ERDOGAN RECEIVES BULGARIAN FM, DUTCH PRINCE AND PRINCESS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday received visiting Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy to discuss a number of issues, including bilateral relations and various international issues. Speaking afterwards, Passy said that his visit would boost Bulgarian businessmen’s investments in Turkey, adding that they had decided to open the Rezve Border Gate to promote tourism between the two countries. The Bulgarian foreign minister further thanked Erdogan for his support for Bulgaria’s NATO membership and expressed his own country’s support for Turkey’s European Union membership bid. Later, Erdogan received visiting Dutch Prince Willem Alexander and Princes Maxima. In related news, Erdogan is due to travel to Britain today at the invitation of Oxford University, where he is due to deliver a speech on “Why the European Union Needs Turkey.” /Aksam/

ERDOGAN URGES EU HEAD IRELAND TO END TRNC’S ISOLATION
In a telephone conversation yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked European Union Term President Ireland’s Premier Bertie Ahern to ease the embargo and isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in the runup to June’s mid-year EU summit. During their conversation, Erdogan reminded Ahern of the Turkish side’s hard work for a settlement on Cyprus, pointing out further that the TRNC could not be blamed for the failure of those efforts. Erdogan then said the TRNC should not be punished for this failure and urged concrete steps to ameliorate its situation. /Turkiye/

BUSH INVITES ERDOGAN TO G-8 MEETING
Hailing Turkey as a “democratic ally,” a White House statement yesterday said that President George W. Bush had invited Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan to attend June’s G-8 summit in the US. Bush “looks forward to a discussion of how the G-8 can support political, economic and social freedom in the broader Middle East and North Africa, and to Turkey's contribution to this effort,'' White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters. The G-8 summit including seven developed countries and Russia will be held on Sea Island, Georgia on June 7. /Sabah/

GUL DISCUSSES RECENT CYPRUS DEVELOPMENTS WITH TALAT, DENKTAS
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday met with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat and Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas to evaluate recent developments on the Cyprus issue. In related news, Denktas is due to visit Pakistan today. /Cumhuriyet/

GUL: “TURKEY MAY SENT AN AMBASSADOR TO PALESTINE”
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday that Ankara might upgrade its representation in Palestine from a consul-general to an ambassador. Speaking to reporters after meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart Solomon Passy, Gul responded affirmatively when asked whether a Turkish ambassador could be sent to Jerusalem, a city claimed by Palestine as its capital. Though Israel also calls Jerusalem its capital, this claim is not widely recognized, and most countries send their ambassadors to Tel Aviv. Gul added that Turkey's ambassador to Tel Aviv could be called back for consultations, a move he described as "quite normal." His remarks followed on Prime Minister Abdullah Gul's recent public criticism of Israeli incursions into Palestine and a pledge to upgrade Turkey's consulate in Palestine into an embassy. /Turkiye/

DECISION ON DEPUTIES’ IMMUNITIES POSTPONED
Parliament’s Joint Constitution-Justice Commission headed by Burhan Kuzu yesterday decided to postpone to the end of the legislative term a ruling on the immunity of nearly 140 deputies. The immunity issue concerns possible charges against True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan and Industry and Trade Minister Ali Coskun. None can be charged under their current immunity. Gul and Agar have reportedly asked the commission to rescind their immunity. /Turkiye/

CHP PARLIAMENTARY GROUP HOLDS EXTRAORDINARY MEETING
An extraordinary parliamentary group meeting of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) was held yesterday. During the gathering, dissident deputies voiced criticisms of party leaders and urged their resignation. In the wake of this March’s local elections, an opposition movement began in the party due to its poor showing at the ballot box. /Star/

VERHEUGEN: “EXCLUDING TURKEY FROM THE EU WOULD BE A GREAT MISTAKE”
Speaking in the current issue of German magazine Vorwarts, Guenter Verheugen, the European Union commissioner for enlargement, warned that excluding Turkey from the EU would be a great mistake, adding however that in the short term deciding on Turkey’s membership was difficult. “The Turks will negotiate with the Union for at least a decade,” predicted Verheugen. He further praised Ankara’s reforms, adding that its reform process was in line with the EU perspective. In addition, he warned that if Turkey’s EU bid falters, this would create serious security problems for the Union. /Sabah/

TBB HEAD: “RECENT DEVELOPMENTS SHOW THAT OUR ECONOMY IS STILL FRAGILE”
Speaking yesterday at the 47th general assembly of the Turkish Union of Banks (TBB), Ersin Ozince, head of the TBB board of directors, warned that recent economic developments proved that Turkey’s economy is still fragile. Ozince stressed that uncertainties and risks must be reduced in order to put the nation on a firmer economic footing. Also addressing the assembly, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said that in preparing the new Banking Law, the government was open to all suggestions from the banking sector. /Aksam/

TMSF CONFISCATES COMPANIES OF EROL AKSOY
The Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) yesterday confiscated companies owned by Erol Aksoy, a former major shareholder in the seized Iktisat Bank. Citing his unpaid debts to the fund, fiscal police raided 38 of the group’s companies along with Aksoy’s Istanbul mansion. The Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) seized Iktisat Bank in 2001 on the grounds that its weak financial structure made it unable to meet its commitments as well as risked depositors’ rights and the stability of the banking system. In related news, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said that the TMSF had exercised its legal rights in the raids. /Hurriyet/

TRT VOTES TO BEGIN BROADCASTS IN MINORITY LANGUAGES
The Board of Directors of state broadcaster TRT voted unanimously yesterday to soon begin broadcasts in a number of minority languages. TRT head Senol Demiroz told reporters that just as in all other countries, there were sub-cultures in Turkey. “Although Turkish is our official language, we’ll broadcast in other languages,” said Demiroz. He stated that work on the matter would soon be announced to the public, adding that TRT would also prepare programs promoting regional Turkish cultures. /Milliyet/