ERDOGAN ATTENDS MEDITERRANEAN UNION SUMMIT
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by Foreign Minister and chief European Union negotiator Ali Babacan, over the weekend attended a summit meeting in Paris for the proposed Mediterranean union at the invitation of French President Nicola Sarkozy. Meeting with Sarkozy, Erdogan urged EU Term President France to abide by to its commitment to Turkey's EU accession bid, and told of Turkey's expectations of how France will treat its accession talks at the EU helm. For his part, Sarkozy promised to allow the accession talks to run their course, adding that talks on chapters which are ready for review will start during the French Presidency. Sarkozy also praised Turkey's mediation between Israel and Syria, and reiterated that the Mediterranean union and Turkey's EU accession bid are completely separate matters. On the case seeking the closure of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Sarkozy said, "I hope the court's decision on the case will be in line with the principles of pluralist democracy and the rule of law." Erdogan also met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Afterwards, Erdogan said that Turkey would continue its mediation with the same determination and hope as at the outset of the recent indirect peace talks between the two countries, adding that Turkey will also take part in direct peace talks. Speaking about his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during the summit, Olmert said that a peace deal is now closer than ever. /Star/
ERGENEKON INDICTMENT EXPECTED TODAY
An indictment stemming from the Ergenekon probe is expected to be released today. It is expected to indict 85 suspects, including retired Gen. Veli Kucuk and Workers' Party (IP) leader Dogu Perincek. Forty-eight of the suspects are under arrest, while the remaining 37 were released to be tried without detention. The nearly 2,500-page indictment reportedly has 40 chapters. It will not include people detained on July 1 under the probe. An additional indictment will be drawn up for 21 people. Seven of the suspects - including Kemalist Thought Association head and retired Gen. Sener Eruygur, retired Gen. Hursit Tolon, and Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) head Sinan Aygun - have been arrested, bringing the number of arrests to 58. People detained and arrested under the Eregenekon probe are accused of establishing an illegal crime network and plotting to overthrow the government. /Star/
TURKISH DAY CELEBRATED IN SPAIN
Turkish Day was celebrated yesterday in Spain at the Zaragoza International Expo on water and sustainable development. State Minister Hayati Yazici traveled to the Spanish city to attend the celebration. "We're celebrating the 25th anniversary of Turkish-Spanish diplomatic relations," he said. "Relations between our two countries could set an example." /Turkish Daily News/
TUZMEN: "AS IRAQ BECOMES STABLE, OUR BILATERAL TRADE VOLUME COULD RISE TO $30 BLN"
State Minister for Foreign Trade Kursad Tuzmen yesterday said once stability is achieved in Iraq, its annual oil revenues would soar to $250 billion and the total trade volume between Turkey and Iraq would reach $30 billion. Tuzmen said that trade relations between the two countries were increasingly steady. Trade volume between the two countries in the first half of this year exceeded $2.2 billion, he said, adding that Turkey hopes to bring this to $5 billion by year's end. /Aksam/
ENERGY MINISTER GULER: "OIL DRILLING IN THE BLACK SEA WILL BEGIN NEXT YEAR"
Energy Minister Hilmi Guler yesterday said that an American oil company has asked Turkey for permission to explore for oil in the Black Sea. Guler, in Izmir to attend the opening of a wind power plant on Mt. Yund, said that they were worried about soaring fuel oil prices, adding that oil drilling in the Black Sea would begin next year. /Milliyet-Aksam/