremonies were held yesterday for gendarmerie noncommissioned officer Gursel Can and commando soldiers Huseyin Ozdemir and Ozkan Vural, who were killed by the terrorist PKK in Siran district of Gumushane at the weekend. Can is due to be laid to rest in Tunceli, while Ozdemir and Vural in Mersin today. /Turkiye/
DUTCH POLICE ARREST PKK TERRORIST
Dutch police yesterday arrested PKK terrorist Nedim Seven, who was being wanted by Turkish authorities for suspected involvement in a deadly terrorist attack. According to the information obtained, Seven was being pursued with a red notice since he is suspected of carrying out an attack, in which 15 people were killed. /Aksam/
IRAQI TURKMEN FRONT (ITC) DELEGATIONS VISIT TURKEY
Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) Chairman Sadettin Ergec and six deputies who entered the Iraqi Parliament from the Shi'ite alliance lists yesterday came to Turkey to hold official contacts. The Iraqi Turkmen deputies are expected to exchange views with Turkish officials on the referendum in Kirkuk slated for 2007, the tension between Turkmen and Kurdish groups in the region and to develop relations between Shi'ite groups and Turkey. /Star/
A GENDARMERIE TOP SERGEANT KILLED IN SIRNAK
A 38-year-old Gendarmerie Top Sergeant Levent Cevi in the southeastern province of Sirnak's Beytussebap district was killed yesterday in a raid by masked gunmen at his house. His 8-year-old son Mete was injured in the raid carried out by two masked gunmen thought to be members of the PKK terrorist organization. /Aksam/