ERDOGAN ATTENDS FUNERAL CEREMONY OF 19 WORKERS DIED IN MINE FIRE IN KASTAMONU
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday attended a funeral ceremony of 19 workers who died in copper mine fire in Kastamonu on Wednesday. Also present at the ceremony were Energy and Natural Sources Minister Hilmi Guler and Labour and Social Security Minister Murat Basesgioglu. /Aksam/

GUL VISITS ESTONIA TO SEEK SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BID
Foreign Minster Abdullah Gul, who is currently in Estonia to pay an official visit, yesterday met with Estonian President Arnold Ruutel to seek his support for Turkey’s European Union membership bid. Speaking afterwards, Gul said that Ruutel attached great importance to bilateral relations. Later, Gul met with his Estonian counterpart Kristiina Ojuland to discuss a number of issues, including Turkey’s EU bid. Speaking at a joint press conference following the meeting, Gul said that he Ankara had fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria and added that he believed that the progress report on Turkey, due to be released next month, would be just and objective. For his part, Ojuland said that his country wouldn’t prevent Turkey beginning its accession talks with Ankara. /Turkiye/

VERHEUGEN: “EU REPORT WILL BE FAIR AND OBJECTIVE”
On the last day of a four-day visit to Turkey, European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen yesterday met with leaders of non-Muslim communities in Turkey, including representatives from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, at a meeting in Istanbul after holding talks with representatives of employee and employer unions. Verheugen has been highly positive in his comments assessing Turkey’s changes to get a green light for the talks throughout his visit, saying that although reform implementation was not complete, such delay is “normal.” Before his departure, Verheugen held a press conference at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport. He said the government should take more determined steps to address concerns over torture and mistreatment and the situation in southern Anatolia, and call for measures to grant greater cultural rights to Kurds and to address underdevelopment in the region. Regarding the EU Commission progress report on Turkey to be issued on Oct. 6, Verheugen pledged that it would be fair and objective. /Turkiye/

BARZANI: “KIRKUK IS THE HEART OF KURDISTAN”
Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) leader Massud Barzani said yesterday that Iraq’s Kurds were ready to fight to preserve the identity of the ethnically divided and oil-rich city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq. “Kirkuk is the hearth of Kurdistan and we are ready to wage a war in order to preserve its identity and to sacrifice ourselves for what Iraqi Kurds have already achieved,” said the Kurdish leader. He added that Iraqi Kurds would never bargain on the matter. Kirkuk is an ethnic tinderbox of Sunni and Shiite Arabs, Turkmen and Kurds since Saddam Hussein’s topple. /Turkiye/

INTERIOR MINISTER WARNS NEWLY APPOINTED GOVERNORS ABOUT TORTURE AND ABUSE
Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu called on the newly appointed governors to take effective measures to prevent torture and abuse in their regions. “Our government will make no concessions on this issue,” said Aksu. “This is a very critical period for Turkey’s democratization and improving human rights. No governor can turn a blind eye to torture and abuse in his province. Such anti-human rights must be punished severely.” /Star/

DUTCH FOREIGN MINISTER: “TURKEY’S PROGRESS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS IS VERY IMPRESSING”
The Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, which is holding the rotating EU term presidency, Bernard Bot yesterday praised Turkey’s recent efforts aimed at fulfilling the EU’s Copenhagen criteria. “Turkey’s successes on its path otwards the EU membership is unbelievable; it has recently made significant progress,” said Bot. “If the EU gives a green light to Turkey’s membership talks, that will be a great blow on racist circles. If Ankara is excluded from the membership talks, everybody will believe that the EU does not want Turkey since the majority of its population is Muslim.” /Sabah/

FOREIGN MINISTRY DELEGATION TO VISIT BRUSSELS
A foreign ministry delegation headed by Undersecretary for European Union Affairs Volkan Bozkir is scheduled to pay a visit to Brussels on Sept. 15 in order to promote Turkey’s EU membership bid. The delegation is expected to convey the EU Commission that Turkey has been successful in fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria. Ankara expects the commission to issue a positive progress report on Turkey’s membership bid as the Turkish government has recently made significant reforms on democratization and human rights. /Hurriyet/

DUTCH AMBASSADOR WARNS THE GOVERNMENT ABOUT ITS ADULTERY POLICY
The Ambassador of the Netherlands in Ankara, which is currently holding the rotating EU presidency, Sjoerd Gosses yesterday said that Europeans had serious concerns over recent discussions on adultery in Turkey, stressing that adultery was not considered crime in the EU member states. “This is of course an internal affair of Turkey so we respect it,” Gosses said. “However this issue might be used as a pretext by the anti-Turkey circles within the EU in such a critical time.” /Hurriyet/

SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS DECIDES TO OPEN PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION FOR ALLEGATIONS AGAINST OZKAYA
Turkish Supreme Court of Appeals Chairmanship Board yesterday decided to open preliminary investigation for allegations against Chief Judge of the Court Eraslan Ozkaya. The board released a statement following yesterday’s meeting, saying, “Supreme Court of Appeals Chairmanship Board, after examining the documents and information in a file dated Aug. 16, by a majority of vote decided to open a preliminary investigation for allegations against Ozkaya. The board charged a department director to carry out the investigation and the director would soon present a report to the Court’s Chairmanship Board. /Cumhuriyet/

CHP PRESENTS PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE SUNKEN SHIP IN ISKENDERUN
Opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Hatay deputy Zuheyir Amber said yesterday that his party had presented a questionnaire to the Parliament on sunken ship in Iskenderun. In related news, the Spanish government offered to help Turkey deal with hazardous waste seeping out of a ship that sank off Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. Releasing a statement, the Spanish government said that it offered full cooperation to its ally Turkey. /All papers/

CHP CELEBRATES 81ST ANNIVERSARY
The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) commemorated the 81st anniversary of founding of the party yesterday. Releasing a statement CHP leader Deniz Baykal said that the party had been the target of many criticisms in the few past months, because of its concerned, committed and aggressive stance on certain issues. “All effort to damage the party’s standing will be futile, and it will eventually become the ruling party.” /Cumhuriyet/

TPAO’S AYAZLI-1 WELL DISCOVERS NATURAL GAS IN THE BLACK SEA
The Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) Director General Osman Saim Dinc yesterday told a press conference that the TPAO reported that the Ayazli-1 exploratory well in the Black Sea offshore Turkey discovered natural gas. The Ayazli-1 well was drilled about five miles offshore in the shallow waters of the western Black Sea. “The Black Sea’s has an outstanding potential of natural gas and oil,” said Dinc. “Our work in the waters of western Black Sea will continue.” TPAO works in cooperation with the Madison Oil Turkey. /Star/