ERDOGAN TO VISIT ETHIOPIA, S.AFRICA
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set tomorrow to begin official visits to two African countries, Ethiopia and South Africa. During his five-day tour, on Wednesday the premier first will meet with Ethiopian President Girma Wolde-Georgis and his counterpart Meles Zenawi in Addis Ababa. Then he is head to South Africa to meet with that country’s top officials including Deputy President Jacob Zuma and President Thabo Mbeki. The trip follows the government’s declaration that 2005 is the “Year of Africa.” The premier’s talks in both countries are expected to focus on bilateral business opportunities. Meanwhile, Erdogan is planning visits to other African countries later this year, including Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan and Libya. /Turkiye/

GUL: “THE EU IS NOT INDISPENSABLE FOR TURKEY”
Turkey won’t wait 15-20 years to become a European Union member, said Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in a weekend interview with Chinese state television CCTV during his visit to the country. In the interview, which was broadcast yesterday, Gul called Europe’s concerns about Turkey’s huge population “baseless,” adding that the EU’s indecision was hurting its image with the Turkish public. /Hurriyet/

ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL TALKS BETWEEN ANKARA, EU COMMISSION TO BEGIN THIS WEEK
Additional protocol negotiations between Turkey and the European Union Commission are due to begin in Brussels on Wednesday. Turkish Ambassadors Deniz Bolukbasi and Ertugrul Apakan are expected to take part in the negotiations. In related news, Turkish officials will today brief Luxembourg’s visiting EU Minister Nicholas Schmit on Ankara’s requested changes to the additional protocol. In related news, Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, British EU Minister Denis MacShane and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn are expected to visit Turkey early next week to discuss developments in Turkey’s EU bid since it got a date for membership talks last December. /Aksam/

TOP TURKISH OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS IRAQ, CYPRUS ISSUES IN WASHINGTON
Two high-level officials, National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Yigit Alpagon and Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ali Tuygan, are planning separate visits to Washington in the coming months to discuss the Iraq and Cyprus issues with officials from the US State and Defense Departments. /Turkiye/

ANKARA TO HOST US COMMANDER GEN. BELL THIS WEEK
Ankara will host a visiting US Army commander this week. US Commander of European Troops Gen. Burwell Bell is set to arrive in Ankara at the invitation of Land Forces Commander Yasar Buyukanit. The US’ hopes to expand its use of Incirlik Airbase are expected to dominate the talks of the military leaders. In addition, NATO, Afghanistan and Iraq’s reconstruction are also set to be discussed. /Turkiye/

BUSY WEEK AHEAD FOR PARLIAMENT
Parliament will have a busy agenda this week including debates on bills concerning implementation of the new Criminal Procedures Code (CMK), selecting 10,000 police recruits from among university graduates, and efforts to reduce violence surrounding sports matches. Parliament’s General Assembly will work from 2:00 p.m. until late on this Wednesday and Thursday to address these matters. /Turkiye/

SWEDISH PM: “MUCH REMAINS FOR ANKARA TO DO TOWARDS EU MEMBERSHIP”
Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson said yesterday that Ankara still had a great deal to do for its European Union membership bid, adding that since last December, when it got a date for its EU accession talks, its progress had been disappointing. Persson stressed that Turkey should know that getting a date for talks to begin doesn’t mean automatic EU membership and that many steps remained ahead. “If Ankara wants to join the EU as soon as possible, then it needs to continue to work hard,” he said, adding that he wanted to see Turkey in the EU. In related news, European Commission Vice President Margot Wallstrom said that since December, dialogue between Turkey and the Union had been reduced rather than increased. In addition, Hansjoerg Kretschmer, the EU Commission representative in Turkey, said that there had been ”stagnation” in Turkey since the date was given and that it was necessary to accelerate the reform process. He claimed that there was disorganization in the country and a lack of progress except for changes to some laws. /Cumhuriyet/

UNITED IRAQI ALLIANCE’S AL-JAAFARI: “WE’LL NOT ALLOW ANY ORGANIZATION IN OUR BORDERS TO ATTACK OUR NEIGHBORS”
United Iraqi Alliance’s Prime Ministry candidate Ibrahim al-Jaafari said yesterday that he wouldn’t allow any organization, including the terrorist PKK/KADEK, to attack neighboring countries. The alliance won last month’s Iraqi elections. Speaking at a press conference following his meeting with four US senators, al-Jaafari said that his policy was to establish friendly relations with all neighboring countries. “We’ll not allow any organization within our borders to harm our neighbors,” he added. “The PKK should stop its terrorist attacks. Otherwise it will need to quit Iraq.” /Cumhuriyet/

AGAR: “THE GOVT IS FAILING TO REPRESENT TURKEY BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD”
Addressing his party’s provincial congress in Edirne yesterday, True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar said that the DYP was the nation’s guide, adding that the government was failing in its duty to represent Turkey both at home and abroad. Agar predicted that elections could be held in the near future. “It’s the DYP’s mission to raise our nation to the level it deserves,” he stated, adding that the party would do its best to promote Ankara’s EU bid. /Cumhuriyet/

TURKISH UNIT TO HELP BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA STABILIZATION
A unit of the Turkish gendarmerie yesterday left for Bosnia-Herzegovina to join the European Union’s Althea Operation for the stabilization and integration of the country. The 23-member team will serve in such missions as providing security for bases, controlling roads, and traffic services. /Star/

LITERACY CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED
Through the joint efforts of the Education Ministry and the Bagcilar district government, a new literacy campaign was launched in Istanbul yesterday. Prominent figures including Education Minister Huseyin Celik, Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s wife Emine Erdogan attended a ceremony inaugurating the campaign. Speakers at the occasion called literacy one of Turkey’s top issues, adding that such campaigns would continue until illiteracy is a thing of the past. /Turkiye/

GREEK CYPRIOT PARTIES PROPOSE CHANGES TO UN PLAN
Greek Cypriot political parties over the weekend reportedly submitted a number of proposed changes to the UN’s Cyprus reunification plan to Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos. The parties proposed the withdrawal of Turkish military forces from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), ending Turkey’s right to intervene as a guarantor state, the immediate return of lands claimed by Greek Cyprus, and reducing the number of TRNC citizens on the island through immigration to Turkey. /Star/