GUL RECEIVES MEMBERS OF MIT'S INNOVATION AND GLOBAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
President Abdullah Gul yesterday received a delegation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Innovation and Global Leadership Program at the Cankaya Presidential Palace. Briefing the delegation about Turkey's policies on regional and global problems, Gul told them that Turkey's efforts aimed to serve peace and stability across the world. Stressing the key roles assumed by Turkey in recent years in solving such issues as Iraq, Middle East, the Caucasus, Afghanistan and Pakistan, President Gul said Turkey makes an all-out effort to serve peace and stability all over the world without expecting anything in return. Touching on the remarkable economic and democratic transformation process that Turkey has been passing through for nearly a decade, Gul said, "This process made Turkey a foreign investment magnet, and thus the foreign capital inflow into Turkey in recent years reached $25-30 billion thanks to this process." On Turkey's EU accession bid, Gul recalled that Turkey had met political criteria as a precondition to launch accession talks with the EU. Stressing that Turkey places great importance on its EU accession goal, Gul also reiterated that Turkey would determinedly continue to progress towards this end. /Star/

ERDOGAN, DAVUTOGLU TO VISIT GREECE NEXT MONTH
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to visit Greece next month to attend the opening ceremony of the New Acropolis archaeological Museum, which is being built at the base of the Acropolis. He will also hold bilateral talks with his Greek counterpart Costas Karamanlis. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also will travel next month to the Greek island Corfu, where he will attend the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) foreign ministers' meeting. /Star/

GOV'T URGES EU LEADERS TO LIVE UP THEIR COMMITMENTS TO TURKEY
Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesman Cemil Cicek called on EU members to make consistent decisions on Turkey's prospective full membership to the 27-member bloc. "We have always stressed that Turkey would not be a burden on the Union. The EU might become an economic power without Turkey, but it cannot become a strategic power. Turkey is an opportunity for the EU," he said. Urging EU leaders to keep their promises made to Turkey, Cicek said, "We stand by our words and expect them to do the same." Cicek also said that Turkey was pushing forward with new reforms to achieve its goal of EU full membership. He said that the government would speed up efforts to finalize the Judicial Reform Strategy by the end of June in contact with members of the judiciary and jurists, adding that the Justice Ministry would have a final say on the planned strategy. Cicek also said that prior to the Parliament's summer recess, the government would try to pass a set of top priority bills regarding EU accession reforms and basic laws, and measures to reduce impacts of the ongoing global economic crisis on Turkey's economy. /Turkiye/

ENERGY MINISTER ATTENDS G-8 MEETING
Energy Minister Taner Yildiz went to Rome, Italy yesterday to attend the G-8 energy ministers meeting, with international energy companies representatives also in attendance. The energy cooperation and problems were discussed during the meeting. Apart from Turkey, ministers from Australia, Brazil, Algeria, China, Indonesia, South Africa, India, South Korea, Libya, Mexico, Egypt, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia also attended the meeting in addition to G-8 member states. /Today's Zaman/

SWEDISH FM BILDT: "EUROPE NEEDS TURKEY"
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt yesterday said that Europe needs Turkey in order to exert its authority in the world. In an interview with French daily Le Figaro, Bildt stated that the European Union would need Turkey's economic dynamism and demographic structure in the future, adding, "Approaching Turkey is necessary for Europe's strategic interest." He also said that Turkey's accession would be an important factor to provide EU's peace with the Islam world. /Aksam/