ERDOGAN TO VISIT IRAN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accompanied by a large delegation including businessmen and reporters is set travel to Iran tomorrow to pay a three-day official visit. Erdogan is expected to discuss with Iranian leaders a number of bilateral and regional issues. During the premier’s visit, a Turkish-Iranian Joint Economic Commission (KEK) meeting will also be held in Tehran. Before leaving to attend that meeting, State Minister Kursad Tuzmen told reporters that Turkey hoped to raise the nations’ bilateral trade volume to $10 billion in the medium term. /Turkiye/

GUL MEETS WITH SPANISH FM, DISCUSSES TURKEY’S EU BID, CYPRUS
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday met with his visiting Spanish counterpart Angel Moratinos to discuss a number of issues, including bilateral relations, Turkey’s European Union membership bid, and Cyprus. During their meeting, Gul stressed that Ankara had fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria and added that Spanish support for Turkey’s EU bid was very important. Gul also briefed Moratinos on recent developments on the Cyprus issue and asked for Madrid’s support to end the international isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The two foreign ministers also discussed recent developments in the Middle East since Moratinos reportedly wants his country to pursue a more active policy there. After completing his contacts in Ankara, Moratinos is due to proceed to Moscow today. /Cumhuriyet/

NEW EP HEAD: “BOTH TURKEY AND THE EU ARE READY TO BEGIN ACCESSION TALKS”
Josep Borrell, the just-elected president of the European Parliament, said yesterday that both Turkey and the European Union were ready to begin accession talks after the EU’s December summit. Speaking to Spanish daily El Periodico, Borrell said that Ankara’s democratization process should be encouraged, adding that Turkey’s EU membership would also help spur the Muslim world’s democratization. He added that Turkey’s EU membership was a process and that it wouldn’t join the Union tomorrow. /Milliyet/

TALAT CALLS ON INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO END TRNC’S ISOLATION
In a guest opinion column published in US daily The Washington Times late last week, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat called on the international community to take concrete steps to end the TRNC’s isolation. "International transportation, particularly direct flights, should be encouraged by governments and made possible for international air carriers," wrote Talat. "This is the only way tourism can be developed to its true potential and significantly boost the Turkish Cypriot economy. Free, direct trade between Northern Cyprus and particularly the EU, but also the US and the world at large, would be in the interest of all." Talat also lauded a recent $30.5 million US aid package. Turkish Cypriots "are a well educated, resourceful people who have demonstrated what we can do even under isolation," added the TRNC leader. "Given the opportunity [internationally], I have no doubt we will perform impressively." Pointing to Greek Cyprus' public opposition to measures to alleviate the embargo on the TRNC, Talat "call[ed] on the Greek Cypriot side to cease these counterproductive efforts in the interest of reconciliation on Cyprus, our common home, as I call on the international community, particularly the United States and the EU, to redouble their efforts to end the undeserved isolation of my people." /Turkiye, www.washingtontimes.com /

PAPADOPOULOS: “THE UN CYPRUS PLAN CAN BE RENEGOTIATED”
Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos said yesterday that the UN Cyprus plan could be re-negotiated, adding that he expected certain changes to be made to it. Greek Cyprus’ rejection of that plan in an April referendum, even as Turkish Cypriots approved it, caused the collapse of efforts to reunify the island. In related news, Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister George Lacovou said yesterday that the European Union’s December summit, when the EU is to decide whether or not to give a date to Turkey to begin accession talks, was very important for resolving the Cyprus issue. Lacovou stressed that even if a resolution on the island is not be reached by December, efforts would continue. /Cumhuriyet/

ECEVIT BIDS FAREWELL TO A HALF-CENTURY IN POLITICS
Democratic Leftist Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit (79) yesterday ended his 50-year active political life. At the DSP’s weekend Sixth Ordinary Convention meeting, Zeki Sezer was elected as the successor to Ecevit, a former two-time prime minister. /Turkiye/

TRAIN CRASH IN AYDIN TAKES 15 LIVES
Following last week’s train derailment disaster near Pamukova, yesterday a passenger train en route from Izmir to Denizli hit a minibus at a grade crossing in the Aegean city of Aydin. The accident killed 15 of the bus passengers and injured four others. /Hurriyet/