ERDOGAN MEETS WITH TRNC PREMIER TALAT IN ISTANBUL
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with his Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) counterpart Mehmet Ali Talat in Istanbul to discuss recent developments on the Cyprus issue. Later, Erdogan met with Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan and discussed recent economic developments, and later he received Kucukcekmece Mayor Aziz Yeniay. /Aksam/
IRAQI PRESIDENT TO VISIT TURKEY
Iraqi President Gazi Al Yaver is due to arrive in Turkey today to pay an official visit. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan are to meet separately with Yaver to discuss a number of issues, including the safety of Turkish citizens in Iraq and trade ties between the two countries. During their meeting, Erdogan and Yaver will likely discuss Turkey’s sensitivity over the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, with Erdogan stressing that efforts to change the demographic structure of the city should not be tolerated. Erdogan is further expected to urge Yaver not to support the terrorist group PKK/KONGRA-GEL. Yaver will be accompanied during his visit by Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and two other government ministers. /Turkiye/
CHP DISCIPLINARY COUNCIL EXPELS THREE DEPUTIES
The opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) Supreme Disciplinary Council yesterday decided to expel two Istanbul deputies, Ahmet Guryuz Ketenci and Hasan Aydin, as well as Ankara Deputy Mehmet Tomanbay. Speaking afterwards, council Chairman Ismet Canakci said that the decision was firm. With the decision, the number of CHP deputies in Parliament fell from 171 to 168. In related news, Tomanbay charged that the decision was unacceptable. /Aksam/
HISARCIKLIOGLU: “FINANCING THE HIGH CURRENT ACCOUNTS DEFICIT WITH SHORT-TERM CAPITAL INCOME WOULD BE RISKY”
Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu yesterday warned that financing Turkey’s high current accounts deficit with short-term capital income would be risky, adding that the deficit wouldn’t pose any threat to the economy if financed with foreign direct investment (FDI). Hisarciklioglu further stressed that Ankara signing a new three-year standby with the International Monetary Fund would be beneficial and urged Turkey to complete its structural reforms, continue to pursue tight monetary policy, and achieve a high primary surplus this year. /Hurriyet/
TURKISH WEIGHTLIFTERS BREAK OLYMPIC RECORDS
Turkey’s Nurcan Taylan won the gold medal in the women’s 48 kg category at the 28th Summer Olympics in Athens this weekend. Lifting more than twice her own weight, Taylan combined a world record of 97.5 kg in the snatch and a trembling 112.5 kg lift in the clean and jerk for a new world record total of 210 kg to take the gold in her weight class. Breaking two world and three Olympic records, Taylan’s success went down in Turkish sports history as the nation’s first female weightlifter to score a gold. Meanwhile, Halil Mutlu, “the Little Dynamo,” won his third consecutive Olympic weightlifting gold medal. Mutlu lifted 135 kg in the snatch and hoisted 160 kg in the clean and jerk for a winning total of 295 kg. In addition, Serdar Artuc lifted 125 kg in the snatch and 155 kg in the clean and jerk to take home the bronze. /All papers/
OLYMPIC BOXERS ULUSOY, KARAGOLLU QUALIFY FOR SECOND ROUND
Bulent Ulusoy and Mustafa Karagollu of Turkey qualified for the second round in boxing this weekend at the Olympic Games in Athens. Ulusoy qualified for the second round in the men’s light middleweight (69 kg category), and Karagollu qualified in the 64 kg category. /All papers/