Gul meets with opposition leaders

President Abdullah Gul yesterday held separate talks with main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli, and Great Union Party (BBP) Muhsin Yazicioglu. Afterwards, Baykal said that he and Gul had spoken about Turkey's recent cross-border operation into northern Iraq and visits to Ankara by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and US Vice President Dick Cheney. Saying that neither had brought up the Ergenekon probe, the headscarf issue, or proposed constitutional changes on closing political parties, he added, "We focused on subjects such as foreign policy and security issues." Later, Gul met with Bahceli and Yazicioglu at the Cankaya Palace. Following the gathering, Yazicioglu said that the northern Iraq operation and foreign policy had dominated the discussion, along with recent domestic political tension. Gul is expected today to meet with Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Zeki Sezer and Freedom and Solidarity Party leader (ODP) Ufuk Uras.