ERDOGAN, BUSH TO MEET AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet today with US President George W. Bush at the White House. Erdogan and Bush are expected to discuss issues such as the fight against the terrorist PKK and recent developments in Iraq. Following the meeting, Turkish officials are expected to decide what steps to take to stop terrorist attacks coming from northern Iraq. Erdogan, accompanied by Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Ergin Saygun, will also discuss bring up the Cyprus issue and the Armenian allegations concerning incidents of 1915. Later, the premier is scheduled to address the National Press Club. /Aksam/
FREED TURKISH SOLDIERS BACK IN TURKEY
Eight Turkish soldiers abducted by the terrorist PKK last month were released over the weekend and handed over to Iraqi authorities. On board the plane bringing the soldiers back to Turkey from Erbil, northern Iraq were Iraqi Defense Minister Abd al-Qadir Mohammed Jasim al-Obeidi and US Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the coalition forces. The soldiers were then taken to the southeastern province of Diyarbakir and are due back in Ankara soon. The General Staff said yesterday that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) welcomes the soldiers' return. /Turkiye/
CEMIL CICEK: "ALL STATE BODIES ARE WORKING IN UNISON TO DEFEAT THE TERRORISTS"
Asked yesterday about the release of eight Turkish soldiers abducted last month by the terrorist PKK, Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek said all Turkish state bodies are working decisively in unison to defeat terrorism using military, political and economic means. He stressed that these efforts would continue without any letup. /Star/
INTERIOR MINISTER ATALAY: "WE WANT THE US TO DEAL WITH IRAQ"
Interior Minister Besir Atalay yesterday said that Ankara wants the US to live up to its responsibilities concerning Iraq. "Turkey has done very serious international political work befitting a great state," he said. "We told the US secretary of state this (when she visited Ankara last week). Now this will be discussed at the highest level. Managing this with the US and the central Iraqi administration is inevitable." /Aksam/
STATESMAN INONU LAID TO REST
Elder statesman Erdal Inonu, who passed away in the United States last week, was laid to rest yesterday at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery in Istanbul. Hundreds of people brought flowers to his gravesite to pay their last respects, including many politicians. Inonu was a former deputy prime minister and the son of Turkey's second president. /Turkiye/
CHP'S BAYKAL: "WE MUST PREVENT OUR SOLDIERS FROM EVER AGAIN BEING CAPTURED"
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said yesterday that while welcoming the release of eight Turkish soldiers by the terrorist PKK, steps to prevent a recurrence of the incident must be considered. "We have to think about how to prevent the same thing happening in the future," he said. "We have to be deliberate and cautious. The fight against terrorism is Turkey's main issue. Mistakes in this fight can have grave consequences. We can sometimes see this in the death toll of our soldiers or in kidnapped troops." /Cumhuriyet/
US STATE DEPT: "THE FREED SOLDIERS WERE TRANSFERRED TO TURKISH AUTHORITIES BY US TROOPS"
The United States welcomes the release of eight Turkish soldiers who were captured by the terrorist PKK last month, US State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack said yesterday. "The eight Turkish soldiers were handed over to Iraqi officials, who then delivered them to US military personnel for transfer to Turkish authorities," he said. "We applaud the efforts of the government of Iraq to secure the release of the hostages. We urge continued, deepened, and immediate cooperation between Iraq and Turkey in combating the PKK, which is a common enemy of Turkey, Iraq and the United States."/Hurriyet/