PRESIDENT GUL RETURNS FROM HISTORIC IRAQI VISIT
On a visit to Iraq, President Abdullah Gul yesterday met with Turkmen deputies of the Iraqi Parliament and also received Nechirvan Barzani of the northern Iraqi regional administration. Afterwards, Barzani told a press conference that Turkey is an important country for the northern Iraqi administration. "We want to establish good relations with Turkey," he added. "We also understand Turkey's concerns very well." Barzani said that under Iraq's Constitution, the regional administration would not tolerate any attacks from its territory against neighboring countries and that he supported Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's call on to the terrorist PKK to either lay down its arms or leave Iraq. After visiting Talabani and his wife Hero, Gul returned Turkey yesterday. /Cumhuriyet/
GUL TO ATTEND EUROPEAN BUSINESS WORLD SUMMIT
President Abdullah Gul is set to visit Belgium this week to attend a European Business World Summit as an honored guest of Businesseurope and the Turkish Confederation of Employers Unions (TISK). According to TISK, Gul will address a session with European Union Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso, EU Term President Czech Republic's Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, and Businesseurope head Ernest-Antoine Seilliere. /Star/
ERDOGAN CRITICIZES YSK ELECTION DAY DECISIONS
Campaigning in both Bartin and Zonguldak yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized a Supreme Board of Elections (YSK) decision requiring voters to have an ID number on their identity card or certified identity documents to cast ballots in Sunday's local elections. On YSK's decision to ban headscarves for election observers, he added, "What kind of a public sphere is this? They (the observers) are representatives of political parties and not working for the state. How could you take away their rights? Unfortunately, this is putting obstacles in front of our democracy." He also lambasted main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, charging that Baykal has no wish to come to power but only to criticize the government. /Star/
PARLIAMENT SPEAKER TRAVELING TO TUNISIA
Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan is scheduled to travel to Tunisia today at the invitation of his Tunisian counterpart Fouad Mebazaa. Toptan will be received by Tunisian President Zein el Abidine Ben Ali tomorrow. He is also expected to meet with Abdullah Kallel, the head of Tunisia's Chamber of Advisers. Toptan will return to Turkey on Friday. /Hurriyet Daily News/
BAYKAL: "AGRICULTURE IS THE BASIS OF DEVELOPMENT"
Campaigning in Bilecik yesterday, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that agriculture is the basis of the development. Stating that there can be no development if farmers are ignored, he said that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) should support the nation's farmers. /Turkiye/
BAHCELI: "THE ECONOMIC CRISIS SHOULD NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED"
Campaigning in Elazig ahead of Sunday's local elections, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday called on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to lift parliamentary immunity. On the economy and recent factory closings, Bahceli said that the economic crisis should not be underestimated. /Aksam-Turkiye/
ANKARA TO HOST PAKISTAN-AFGHANISTAN SUMMIT
Turkey will host a summit of Afghanistan and Pakistan next Wednesday. Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and his Pakistani counterpart Ali Asif Zardari will meet in Ankara as the guests of President Abdullah Gul. Intelligence officials and chiefs of general staff of both countries will also reportedly attend the summit. Turkey also brought together the presidents of the two countries at tripartite summits in 2007 and 2008. /Turkiye/
EU'S REHN: "IF OLGAC WAS TELLING THE TRUTH, TURKEY VIOLATED THE GENEVA CONVENTION"
European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn said yesterday that if Turkish actor Atilla Olgac's comments that he had killed 10 Greek Cypriots during the 1974 Cyprus peace operation were true, this would mean that Turkey had violated the Geneva Convention. /Today's Zaman/