ERDOGAN HOSTS A BANQUET FOR KING ABDULLAH
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday hosted a banquet for visiting Saudi Arabian King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz in Istanbul. Addressing the gathering, Erdogan said that Turkey became an attractive place for investors, calling for Saudi Arabian businessmen to invest in Turkey. Erdogan said that he was very pleased to host King Abdullah and accompanying delegation. Saying that he believed King Abdullah's visit would boost relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia, Erdogan added that he viewed Saudi Arabia as a partner, which Turkey can cooperate in all fields. Erdogan stated that economic ties between the two countries were rapidly developing and that cooperation between the two countries was hope-inspiring. "Trade volume between Turkey and Saudi Arabia is about $3 billion," he said. For his part, King Abdullah said that he appreciated Erdogan's hospitality, adding that he was aware of the importance of Turkey's strategic location. "We appreciate Turkey's role in dialogue between civilizations," said King Abdullah, adding that he was pleased over Ankara's intensive efforts to end conflict in the Mideast. King Abdullah invited Erdogan to his country. /Turkiye/
ERDOGAN: "NORTHERN IRAQ CAN'T BE A SAFE HEAVEN FOR THE PKK"
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said that northern Iraq shouldn't be a safe heaven for the terrorist PKK and it should be declared as a terrorist organization and added, "We are waiting for satisfactory steps to be taken." During the meeting at Prime Ministry, Iraqi Vice President Tariq Al Hashimi thanked Premier Erdogan for his support. Speaking about the terrorist PKK, Hashimi said, "We won't allow activities that would disturb Turkey. I pledge to exert all kinds of efforts." Erdogan also expressed Turkey's views on Kirkuk. "Kirkuk should have a special status quo," said Erdogan, adding that this was important for the unity of Iraq. "An acceptable administration model should come into existence in Kirkuk. This is important. We support your views," said Hashimi. After the meeting with Hashimi, Erdogan received seven Iraqi Turkmen deputies. /Star/
GEN. BUYUKANIT: "LAND FORCES TO BE SHRUNK BY 30%"
Land Forces Commander Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, who takes over helm of Turkish Armed Forces at the end of this month, stated that the army could shrink 30% within the context of modernization. In an interview with Defense and Aerospace Magazine, Gen. Buyukanit said, "The targets for our land forces are to be realized through `Forces 2014' project. This project aims to shrink the forces without undermining its combat capabilities. On the contrary, under the plan the efficiency of the force will increase." /Star/
CICEK: "SEVERAL STEPS ARE TAKEN AGAINST PKK, BUT THEY AREN'T SUFFICIENT"
Government spokesmen Cemil Cicek said that several steps were taken against the terrorist PKK, but that these measures weren't sufficient. Saying that Turkey was fighting against terrorism with determination and patience, Cicek added, however, that this wasn't enough. "I hope a mechanism, which will accelerate the fight against the terrorist PKK to be established as soon as possible," added Cicek. /Aksam/
OZKOK TO PAY FAREWELL VISITS TO ERDOGAN, BAYKAL
Outgoing Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok is expected to pay farewell visits to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. In related news, speaking at his party's meeting, Baykal evaluated recently rising terrorist attacks. Baykal said that a cross-border operation was possible, but that this wasn't the only solution to the issue. /Sabah/
TURKEY TO BUY 50 SLAM-ER MISSILES FROM US
Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul yesterday stated that Turkey would buy 50 SLAM-ER missiles in return for $139 million from the US through the Foreign Military Sale program. Gonul confirmed that the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has asked for Congress' approval to sell the missiles to Turkey. Gonul indicated that Turkey and the US have reached an agreement on the sale of missiles, adding that talks are yet to be concluded on the conditions of payment. /Milliyet/
LEBANESE AMBASSADOR TO ANKARA VISITS RED CRESCENT, THANKS FOR ITS ASSISTANCE TO LEBANON UNDER ISRAEL'S BOMBINGS
Lebanese Ambassador to Ankara George Siam yesterday visited Red Crescent Chairman Tekin Kucukali to thank for the assistance provided for the Lebanese nation under Israel's bombings. During their meeting, Siam said that the war should be between the soldiers of two countries, but that innocent children were also been killed in the war. "Almost 1,000 Lebanese people lost their lives in Israel's bombings and 350 of them are children," said Siam. Siam stressed that atmosphere of peace and tranquility couldn't be ensured in the region due to Israel, adding that Israel was against peace and rejected all efforts for peace. Siam said that the Lebanese nation was grateful to Turkey, adding that he was pleased with the sensitivity of the Turkish government. For his part, Kucukali said that Red Crescent helped people all over the world, adding that misfortune was being observed in Lebanon. /Turkiye/
BILGIN: "BDDK NOT IN THE BAG TO MOVE TO ISTANBUL"
Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) Chairman Tevfik Bilgin criticized the tendency to view the BDDK and other institutions apart from the Central Bank "in the bag" on the issue about moving to Istanbul and said, "If half the financial and social rights offered to the Central Bank regarding staff are provided to us, we'll move to Istanbul right away." On a live interview on CNN Turk, Bilgin assessed the impact of the market fluctuations on the banking sector and the debates on moving to Istanbul. Bilgin said on the possibility of BDDK to move to Istanbul: "We're following the debates as well. We have not yet exchanged ideas with the Minister that we are associated with. There's no decision made at our Board either." /The New Anatolian/