GUL: "IF THE US DOESN'T WORK WITH TURKEY AGAINST TERROR, IT WILL LOSE CREDIBILITY"
If the US fails to cooperate with Turkey against terrorism, it will lose its credibility in the eyes of the world, said President Abdullah Gul yesterday. "Turkey had made its preparations and decided what to do on the issue before the prime minister" visited the US this week, Gul said en route to Azerbaijan. "(Prime Minister Recep Tayyip) Erdogan's goal in his trip was to share with the US the decision the country has made on how to deal with the terrorists." Gul later met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, and they signed bilateral cooperation agreements. Afterwards, Gul told reporters that he and Aliyev had covered all issues related to the two countries at their meeting. Gul underlined that Turkey is ready to do whatever it can to establish lasting peace in the Southern Caucasus. Aliyev also said that the friendship between Ankara and Baku is flourishing. / Turkiye/
ERDOGAN ON WASHINGTON VISIT: "WE GOT WHAT WE WANTED"
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan evaluated his meeting this week with US President George W. Bush. Calling the meeting positive and effiective, Erdogan added that he and Bush had agreed to set up a coordination system to provide better communication in operations against the terrorist PKK. Erdogan stressed that intelligence is needed at the right time, otherwise it is of no use. "Nobody is telling us not to conduct a (cross-border) operation," Erdogan said. "We got what we wanted." /Turkiye/
CHP'S BAYKAL: "AT THIS POINT, TURKEY MUST DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY"
The US isn't standing in the way of a Turkish cross-border operation in Iraq, said main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday. Speaking about Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's meeting with US President George W. Bush on Monday, he said, "The US president saw the rising determination in Turkey and didn't tell us not to intervene. And he paved the way for cooperation and intelligence sharing for any military intervention. All this amounts to him saying, `Yes, a military operation can be conducted'." Baykal stated, "The Erdogan-Bush meeting may yield new opportunities which we can't miss," adding, "At this point, Turkey must do whatever is necessary, after serious preparation and with good timing." In related news, opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday criticized Erdogan's meeting with Bush as a disappointing failure. /Hurriyet/
ISRAELI, PALESTINIAN PRESIDENTS TO ADDRESS PARLIAMENT NEXT WEEK
Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, during their visits to Turkey next week as the official guests of President Abdullah Gul, are scheduled to separately address Parliament next Tuesday. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert yesterday called Turkey a friendly country which can play a great role in Israel's rapprochement with Arab countries. /Cumhuriyet/
EU'S REHN: "REFORMS SHOULD BE ACCELERATED, AND ARTICLE 301 SHOULD BE CHANGED"
The European Union Commission's annual progress report on Turkey was released yesterday. Speaking to the media about the report, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn said that in the face of a "constitutional crisis," reforms in Turkey have slowed down. Rehn added that reforms protecting freedom of speech and religion are needed and Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) should be amended without delay. Saying that the EU should keep its promises and be fair, Rehn stressed that no more chapters of Turkey's accession talks will be opened until Turkey fulfills the requirements of the Ankara Protocol. Touching on recent PKK attacks, he said, "The EU condemns all terrorist attacks and accepts that Turkey has the right to defend itself and its citizens." /Aksam/