NSC TO DISCUSS SENDING TURKISH SOLDIERS TO LEBANON
The National Security Council (NSC) is due to convene today to discuss a number of issues, including possibly sending Turkish soldiers to Lebanon as part of a peacekeeping force. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is due to brief his fellow ministers on the issue during the meeting, which will be chaired by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. Outgoing Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and Gendarmerie General Commander Gen. Fevzi Turkeri will also attend the meeting for the last time. /Milliyet/
GUL MEETS WITH ISRAELI PM OLMERT, SAYS THERE IS CHANCE FOR PERMANENT PEACE IN THE MIDEAST
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, who paid an official visit to Lebanon last week, yesterday traveled to Israel and Palestine. In Israel, Gul met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to discuss the recent conflicts in the Mideast. During their meeting, Gul said that many lives were lost in recent conflicts, adding that there was a chance for permanent peace in the region. Speaking afterwards, Olmert said that they had discussed the deployment of an international peacekeeping force in Lebanon, adding that he believed that Turkey would play an important role in the stability of the region. Later Gul met with Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz. During the meeting, Peretz said that Israel wanted Ankara to send Turkish soldiers to Lebanon. Then Gul proceeded to the West Bank and met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. During their meeting, Gul said that Israel wanted Iraq to send Turkish soldiers to Lebanon to join the peacekeeping force. For his part, Abbas said that Palestine would support Ankara no matter what decision it makes. /Aksam/
BAYKAL: "WE WOULD GET INVOLVED IN CLASHES IN LEBANON"
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal warned over the weekend that Turkey's deploying troops in Lebanon would get Turkey involved in clashes there and that Parliament should take a historic decision. Saying no decision to deploy troops should be made without a debate in Parliament, Baykal charged that attitude of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was disrespectful to the will of the Parliament. Baykal told a press conference that the decision of deploying troops should be evaluated properly by the government, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the nation. "Yesterday's clashes showed that there wasn't a cease-fire in the region. Our soldiers will be sent into a war," warned Baykal. /Cumhuriyet/
IRAN HALTS GAS EXPORTS TO TURKEY AFTER PIPELINE EXPLOSION
Iran halted the flow of natural gas to neighboring Turkey after an explosion on the Turkish side of an international pipeline, an Iranian gas industry official said Sunday. "Iran's gas exports to Turkey were halted, effective 10 p.m. Saturday, due to an explosion (at the pipeline) on Turkish territory," the semiofficial Mehr news agency quoted Houshang Mehrdad, an official of the National Iranian Gas ExportCo., as saying. The explosion, which caused a huge fire, occurred in Turkey's eastern province of Agri, the Associated Press quoted Turkish Energy Ministry spokesman Bulent Ismen as saying. /The New Anatolian/
TUZMEN: "LAST WEEK WE SURPASSED THE 2006 EXPORT TARGET OF EXPORTERS"
State Minister Kursat Tuzmen said yesterday that as of last Wednesday Turkey had surpassed this year's export target of exporters. "Our exports increased with the rise in the exchange rate," said Tuzmen. "According to the data of exporter unions, our exports in the last seven months surpassed $50 billion, and exports over the last 12 months surpassed $80 billion." Stressing that the YTL had begun to appreciate, Tuzmen added that this could create problem for exporters. "We want a stable exchange rate for our exporters," said Tuzmen. "We want this to boost our exports, cut the foreign trade and current accounts deficits, and also to promote a stable economy." /Turkiye/