SEZER, ERDOGAN ATTEND WAR ACADEMY GRADUATION
Three hundred and fifty-eight students at Istanbul’s War Academy yesterday received their diplomas. In attendance at the ceremony were President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener. /Hurriyet/

ERDOGAN TRAVELS TO IRAN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accompanied by Cabinet ministers, deputies, businessmen and reporters yesterday traveled to Tehran to pay a two-day official visit at the invitation of Iranian Vice President Muhammad Reza Aref. Before his departure, Erdogan told reporters that his contacts with Iranian officials would focus on bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues. He added that he would ask Tehran to add the terrorist group PKK to its official terrorist list. In related news, Iranian officials are reportedly expected to discuss the matter of selling their natural gas to Turkey. /Sabah/

ERDOGAN ADDRESSES THE NATION, SPEAKS ON TRAIN ACCIDENT
Leaders worldwide are praising our reforms, said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a televised address to the nation last evening. The bulk of Erdogan’s speech concerned last week’s deadly train derailment, stating that the cause of the accident would soon be known. “Using this tragic incident for political ends is unacceptable,” warned Erdogan. Stressing that the government’s aim is to make Turkey a prosperous country that will take its place among the world’s great economies, Erdogan said that Turkey would become an active country in the region. /Star/

EU PREPARES NEW INITIATIVE FOR CYPRUS
European Union Term President the Netherlands is reportedly planning to launch a new initiative in line with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s plan for resolving the Cyprus issue. The Netherlands wants to shape possible negotiations between the island’s two sides before the December EU summit where Turkey is hoping for a date to begin accession talks with the Union. According to Greek sources, Dutch officials think that if Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopulos and AKEL party leader and Parliament Speaker Dimitris Hiristofyas contribute to the plan, the possibility of its success would be high. On the other hand, officials believe that Papadopulos’ new offer to re-negotiate the Annan plan, including hundreds of amendments, was not realistic. Yesterday, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat also criticized the Greek proposal, charging that the Greek side had fled the negotiations and that no amendments to the plan would be accepted by the TRNC. Greek Cyprus’ rejection of Annan's plan in an April referendum, even as Turkish Cypriots approved it, caused the collapse of efforts to reunify the island. /Cumhuriyet/

GREEK CYPRUS FIGHTS EU TRADE WITH TRNC
Speaking to reporters yesterday in Brussels, Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister George Yakovu said that he opposed the European Union’s recent plans to begin direct trade with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). He charged that the initiative lacked a firm political and legal basis. Stressing that Greek Cyprus had no objection to EU financial support for the TRNC, Yakovu said that it was not possible to control the trade. He also called for more gates to be opened on the island’s Green Line, the border between the two countries. /Turkiye/

RTUK FINALIZES NOMINEES FOR TRT BOARD
The Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK) yesterday finalized its list of nominees for 12 members of the executive board of state broadcaster the Turkish Radio and Television Cooperation (TRT). The list is set to be presented to the Cabinet, whose the ministers will decide on the board’s six new members. /Turkiye/

TCDD PREPARES REPORT ON PAMUKOVA TRAIN ACCIDENT
A Turkish State Railways (TCDD) team is nearing the end of its investigation of last week’s deadly train derailment near Pamukova. TCDD analysts reportedly agreed that the train’s conductors had not lowered its speed at the bend where the crash took place. The train’s speed was 118 km/hr, they say, exceeding the mandated speed of 80 km/hr. The officials are expected to release the report soon. Meanwhile, the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is planning to submit a motion to the Office of the Parliament Speaker concerning Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim and the accident. In related news, train passenger Serap Sarikose, who suffered major injuries during the crash, died yesterday, bringing the disaster’s death toll to 38. /Turkiye/

AKP DEPUTY PASSES AWAY
AKP Deputy from Kutahya Halil Ibrahim Yilmaz passed away yesterday. Yilmaz, 50, had recently had a heart operation, but his doctor stated that he had not died of a heart complications. /Milliyet/