ERDOGAN MEETS WITH TALAT, DISCUSSES RECENT DEVELOPMENTS CONCERNING CYPRUS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday received visiting Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat to discuss recent developments concerning Cyprus, including a push to end the TRNC’s international isolation. During their talks, Erdogan said that Turkey would always stand by the Turkish Cypriots and strive to bring the TRNC’s isolation to an end. Later, Erdogan received Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler and Police Commissioner Celalettin Cerrah. In related news, Erdogan is due to travel to the US tomorrow to attend a G-8 meting on Sea Island, Georgia expected to focus on the US’ Greater Middle East Initiative. /Cumhuriyet/

ERDOGAN TO HOST BANQUET FOR EU STATES’ AMBASSADORS IN ANKARA
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to host a banquet tonight for the European Union member states’ ambassadors to Ankara. During the gathering at the Erdogan’s official residence, the premier is expected to tout Turkey’s reforms on its road to EU membership. /Turkiye/

GUL TRAVELS TO EGYPT
In the runup to the mid-month Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) foreign ministers meeting, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday flew to Egypt to hold a series of contacts with Egyptian officials. Gul is scheduled to be received by President Hosni Mubarak and meet with Arab League Secretary-General Amr Musa. Their meetings are expected to be focused on the Iraq, Middle East and Cyprus issues. In addition, Gul will seek Cairo’s support for Turkey’s candidate for the OIC helm. /Turkiye/

KARAMANLIS: "WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT TURKEY'S STEPS TOWARDS EU MEMBERSHIP"
Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said yesterday that Ankara would continue to support the steps Ankara has taken for its European Union membership bid. Speaking in Austria yesterday, Karamanlis said, "Everybody will benefit from Turkey being an EU member." Touching on the Cyprus issue, Karamanlis called on both sides to do their best for the reunification of the island, adding, "That way, both the Turkish and Greek Cypriots will benefit from the opportunities provided by the European Union." /Cumhuriyet/

IMF DELEGATION TO HOLD CONTACTS IN ANKARA
An International Monetary Fund delegation headed by Turkey Desk Chief Riza Moghadam is set to hold contacts in Ankara tomorrow towards the completion of the eighth review of Turkey’s economic program, which is due to end next year. The delegation, which arrived in Istanbul last week and met with business leaders and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), is also expected to discuss a successor to the program between Ankara and the Fund before leaving on June 19. IMF Executive Director Willy Kiekens and European Director Michael Deppler are also to attend the meetings in Ankara. The IMF is due to release a $660 million credit after the completion of the economic program. /Milliyet/

DE SOTO: “PAPADOPOULOS DIDN’T MAKE ANY CONCRETE PROPOSALS FOR REUNIFYING CYPRUS”
Former UN Cyprus Envoy Alvaro de Soto yesterday criticized Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos, saying that in the countdown to Greek Cyprus’ May 1 European Union accession Papadopoulos had failed to make any concrete proposals for the reunifying the island. “He said he was willing for reunification, but didn’t put forth any concrete proposals,” said de Soto. “He has no idea what efforts for reunification should be.” /Cumhuriyet/

PAPANDREOU: “ANNAN’S CYPRUS REPORT IS REALISTIC”
George Papandreou, the leader of main Greek opposition party PASOK and former foreign minister, said yesterday that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s recent Cyprus report was realistic. Speaking to Greek daily To Vima, Papandreou stated that the leaders on Cyprus should speak sincerely with their peoples and not shrink from “brave decisions” for a settlement on the island. Also criticizing Greek Premier Costas Karamanlis, Papandreou called that it was a “great error” to have separated the Cyprus issue from Turkish-Greek relations. “Athens has stripped itself of one the best weapons of its foreign policy,” said Papandreou. The PASOK leader’s statements reportedly caused annoyance in the Greek Cypriot administration, as Annan’s recent Cyprus report criticized Nicosia for its negative and uncompromising stance. /Star/

OECD MEETING ON SMEs CONCLUDES
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ministerial-level conference on small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in Istanbul ended yesterday with a final declaration issued by the Turkish, Italian, Brazilian and Portuguese delegations. Their countries are due to take joint action to prepare a pilot project in the automotive by-industry under the Emerging Regional Markets Technology Transfer Network (REMTECH) project and are due to present a joint action plan this December during an OECD SMEs working group meeting in Paris. The REMTECH project will be open to the participation of all countries, whether OECD members or not. Turkish Ministry of Industry and Trade Undersecretary Adem Sahin said that the conference aimed to encourage entrepreneurship in the global economy and revamped SMEs, adding that 606 delegates from 64 countries including 31 OECD members had attended the conference. /Anatolia News Agency/