PRESIDENT GUL VISITS MILITARY CEMETERY IN JORDAN
President Abdullah Gul, currently in Amman as a guest of Jordan's King Abdullah, yesterday attended a Turkey-Jordan Business Forum meeting. Jordanian Prime Minister Nadir Dahabi also attended. Gul later visited the Turkish military cemetery in Salt. Gul laid a wreath at the cemetery, and then opened a military museum with a ceremony. Also attending the event were State Minister Selma Aliye Kavaf, Industry and Trade Minister Nihat Ergun, Turkish Ambassador to Amman Ali Koprulu, and Jordanian State Minister for Media Affairs and Communication Nabil al-Sharif. /Cumhuriyet-Hurriyet Daily News/
IN ANKARA, US ENERGY ENVOY MEETS WITH PM ERDOGAN, ENERGY MINISTER YILDIZ
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz yesterday met with visiting US Special Representative for Eurasian Energy Ambassador Richard Morningstar. Asked about the transportation of Iranian gas via Turkey, Morningstar said that Iran is not in a position to become a part of new energy projects in the southern corridor. Morningstar said the US would like to see Iraq providing natural gas for the Nabucco pipeline. For his part, Yildiz said that they discussed the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) entering bids along with US firms for prospecting for oil in Iraq. Morningstar was also received by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. /Aksam/
AMBASSADOR UZUMCU APPOINTED OPCW DIRECTOR
Ahmet Uzumcu, Turkey's ambassador to the UN office in Geneva, yesterday was appointed director general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The group said the decision was made by the 14th conference of states party to the Chemical Weapons Convention on the basis of a consensus recommendation last month by the OPCW Executive Council. Uzumcu is set to assume the post next July. /Milliyet/
FM DAVUTOGLU: "THE SWISS GOVT INTENDS TO REVERSE THE MINARET BAN"
The Swiss government intends to reverse the recent controversial ban on new minarets in the country, said Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu yesterday. After speaking with his Swiss counterpart Micheline Calmy-Rey during an Organization for Security in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial Council meeting, Davutoglu told reporters that the ban wasn't set in stone, adding, "A referendum was held in Switzerland (to ban minarets) by collecting 100,000 signatures. Another 100,000 could be collected for another referendum to allow minarets." He also said that Swiss government is aware of the danger and that they intend to fix the situation. In related news, Davutoglu also met with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou. /Hurriyet/
PARLIAMENT SPEAKER SAHIN SPEAKS OUT AGAINST SWISS BAN
Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Sahin yesterday said that he opposed the minaret ban passed in Switzerland on Sunday, adding that basic freedoms cannot be put to a vote. His remarks came during a meeting with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto in Parliament. "In fact, it should have been expressed more loudly before the referendum that such a basic right cannot be the focus of a referendum," he said. "What were we going to say if the referendum had reached the opposite conclusion? Would we have said, 'Such a basic right cannot be the focus of a referendum'? I believe it is necessary to pursue a consistent policy on this issue." For his part, Niinisto said this was not a usual issue for Finland, which believes that human rights and freedom of expression should be respected. Such an issue could not be submitted to a vote in Finland, he said. /Hurriyet Daily News/