ERDOGAN: “NECESSARY STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO END THE TRNC’S ISOLATION”
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday attended the eighth summit of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Addressing the gathering, Erdogan said that necessary steps should be taken to end the international isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), and furthermore urged all countries to boost their economic, social, trade, and cultural ties with Turkish Cypriots. “Establish direct trade ties with the TRNC would be a good start,” he said. Erdogan also expressed Turkey’s support for ECO member states joining the World Trade Organization (WTO). After returning to Ankara late yesterday, Erdogan told a press conference that from now on the TRNC would participate in the ECO under the name “The Turkish Cypriot State.” /Aksam/

GUL: “TURKEY HAS DONE ITS HOMEWORK ON THE ROAD TO EU MEMBERSHIP”
Addressing a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) parliamentary group meeting yesterday, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that Turkey had largely fulfilled the criteria to harmonize with European Union norms and so deserved to be made a member. “We have done our duty, now we are waiting for the same thing from the EU,” said the foreign minister. Stressing that the AKP government had enacted eight reform packages in two years, Gul remarked that whole world hailed their administration as “reformist.” He added that Ankara expected an objective report on Turkey from the EU Commission set to be released on Oct. 6. Commenting on the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK) bill, Gul pointed out that it had 346 articles, including sweeping revisions that no previous government had dared to propose. /Turkiye/

PARLIAMENT DEBATES NEW TCK BILL
Parliament yesterday began debate on a new 346-article Turkish Penal Code (TCK) bill. On the first day, 75 of its articles were passed. Meanwhile, yesterday, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and opposition People’s Republican Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal along with top party officials met and reached agreement that all proposed amendments to the bill would have to be submitted by both parties jointly and that neither party would support any other proposal. Efforts to include a controversial adultery proposal in the new TCK failed to win support from either party, apparently ending controversy on the matter. In addition, both parties agreed to work 10-hour days, including the weekend, to pass the bill. In related news, hundreds of Turkish women marched towards Parliament yesterday, protesting the proposal to re-outlaw adultery. /Turkiye/

BAYKAL: “WE’LL SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT’S EFFORTS FOR TURKEY’S EU BID”
Addressing his party’s group meeting yesterday, opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that Turkey should do its utmost for its European Union membership bid before the EU December summit, when the Union is to decide whether or not to begin Ankara’s accession talks. Baykal stressed that his party would support the government’s efforts for the nation’s EU bid. Touching on recent developments in northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar, Baykal said that thousands of people, including many ethnic Turkmen, had been forced into exile from the city. “The struggle in Iraq will alter the country’s ethnic makeup,” warned Baykal. /Star/

TURKISH HOSTAGE FREED IN IRAQ; TWO MORE KIDNAPPED
A Turkish translator held hostage by Iraqi militants was freed yesterday, even as more were captured. Aytullah Gezmen, who has been held captive since July, was reportedly released in response to Turkish protests over a US offensive in the city of Tal Afar. In related news, Arab news network al-Jazeera reported that a militant group had taken hostage two Turkish drivers near the town of Tikrit. The death toll of Turkish citizens slain by Iraqi insurgents demanding that Turkish companies stop doing business with US troops in the country now stands at five. In addition, three Turkish citizens in Iraq remain missing. /Sabah/

GOVT TO BEGIN COLLECTIVE BARGAINING TODAY
Government officials are due today to begin collective bargaining with unions representing civil servants to discuss their contracts for next year. The sides are expected to discuss a number of issues, including hikes in salaries and compensation, overtime pay, and other fringe benefits. The government is reportedly planning to offer an 8% wage hike for civil servants, something which union representatives rejected out of hand on Monday. /All papers/

DUTCH CHIEF OF STAFF: “TURKISH MILITARY-CIVILIAN RELATIONS MUST BE RESHAPED”
Gen. Dick Berlijn, the chief of General Staff of current EU Term President the Netherlands, yesterday urged Turkey to reshape its relations between civilian politics and the military so as to bring them in line with EU norms. Addressing a conference in Ankara on “Turkey's Expectations from EU Membership and the Role of the Armed Forces in the Process,” Berlijn argued that although the government had implemented many successful reforms since the 1999 EU Helsinki summit, the EU Commission last year indicated that Turkey still needed to make more progress in such areas as human rights. “The EU thinks that the Turkish army must understand that from now on it must adopt a different position towards civilian politics,” he added. “In this context, the chief of general staff should have a less influential role, and the Parliament should have the right to control the defense budget.” /Sabah/

EP’S POTTERING: “EU LAWYERS WILL VISIT TURKEY TO INVESTIGATE TORTURE ALLEGATIONS”
Hans-Gert Pottering, the chairman of the Christian Democrat Group at the European Parliament, said yesterday that European Union lawyers would soon visit Turkey in order to investigate allegations of torture. Pottering said that he had discussed the issue with European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen, who paid an official visit to Turkey last week and praised its progress towards EU norms. Pottering further predicted that due to the lawyers’ visit, there could be a delay in the EP progress report on Turkey, which currently is due to be released on Oct. 6. /Star/

MANGO’S UNVEILS HIS LATEST, “THE TURKS TODAY”
“The Turks Today,” the new book by Andrew Mango, a prominent historian best known for his magisterial biography of Republic founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, has just been published in London. His latest tome was unveiled to journalists yesterday at a reception hosted by London’s Turkish Embassy. Speaking to the gathering, Mango praised Turkey’s recent reforms towards improving minority rights, arguing that at its December summit the European Union should set a date for Ankara’s membership negotiations. /Sabah/