IN EDIRNE, GUL ATTENDS KIRKPINAR OIL WRESTLING FESTIVAL
President Abdullah Gul yesterday visited Edirne together with State Minister Hayati Yazici to see the 648th Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling and Culture Festival. Gul also met with Edirne Governor Mustafa Buyuk and visited the local Suleymaniye Mosque. In related news, Gul had a telephone conversation with his US counterpart Barack Obama yesterday. The two leaders reportedly discussed bilateral relations and regional developments. /Turkiye-Cumhuriyet/

TURKEY SEASON IN FRANCE ATTRACTS HUGE CROWDS
As part of Turkey Season in France, which officially started last week, almost 10,000 spectators gathered at Place du Trocadoro in Paris over the weekend to watch a concert by Mercan Dede with whirling dervishes and a dance show by dance troupe Fire of Anatolia. Highlights of the nine-month season include an exhibit on Ottoman Caftans at the Louvre. President Abdullah Gul and his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy are also expected to inaugurate an exhibit on Istanbul at the Grand Palais. Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe will present the key to the city to Nobel laureate novelist rhan Pamuk, director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and photographer Ara Guler. /Milliyet/

FM DAVUTOGLU MEETS WITH TURKS IN ROMANIA
During a visit to Romania late last week, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met with members of the Turkish community in Bucharest. In a speech at the meeting, Davutoglu called on Romanian-based Turkish businesspeople to help support Turkish citizens living in the country. He also urged Turks living in Romania to integrate with the general population. /Hurriyet Daily News/

STATE MINISTER BAGIS: "INTL AGREEMENTS AREN'T OBLIGATIONS IMPOSED BY WHOEVER SPEAKS LOUDEST"
International agreements aren't obligations imposed by whoever speaks the loudest, said State Minister and chief negotiator for European Union talks Egemen Bagis yesterday, responding to recent remarks by Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis. She told Greek daily Imerisia that though Athens supports Turkey's European Union membership, Europe won't open negotiations on frozen chapters if Turkey doesn't implement the Ankara Protocol, referring to Greek Cyprus. Bagis said that Turkey is aware of its responsibilities to the EU, and it has the right to expect its counterparts to fulfill their responsibilities as well. The forces within the EU working against us might have the tactical advantage, but they don't have right on their side, he added. /Aksam/

BRITISH FOREIGN SEC'Y MILIBAND: "TURKEY ISN'T A THREAT TO EUROPE, BUT AN OPPORTUNITY"
Turkey isn't a threat to Europe, but an opportunity, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband wrote in German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, arguing against European leaders such as French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel who oppose Turkey's European Union membership bid. "According to OECD projections, Turkey will have the EU's second-highest economic growth," he wrote. "Moreover, it can be a key route for transporting oil and gas from the Middle East and Central Asia. This shows that Turkey isn't a threat to Europe, but an opportunity." /Aksam/

BABACAN STRESSES ECONOMIC REFORMS TO FIGHT CRISIS
Economy Minister Ali Babacan on Saturday underlined the importance of structural reforms for overcoming the global economic crisis. At a meeting of European business leaders meeting in Helsinki, Finland, Babacan said that the structural reforms Turkey has made since 2002 have done much to minimize the crisis' impact on the country's economy. Turkey's first quarter gross domestic product (GDP) was down year-on-year, and unemployment was up 4 percent, Babacan said. He said Turkey had been particularly affected by a steep slump in foreign demand and international capital inflow. "Our government's structural reforms aim to increase the role of the private sector, and the effectiveness of the financial sector, and to place the country's social security system on stronger ground," Babacan said. He added that the reforms offer the banking industry a cushion from foreign market shocks. "The Turkish banking industry is relatively stronger thanks to effective risk management practices," he said, adding that robust fiscal discipline has helped reduce public borrowing. /Today's Zaman/