GUL MEETS WITH CZECH PRESIDENT KLAUS
President Abdullah Gul yesterday went to the Czech Republic at the invitation of his Czech counterpart Vaclav Klaus. Speaking to reporters before his trip about relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan, Gul said ties between the two nations are uncommonly close. "The importance we give to each other surpasses that given by any other friendly or neighboring countries to each other," he added. Stating that Ankara and Baku are in constant consultation, he reiterated, "We are one nation in two separate countries." After speaking with Klaus at the Presidential Palace, Gul also met with Miloslav Vlcek, speaker of the lower house of the Czech Parliament. Gul is expected to return to Turkey today. /Turkiye/

ERDOGAN: "MAY 1 SHOULD BE A DAY OF JOY, NOT CONFLICT"
Speaking to a meeting of newly-elected Justice and Development Party (AK Party) district mayors from across Turkey, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said that the new May 1 Labor and Solidarity Day holiday should be celebrated nationwide with friendship and solidarity, not violence or conflict. Saying that the government making May 1 an official holiday was a show of goodwill after unfortunate incidents in Istanbul last May 1, Erdogan also warned against provocations, calling on unions to give up their request to hold celebrations at Istanbul's Taksim Square. The square has great symbolic importance for unions because on May 1, 1977, known as "Bloody May 1," shots were fired into a crowd at Taksim, killing five, and 30 others were trampled to death. Since then, large May 1 celebrations in Taksim have been banned. Istanbul Governor Muharrem Guler recently announced unions would not be allowed to hold mass celebrations at the square. /Turkiye/

CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF BASBUG REITERATES COMMITMENT TO DEMOCRACY AND THE RULE OF LAW
The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) is committed to democracy and the rule of law, and anybody who dissents against these principles will find no place in the army and will not be tolerated by the TSK, Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug said yesterday. At a press conference at General Staff headquarters in Ankara, Basbug rejected the possibility of any link between the TSK and hidden weapons and ammunition caches found in the course of the investigation into Ergenekon, a secret crime network accused of plotting to overthrow the government. "None of the weapons and ammunition found in excavations as part of a probe being conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is registered in the TSK's weapons' inventory," he said. Asked about retired or active duty military members detained or arrested under the Ergenekon probe, Basbug expressed the TSK's commitment to the democratic regime and the rule of law. "Among the fundamental values of democracy are the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law," he added. "Everyone should refrain from any act that could damage our judicial system. The TSK is extremely careful in respecting the rule of law and the judicial process." He also criticized media reports accusing TSK members of involvement in Ergenekon. "We respect the principle that everyone is innocent until they are found guilty. Does everyone respect this principle?" he asked. "So who will repair the damage caused to these individuals? And another point is respect for the confidentiality of the judicial process. Do all of you respect this principle? You see, here great responsibility falls on the shoulders of the media." Commenting on alleged coup plots by active and retired army officers, he said no one in the TSK is engaged in any act against Turkey's democratic regime, dismissing the prospect of a military investigation into individuals accused of planning to overthrow the government. On talks between Turkey and Armenia towards normalized relations, Basbug echoed Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying: "Turkey will not open its border with Armenia unless it puts an end to its occupation of Azeri territory." Asked whether US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Michael Mullen had conveyed any US requests on Iraq or Afghanistan during a recent visit to Ankara, Basbug said that he had not. Basbug said Turkey is expected to take over the command of the international peacekeeping force in Kabul this November as part of a rotation among the contributing countries. When it takes command, Turkey may have to send additional forces to boost its 795-800 troops in Afghanistan, he said, but insisted that the troops' duties and responsibilities will remain the same. Ankara backs the US-led efforts to stabilize Afghanistan but says it will not send combat troops to confront Taliban insurgents there. Asked about Israeli uneasiness over recent military exercises between Turkey and Syria, Basbug said the drills are between Turkey and Syria and are not an Israeli concern. /Sabah/

BABACAN: "TURKEY WILL SOON START TALKS TOWARDS NORMALIZATION BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA"
Addressing Parliament yesterday, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Turkey aims at normalizing relations not only between Turkey and Armenia but also Azerbaijan and Armenia. To this end, Babacan said, Turkey will start comprehensive political consultations within a few weeks. Stating that the Azeri and Armenian presidents will meet three times next month to discuss their problems in detail, Babacan expressed hope that issues between the countries could be solved in the months ahead. Babacan also gave assurances that Turkey would not take any step which would harm Azeri interests. Criticizing US President Barack Obama's recent message on the so-called Armenian genocide claims, Babacan said, "The lack of any mention of the fact that hundreds of thousands of Turks were also killed in the events is one of the serious deficiencies of the text." Babacan reiterated that Turkey has proposed establishing a joint committee of historians to study what happened in 1915, adding that it was unacceptable for Obama to express a judgment before the committee reaches a conclusion on whether the events amounted to genocide. "We will remain loyal to historical facts and refute unfounded claims no matter who makes them," Babacan said. /Milliyet/

Ten soldiers were killed and two others were wounded in two separate attacks by the terrorist PKK yesterday. In the first attack, nine soldiers were killed and two others were wounded by an explosion in Lice while traveling in an armored vehicle along the Diyarbakir-Bingol highway. One soldier was also killed by the PKK in an attack in Hakkari's Semdinli district. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) launched ground and air operations against PKK terrorists following the attacks. After the attacks, Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug told reporters that there is no room for pessimism in combating terrorism, and added that these attacks would not weaken Turkey's resolve. Speaking about the attacks, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the fight against terrorism will continue persistently and fearlessly. In a separate development, former Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk, currently a lecturer at Bilkent University, escaped unscathed from an explosion at the university yesterday after a woman approached him and detonated a bomb. She ignited the fuse of the bomb concealed on her person, but the bomb failed to explode. One of Turk's bodyguards captured the young woman after the failed assassination attempt. /All papers/

TOPTAN: "TURKEY WANTS TO BOOST TIES WITH THE SRI LANKAN PARLIAMENT"
Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan yesterday received his Sri Lankan counterpart W. J. M. Lokubandara and an accompanying delegation. Afterwards, Toptan said that Turkey wants to boost ties between the parliaments of the two countries. "Turkey and Sri Lanka already have good relations," he added. Afterwards, Toptan hosted a luncheon for Lokubandara. /Aksam/