PARLIAMENT TO INVESTIGATE BUGGING INCIDENTS
An investigation motion on recent bugging incidents proposed by ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies adopted yesterday in full Parliament by support of all political parties. Accordingly, an Investigation Commission to be established will consist of 16 deputies and planned to serve for three months. /Hurriyet/
ERDOGAN VISITS NAKHCHEVAN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday went to Nakhchevan as the guest of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev. Prior to his departure, Erdogan said, "We completed Turkey leg of a tender of the project which will connect Middle Asia to Europe through Caucasus and Turkey. We'll start the implementation of the project in July." Erdogan said that this project and similar ones will be discussed during the meetings he'll hold. /Sabah/
BAYKAL: "TURKEY WILL BUILD ITS FUTURE WITH CHP"
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday attended his party's meeting in Istanbul. Stating that the CHP will always continue to take place in Turkey's history in the future as well, Baykal said, "Today all Turks trust CHP and the CHP brightens Turkey's future. CHP took its brightness from Ataturk and Turkey will build its future with CHP." In related news, speaking at his party's parliamentary group meeting yesterday, Deniz Baykal defended CHP Secretary General Onder Sav, on whom the pressure was put to resign for bugging claims. Stating that publishing a private conversation between the two people without their permission is a serious crime, he added, "Sav will be on his duty." Baykal today is set to attend an agriculture and farmer congress organized by his party in Sanlyurfa. He will proceed to Diyarbakir tomorrow to meet with representatives from non-governmental organizations. / Aksam-Turkiye/
BAHCELI LASHES OUT GOVT FOR PLANNED KURDISH BROADCASTING
Opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday criticized the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government for its recent initiative to begin full time Kurdish broadcasting in eastern and southeastern Anatolia, calling it as a gesture to the terrorist group PKK. Addressing his party's deputies in Parliament, Bahceli urged the government to stop making concessions to terrorists. He warned that terrorists' requests would not stop and that they would even ask for a separate state. /Hurriyet/
BARDAKOGLU: "TURKEY HAS NO DESIGN FOR A MODERATE ISLAM PROJECT"
Speaking to the Milliyet daily, Directorate General for Religious Affairs head Ali Bardakoglu yesterday said that the directorate was conducting a study to interpret the words of prophet of Islam in accordance with the conditions in 21st century but rejected claims that it was a "moderate Islam" project against the fundamental interpretation of Islam. "Some associate this Project with the 'moderate Islam project,' but this is not true. This study doesn't aim at a revision or reform in Islam. It only intends to understand and interpret the words of prophet of Islam in line with the conditions of our time." Bardakoglu also added, "This kind of study was Ataturk's will. He asked for such a study for holy book of Islam, Koran and the words of the prophet, during the initial years of the republic. The study on Koran was completed, but the other study couldn't have been finished then. The directorate aims to conclude it." An article recently published in Newsweek asserted that Turkey was trying to introduce a new vision for Islam against fundamentalists. /Milliyet/
US, TURKEY AGREEMENT FOR PEACEFUL NUCLEAR COOPERATION
Foreign Ministery yesterday announced that the US and Turkey had brought into force the US-Turkey Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy through an exchange of diplomatic notes. In a written statement, Turkey and the US had signed the cooperation agreement in Ankara on July 2000 and it was brought into force yesterday. The statement said that the agreement sets up a framework for the peaceful use, development and inspection of nuclear energy. According to the statement, the agreement permits the transfer of technology, information, materials, equipment and components for nuclear research in such areas as medicine and agriculture, as well as for nuclear power production. /Star/
US STATE DEPT: "TURKEY CAN PLAY A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE"
US State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack said on Monday that the US was pleased with Turkey's intermediation role between Israel and Syria. Asked about Foreign Minister Ali Babacan's visit to Washington, McCormack said that Babacan will meet with his US counterpart Condoleezza Rice on Thursday. Asked about Turkey's role in the Middle East peace process, McCormack said, "Turkey can play a very important role," adding, "It's got a lot of influence. It's an important country. It has a lot of resources. And moreover, it can be a voice for - has been and can be a voice for peace in the region." /Cumhuriyet/
ASSAD: "US SUPPORT IS CRITICAL FOR THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH ISRAEL"
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad yesterday said that the US backing was of great importance to continue the peace talks with Israel under Turkey's mediation. He said that the progress in the negotiations would depend on Israel's goodwill. Stressing the importance of international support for the talks, he also characterized the negotiations under the auspices of Turkey as preliminary phase. In related news, an article from Britain's Financial Times said that Turkey was playing very important role in the Middle East as a regional actor in recent times. /Milliyet/
INFLATION RATE RETURNS TO DOUBLE DIGITS
The inflation rate returned to double digits in May for the first time in 13 months. According to inflation figures released by the Turkish Statistics Institute (TUIK), the consumer price index (CPI) increased by 1.49 percent and the producer price index (PPI) by 2.12 in May, pushing annual interest rate10.74 percent for CPI and 16.53 percent for PPI. In the first five-month period of the year, CPI hit 6.38 percent and PPI 13.39 percent. The Central Bank expects inflation to end this year at 9.3 percent. /Turkiye/
AHMET OZTURKLEVENT WINS CARTOON COMPETITION
The 25th Aydin Dogan International Cartoon Competition held in Antalya ended yesterday. Turkish artist Ahmet Ozturklevent ranked the first in the competition among 189 cartoons by 161 artists from 37 countries. Albanian Agim Sulaj and Austrian Gerhard Gepp ranked the second and third, respectively. The winner artists will receive their awards at a ceremony in Istanbul in October. /Hurriyet/