FIRST TURKEY-AFRICAN COOPERATION SUMMIT BEGINS
Hosted by President Abdullah Gul with the theme "Solidarity and Partnership For a Common Future," the First Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit began yesterday in Istanbul. On the first day of the summit, Gul held bilateral talks his African counterparts and foreign ministers. Ahead of today's general session, a preliminary meeting bringing together the foreign ministers of participating countries was convened by Foreign Minister Ali Babacan. Addressing the meeting, Babacan said, "If Turkey wins a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, this will do much to promote peace, security and stability all over the world." Babacan also assured his African counterparts that if Turkey secures a seat on the council, it will serve as the voice of African countries there. The Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) and Turkish Unions of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) also held a Turkish-African business forum with many African businessmen. Addressing the forum, TOBB head Rifat Hisarciklioglu proposed establishing a Turkish-African Chamber of Commerce for a permanent partnership between the African and Turkish private sectors. He called on Turkish and African businessmen to strengthen commercial ties to help push Turkish-African trade ever upwards. Hisarciklioglu said in the face of soaring worldwide food prices, Turkey's advanced agricultural techniques could be employed in the vast, rich vast African soil to help fight famine. He added that Turkish and African companies could cooperate in the processing and marketing of African minerals. Also speaking at the meeting, State Minister for Foreign Trade Kursad Tuzmen said that the trade volume between Turkey and African countries has risen remarkably in recent years and reached $13 billion in 2007. Tuzmen predicted this could reach $50 billion by 2012. Stressing that the continent has a great potential, he also said that in the future it would be a shining star. /Turkiye-Star/
CABINET DISCUSSES THIRD NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR EU REFORMS
The Cabinet convened yesterday under the helm of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Afterwards, speaking to reporters, Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek said that they had discussed the draft third national program on Turkey's European Union reforms as prepared by the Foreign Ministry. Stating that the 400-page national program, the roadmap for Turkey's EU membership process, proposes legal and constitutional changes in line with harmonization with the EU acquis, Cicek added that these changes would help the judiciary work better. Cicek said that they would finalize the program after exchanging views with the opposition parties and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Commenting on media reports saying the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has halted its work on a new constitution, he said that the need for a new constitution is clear, but the process should include the opposition parties and Parliament. /Aksam-Milliyet/
ERDOGAN DUE IN AZERBAIJAN IN PUSH FOR PEACE IN GEORGIA
Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan is set to visit to Azerbaijan tomorrow to meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev as part of his efforts to end the conflict between Russia and Georgia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia. The two will exchange views on recent developments in the Caucasus. /Cumhuriyet/
PARLIAMENT SPEAKER TOPTAN VISITS ERDOGAN
Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan yesterday paid a visit to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Asked if his visit concerned a new constitution, Toptan said that changing the Constitution could be discussed but revising it is currently more feasible. Asked if a new constitution is a must, he stated that he favors one, but if this is not possible, smaller constitutional changes could help accelerate Turkey's modernization process. /Cumhuriyet/
BABACAN TO BRIEF NATO FMs ON PROPOSAL FOR A CAUCASUS ALLIANCE
In the wake of phone conversations with his US and European Union counterparts on the crisis in Georgia and the prime minister's proposal for a new Caucasus pact to promote peace, security and stability to the region, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan will today attend an extraordinary NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on the situation in the Caucasus. Babacan is expected to hold bilateral talks with his NATO member counterparts and brief them firsthand on Erdogan's proposal. He is also expected to stress that solving the crisis in the region is important not only for regional stability but also for the security of energy transportation lines in the region. In related news, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Georgian Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili will soon separately visit Ankara to speak about the details of Erdogan's proposed alliance. /Star/