ANKARA (AP) - Turkey won’t accept anything less than full EU membership, a senior Turkish official said Saturday, after Turkish newspapers printed details of a French proposal to offer Turkey a “privileged partnership” instead. Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan released a statement Saturday saying it was “impossible for Turkey to accept any formula or option... other than Turkey’s full-membership goal, no matter which name it is given.”

ANKARA (AP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari met with Turkish Parliament speaker Bulent Arinc on Saturday, wrapping up a visit to Turkey that focused on business ties and concerns that violence in Iraq could spread. Al-Jaafari pledged to prevent Turkish Kurdish rebels based in Iraq from carrying out cross-border attacks. “On the basis of good neighborly relations, we will not allow any group to harm any neighboring country,” al-Jaafari said.

The chairman of Europe’s leading security organization said after meeting Serbia’s pro-Western president Boris Tadic yesterday that talks between Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian leaders and Belgrade should begin as soon as possible. “It is indeed extremely important to start this direct dialogue,” said Jan Kubis, Secretary-General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Tadic earlier this week refused an offer to meet Rugova on the sidelines of an international conference next month in Switzerland. (AP)

Albania’s main opposition Democratic Party launched its election campaign Saturday, promising to step up the fight corruption, organized crime and human trafficking. Thousands of opposition supporters rallied in central Tirana’s Skanderbeg Square holding anti-government slogans and national, US and EU flags. “Albanians have decided to replace the system of corruption with the system of democracy, the rule of law,” said Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha. Elections will be held on July 3. (AP)

Bulgaria’s president will visit Tripoli just days before a Libyan court rules on the appeal of five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death for infecting children with HIV, the presidency said yesterday. “President (Georgi Parvanov) will start a two-day visit to Tripoli on May 27, following an invitation by the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi,” said spokeswoman for the presidency Boika Bashlieva. She declined to give further details. (Reuters)