ERDOGAN TO ATTEND G-20 MEETING IN LONDON
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set tomorrow to attend a trilateral meeting in Istanbul between Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Afterwards, he will fly to London to attend a meeting of the G-20, the group of nations with the largest economies in the world. On the sidelines of the meeting, Erdogan is expected to meet with International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Khan and US President Barack Obama. Erdogan also will attend a reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth and a dinner hosted by his British counterpart Gordon Brown. /Sabah/

CICEK: "THE AK PARTY ALWAYS RESPECTS THE NATION'S WILL"
After yesterday's Cabinet meeting, government spokesperson and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek told reporters that the Cabinet members discussed the local election results from last weekend. Stating that Turkey has proved its democracy to the whole world, he said, "If the democratic system is left to operate by itself, no one should worry about anything." He added, "The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has always respected the nation's will. Opinion polls will be conducted in cities where the AK Party lost the elections, and then the party will speak with experts about the results." /Star/

OPPOSITION'S BAYKAL SATISFIED WITH ELECTION RESULTS
Commenting on the weekend local election results, main opposition Republican People Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday said that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) had been the loser. Stating that a new era had dawned in Turkish politics, Baykal said the election results and the decrease in AK Party votes show that the party has started to lose its strength. "The opposition parties in general are seeing an important recovery," he added. "The CHP got 5 percent more votes nationwide than in the 2004 local elections." Baykal also said there is no need to call for early general elections because the AK Party serving its full term will help people see its true face. /Sabah/

BAHCELI URGES POLITICAL COMPROMISE AFTER LOCAL ELECTIONS
Speaking to reporters about the weekend local election results, opposition National Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli yesterday said that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) should learn from the results and be more conciliatory in the future. "The MHP came out stronger from the elections by winning more votes nationwide and securing more municipalities across Turkey," he said. "The AK Party's national vote dropped considerably. Starting with the ruling party, all political parties should look closely at these results, and in the days to come politics in Turkey to come should be guided by compromise, consensus and mutual respect." In related news, top business figures called on the ruling and opposition parties to leave their campaigning behind and to focus on the economy and the EU accession process. /Sabah/

BODY OF MISSING IHA REPORTER FOUND
The body of Ihlas News Agency (IHA) reporter Ismail Gunes, missing since a helicopter crash in Kahramanmaras last week claimed the lives of six people, including Grand Unity Party (BBP) leader Muhsin Yazicioglu, was found yesterday by search and rescue teams. Kahramanmaras Governor Mehmet Niyazi Tanilir announced yesterday Gunes's body was found in a crevice between rocks, covered with snow. Gunes had called the 112 emergency line shortly after the crash, but it took rescue teams 48 hours to find the helicopter wreckage due to bad weather, including fog, difficult geography, and the absence of a location signal from the helicopter. In related news, three of the crash victims were laid to rest after a memorial ceremony at the BBP building in Sivas, their hometown. BBP leader Yazicioglu will be laid to rest in Ankara today, following an official ceremony at Parliament and funeral prayers at Kocatepe Mosque. /Turkiye/

CHP'S KILICDAROGLU: "THE ELECTION OUTCOME PAINTED A GOOD PICTURE"
The ruling Justice and Democracy Party (AK Party) was repudiated in Sunday's local elections, said main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Istanbul mayoral candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu yesterday. Though he bettered the CHP's vote percentage from the 2004 local elections, Kilicdaroglu was narrowly defeated on Sunday by his AK Party rival. Calling the outcome of the elections "a good picture," he added, "Now it has become clear that our people reject the AK Party's harsh rhetoric and insulting, know-everything attitude, which is peculiar to one-party governments." /Cumhuriyet/

EU'S LAGENDIJK: "THE AK PARTY SHOULD LOOK CLOSELY AT THE OUTCOME OF SUNDAY'S ELECTIONS"
In Sunday's elections the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) won a vote percentage that most European parties would be envious of, but it needs to look closely at the rising votes of opposition parties, said Turkey-European Union Joint Parliamentary Commission Co-Chair Joost Lagendijk yesterday. "The success of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in Istanbul and the Democratic Society Party's (DTP) in southeastern Anatolian region should be looked at closely," he added. "From now on, the AK Party should speed up the reform process." /Milliyet/

UNDP'S DERVIS APPOINTED VP OF BROOKINGS INSTITUTION
Kemal Dervis, who recently stepped down as head of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), yesterday was named vice president and director of the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution, a prominent Washington think-tank. "I am delighted to be joining Brookings, especially at a moment of such importance," Dervis said. "The nature of globalization is changing, with enormous challenges and implications for both developed and developing nations. Supporting the design of policy proposals that will allow the world to overcome the worst economic crisis in decades and stage a strong worldwide recovery will be my first priority. I look forward to working with my friend Jim Wolfensohn, with fond memories of his leadership at the World Bank and his unwavering commitment to better the lives of the most vulnerable." /Milliyet/