NEW BORDER GATE OPENED BETWEEN TURKEY, BULGARIA
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Bulgarian counterpart Simeon Saxe-Coburg yesterday opened a new border checkpoint at Hamzabeyli-Lessovo, in the northwestern province of Edirne. The two leaders stated that they hoped the new border crossing would increase trade between the two neighboring countries. The opening of the border checkpoint will considerably facilitate traffic on the basic connection between Bulgaria and Turkey, the Kapikule-Captain-Andreevo border checkpoint. /Turkiye/
ERDOGAN CALLS ON BUSINESSMEN TO INVEST IN BLACK SEA REGION
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday attended a banquet in Istanbul organized by the Rize Culture and Social Solidarity Foundation. Stressing that the government was working hard to develop Turkey, Erdogan said peace and prosperity are in store for the Turkish nation. He also called on businessmen to invest in the Black Sea region to contribute to regional development. /Star/
GUL: “GERMANY IS LOOKING FOR A PARTNER IN GUILT”
Speaking to journalists from Turkish daily Zaman, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday criticized the German Parliament’s adoption of a resolution denouncing a so-called massacre of Armenians during the Ottoman era. Stating that the German Parliament had taken an unacceptable decision, Gul said, “The decision is full of mistakes. It talks about the UN’s determination concerning this issue. However, international institutions have no determination about it. We want them to produce evidence, but they can’t. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s letter to Armenian President Robert Kocharian is passed over in just a few lines, but the speech made by Justice Minister Cemil Cicek at the Parliament and the postponed conference on the Armenian issue are there. The most important issue is to ensure the integration of 3 million Turks [living in Germany]. This decision opens the door to provoking enmity towards Turkey. The current German government is opposed to it, in particular German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.” He added that the decision was motivated by guilt about the Nazi Holocaust and that Germans were looking to share this guilt. /Milliyet/
BAYKAL CRITICIZES ERDOGAN
Addressing Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent visit to the US, Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said in a written statement yesterday that the path of the government had been “reset” during the visit. “He was given a new path,” said Baykal. “However, when Erdogan returned to Turkey, we saw that he missed his path. Domestic political developments and social incidents caused Erdogan to miss his path.” He added that the government agreed to consider the problems of the region of Iraq and Israel from the US point of view during the visit. /Sabah/
AGAR PROPOSES SPECIAL EU SUMMIT FOR TURKEY
True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar yesterday suggested that Turkey request a special summit from the European Union. Appearing on CNN Turk, Agar said the conditions in the EU this January and June aren’t the same and that certain obstacles to Turkey’s EU bid had emerged. “We should request this [summit] before the signing of the Additional Protocol,” added Agar. “Turkey should know the conditions that it faces. There are large problems that we will face in the future. The EU should declare the exact date of Turkey’s possible membership, leave conditions unacceptable to us out of the negotiations, and determine the requirements of Turkey and share these with the public.” /Cumhuriyet/
TURKS IN GERMANY PROTEST ARMENIAN RESOLUTION
Following the German Parliament’s approval of a resolution last week concerning a so-called Armenian massacre by the Ottoman Empire, thousands of Turks living in Berlin yesterday staged demonstrations protesting the resolution. /Hurriyet/
US AMBASSADOR EDELMAN LEAVES ANKARA
After serving for two years in Ankara, US Ambassador Eric Edelman departed for his home country over the weekend. Staff from the US Embassy in Ankara saw Edelman off at Esenboga Airport. Nancy McEldowney, the deputy chief of mission, will serve as charge d’affaires until a new envoy is appointed. Former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ross Wilson is expected to become the new ambassador to Turkey and begin the post this autumn. /Sabah/
TURKISH PAINTERS IN FRENCH EXHIBIT
Works of 18 Turkish female painters living in France will be exhibited at the Chateau de Bressuire in France from July 9 until Aug. 20. The exhibit is organized by the cultural department of the city of Bressuire. /Cumhuriyet/