NEW LEGISLATIVE YEAR BEGINS TODAY
Parliament is set to begin its new legislative year today. Parliament's General Assembly will gather at 3:00 pm for the special day. After singing the national anthem, President Gul will deliver the opening speech. Also, Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan will give a reception in the evening to mark the opening day of Parliament. /Hurriyet/
GUL RECEIVES KAZAKH PRESIDENT NAZARBAYEV
President Abdullah Gul yesterday received his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev at the Cankaya Presidential Palace as his first official guest. Nazarbayev stopped in Turkey on the way back from the UN General Assembly in New York to pay Gul a congratulatory visit. During the meeting, the two leaders reportedly discussed regional and international issues, as well as bilateral relations. In related news, Gul will leave for Strasbourg tomorrow for a two-day visit as the official guest of Rene van der Linden, the president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Gul, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek and Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin, is expected to deliver a speech to PACE's General Assembly. He will also meet with representatives of Turkish groups in Strasbourg. /Star/
ERDOGAN: "OUR DETERMINATION TO ERADICATE TERRORISM WILL NOT FLAG"
Speaking at a press conference yesterday after returning from a trip to the US, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan commented on a deadly terrorist PKK attack in Sirnak which killed 13 people, saying that Turkey's determination to end terrorism would not flag. "These (attacks) will not stop our fight against terrorism," said Erdogan. The premier added that determined anti-terror operations had pushed the PKK to target civilians. "They will pay the price for this, and our determination will continue," added Erdogan. President Abdullah Gul also issued a message condemning the deadly attack. /Turkiye/
TERRORIST ATTACK IN SIRNAK KILLS 13
Members of the terrorist PKK opened fire on a minivan in the southeastern province of Sirnak over the weekend, killing 13. The terrorists ambushed the minivan, carrying 14 people to the village of Besagac, at around 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. The assault claimed the lives of seven village guards, five construction workers and one young child, while wounding two others. The wounded were taken to Sirnak Military Hospital and Beytussebap State Hospital. President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan all issued messages condemning the attack. /All papers/
FORMER HEALTH MINISTER AKTUNA PASSES AWAY
Former Health Minister Yildirim Aktuna lost his life on Saturday. Aktuna, who had been undergoing treatment for a serious illness, will be laid to rest tomorrow in Istanbul. /Cumhuriyet/
IN NEW YORK, BABACAN AND CANADIAN FM TALK TURKEY'S EU BID AND BILATERAL TIES
In the US to attend the UN General Assembly in New York, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan over the weekend met with his Canadian counterpart Maxime Bernier. The two discussed a number of topics, including Turkey's European Union membership bid and relations between the two countries. During their meeting, Babacan said that Ankara was uncomfortable with Canada's stance on the so-called Armenian genocide. In related news, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner is due to arrive in Ankara on Friday to pay an official visit. /Turkiye/
SAHIN: "OUR PROPOSED NEW CONSTITUTION ISN'T MEANT TO WEAKEN SECULARISM"
Speaking at a press conference before flying to Portugal yesterday, Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said that the government's proposed new Constitution was not intended to weaken secularism. "Secularism is one of our basic pillars," said Sahin. /Milliyet/
IRAQI FM: "THE MEETING OF OUR NEIGHBORS IN ISTANBUL NEXT MONTH IS VERY IMPORTANT"
Speaking to the Associated Press yesterday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said that a meeting of countries neighboring Iraq set to be held in Istanbul next month was very important. Zebari said that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki were among these due to attend, along with the foreign ministers of France, Italy, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. /Milliyet/