GUL VISITS SIIRT, SIRNAK
President Abdullah Gul yesterday visited Siirt and Sirnak on the third day of his visit to eastern and southeastern provinces. Extensive safety measures were taken for Gul, who landed at the Siirt airport in a military helicopter. The president was greeted by a joyful crowd carrying Turkish flags. Gul received representatives of 32 non-governmental organizations at Siirt governor's office. Later, President Gul proceeded to the neighboring province of Sirnak, where he met Governor Selahattin Apari. Gul's last stop on his current tour will be Diyarbakir, the biggest city in the region. In related news, a foreign ministry statement declared that President Abdullah Gul would make his first visit to abroad to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Sept. 18-19, where will meet with TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat and top officials to discuss recent developments on the Cyprus issue. /Star-Cumhuriyet/
SAKARYA VICTORY CELEBRATED
Turkish victory in Sakarya Pitched Battle (Aug. 23-Sept.13, 1921) was celebrated yesterday in Ankara's Polatly town. Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit and force commanders, as well as a large crowd of people were present for the ceremony on Duatepe. Sakarya Victory had important political and military consequences. It had a positive role in the future of the Turkish nation; every private from the chief commander to the most bottom ranked soldier had superior efforts. /Milliyet/
ERDOGAN TO TRAVEL TO THE US NEXT WEEK
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will travel to New York next week to attend United Nations General Assembly meetings on Sept. 24-25. Erdogan is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with heads of state and government of certain countries. The premier may move to Washington for official contacts with the Bush administration and the US Congress. /Turkiye/
BABACAN TO HOLD EU MEETING
Foreign Minister and Chief European Union Negotiator Ali Babacan will hold a meeting on Sept. 17 with high-level officials of all ministries and public bodies which contributed the EU process. Turkey's EU accession process and steps to be taken in the coming period will be discussed at the meeting which will be held at the Secretariat General for European Union Affairs. /Star/
EP DISCUSSES REPORT ON TURKEY
The European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs yesterday discussed a draft resolution on Turkey prepared by its Dutch Christian Democrat member Ria Oomen-Ruijten. Commenting on Abdullah Gul's presidency, Oomen-Ruijten said that she knew Gul well. "Mr. Gul is very capable and wise man; he knows how to make politics," said Oomen-Ruijten. She also expressed her belief that Gul certainly will act in line with the principle of secularism. /Sabah/
WILSON VISITS DIRECTOR GENERAL OF SECURITY
US Ambassador to Ankara Ross Wilson yesterday visited Director General of Security Oguz Kaan Koksal at his office. During the meeting, Wilson asked whether there was a link between the minivan packed with explosives near a multi-storey car park at Sihhiye district and Al-Qaeda. Koksal said that they didn't have findings to this effect, evidences and information were indicating the terrorist PKK, but they were investigating every kind of possibility. It was reported that Wilson had congratulated Turkish police on their successful operation. /Hurriyet/
TUZMEN VISITS TURKISH COMPANIES AT TEXTILE FAIR IN MUNICH
State Minister Kursad Tuzmen yesterday visited Turkish companies participated at a textile machinery exhibition in Munich, Germany. Stressing that Turkey was willing to boost textile machinery exports, Tuzmen said that in the last 12 months, Turkish firms exported $99 billion of machinery, and that figure was expected to hit $100 billion by next month. /Turkiye/