OIC MEETING TO BEGIN TODAY IN ISTANBUL
The 31st foreign ministerial meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is to commence today in Istanbul. Representatives of 57 Muslim countries will gather to discuss problems facing the Muslim world. The meeting’s agenda includes the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the issues of Iraq and Cyprus, international terrorism and the US-proposed Greater Middle East Initiative (GME). Among the many items to be discussed during the meeting, two are of special importance to Turkey: the election of a new OIC secretary-general and efforts to end the international isolation of the Turkish republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The three-day meeting is set to begin with a speech by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. In related news, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday held bilateral meetings with his Lebanese, Syrian and Malaysian counterparts as well as outgoing OIC Secretary-General Abdulvahid Belkeziz. /All Papers/

ARINC: “EU MEMBERSHIP HAS BEEN TURKEY’S GOAL FOR 40 YEARS”
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, who is currently paying a visit to Germany, yesterday met with representatives of Turkish associations in that country. Speaking at the gathering, Arinc said: “European Union membership has been Turkey’s aim for 40 years.” Stressing that all Turkish governments had made progress towards this goal, Arinc said that some mistakes had also regrettably been made, adding, “If not for these mistakes, we could have joined the Union some time ago, at the same time as Greece.” The Parliament speaker also called on Turks in Germany to adapt themselves to the society in which they live without losing their own values. /Turkiye/

ERDOGAN: “TALK OF ‘ISLAMIC TERRORISM’ IS UNACCEPTABLE”
Speaking in Chicago at a conference on the Middle East on Saturday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the expression “Islamic terrorism” unacceptable, arguing that terrorism could be identified with no single religion, language, race or country. Also present at the conference were former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, US Congresswoman Jane Harman, and Princeton University’s Bernard Lewis, a specialist on the Mideast and Turkey. “One can not speak of ‘moderate Islam’ prevailing in Turkey,” said Erdogan. “For saying ‘moderate Islam’ implies its counterpart, ‘radical Islam.” Also touching on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Erdogan said, “I think that both the Palestinian and Israeli nations want peace. They must first believe in peace, since this is a psychological process.” The premier urged powerful nations and leaders who want Mideast peace to continue prodding the Palestinians and Israelis. “My government and nation are ready to fulfill our responsibilities,” added Erdogan. For his part, Barak said that Turkey should be admitted to the European Union as soon as possible. He further stressed Turkey’s important role in fighting terrorism. “In our fight with terrorism, regional countries such as Turkey are more important than the US,” added Barak. In related news, Erdogan yesterday met with former Israeli Prime Minister Simon Peres. During their talks, Erdogan said that Ankara wanted to preserve good relations with Israel. /Aksam/

THREE GERMAN TURKS WIN EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT SEATS
Three ethnic Turks won European Parliament seats from Germany yesterday in nation- and European Union-wide polls. Vural Oger from Germany’s ruling Social Democratic Party (SDP), Cem Ozdemir from the Greens Party, and Feleknaz Uca from the Democratic Socialists are set to serve five-year terms in the EP. /Hurriyet/

POLISH PRESIDENT CALLS TURKEY’S EU BID A “HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY”
Speaking to Austrian daily Rundsschau yesterday, Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski said that he supported Turkey’s European Union membership bid. “Ankara has committed itself to fulfilling the Union’s requirements,” said Kwasniewski. “I believe that Turkey will be an EU member. If modern Turkey joins the EU, this will be an historic opportunity.” Kwasniewski added that Poland, one of 10 nations which joined the Union this May, would not stand in the way of Turkey’s aspirations. /Hurriyet/

SECURITY DIMENSION OF GME TO TAKE SHAPE AT NATO SUMMIT
The US government is planning to add a security dimension to its Greater Middle East Initiative (GME) during the month-end NATO summit in Istanbul. NATO’s role in the GME will take priority at the summit. Under the latest NATO plan, cooperation will be improved through practical steps. /Cumhuriyet/

WITH 5,000-METER BREAKTHROUGH, ABEYLEGESSE BECOMES TURKEY’S FIRST WORLD RECORD HOLDER
Turkish runner Elvan Abeylegesse on Saturday broke the women’s 5,000 meter world record at Norway’s Bergen Bislett Games. The Ethiopian-born athlete became Turkey’s first-ever world record holder with her time of 14.24.68, nearly 4 seconds faster than the old record, which belonged to China’s Jiang Bo and had stood for seven years. /Star/