GUL RECEIVES CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF BUYUKANIT
President Abdullah Gul yesterday received Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit. The regular weekly meeting lasted for 50 minutes. Last week's meeting wasn't held due to Buyukanit's visit to Brussels. /Milliyet/
BURKINA FASO'S FM VISITS TURKEY
Djibrill Yipene Bassole, the minister of foreign affairs and regional cooperation of Burkina Faso, visiting Turkey, yesterday met with his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan. Speaking to reporters following their meeting, Babacan said that Turkey had decided to open 15 embassies in Africa --one of them would open in Burkina Faso-- by the end of 2009. Economic relations between Turkey and Burkina Faso have been progressing and the trade volume amounting to 6 million USD in 2006 would reach nearly 12 million USD in 2007, Babacan said. For his part, Bassole said that the two countries could cooperate in several areas such as agriculture and textile, and called on Turkish companies to invest in his country. Turkey was working for settlement of stability and peace in the Middle East and Burkina Faso was playing an important role for solution of several problems in West Africa, he said. Bassole was also received by President Abdullah Gul. /Turkiye/
BABACAN: "TURKEY WILL CONTINUE TO MEDIATE PEACE TALKS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND SYRIA"
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said yesterday that indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria through Turkish mediators would continue periodically in the future, adding that both sides were satisfied that this week's three-day talks in Istanbul had created "a common ground. "The Israeli-Syrian leg of the Middle Eastern peace process officially resumed after 13 years and the talks will continue under Turkey's supervision," Ali Babacan told a joint press conference with the visiting foreign minister of Burkina Faso in Ankara. He added that the contents of talks would not be made public in line with the will of both Israeli and Syrian officials, and future talks might be held elsewhere other than Istanbul or Turkey. /Turkiye/
IN ANTALYA, SAHIN: ""WE ARE PLEASED THAT OUR JUDGES ARE INDEPENDENT"
Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin yesterday attended a gathering on judicial organization in Antalya. Touching on statement issued by President's Committee of the Supreme Court of Appeals, Sahin said, "I wish this kind of statement had been neither issued, nor responded." He added that all of them had to take lessons from this process. Sahin also spoke about the report, voted by The European Parliament (EP) yesterday. Stating that he didn't worry about the report, saying that judges in Europe aren't as independence as those in Turkey, he stressed, "We are pleased that our judges are independent." /Star/
BAHCELI CALLS ON GUL TO TAKE INITIATIVE TO SOLVE ROW BETWEEN GOV'T AND JUDICIARY
The opposition National Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli gave support to the declaration issued by the board of chairmen of the Supreme Court of Appeals, in which the government was accused of putting pressure on judicial institutions and trying to create a pro-government judiciary. In a written statement, Bahceli yesterday said the government caused Turkey to enter a period of dangerous political polarization and made common national and moral values of the people a subject of dispute and exploitation. Stressing that the polarization period also affected public bodies, Bahceli also accused the government of trying to control the judiciary. He also called on President Abdullah Gul to take the initiative to solve the problem and said that representatives of the government and the judiciary should come together in a dialogue meeting chaired by Gul to end the dispute between the government and judicial institutions. The Council of State's chairmen board also issued a declaration yesterday and rejected claims by the government that the judiciary interfered with the politics and acted like a political party. "The judicial institutions can publicly express their opinions on constitutional or legal changes that are directly related to the judiciary and trial process, and this cannot be seen as an interference with the politics or the legislative power's field of activity." The statement also stressed that the judiciary should protect the republic and its values. In related news, Gul said he was evaluating Bahceli's offer. /Sabah/
DSP LEADER SEZER: "THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD RESIGN"
Opposition Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Zeki Sezer yesterday held a press conference at Parliament and said, "Unfortunately, the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) views on the rule of law, which is sine qua non for democracy and the independence of judiciary are deformed." He added, "If it hadn't been the situation, the AKP wouldn't have imposed the new AKP constitution. The government didn't oppose to internal and external attacks on the judiciary. This government should immediately resign." In related news, opposition Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) leader Erkan Mumcu released a statement and said the judiciary is right to condemn through a statement the pressure and criticism totally on the judiciary institutions./Cumhuriyet/
N. IRAQ REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION PM: "MEASURES AGAINST THE PKK WILL CONTINUE"
The prime minister of northern Iraq regional administration Nehcirvan Barzani, currently in Washington, yesterday said that he was against their territory to be used as an area of threat for their neighbors and that they would continue taking measures against the terrorist PKK. He said, "Turkey's demand that our territory not be used against Turkey is a just and righteous one," adding, "On my talks with US officials and reporters in Washington, I also reiterated my views. We are serious about not letting our territory be used against our neighbors. The measures taken by northern Iraq administration to restrict and prevent the PKK's activities will continue." /Milliyet/
PARLIAMENT ADOPTS BILL FOR BUILDING OF NINE STATE UNIVERSITIES
A bill proposing building of state universities in nine Anatolian cities was passed yesterday by Parliament. Accordingly, new universities in nine cities of Ardahan, Bartin, Bayburt, Gumushane, Hakkari, Igdir, Sirnak, Tunceli and Yalova will be built. Including new universities, the number of state universities in the country will hit 94. /Turkiye/
IN ISTANBUL, FISCHER ATTENDS TURKEY-AUSTRIA BUSINESS FORUM
Austrian President Heinz Fischer, currently in Turkey, visited Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomeos as a part of his Istanbul program. Afterwards, Fischer and Bartholomeos proceeded to Aya Yorgi Church. Fischer attended Turkey-Austria Business Forum held by the Turkey-Austria Business Council of Turkey's Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK). Touching on Nabucco project through which Caspian natural gas will be transported to Europe via Turkey, Fischer said that time was limited and thus the Project should be implemented at reasonable time. He also praised the economic developments in Istanbul for the last five years. Fischer also met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul. /Sabah-Aksam/