GUL VISITS RUSSIA'S TATARSTAN AUTONOMOUS REPUBLIC
As part of his landmark official visit to Russia, the first-ever by a Turkish president to this country, President Abdullah Gul on Saturday visited the Tatarstan Autonomous Republic, the Russian Federation's largest such republic. This visit was also the first of its kind. After his meeting with his Tartar counterpart Mintimer Shaimiev in the capital Kazan, Gul told a joint press conference that Turkey's good relations with its kin, the Tatar people, help to boost relations with Russia. Stating that Turkey opened its first consulate general in Tatarstan, showing how special Turkish relations were, President Gul pledged to continue to support cooperation between Turkish and Tartar businessmen. "I'm sure with this visit we have turned a new page, and our relations will further improve," Gul said. For his part, Shaimiev said that Turkish companies topped foreign firms investing in Tatarstan, and that last year thousands of Tartar people took their vacations in Turkey. Expressing hope for more bilateral flights between Turkey and Tatarstan, he said that Gul and he agreed to cooperate in the Universiade Winter and Summer Games set to be held in Turkey's eastern province of Erzurum in 2011 and then in Kazan two years later. As part of his visit, President Gul also visited historic sites and attended a Turkish-Tartar Business Council meeting. Gul also visited Kazan State University, where he received an honorary degree. Speaking to reporters on his way home, Gul called his talks in Russia very fruitful and expressed pleasure that Ankara and Moscow share similar views on the matters discussed during their talks, adding that both countries place great importance on peace and stability in the region. Stressing the importance of stability and trust both in Turkey and the region for economic development, and referring to Turkey's efforts to solve problems with all its neighbors to establish good neighborly relations, Gul said that Turkey has taken major steps for this in recent years. After returning to Turkey, Gul said that there is a broad consensus on ways to improve or replace the Constitution. "I hope that this will be realized in a very favorable atmosphere, in a favorable manner," he said. / Turkiye-Star/

TOPTAN VISITS SYRIA
A delegation led by Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan over the weekend visited Damascus, Syria, including Syrian-Turkish Interparliamentary Friendship Group Chair and opposition Nationalist Movement Party deputy leader Mehmet Sandir, ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputies Mahmut Durdu and Mehmet Erdogan, and main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy Huseyin Unal. Praising the superb state of relations between the two countries' parliaments, especially in recent years, he added that this visit would give relations added momentum. Pointing to the recent visit of a Syrian parliamentary delegation to Turkey, he said such mutual visits help to strengthen bilateral relations. /Aksam/

IN SAMSUN, ERGOGAN LAMBASTES CHP
Speaking at a campaign rally of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Samsun, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday criticized main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the CHP's candidate for Ystanbul mayor. Erdogan also slammed the media allies of opposition parties. /Milliyet/

CICEK: "CHANGING THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES COMPROMISE"
Changing the Constitution is a matter of dialogue and compromise, said Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek yesterday. "It is numerically possible to adopt constitutional changes without the main opposition party, but constitutional amendments are a matter of compromise, not a parliamentary majority," he added. Stating that current Constitution has long been a matter of debate, he added that Parliament has made several changes to it. "Many say that Turkey needs a new constitution," he said. "Political parties have also discussed these issues, but they cannot provide unity to change it." /Aksam/

IN ISTANBUL, BAHCELI STUMPS FOR MHP CANDIDATES
At a ceremony in Istanbul yesterday, opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli stumped for Ahmet Turgut, the MHP's Istanbul mayoral hopeful, and other 39 provincial candidates. Speaking at the ceremony, Bahceli criticized both the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). In related news, Mustafa Sarigul, the opposition Democratic Left Party's (DSP) mayoral candidate for Istanbul's Sisli district, yesterday started campaigning for next month's local elections. /Cumhuriyet/

KILICDAROGLU DENIES CLAIMS OF CORRUPTION FROM TENURE HEADING SSK
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) mayoral candidate for the Istanbul Greater Municipality, yesterday dismissed accusations that he was involved in corruption while heading the Social Security Institution (SSK) in the 1990s. Speaking at the CHP's new campaign office in Istanbul's Sultanbeyli district, Kilicdaroglu said he was being targeted by these false claims due to his exposure of ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) corruption over the past six years. Accusing his rival Kadir Topbas, Istanbul's AK Party mayor, of hiding how things really are, he said that despite enormous expenditures, no important problem in the city has been solved. Kilicdarloglu also pledged full transparency if elected. /Hurriyet/