ANKARA HOSTS TRILATERAL SUMMIT WITH AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN
Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari yesterday visited Turkey at the invitation of President Abdullah Gul to attend a trilateral summit of the three countries. The two leaders were greeted by Gul at the Cankaya Palace, after which they held bilateral talks, with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also in attendance. Gul also hosted a luncheon in honor of the visiting leaders. Speaking to a joint press conference later, Gul said that regional countries know best the problems facing them, and added, "Regional countries should make necessary preparations so countries outside the region can help them solve their problems." Gul also reiterated the importance of political, military and intelligence cooperation and coordination between the countries. Gul also said he would convey the two leaders` views to US President Barack Obama during his visit to Turkey next week. /Star/
ERDOGAN ARRIVES IN LONDON FOR G-20 SUMMIT
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday flew to London to attend a G-20 summit. After arriving, Erdogan attended a reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth to honor the leaders participating in the summit. Erdogan is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Nazim Ekren and State Minister for the Economy Mehmet Simsek. Following the reception, Erdogan also attended a dinner hosted by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. /Turkiye/
BAGIS: "THE EU IS LOOKING AT THE EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE RULING ON VISAS FOR TURKISH NATIONALS"
State Minister and chief negotiator for Turkey`s European Union talks Egemen Bagis yesterday attended the 61st Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission meeting in Brussels. Afterwards, speaking to reporters at the Istanbul Center, a communications and cultural platform for the city`s communications with EU organizations, Bagis said that a recent European Court of Justice ruling exempting Turkish nationals visiting EU member states to provide services from needing visas was being evaluated by the EU Commission and member states. "Turkey also should decide what public institution will determine who is going to the EU for business purposes," he added. /Star/
TOP BUSINESS LEADER URGES GOVT TO RECONSIDER 2009 ECONOMIC GROWTH TARGET
The government should make a budget based on the realities under the global economic crisis, and a 4 percent economic growth target this year is unrealistic, said Turkish Industrialists` and Businessmen`s Association (TUSIAD) head Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag yesterday. Speaking to reporters at a meeting of European ambassadors in Ankara, hosted by the Embassy of the Czech Republic, which hold the European Union`s rotating term presidency, Yalcindag said, "The world economy is experiencing an important economic constriction due to the crisis. This is having an impact on Turkey`s economy as well. Budget figures should be reviewed in light of this impact." She urged the government to realistically determine the state of the economy and base its figures on this assessment. Asked about last weekend`s local elections, Yalcindag said, "Amid a continuing global economic crisis, Turkey focused on the elections, which took place in a general election atmosphere rather than a local one. Businesspeople are happy that the local elections are over. Now it`s high time to concentrate on the country`s pressing economic issues. We have a lot of work to do on this." Stating that during the meeting they discussed the crisis from the viewpoints of both the EU and Turkey, Yalcindag also said that the EU could open negotiations on the tax, employment and social policies chapters in Turkey`s accession talks during the Czech Republic`s presidency, which ends in June. /Milliyet/