SEZER VISITS ROMANIA
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday traveled to Romania to pay an official visit. After meeting with his Romanian counterpart Ion Iliescu, Sezer said that in last 15 years, bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries had developed greatly. “Turkey has been the greatest partner of Romania in the region,” Sezer told a joint press conference. “Last year, our trade volume rose to $2 billion.” He asked for Romania’s support in ending the international isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). In addition, the Turkish president stated that the terrorist organization PKK/Kongra-Gel had a continued presence in Romania and urged stepped-up measures against it. For his part, Iliescu said that he was happy to host Sezer in Bucharest, adding that Bulgaria’s joining NATO would enable closer cooperation between the two countries and contribute to the region’s stability and safety. In the evening, Iliescu hosted a banquet in Sezer’s honor. /Turkiye/

ERDOGAN PRAISES EXPORTERS’ PERFORMANCE DURING LAST ECONOMIC CRISIS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday attended a meeting of the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TIM) at Ankara’s Hilton Hotel. Erdogan stressed that the new revalued Turkish lira, minus the six zeroes of the current currency, would go into circulation next Jan. 1, as a result of the government's successful efforts to tame high inflation. Underscoring the importance of exports for economic growth and development, he added that the sterling performance of Turkish exporters during the most recent economic crisis had done much to help the economy recover, saving the country from being plunged into greater economic chaos like Argentina. /Aksam/

GEN. BASBUG: “TURKEY HAS THE RIGHT TO PROTECT ITSELF”
Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug yesterday held a press conference to give the General Staff’s views on various issues facing the nation. He said that Turkish troops would not leave northern Iraq as long as the terrorist organization PKK continues to take shelter there. Stressing that the US had not as yet taken any serious measures to rid the region of the terror group, Basbug said, “Turkey’s expectations have not been met. Turkey has the right to take necessary measures to ensure its own safety.” Criticizing the recent activities of four former Democracy Party (DEP) deputies released from prison last month, Basbug underlined that their trial was not yet over. “They have benefited from the hesitations in our bureaucracy,” said Basbug. Regarding the issue of the northern Iraqi province of Kirkuk, the general said that any instability stemming from a change in its demographic structure would threaten Iraq’s territorial integrity as well as Turkey’s own security. “We expect Kirkuk to have a special status,” said Basbug. Asked about the meaning of “special status,” he said that the city should not depend on a regional administration but rather on Iraq’s central administration. /Cumhuriyet/

TALAT: “THE EU COMMISSION’S DECISION WILL PRESSURE THE GREEK CYPRIOTS TO BE MORE COMPROMISING”
Appearing on Turkish news channel CNBC-e, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said yesterday that the EU Commission’s approval this week of aid to the TRNC and measures to end the trade embargo would pressure the Greek Cypriot side to assume a more compromising stance, which would inevitably contribute to efforts for peace on the island. “The commission’s decision is expected to pave the way for further harmonization with the EU,” said Talat. “The EU aid is to be used for strengthening our administrative infrastructure and ports.” /Cumhuriyet/

EUROPEAN BUSINESS GROUP TOUTS TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP BID
A delegation from the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE) met yesterday with Dutch Prime Minister and current European Council President Jan Peter Balkenende to tell him what European business expects from the Netherlands’ EU Term Presidency. The UNICE document handed to the Dutch premier touted Turkey’s EU membership bid, praising Ankara’s recent reforms on democratization and human rights. The document also called on the EU to begin Turkey’s membership negotiations as soon as possible after the country fulfils all the necessary criteria. As six-month EU president, the Netherlands will head this December’s Union summit, where a decision is due on beginning those talks. /Aksam/

ISRAELI DEPUTY PM SET TO VISIT TURKEY NEXT WEEK
Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ahud Olmert is set to visit Ankara next week in the midst of a chilly period between Turkey and Israel over the Sharon government’s bloody operations against Palestinians. Olmert is set to arrive in Turkey on Tuesday for a meeting of the Israeli-Turkish Joint Economic Commission (KEK) set for Wednesday and Thursday. He is expected to ask Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the recent shift in Turkey’s Israel policy and convey Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon’s message to Erdogan on the latest unwelcome tension between the two allies. Olmert is also expected to sign an economic cooperation protocol with Turkish officials. /Aksam/

TALABANI: “THE CEASEFIRE WAS BROKEN BY OCALAN”
Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) leader Jalal Talabani said yesterday that terrorist groups that recently broke a ceasefire and resumed attacks against Turkey were being directed by Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned longtime leader of the terrorist PKK. Stressing that the PKK/Kongra-Gel, as it is now known, had some 4,000-5,000 militants in Iraq, Talabani added that a dispute among the terrorists had left the group divided. Remarking that the group had put everybody, including themselves, into a difficult position by resuming terrorist attacks, Talabani underlined that the Kurds did not want to fight anymore. /Turkiye/

TWO TRUCK DRIVERS SLAIN IN IRAQ
During an attack on a truck convoy near the northern Iraqi city of Samara, two Turkish drivers were reportedly killed this week. Yesterday an Iraqi official stated that they had the late drivers’ passports and that he would inform the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad about the incident. /Sabah/

WORLD BANK PREPARES TO AID TRNC
In the wake of the EU Commission’s recent steps towards ending the trade embargo on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), the World Bank is also preparing to provide Turkish Cypriots with technical and financial aid. The WB is expected to grant an aid package to the TRNC to facilitate its economic reforms. The WB is reportedly waiting for both the EU’s stance and the political situation on the island to be clarified in order to initiate the aid process. /Star/