ERDOGAN: "WE DO OUR BEST FOR TURKEY"
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday attended the opening ceremony of the Zeytinburnu-Bagcilar tramway line in Istanbul. Addressing the crowd, Erdogan said that the government in cooperation with local administrations was trying to do its best to serve the nation. Stressing that exemplary infrastructure work was being done in Istanbul, Erdogan said that most of their investments were done to serve the people rather than in pursuit of profits. Furthermore, the premier attended the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce's (ITO) weekly meeting. He stated that Turkey's problems could not be solved from Ankara, adding that he would continue to travel all around the country to see and solve the problems where they are. /Turkiye/

RALSTON: "NO STEPS WILL BE TAKEN TO LEGITIMIZE THE PKK"
US Special Envoy to combat the terrorist PKK Joseph Ralston late Wednesday assured the Turkish premier that he won't take any steps that might be seen as taking the terrorist group as a legitimate party. According to sources, Ralston's assurance came during a meeting when Erdogan underlined the importance of not taking steps that would be considered as taking the PKK as a legitimate party and said, "We will do whatever is necessary to eliminate the threat to the security of our people." Ralston told Erdogan that he had informed US President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of the concrete measures that should be taken to eliminate the threat posed by the terrorist PKK in northern Iraq, diplomatic sources said. In response to Ralston, Erdogan stressed the need to immediately implement the measures and take concrete steps. /The New Anatolian/

GUL MEETS WITH FRANCE'S CHIRAC, DOUSTE-BLAZY
In meetings during Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul's visit to Paris, French President Jacques Chirac and Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy stated that they were extremely pleased about Turkey's decision to send troops to Lebanon. French officials also continued to warn Turkey about fulfilling its commitments emerging from the Customs Union, but they also gave signals that this won't turn into a crisis between the European Union and Turkey. Gul's meeting with his French counterpart Douste-Blazy gave him the opportunity to state Ankara's diplomatic views, especially on the Armenian and Cyprus issues. "Instability in the Eastern Mediterranean wouldn't only be to the detriment of Turkey, as both regional stability and the world's balance would be affected by this," said Gul. He also told Douste-Blazy of Ankara's uneasiness about the French Parliament's move to criminalize denial of the so-called Armenian genocide claims. /Milliyet-Star/

AKSU: "TRAITORS WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO REACH THEIR GOALS"
Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu said yesterday that traitors who wanted to damage Turkey's unity and peace would never be able to reach their goals. During a visit to Diyarbakir Governor Efkan Ala concerning a bomb blast in the city which killed 10 people, the interior minister called the attack an ugly and inhuman act. He added that an investigation was underway. In related news, True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar urged security officials to find the culprits and punish them soon. /Turkiye/

COLASAN ELECTED COUNCIL OF STATE'S CHIEF PROSECUTOR
Council of State Deputy Chief Justice Tansel Colasan yesterday was elected the body's chief prosecutor. After Prosecutor Zafer Kantarci stepped down upon reaching retirement age, Colasan won the post in the sixth round of voting with the support of an absolute majority of the council's 95 members. /Aksam/

RIVAL OF FRANCE'S SARKOZY CALLS REJECTING TURKEY'S EU BID A "MISTAKE"
French Socialist presidential contender Segolene Royal this week said that her conservative rival Nicolas Sarkozy was wrong to reject Turkey's EU membership bid outright. Royal said it was a mistake to slam the door on Turkish accession to the EU but did not rule out a close partnership rather than full membership. "Any brutal statement like the one we heard rejecting Turkey would have disastrous effects, but at the same time I think we have to see the reality of concerns that Europe must have stable borders while making partnership," added Royal. /Turkish Daily News/

RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS DIRECTORATE HEAD DECRIES POPE'S REMARKS
Religious Affairs Directorate head Ali Bardakoglu yesterday decried Pope Benedict XIV's statements linking Islam to violence, calling them extraordinarily worrying, saddening and unfortunate both for the Christian world and the common peace of humanity. Bardakoglu said that he expected both a retraction and an apology from the pope. /Cumhuriyet/