PRESIDENT GUL DUE IN CHINA TODAY
President Abdullah Gul today will go to China today as a guest of his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao. Gul, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, State Minister Zafer Caglayan, Interior Minister Besir Atalay and representatives of public institutions and businesses, will return to Turkey next Monday. /Cumhuriyet/
PARLIAMENT SPEAKER TOPTAN VISITS NAZIM HIKMET'S TOMB IN MOSCOW
Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan yesterday visited the tomb of Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet in Moscow's Novodevichy Cemetery. Calling Nazim one of Turkey's most important poets, Toptan said, "Visiting his tomb here is important in that it shows our attachment to Nazim Hikmet in return for his love and longing for his country." Toptan and his wife laid flowers at Nazim's tomb and said prayers. /Milliyet/
ERDOGAN: "TURKEY'S RESOLVE FOR EU REFORMS IS AS STRONG AS EVER"
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday hosted a luncheon at the Prime Ministry residence for European Union member countries' ambassadors serving in Ankara. "In recent years, Turkey has taken significant steps in democratization and human rights," Erdogan said in his speech to the luncheon. Reiterating Ankara's firm objection to certain European leaders' use of Turkey's EU bid as domestic political fodder, Erdogan said there had been no decline in the government's will to make more reforms. Criticizing the "privileged partnership" proposal of French and German leaders in lieu of Turkey's full EU membership, Erdogan said such statements and positions dampen the Turkish people's enthusiasm for EU membership and reforms. But he expressed a firm will for more reforms no matter the actions of Europeans. Erdogan said that Turkey is taking steps towards EU full membership with determination, citing as recent examples the appointment of Egemen Bagis as Turkey's chief EU talks negotiator, the adoption of a national program, the new TRT channel broadcasting in Kurdish, Parliament's new gender equality commission, and new income tax and citizenship laws. On the Cyprus issue, Erdogan said that a settlement would be in the best interests of all concerned parties, adding that Turkey expects its European friends to prevent the Greek Cypriot administration from trying to delay or obstruct a settlement. /Turkiye/
FM DAVUTOGLU MEETS WITH UAE'S NAHYAN
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu yesterday met with his visiting United Arab Emirates (UAE) counterpart Sheikh Abdallah Bin Zayid Al Nahyan. At the meeting, Davutodlu said that Turkey and the UAE have friendly relations, with their bilateral trade volume now standing at $9 billion. Davutoglu also expressed Turkey's sorrow over Saturday's bomb attack in Kirkuk, Iraq. Afterwards, President Abdullah Gul also received Nahyan. /Sabah-Hurriyet Daily News/
TURKEY'S TOP GENERAL URGES COMMON INTERNATIONAL STAND AGAINST TERRORISM
There is was no guarantee that nations not yet struck by terrorism will always be so fortunate, said Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug yesterday. "This problem can only be solved by the collective efforts of all nations, particularly allied nations," Basbug said on the first day of the 10th Silk Road General/Admiral Seminar in Istanbul. Basbug said that NATO member countries should bridge their policy differences to assume a common stance against terrorism. The unilateral efforts of a single country are not enough to end the terror threat in that country or elsewhere, he argued. Basbug also said that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) is determined to fight terrorism until terrorist groups disband and lay down their arms. "Our goal in combating terrorism is to quash the hopes of the terrorists and their supporters," Basbug said. He said that he also believed the fight against terrorism should include security, economic, social and cultural steps, as well as coordinated initiatives by the state in the international arena. "But as long as terrorist organizations maintain their armed forces, it would be a mistake to believe that terrorism can be eradicated through economic and socio-cultural measures alone," he added. The top general said that the TSK is aware that risks and threats can no longer be handled just by military force, but that the international community must use both military and civilian means to eradicate such threats. On NATO, Basbug said that the alliance offers opportunities to members and non-members alike to solve problems through dialogue. Basbug said NATO's enlargement will help strengthen confidence and stability throughout the Euro-Atlantic area, and the accession of new members will promote the goal of a free and united NATO and Europe. NATO's transformation will strengthen its ability to fight the security threats of the 21st century, he added. Around 119 people, including military representatives of NATO and European Union member states, Partnership for Peace (PfP) countries, Mediterranean Dialogue countries, Istanbul Cooperation Initiative countries, and some UN member countries are participating in the two-day seminar. /Turkiye/
TURKISH-ITALIAN PARLIAMENTARY FRIENDSHIP GROUP FORMED
A total of 91 Italian deputies from Italy's ruling and opposition parties have become members of the Turkish-Italian Parliamentary Friendship Group within the Italian Parliament, the Italian Embassy in Ankara announced yesterday. It added that the group, chaired by Senator Nicola Di Girolamo, aims to support Turkey's European Union membership bid and strengthen relations between the Turkish and Italian parliaments. The friendship group will be introduced to the Italian press today at a ceremony attended by Turkish Ambassador in Rome Ugur Ziyal and Italian Ambassador in Ankara Carlo Marsili. /Hurriyet Daily News/
INCOMING EU TERM PRESIDENT SWEDEN PLEDGES TO SPEED UP TURKEY'S MEMBERSHIP TALKS
Carl Bildt, the foreign minister of Sweden, which is set to take over the rotating term presidency the European Union on July 1, next Wednesday, said yesterday that his country would step up Turkey's EU accession negotiations. Sweden is determined to move forward in negotiations with Turkey, he told a press conference in Brussels. Stressing Turkey's strategic importance for the EU, he said that his EU vision is of a Europe uniting everyone, not one excluding some nations. Bildt said that he was aware of the difficulties of this vision, but that he thought they could be overcome through open debate. On Cyprus, Bildt said that the EU has never been an actor in efforts to resolve the problem, but that he had met the leaders of the two nations on Cyprus and was impressed with their determination to reach a settlement. Bildt also said that the Cyprus problem should be solved under UN auspices, but also expressed the EU's readiness to give technical support. /Turkiye/