ARINC TO TRAVEL TO STRASBOURG
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc is set to travel to Strasbourg today to attend a three-day conference of heads of European parliaments. Arinc is expected to address the meeting. /Star/
BLAIR TO VISIT ANKARA TODAY
British Prime Minister Tony Blair is due to arrive in Ankara today for an official visit. During his stay, he is expected to meet with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss a number of issues, including Turkey’s European Union membership bid and Iraq. Erdogan is expected to seek Blair’s support for ending the economic embargo on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Cooperation in anti-terrorist efforts and next month’s NATO summit in Istanbul are also expected to be topics of discussion. /Cumhuriyet/
TURKEY HOSTS EUROVISION CONTEST, PLACES FOURTH
Athena, one of Turkey’s best-known bands, placed fourth in Saturday’s 49th Eurovision Song Contest, which was also hosted by Turkey for the first time. Ukrainian singer Ruslana Lyzichko won the contest for her country, receiving the crown from last year’s winner Turkish singer Sertab Erener, while Serbia-Montenegro placed second and Greece third. As the new winner, Ukraine will host Eurovision next year. Some 100 million viewers worldwide watched the contest live from Istanbul. /All papers/
SENER VISITS SOUTHEASTERN PROVINCES
As part of his tour of southeastern Anatolia, State Minister Abdullatif Sener yesterday visited the provinces of Diyarbakir and Mardin. During meetings with regional officials, Sener vowed to boost Turkey’s trade relations with neighboring states and to clear mines from border areas. Pointing to Mardin’s water shortage, the minister also pledged to tackle this problem. /Turkiye/
NEW YORK HOLDS ANNUAL TURKISH DAY PARADE
New York City’s annual Turkish Day Parade organized by the Federation of Turkish-American Associations was celebrated with enthusiasm over the weekend. State Minister Mehmet Aydin and Industry and Trade Minister Ali Coskun as well as a number of parliamentary deputies attended the event. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President George W. Bush also sent messages marking the day. In addition, a message from Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat underlined steadfast efforts to end the international isolation of his nation. /Turkiye/
BABACAN: “WE HAVE NO PLAN TO USE $8.5 BLN US CREDIT THIS YEAR”
Appearing on television yesterday, State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan lauded recent economic developments, saying that the nation’s economy was on much firmer ground now than in the past. Touching on a US credit of $8.5 billion extended for Turkey’s cooperation over Iraq, Babacan said that the government had no plan to use the funds this year. “We will use the credit when there is a need,” said Babacan. Also touching on recent fluctuations in exchange rates, Babacan stated that the high current accounts deficit had caused this, adding that the effects of these changes rates on Turkey’s debt stock were limited. Asked about capital outflow from Turkey, the minister declined to give details on the issue. He warned, however, that recent oil price increases could damage Turkey’s budget and also cause higher inflation. “If world agriculture and oil prices rise more than expected, then our government will take necessary measures,” he added. /Milliyet/
TALAT: “WE WON’T NEGOTIATE THE UN CYPRUS PLAN WITH THE GREEK CYPRIOTS AGAIN”
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said yesterday that he would not negotiate the United Nations Cyprus plan with Greek Cyprus again, adding that the TRNC had nothing more to give to Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos. Saying that his goal was to end his nation’s international isolation, Talat added, “We know that the TRNC won’t be recognized in the short term but we want international recognition as soon as possible.” He further criticized the European Union’s stance on the recognition issue, saying that it should be understood that the Greek Cypriots don’t represent Turkish Cyprus. /Milliyet/
FENERBAHCE WINS SUPER LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
Turkish football side Fenerbahce yesterday celebrated its Super League championship with a huge ceremony attended by over 50,000 fans at Istanbul’s Sukru Saracoglu Stadium. It was the team’s 15th Super League crown. Trabzonspor finished the season in second place, while Besiktas came in third.