KARAMANLIS VISITS FENER GREEK PATRIARCH
President Abdullah Gul yesterday received Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, after the premier visited Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of Turkey. "Ataturk and (late 19th-early 20th century Greek statesman Eleftherios) Venizelos had the political will and courage not to let the disputes and tragedies of the past become obstacles to efforts to build a better future, peace and cooperation for the benefit of the two peoples," Karamanlis wrote in the mausoleum's commemorative guestbook. After completing his contacts in Ankara, Karamanlis traveled to Istanbul where he and Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis visited Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomeos. The patriarch hailed Karamanlis' visit as "historic" and praised him for working with Erdogan to improve Turkish-Greek relations. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with his counterpart at dinner in Istanbul. /Sabah/
ERDOGAN RECEIVES EP TURKEY RAPPORTEUR
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday received Ria Oomen-Ruijten, the European Parliament's Turkey rapporteur. During the one-hour meeting, the two discussed Turkish-European Union relations. /Cumhuriyet/
RULING AKP, MHP REACH ACCORD ON LIFTING UNIVERSITY HEADSCARF BAN
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) yesterday reached an agreement on how lift the ban on wearing headscarves on university campuses. To end the ban, the parties decided to amend Articles 10 and 42 of the Constitution. Negotiations on technical details of the amendments will continue between the parties ahead of sending the legislation to the full Parliament. In related news, speaking to reporters about the accord, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said it came as no surprise. He added that he would comment on the proposal after he sees it. /Turkiye/
AKP'S BAGIS: "WE'RE DETERMINED TO CONTINUE OUR EU NEGOTIATIONS"
Turkey is determined to continue its accession negotiations with the European Union, said ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy Chairman Egemen Bagis yesterday. Speaking in Germany to a meeting of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, he said that under the AKP government, Turkey had made important progress in the foreign policy arena. /Milliyet/
BUSH SENDS DEAL ON NUCLEAR ENERGY COOPERATION WITH TURKEY TO CONGRESS
The White House announced yesterday that US President George W. Bush had greenlighted a cooperation deal with Turkey concerning the peaceful use of nuclear energy. On Tuesday Bush sent the deal to the US Congress. /Milliyet/
TUSIAD: "WE NEED TO CONCENTRATE ALL OUR ENERGY ON THE ECONOMY"
As the world is trying to fend off an economic crisis and it is clear a difficult year lies ahead for Turkey, the nation is "unfortunately" fixated on the headscarf issue, said Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) Chairwoman Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag yesterday. "Our growth has slowed considerably and inflation has a relatively upward trend," she added. "Unemployment has begun to rise, with high current deficit account figures and weakened financial discipline. And unfortunately this is how we are bracing for the upcoming global wave." Yalcindag also called for measures to protect macroeconomic stability and reestablish financial discipline. "The world is approaching a global crisis, and 2008 will be a difficult year for Turkey. We need to concentrate all our energy on the economy," she said. In related news, Mustafa Koc, the head of TUSIAD's High Consultation Council, said difficult days lay ahead for Turkey and that the only way the nation can get through this is to maintain the European Union process and continue to transform the economy. /Hurriyet/