SEZER GIVES STATE DINNER IN HONOR OF PAKISTANI PRESIDENT
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday gave a state dinner in the honor of his visiting Pakistani counterpart Pervez Musharraf. Also present at the occasion was Pakistan’s ambassador to Ankara, Sher Afghan Khan. /Aksam/

IN FRANCE, ERDOGAN TO SEEK SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BID
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accompanied by a delegation is set to travel to France today to pay an official visit. During three days of contacts, Erdogan will seek French support for Turkey’s European Union membership bid. He is scheduled to meet with his French counterpart Jean-Peirre Raffarin and President Jaques Chirac, and address French businessmen at a conference as well as meet with representatives of the Turkish community living in France. The premier is to tell French officials about Turkey’s reforms on the road to the EU membership and Ankara’s expectations that this December it will get a date to begin its accession talks. /Cumhuriyet/

GUL: “WE’RE FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENTS IN KIRKUK CLOSELY”
Speaking to Turkish daily Hurriyet yesterday, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that Ankara was following developments in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk closely, adding that everyone was aware of Ankara’s sensitivities on the issue. “We’re interested in Iraq’s stability and so we have this responsibility,” said Gul. “There are things we’ll do on such an important issue.” Gul added that developments in Kirkuk could pose a threat to the entire nation of Iraq, so everybody should act carefully in order to prevent this. In related news, a summit of foreign ministers of Iraq’s neighboring countries is due to be held in Cairo this week. /Hurriyet/

84TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRESIDENTIAL COMMAND OF ARMED GUARD CELEBRATED
The 84th anniversary of the Presidential Command of the Armed Guard was celebrated yesterday. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug, and National Security Council Secretary-General Gen. Sukru Sariisik were present at the ceremony. /Hurriyet/

GOVERNMENT WORKS ON CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
The government has been working on a new regime for state personnel. The draft legislation proposes comprehensive arrangements to the civil service law, including a requirement that three-fourths of government workers be under contract. It also proposes that the current ranks of some 2 million civil servants be sharply thinned to 500,000. In addition, fringe benefits are also to be changed in line with European Union norms. /Star/

TRNC TO OPEN NEW BORDER GATE TO GREEK CYPRUS
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is planning to open a new border gate between itself and neighboring Greek Cyprus. Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said yesterday that Bostanci Gate in Guzelyurt is set to be open soon to ease traveling into Greek Cyprus. In related news, Talat yesterday met with Yannakis Kasulides from Greek Cyprus’ DISI Party. During their meeting, Talat and Kasulides exchanged views on finding a settlement to the Cyprus issue. /Turkiye/

NEW US CYPRUS ENVOY KENNEDY TO VISIT TRNC
Following the visit of a group of US senators last month to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ (TRNC) office in Washington, Laura Kennedy, the new US State Department coordinator for Cyprus, is set to visit the island this week. Kennedy, a deputy assistant secretary for European Affairs, is the replacement of Thomas Weston, the previous envoy. Firstly, at the beginning of this week, Kennedy will arrive in Ankara to discuss with Turkish officials issues of bilateral relations, Turkey’s European Union membership bid, Iraq and terrorism. On Wednesday, Kennedy will proceed to the TRNC through Athens. During her meetings there, US financial aid totaling $30.5 million plus air travel are expected to be taken up. The US recently announced that the funds would be granted to the TRNC this year to support the country’s economic advancement. /Cumhuriyet/

BELGIAN TURKISH DEPUTY APPOINTED STATE MINISTER
Emir Kir, a dual Turkish-Belgian citizen, yesterday was appointed a state minister in the Belgian government. Kir won a seat in the Belgian Parliament in last month’s regional elections running from the country’s Socialist Party. /Sabah/

JUDICIAL RECESS TO BEGIN TOMORROW
A month-and-a-half summer recess for most of the nation’s courts is due to begin tomorrow. During the recess, the courts will remain available to hear urgent cases. Heavy sentence courts recently established to replace the abolished State Security Courts (DGMs) are excluded from the recess. The new judicial year is due to begin on Sept. 6. /Hurriyet/

EU’S SOLANA CRITICIZES SCHROEDER’S PROPOSING “CONDITIONAL YES” FOR TURKEY’S EU TALKS
Speaking to Spanish daily El Pais yesterday, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana criticized the recent proposal of German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder that Turkey given a “conditional yes” for the start of its EU membership negotiations. /Turkiye/