PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE IRAQ ISSUE IN CLOSED SESSION
In light of recent developments in Iraq and especially in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, Parliament will hold a special closed session today. The session, the fifth of its kind in the last four years, will begin at 7 p.m. Following an opening address by Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, representatives of political parties will exchange views on the matter. Only state ministers and deputies will be allowed into the assembly. Discussions during these sessions are recorded and classified as state secrets which can be made public after 10 years. /Hurriyet/

DINK TO BE LAID TO REST
A funeral ceremony for murdered journalist Hrant Dink today is expected to be attended by large numbers of people from all walks of life. Dink's funeral will begin at 11 a.m. in front of the newspaper Agos office in Sisli, Istanbul. Following a religious ceremony to be held at the Kumkapi Virgin Mary Patriarchate, Dink will be buried at the Balikli Armenian cemetery. A group in charge of the funeral issued a statement calling for a silent march without the chanting of slogans or the display of signs or banners. /All papers/

ITALIAN PM PRODI VISITS TURKEY
Paying an official visit to Turkey, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi yesterday met with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The two premiers held talks about bilateral ties and regional as well as international issues and then signed a strategic pact to promote economic cooperation between Turkey and Italy. Prodi was also received by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc. The Italian premier, accompanied by Erdogan, is also expected to attend the opening ceremony of the Mt. Bolu Tunnel, constructed by Italian company Astaldi, on the highway linking Ankara and Istanbul. /Turkiye/

EU VOWS SPED UP EFFORTS FOR DIRECT TRADE WITH NORTHERN CYPRUS
EU foreign ministers agreed on Monday to speed up work to establish trade ties with Northern Cyprus, with an aim to promote efforts for a settlement on the island. During yesterday's meeting in Brussels, the ministers did not have a detailed discussion on the issue but adopted a draft text by EU Term President Germany, which urged quick resumption of work to launch direct trade with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which has been blocked by the Greek Cypriot administration for two years. "Work aiming at the adoption of the [European] Commission proposal for a council regulation on special conditions for trade with the areas of the [Greek] Republic of Cyprus [sic] in which the government of the Republic of Cyprus does not exercise effective control [meaning the TRNC] must resume without delay," the text adopted by the ministers said. /The New Anatolian/

GEN. BASBUG VISITS TRNC
Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug yesterday traveled to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to observe the Peace 2007 Plan Exercise and inspect Turkish Peace Forces on the island. After meeting with President Mehmet Ali Talat, Basbug said that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) wanted a comprehensive, just and permanent settlement on the island. Pointing to the Greek Cypriots' escalating arms purchases, Talat called the development disturbing, saying that it revealed the Greek Cypriots' true intent. /Turkiye/

SPEAKING AT PACE, FENER GREEK PATRIARCH PRAISES TURKEY, BUT CRITICIZES HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION
Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomeos, invited with his disputed "ecumenical" status, yesterday spoke at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) about interfaith dialogue. Bartholomeos emphasized the importance of human rights, and both praised and criticized Turkey. He stated that interfaith dialogue was a way of life and cited Turkey as an example, saying, "We're not only in academic dialogue with our Muslim brethren, but we also live side by side." The patriarch claimed that he is unable to completely exercise his human rights, complaining of the legal status of the patriarchate and Turkey's rejection of his "ecumenical" status. Bartholomeos also said that he fully supports Turkey's EU bid. /Milliyet/

BARZANI: "WE'RE NOT SCARED OF TURKEY"
Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani, who claims that the northern Iraqi oil-rich city of Kirkuk is a Kurdish city despite its large Turkmen population, said yesterday that northern Iraq's Kurds were not afraid of Turkey's "threats." Criticizing what he called Ankara's recent aggressive policy, Barzani said that these threats were empty. Stressing that Turkish leaders were acting in an election atmosphere, the Kurdish leader stated that he paid no mind to Ankara's remarks. /Sabah/

MT. BOLU TUNNEL TO OPEN TODAY
The Mt. Bolu Tunnel, 12 years in the making at a cost of some $900 million, is set to open today. The tunnel is expected to cut average highway travel time between Istanbul and Ankara nearly in half, from six hours to three-and-a-half. The inauguration ceremony will be hosted this morning by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his visiting Italian counterpart Romano Prodi. /Turkiye/