IN BUCHAREST, GUL TOLD OF ROMANIA'S FIRM SUPPORT FOR TURKEY'S EU BID
President Abdullah Gul, in the midst of a three-day visit to Romania, yesterday met with his Romanian counterpart Traian Bacescu. At a joint press conference, Gul said that relations between Turkey and Romania should be strengthened. For his part, Bacescu said, "Romania supports Turkey's EU bid unwaveringly and without hesitation." He also pledged to ease visa procedures for Turkish business visitors and said he welcomed French participation in the Nabucco natural gas pipeline project. Later Gul visited the Romanian Parliament, an Ataturk monument, and a cemetery for Turkish soldiers, and addressed the Turkish-Romanian Business Forum. /Turkiye/

ERDOGAN TELEPHONES ABBAS, OLMERT IN BID TO DEFUSE MIDEAST TENSION
In a bid to defuse rising tensions in the wake of mutual rocket attacks and bombings, over the last two days Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made telephone calls to both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Israeli counterpart Ehud Olmert. Speaking to Abbas, Erdogan urged moderation to help end the current tension and conflicts, and Abbas asked for his help and support. Erdogan told Olmert that Israel's recent bombings were unacceptable and only served to block peace efforts. Erdogan also told Olmert about Turkish food aid shipments to Palestinians being held up at the Gaza border, asking him to expedite the arrival of this aid. /Milliyet/

PM ERDOGAN CONGRATULATES NEW RUSSIAN PRESIDENT MEDVEDEV
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday sent a message of congratulations to Dmitry Medvedev, the victor in this week's Russian presidential election. He told Medvedev that Turkey and Russia should strengthen their relations and multifaceted partnership in the months and years to come. /Sabah/

AFTER CABINET MEETING, CICEK PLEDGES NO GOVT PACKAGE TO GET TERRORISTS TO ABANDON FIGHT
The Cabinet's weekly regular meeting was held yesterday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Speaking afterwards, government spokesperson and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek said nobody should expect a special package to get the terrorists to lay down their arms and abandon their bases. He added, "It wouldn't be right, because then the terrorist group would say, `If it weren't for us, these arrangements wouldn't have been made.' This would be unfair to both the state and the people. We have accomplished a great deal, and continue to do such things as raising democratic and economic standards." /Aksam/

BUYUKANIT: "NEITHER THE US NOR ANY DOMESTIC GROUP IMPLIED WE SHOULD END OUR OP ON THE DAY WE ENDED IT"
Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit yesterday dismissed allegations that last week's cross-border land operation to eliminate the terrorist PKK in northern Iraq had ended due to US pressure. He made the remarks at a press briefing at General Staff headquarters flanked by Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Ergin Saygun, Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug, Naval Forces Commander Adm. Metin Atac, Air Forces Commander Gen. Aydogan Babaoglu, and Gendarmerie Commander Gen. Isik Kosaner. Buyukanit called "worthless" such claims as that the US had set the theater of operations or that Turkish forces left Iraq when told to do so by the US. "Neither the United States nor any domestic circle implied that we should end the operation on the day we ended it," he said. "I will resign from the military if any US influence is proven." Stating that the operation's date of completion depended on conditions, he added, "If necessary, further operations in northern Iraq will follow." Gen. Basbug said that before the operation there were some 2,320-2,640 terrorists in northern Iraq and that the operation targeted the Zap area. "There two main reasons people join the terrorist PKK: One is PKK propaganda, and the other is poverty," he added. /Hurriyet/

BAYKAL: "THE END OF THE CROSS-BORDER OP CAME AS A SURPRISE"
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday called last week's end to Turkey's land cross-border operation into northern Iraq a "surprise." Speaking to news channel NTV, Baykal said the Turkish public had learned of the operation's end from statements by Iraqi officials, adding that subsequent developments support the view that the operation's end was a surprise decision. /Aksam/

US' BRYZA VISITS ANKARA
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matt Bryza yesterday paid a surprise visit to Ankara. Bryza attended a series of meetings in Istanbul on Sunday and then proceeded to Ankara to hold contacts at the Foreign Ministry. Recent developments in Iraq were reportedly the main topic of their meetings. Bryza is expected to leave Turkey today. /Cumhuriyet/

IRANIAN PRESIDENT PROPOSES THREE-STATE ALLIANCE AGAINST PKK
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday proposed a three-country alliance to fight the terrorist PKK and its affiliates. In a historic visit to Baghdad, Ahmedinejad said that in light of the regional threat posed by the PKK and its Iranian branch PJAK, his nation, Turkey, and Iraq should coordinate their anti-terror efforts. Ahmadinejad also stressed that a stable Iraq would benefit all countries of the region and that anti-terror efforts should neither harm states' sovereignty nor cause civilian casualties. /Star/