GUL TO TRAVEL TO SWEDEN
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will travel to Sweden today to attend a NATO-led meeting between foreign ministers within the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council Security Forum, which is scheduled to begin tomorrow near the ski-resort town of Aare. Gul will first attend a women’s rights panel in Stockholm and then proceed to Aare. United Nations Development Program (UNDP) head Kemal Dervis is also expected to attend the gathering where NATO’s security problems will be discussed. /Star/

EMINE ERDOGAN CALLS ON THE ARAB WORLD TO CHANGE
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s wife, Turkey’s first lady Emine Erdogan, over the weekend attended an international women's business conference in Damascus, Syria. Syrian first lady Asma Assad opened the conference by stressing the importance of reforms, education and transparency to build a stronger economic market for her country and develop new opportunities for women entrepreneurs. The two-day gathering brought together over 1,000 delegates from the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the United States to participate in a series of events aimed at empowering women in the business world. The forum aimed to build partnerships between Arab businesswomen in the UK and the Arab world and promote investment in Syria and other Arab countries. Mrs. Erdogan, Egyptian first lady Suzanne Mubarak and former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto also delivered speeches at the opening ceremony. Calling on the Arab world to change and catch up with international standards, Mrs. Erdogan also told the participants about Republic of Turkey founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s reforms. Underlining that the pace of change is faster than ever in the 21st century, she urged Arab countries to improve themselves in line with new conditions and catch up with the latest developments. /Milliyet/

BAYKAL VISITS JERUSALEM
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal arrived in Tel Aviv for the Socialist International’s meeting in Israel yesterday. When his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was postponed to today, he toured holy sites in Jerusalem. Baykal visited Haram-al Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) and prayed at Kubbet-us Sahra (the Dome of the Rock) in Jerusalem. He also visited the al-Aqsa Mosque, a Christian church and the Wailing Wall. /Cumhuriyet/

TALAT URGES INCREASED SUPPORT FROM WASHINGTON
In a guest editorial published in US daily The Washington Times yesterday, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat wrote that his nation expected Washington to show more determination and leadership towards ending the Turkish Cypriots’ isolation. In the piece, Talat emphasized the importance of international pressure to change the Greek Cypriots’ uncompromising policy on the Cyprus issue. “But meanwhile, my people, who have undergone a remarkable transformation, continue suffering isolation instigated by the Greek Cypriot administration,” he wrote. “Efforts to get this isolation lifted or at least eased, particularly within the European Union, have been thwarted by the Greek Cypriot side. While EU leaders express consternation at this unconstructive attitude, they have not yet found a way to overcome the legal and political obstacles presented to them by ‘club-member Cyprus.’ I believe the United States, which has moved to ease the inhuman restrictions on Turkish Cypriots, will show greater determination and lead to end the isolation. As the world's only major power not encumbered by Greek Cypriot obstructionism, the United States is uniquely capable of doing so.” /Cumhuriyet/

FIRTINA HOLD CONTACTS IN ALBANIA
Air Force Commander Gen. Ibrahim Firtina and his accompanying delegation held contacts in Albania yesterday. Firtina attended the opening ceremony of a new fleet building equipped with materials sent from Turkey in Kuchova Square, which was modernized by Turkey on NATO standards. During Firtina’s meetings with Albanian Chief of General Staff Gen. Pellumb Kazimi and Albanian Deputy Defense Minister Sadedin Stankay on the first day of his visit, the cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries was discussed as well. /Cumhuriyet/

IIF PREDICTS RISING FDI, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
A report released by the Institute of International Finance (IIF) on Turkey over the weekend says that new steps are needed by Turkey’s government and regulatory authorities to secure compliance with and enforcement of essential rules and regulations and added that $20 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) is expected in Turkey over the next two years. Stating that Turkey has made a great deal of progress in public financing, IIF head Charles Dallara said that Turkey was showing very impressive results, particularly in inflation. Dallara lamented that Turkey had not been so successful in attracting FDI, but added that from now on this situation would change, with higher FDI not only in the banking and telecom sectors, but also in other sectors in the process of harmonizing to the European Union. Stating that Turkey has forged good relations with its neighbors, Dallara added, “If someone told me 10 years ago that a Greek bank would be active in Turkey, nobody would believe it, including me. However, now Greek businessmen want to invest in the banking sector in Turkey. A Turkish-Greek joint bank is being planned to increase economic cooperation between Turkey and Greece. This shows that economic and commercial relations are the most important elements in terms of improving political relations. Now Turkey has stable relations with its neighbors.” /Aksam/

TURKISH AIR FORCE WINS INTERNATIONAL CONTEST
The Turkish Air Force took first place in a contest at the International Air Tactic Contests and Commanders Symposium held in France last week. At the contest, where the air forces of 10 countries competed, Spain came in second and France third. /Türkiye/

NEW YORK HOSTS TURKISH DAY PARADE
The Federation of Turkish-American Associations (TADF) over the weekend held the 24th annual Turkish Day Parade in New York, a traditional event attended by thousands of Turkish expatriates and Turkish-Americans. State Minister Besir Atalay, ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Istanbul Deputy Egemen Bagis, Turkey’s Ambassador to Washington Faruk Logoglu, Turkey’s Permanent Representative to the UN Baki Alkin, Turkey’s Consul General to New York Omer Onhol and TADF head Ata Erim were present at the parade. Following the parade, a festival was held at Hammarksjold Park in Manhattan. Atalay called on the Turkish community in the US to organize themselves more efficiently, calling the 21st century “an era of organizations.” /Turkiye/

MALAYSIAN PREMIER VISITS TURKEY ON HIS VACATION
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his wife Endon Mahmoud Badawi yesterday arrived in Turkey for a three-day vacation. Badawi and his wife expressed their admiration for Turkey’s natural and historic beauties. /Sabah/