PRESIDENT GUL DUE IN RUSSIA TODAY
President Abdullah Gul is due to arrive today in Moscow for a three-day visit as the official guest of his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, with an eye towards improving trade ties at a time of global economic crisis. During his visit, Gul will also hold talks with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in a bid to boost cooperation between the two countries. Regional and international issues as well as Turkey's Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform will also be discussed during the talks. Gul's visit to Russia will be the first-ever by a Turkish president. /Aksam/
ERDOGAN CONTINUES TO SLAM OPPOSITION
Campaigning for next month's local elections, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday addressed thousands of people in a rally in the Black Sea province of Kastamonu. Speaking to the gathering, Erdogan reiterated his criticism that opposition parties have resorted to smears as they have nothing to offer the people. "The only thing they know is to try to prevent us from serving the people," Erdogan said, adding that his party was doing its best to bring public services to every corner Turkey without any political discrimination. "The people know well what we have done in the last six years in office. The opposition parties also know about our performance in power, but admitting this isn't in their playbook. The only thing they can do is try to defame and block us." He went on to accuse some media outlets of cooperating with opposition smear campaigns against the government and ruling Justice Development Party (AK Party) mayors, especially in Istanbul and Ankara. Stating that such smears only serve to delay important AK Party projects such as expanding human rights, fighting illegal groups linked to the state, European Union accession reforms and improving Turkey's investment climate, Erdogan said, "Your only job is smearing, obstructing and causing crises. But soon you will face the ballot box." Saying that residential natural gas service had started in Kastamonu thanks to the government, Erdogan added that no power can prevent him from serving the people, regardless of the opposition. Stating that Turkey now has the world's 17th-largest economy and Europe's sixth largest, Erdogan said that the remarkable growth of recent years was helped by government anti-corruption efforts, pledging that they would continue. Those threatened by these efforts have resorted to smears, he added. Erdogan concluded by voicing his party's slogan, "No stopping, keep moving ahead." /Turkiye-Milliyet/
EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT MUBARAK VISITS ISTANBUL
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak yesterday met with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul in Istanbul, along with Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, Prime Ministry foreign policy advisor Ahmet Davutoglu and Turkish Ambassador to Cairo Safak Gokturk. Stating that Turkey and Eygpt have good relations in all areas, Gul said that the two sides believe that constructive efforts to solve regional problems are very valuable. He added that Babacan will attend a conference in Cairo next month on reconstructing Gaza. For his part, Mubarak touched on the importance of achieving national compromise in Palestine, adding that the historic place of the Palestinian Liberation Organization should be kept, as "this group is the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people." Afterwards, Mubarak met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Gul hosted a diner in Mubarak's honor. /Milliyet/
OBAMA TO SEND ENVOYS TO ADDRESS CYPRUS ISSUE
US President Barack Obama will send representatives to Turkey, Greece and Cyprus to convey messages and gauge the various sides' positions on Turkish-Greek relations and the Cyprus issue, reported Greek daily Elefteros Typos yesterday. To turn a new page on relations, the new US administration will dispatch Senator Richard Durbin and economic advisor Alexis Giannoulias to visit Athens, Ankara and Nicosia next week. In Turkey, they will meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as well as Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomeos. /Sabah/
BAGIS: "BOTH THE RULING AND OPPOSITION PARTIES ARE COMMITTED TO OUR EU MEMBERSHIP TALKS"
After completing his contacts in Brussels, State Minister and chief EU talks negotiator Egemen Bagis yesterday returned to Turkey. Afterwards, evidently referring to main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal's recent visit to Brussels, Bagis told reporters that both the opposition and ruling parties are committed to Turkey's full membership talks with the European Union. Stating that Turkey has been moving closer to the West for nearly 100 years, he added, "Turkey has become an important actor in both the Middle East peace process and the Caucasus, and this situation has a great effect on our EU negotiation process." /Turkiye/
BAYKAL: "TURKEY'S CURRENT CONDITION BELIES GOVT CLAIMS OF DEMOCRATIC REFORMS"
Back in Turkey after a trip to Brussels, main opposition Republican People Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday told reporters that his party supports Turkey's European Union accession bid but under the current government, which claims to have carried out many democratic reforms to this end, the people, media and the judiciary do not feel freer, safer or more independent. "The media now feels more political pressure than seven years ago and doesn't feel free," he added. "The situation of the country paints a paradoxical picture of Turkey that needs to be questioned." /Milliyet/
TURKEY SUPPORTS SOLUTION TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH ISSUE
Solving the Nagorno-Karabakh issue would have a positive affect on relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia as well as Armenia and Turkey, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Burak Ozugergin yesterday. "Turkey supports a process to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute," he added. /Star/