SEVEN KILLED IN TERRORIST ATTACK IN TUNCELI
Seven soldiers were killed and seven others were injured yesterday in a terrorist attack on a gendarmerie station 30 kilometers from the Pulumur district of the eastern province of Tunceli. After the attack, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer sent a telegraph to Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit expressing his sorrow. Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Zeki Sezer also released messages condemning the attack. In related news, Turkish police arrested a PKK terrorist believed to be behind a bombing last month in the Aegean coast city of Izmir that killed one person and injured 17. /Hurriyet/
TURKEY-EU TROIKA MEETING HELD IN ANKARA
A Turkey-European Union Troika foreign ministers' meeting was held yesterday in Ankara under the chairmanship of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. Present at the gathering were EU Term President Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, next term president Portugal's Foreign Minister Jaoa Cravinho, and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn. During the meeting, a number of subjects were discussed, including Turkey's EU reforms, issues in Ankara's accession talks, and regional political developments. Speaking at a joint conference afterwards, Gul said that the talks had been fruitful and beneficial, adding that many issues had been discussed with good will and frankness. "The meeting was satisfactory," said Gul. For his part, Steinmeier said that Germany, during its term presidency set to end this month, had done its best to continue and accelerate Turkey's EU accession process, while Cravinho said that Turkey would be a priority of Portugal. For his part, Rehn said that the EU would stand by Turkey in its fight against terrorism. /Turkiye/
PARTIES SUBMIT CANDIDATE LISTS TO YSK
Political parties that will compete in the July 22 general elections submitted candidates list to the Supreme Board of Elections (YSK) yesterday. The first party to submit its list was the Turkish Communist Party (TKP), which presented 550 candidates to compete in 85 electoral districts. Just an hour before the close of the business day, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Felicity Party (SP), Labor Party (EMEK), Young Party (GP), People's Ascent Party (HYP), Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Democrat Party (DP) submitted their candidates list to YSK. All other parties submitted their lists at the very last minute, with the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) getting its list in just before the deadline. /The New Anatolian/
BASBUG VISITS CHINA
The views of Turkey and the People's Republic of China on world matters have much in common, said Turkish Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug yesterday. At a meeting with Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan in Beijing, Basbug expressed admiration for China's economic progress, adding that there were similarities in the threats faced by the two countries. /Turkish Daily News/
SENER RECEIVES CASTRO'S SON
Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener yesterday received Fidel Castro Diaz Balart, Cuba's nuclear energy minister and the son of leader Fidel Castro. During their meeting, Balart said that the Turkish and Cuban nations were alike, praising Turkish Republic founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. For his part, Sener said that Cuba had successfully overcome discrimination based on race. /Milliyet/
MAY INFLATION FIGURES RELEASED
The Turkish Institute of Statistics (TUIK) yesterday released monthly inflation figures for May. The consumer price index (CPI) rose by 0.50%, while the producer price index (PPI) rose by 0.39%. These figures pushed yearly CPI to 9.23% and PPI to 7.14%. /Aksam/