GUL HOLDS TALKS IN JAPAN
President Abdullah Gul and his wife Hayrunnisa Gul, currently in Japan, yesterday met with Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. Afterwards, Gul opened an exhibition in Tokyo on the Ottoman fashion. Princess Tokamado also visited the exhibition where the Turkish models promoted some dressings. Gul and his wife also attended a dinner hosted by Turkey's Ambassador in Tokyo Sermet Atacanli and met members of "2010 Japanese Year in Turkey" committee. As part of his visit, Gul attended the Turkey-Japan Business Forum. Stating that Turkey is a very attracting country for Japanese investors, he said, "Turkey has made many important structural and economical reforms in recent years and it should be discovered again in terms of investment possibilities." Both Turkey and Japan will take advantage of investments you will make in Turkey, he added. Gul also met with some firms' top managers, with State Ministers Kursad Tuzmen and Mehmet Simsek also in attendance. /Star-Aksam/
ERDOGAN TELEPHONES HIS RUSSIAN COUNTERPART PUTIN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly made a telephone call to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. According to a statement by the Russian Embassy in Ankara, the two leaders spoke about commercial and economic relations. /Cumhuriyet/
BABACAN MEETS WITH US SEC'Y OF STATE RICE
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, currently in Washington, yesterday met with Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, California representative Howard Berman, Missouri representative Roy Blunt, Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel and Indian Senator Dick Lugar and Massachusetts Senator John Kerry and spoke about Turkey's fight against the terrorist PKK and cross-border operation into northern Iraq. Babacan said that Turkey wanted to normalize its relations with Armenia and that Turkey doesn't want an Iran with nuclear weapons, adding, "But isolation doesn't work. A dialogue must be set up with Iran." Asked about the closure case against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Babacan said, "The decision will be conclusive in every case and we will respect it. Turkish democracy will get out of this process by finding the right path." In related news, Babacan met with his US counterpart Condoleezza Rice. Asked about the closure case, Rice said, "We have just an excellent relationship with the government of Prime Minister (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan," adding, "I have been fortunate to have a very good relationship with now President (Abdullah) Gul when he was foreign minister and now with Foreign Minister (Ali) Babacan. So our view is that Turkey will, of course, resolve its issues through its democratic processes. But we are going to continue to work with this government with which we have found a excellent working relationship and share common values and which increasingly, over the last year or so, we find ourselves working more cooperatively, more in unity to solve really hard problems than I think has been experienced in Turkish-US relations for some time." /Milliyet/
TOP COURT ANNULS CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE ALLOWING HEADSCARF
Turkey's top court yesterday declared the law to allow wearing Islamic headscarf at universities invalid. Members of the Constitutional Court, chaired by Hasim Kilic rejected the constitutional changes 9-2. The court reportedly based its ruling on Article 4 of the Constitution, which stipulates that Republic's core values, including secularism, cannot be altered. Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Democratic Society Party (DTP) had backed the changes. Opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and Democratic Left Part (DSP) then applied to the top court asking annulment of the law. Speaking to reporters, Kilic called on all people to respect the ruling of the top court and said that they would release a well-reasoned statement soon. /All Papers/
OPPOSITION PARTIES' VIEWS ON TOP COURT'S ANNULMENT DECISION
The Constitutional Court yesterday repealed constitutional changes lifting headscarf ban at universities and halted the execution of the amendments, by a vote of 9-2. Commenting on the decision, opposition National Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli defined the court's decision as not legal, but political. Stressing that the headscarf issue has been pushed into a further deadlock by the court's decision, he said that the decision would only deepen the problem. "It is politically unacceptable that the constitutional amendment is considered as a move against the basic principles of the state," Bahceli said. He also warned that the high court decision would speed up the division and the polarization of the Turkish society on grounds of faith. "The court's authority is limited to examining a constitutional amendment in form. This authority which is clearly defined in the Constitution was overstepped." The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said, "I hope no attempts in violation of the Constitution will take place from now on. Those who govern Turkey have to abide by the Constitution." Stating that the CHP warned the government that those changes would violate the Constitutional principles, Baykal said that he hoped Turkey would be governed with common sense and with an understanding entirely absorbing the Constitution. Opposition Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Zeki Sezer said that Turkey had entered an unnecessary political polarization period due to debates on the headscarf ban and added, "I hope the common sense will prevail from now on." In related news Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek declined commenting on the decision, saying, "It's not legally right to make an evaluation without seeing the legal ground of the decision." /Turkiye-Cumhuriyet/
GEN. BUYUKANIT: "TURKEY URGES THE MIDDLE EAST TO REACH SUSTAINABLE PEACE AND STABILITY
Addressing opening ceremony of the Strategic Research and Studies Centre's (SAREM) annual meeting titled "Middle East: Its future in uncertainties and security challenges", Chief of General Staff Yasar Buyukanyt said that some European countries supported the terrorist PKK and this approach didn't comply with fighting terrorism. Buyukanyt added that Turkey has always expressed its decisiveness on the fight against terrorism in every platform. Touching on developments in the Middle East region, he said that Turkey had realized its national independence war in the Middle East region, which is now experiencing rapid and unforeseen changes. Stating that Turkey has cultural, historical and traditional ties between the Middle East, Buyukanit added, "Turkey urges to boost friendly relations with all countries within the region and was affected by problems in that region. So it urges the Middle East to reach sustainable peace, and stability." He also said that certain terms such as the "clash of civilizations, and the Crusades" used by western strategists, should not be used on behalf of lasting regional stability. In his speech, Deputy Chief of the General Staff Gen. Ergin Saygun stressed that the PKK was in a disintegration process. Speaking about the cross-border operations in northern Iraq, intelligence-sharing with Iran, the PKK and its Iranian branch PJAK, Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug also said that the terrorist PKK lives a big chaos. /Aksam/
CHP'S TOP STAFF MEETS IN DIYARBAKIR
Following his visit to southeastern Anatolian province of Sanliurfa, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday traveled to Diyarbakir. Attending his party's Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting, Baykal said that his party saw the ethnical differences as a wealth of the country and urged all citizens to live together in peace and to be respectful each other. Stressing that all states in the world were trying to integrate and act together, Baykal said that his party was against separatists and the people trying to divide up the country. He added that the CHP welcomed all people from different ethnics, including Kurds. /Hurriyet/