SEZER ADDRESSES OIC, URGES REFORMS FOR MUSLIM WORLD
The 31st foreign ministerial meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) began yesterday in Istanbul. During the gathering, representatives of 57 Muslim countries are due to discuss common problems facing the Muslim World. Addressing the meeting, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer urged Muslim countries to adopt reforms, adding that the leaders of these countries needed to carefully evaluate their situations. “No country should isolate itself from change,” said Sezer. “At this point, we need to seek ways to make the OIC an important and effective power in the 21st century.” Sezer also criticized Israel’s recent actions in Palestinian territories. Touching on Turkey’s European Union membership bid, Sezer called on the Islamic world to support Ankara’s bid. “We believe that our Muslim friends will support us,” he added. /Milliyet/

ERDOGAN: “I HOPE FOR THE OIC’S SUCCESS, AS THE MUSLIM WORLD NEEDS THIS”
Addressing the 31st foreign ministerial meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Istanbul yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he hoped for the OIC’s success, adding that the Muslim world needed this. In related news, Erdogan yesterday met separately with Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and Afghan Foreign Minister Hurshit Mahmud Kasuri. During his meeting with the premier, Kharrazi said that the OIC could achieve its goals under Turkey’s leadership, referring to Ankara’s candidate for the OIC secretary-general post. “We all know that Turkey is a great country,” added Karrazi. /Aksam/

GUL: “MUSLIM COUNTRIES SHOULD DRAW STRENGTH FROM THEIR COMMON HERITAGE”
Addressing the current Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) meeting in Istanbul, Foreign Minister Abdulah Gul yesterday said that Muslim countries should draw strength from their common heritage, as it offers a rational and humanistic understanding of the world. “We’re meeting again at a very crucial time,” said Gul. “The Arab-Israeli conflict with the question of Palestine at its core is bleeding hopes away. Iraq has yet to show a genuine sign of stability. Africa’s problems remain unsolved.” The foreign minister said that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had taken on increased importance and also criticized Israel’s violence policies against Palestinians. Touching on the Cyprus issue, Gul said that all Muslim countries should band together to support the Turkish side. “The Turkish Cypriots need both monetary and moral support,” he said. “Both the European Union and the US have taken steps to bring the international isolation of the Turkish Cypriots to an end.” Touching on terrorism, Gul said that terrorism had no religion, race or culture, adding that it constituted a crime against humanity. /Turkiye/

OIC POLITICAL COMMITTEE PASSES BILL CHARACTERIZING TRNC AS “TURKISH CYPRIOT STATE”
The Organization of the Islamic Conference’s (OIC) political committee yesterday passed a draft bill on Cyprus which characterizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as the “Turkish Cypriot State.” TRNC Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas hailed the draft bill as “the first step” towards the TRNC’s recognition on the international stage. /Turkiye/

EU DISCUSSES TURKEY’S MEMBERSHIP BID
During a meeting in Luxemburg yesterday in the runup to the European Union heads of state and government summit this Thursday and Friday, the agenda of the gathering was reviewed. A statement on Turkey in the final declaration was reportedly discussed, but no revision was made to the text previously prepared. The statement praises Turkey’s reform process and reiterates that a date to begin accession talks should be given without delay if the fall EU Commission report states that Ankara has implemented the Copenhagen criteria. /Turkiye/

GEN. OZKOK: “WE WILL NEVER MAKE CONCESSIONS TO TERRORISTS”
A message issued yesterday by Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok marking the 165th anniversary of the Gendarmerie Organization said that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) would continue its determined fight against terrorism without being confused by any counter influences, be they domestic or foreign. It remarked that in order to defend the nation even as our country is faced with a number of challenges, the TSK would combat the separatist terrorist group which recently resumed its bloody campaign as well as continued suspicious activity at the hands of fundamentalists. /Star/

1,300 TERRORISTS REPORTEDLY ENTER TURKEY FROM N.IRAQ
The terrorist group PKK/KONGRAGEL has reportedly sent some 1,300 members from northern Iraq across the border into Turkey. Recent reports stated that previously the group had some 500 armed militants in the southeastern Anatolia region, and now the number has climbed to 2,000. The terrorists are said to be moving in groups of 100. Security measures in the border region have been tightened to prevent terrorist infiltration. /Turkiye/

PKK SAYS NO END TO TERROR CAMPAIGN
Rebuffing the call of recently released former Democracy Party (DEP) Deputy Leyla Zana for terrorists to lay down their arms, PKK/KONGRAGEL representative Murat Karayilan said yesterday that the terrorist group would not alter its decision last month to resume terrorist activities. Claiming that the decision was not a declaration of war but rather “a right to self-defense,” Karayilan said that the PKK would abandon its campaign only if the state declares a ceasefire and the isolation of imprisoned terrorist Abdullah Ocalan is ended. /Turkiye/

REPUBLICAN PROSECUTOR BEGINS INQUIRY INTO DEHAP MEETING
The High Court of Appeals republican chief prosecutor yesterday began an inquiry into a weekend Democratic People’s Party (DEHAP) meeting in Diyarbakir featuring the attendance of former Democracy Party (DEP) deputies released the previous week. During the gathering, posters supporting imprisoned terrorist group head Abdullah Ocalan were carried and slogans chanted supporting him. The chief prosecutor also previously applied to the Constitutional Court for DEHAP’s closure, charging that the party is involved in separatist activities. /Cumhuriyet/

DEHAP LEADER’S STATEMENT BLASTED BY GOVERNMENT
Commenting on Democratic People’s Party (DEHAP) head Tuncer Bakirhan’s recent statement, “Our party is at an equal remove from both the government and the PKK,” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday called it “ugly” for a party leader to speak of an illegal terrorist organization like this. He added that a common stance should be taken against terrorism. In addition, State Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said that the government could not be compared to a terrorist group. “If you call a terrorist group legal, and if you are at an equal distance from both of them, then you mean that the Turkish Republic’s government is illegal,” said Sahin. “That was a highly unfortunate comment.” /Sabah/