ANNAN URGES END TO TRNC EMBARGO, ISOLATION
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday presented a 25-page report on Cyprus prepared by former Cyprus Envoy Alvaro de Soto to the Security Council. The report stressed that the international isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) should be brought to an end, adding that this shouldn’t encourage the island’s continued division, but rather reunification. The report praised the efforts of both Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat to find a solution for the island. By endorsing the UN plan for the island in an April referendum, the TRNC’s citizens have “undone any rationale for pressuring and isolating them," said Annan, adding: "I would hope the members of the council can give a strong lead to all states to cooperate both bilaterally and in international bodies to eliminate unnecessary restrictions and barriers that have the effect of isolating the Turkish Cypriots and impeding their development." In related news, TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said that he welcomed the report. /Star/

GUL: “WE NEED AN ACTIVE FOREIGN POLICY IN THE PURSUIT OF REGIONAL AND GLOBAL PEACE”
Speaking to the closing night of the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) Congress in Istanbul, Abdullah Gul touted Turkey’s recent rise in democratic standards and positive economic developments, adding he didn’t think it would be long before it joins the European Union. Gul added that Ankara needed to pursue an active foreign policy aimed at regional and global peace. Also addressing the gathering, Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TOBB) head Rifat Hisarciklioglu said that members of the media had a key role to play in the globalization process. /Milliyet/

BUMIN REELECTED TO CONSTITUTIONAL COURT HELM
Mustafa Bumin, the Constitutional Court chief justice whose last term in office ended last month, yesterday was reelected to the post. Bumin was the sole candidate and received the votes of all 11 members of the Higher Court of Delegation. He is set to serve for four more years. /Turkiye/

COMMISSION RECOMMENDS SENDING YILMAZ, TANER CORRUPTION CHARGES TO SUPREME COURT
Parliament’s Investigation Commission recommended yesterday sending the cases of former Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and State Minister for the Economy Gunes Taner to the Supreme Court. After completing over three months of work on the corruption files on the two former politicians, the commission convened yesterday to make a ruling. Speaking to reporters, commission head Mustafa Demir said that its members had completed their investigation of the matter and unanimously agreed to forward charges of corruption against Yilmaz and Taner in Turkbank tenders to the Supreme Court. These files are expected to be taken up by the full Parliament soon. /Turkiye/

AL-QAEDA KIDNAPS TURKISH TRUCK DRIVER
Terrorist group al-Qaeda yesterday kidnapped one Turkish and one Egyptian truck driver transporting food to southern Baghdad. The terrorists threatened to kill the hostages if Ankara and Cairo don’t condemn the invasion of Iraq by coalition forces. In related news, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has begun initiatives to free the hostages. Rejecting the terrorists’ demands, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that Turkey wanted a timely handover of power to Iraqis and the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq without causing chaos in the region. /Turkiye/

OECD GROUP DISCUSSES WAYS TO BOOST GLOBAL ROLE OF SMES
A working group on small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) formed under the Industry and Business World Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) convened in Istanbul yesterday to discuss ways to increase the global role of SMEs. Ahmet Ecmer Yorganci, representing the Directorate General of Small- and Medium-size Industry Development (KOSGEB) in Brussels, said that the SME Working Group was made up OECD member states and convened twice a year. The OECD ministerial-level meeting is due to take place tomorrow. /Anatolia News Agency/

IMF DELEGATION ARRIVES IN TURKEY FOR EIGHTH REVIEW OF ECONOMIC PROGRAM
An International Monetary Fund delegation headed by Turkey Desk Chief Riza Moghadam arrived yesterday in Turkey for the eighth review of the IMF-supported economic program. The delegation is to hold contacts today in Istanbul with business and finance leaders and later will proceed to Ankara to discuss the form of the new economic program after the current standby agreement ends next year. /Cumhuriyet/

CB HEAD WARNS OF THREAT TO ECONOMY FROM RISE IN OIL PRICES
Speaking at a meeting of the Edirne Chamber of Trade and Industry yesterday, Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti said that the negative effects of recent increases in exchange rates would be limited. He warned, however, that current soaring oil prices still constitute a threat to the economy. /Cumhuriyet/