ERDOGAN TO MEET WITH BLAIR IN DAVOS TO DISCUSS CYPRUS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is currently in Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum, is due to meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair to discuss the Cyprus issue and he is expected to tell Blair that a new process for Cyprus talks on the basis of the Annan plan should be launched. Later, Erdogan will meet with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. During their meeting the two will discuss a number of issues and Erdogan is expected to appreciate Schroeder for his support for Turkey. The premier is also expected to meet with Dutch Prime Minister Peter Balkenende and Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean Claude Junker and to tell them that the screening process shouldn’t last long and that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) should be recognized. The premier is also expected to meet with French President Jacques Chirac, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis. During his stay in Davos, Erdogan would be accompanied by Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan and Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies Saban Disli, Egemen Bagis, Omer Celik, and Reha Denemec and several bureaucrats. /Aksam/

GUL TO VISIT CHINA NEXT WEEK
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is set to travel to People’s Republic of China to pay an official visit at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Li Zhaoxing on Feb. 1-5. Gul, accompanied by parliamentarians, businessmen and journalists will discuss bilateral, regional and international issues with Chinese officials. Turkish and Chinese businessmen will also hold meetings to seek ways to develop bilateral trade relations. /Turkiye/

GEN.BUYUKANIT: “WITHOUT A SETTLEMENT, TURKEY WILL NOT WITHDRAW ITS SOLDIERS FROM THE TRNC”
Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, commander of the Turkish Land Forces, who is currently visiting the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), yesterday met with President Rauf Denktas. After their half-an-hour meeting, Buyukanit told reporters that there would be no troop pullout from the island until a definite settlement to the decades-old issue was found. “Without a definite and permanent agreement, not even a single soldier will go from here,” said the commander. Reiterating the TRNC’s reliance on Turkey, Denktas said that any agreement on the island must protect the independence of the Turkish Cypriots. /Star/

TALAT TO TRAVEL TO BRUSSELS
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat is due today to travel to Brussels. During his stay in Brussels, Talat will meet with European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn, EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana and Luxembourg’s Junior Foreign Minister Nicolas Schmit, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, to discuss the Cyprus issue. Talat's trip to Brussels comes amid growing Turkish Cypriot disappointment over the EU's failure to fulfill pledges of financial aid and ease trade restrictions on their breakaway enclave as a reward for their "yes" vote. In related news, Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos yesterday visited Athens to discuss developments on the Cyprus issue in view of the likelihood of a new UN initiative. /Aksam/

SOLANA: “ANNAN WILL LAUNCH A NEW INITIATIVE ON CYPRUS WHEN THERE’S POSSIBILITY OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN TURKISH AND GREEK CYPRIOTS”
European Union High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana said yesterday that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan would launch a new initiative when there is possibility of agreement between the Turkish and Greek Cypriots. Addressing the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, Solana said that he had met with Annan and that Annan briefed him on his intentions concerning a new Cyprus initiative. Solana further stated that the EU would actively support the UN if it launches a new initiative on Cyprus. /Cumhuriyet/

TURKISH BUSINESSMEN GATHER TO AID SOUTHERN ASIA
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday gave a dinner to aid the Tsunami victims in Southern Asia. About 50 businessmen attended the dinner and gave about $10 million aid. It is said that the businessmen also promised that the monetary and service aid would reach the amount of $50 million. /Sabah/

VERHEUGEN: “THE EU WILL NEED TURKEY”
The EU will need Turkey to become a world power, said EU Commissioner for Enlargement Gunter Verheugen to the German periodical “Internationale Politik” (International Politics). Verheugen claimed that the EU would become a global actor if Turkey would join the Union. /Cumhuriyet/

EU WARNS ARMENIA ABOUT UPPER KARABAGH
The European Council Parliamentary Assembly warned Armenia about its occupation of the Azerbaijani soil. A report and a bill regarding the Upper Karabagh issue, prepared by British parliamentarian David Atkinson, were approved yesterday. The report stated that a member country’s occupation of another member’s soil was a serious violation of commitments made to the European Council and called on Armenia to withdraw from the Upper Karabagh. /Turkiye/

EU TO GRANT TURKEY SOME 320 MILLION EURO FOR 38 PROJECTS
As part of a financial aid program before the accession, the European Union is set to grant Turkey 329 million euro for 38 projects which will be carried out between 2005 and 2007. During a meeting of the Joint Monitoring Committee yesterday in Ankara, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, State Minister Ali Babacan and EU Commission’s Turkey Representative Amb. Hansjorg Kretschmer signed a record regarding the aid. Kretschemer said that the EU would increase its financial aid as the negotiations process goes further. /Turkiye/

TOBB TO TAKE JOURNALISTS FOR TRAINING SEMINAR IN BRUSSELS
As part of a “European Union Communications Project,” the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchange (TOBB) is holding seminars to inform Turkish journalists. Yesterday in Istanbul, during a gathering, a group of journalists were briefed on European Union and Turkey-EU relations. Furthermore, some 25 journalists are set to fly to Brussels tomorrow for a one-week training program. /Turkiye/