Athens  - Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyianni on MOnday condemned air violations by Turkey and said relations between the two traditional foes had stagnated last year.

"The attempts to improve our relations with Ankara stagnated in 2008 and we will strive to improve this in the new year," Bakoyianni said following a meeting with Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis.

Athens claims that Turkish fighter jets have repeatedly been violating Greece's air space in recent weeks.

Cairo  - A Turkish delegation arrived in Cairo on Sunday to discuss an Egyptian initiative seeking a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip at the invitation of Egyptian Presidnet Hosny Mubarak.

The Turkish delegation, led by Ahmet Davutoglu, chief foreign policy advisor to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is joining talks between Egypt and Hamas.

Hamas had sent a delegation from Gaza to Cairo for talks.

Last week, Mubarak announced a plan including an immediate ceasefire by Israel and Palestinian factions so that aid could reach civilians.

The initiative also foresees the involvement of international forces and mechanisms to prevent future conflicts such as controlling the borders and easing the blockade of Gaza.

Ankara - A prosecutor in Ankara on Friday opened an investigation into whether an online campaign by a number of Turkish intellectuals in which they personally apologize for the First World War killings of Armenian constitutes "insulting the Turkish people," the Anadolu news agency reported.

The investigation will look into the "We apologize" campaign and whether it violates Turkey's notorious Article 301, which stipulates imprisonment for those found guilty of "insulting Turkishness".

Ankara- Police in Ankara on Friday seized a small arsenal of weapons buried in the grounds of a former anti-terrorism unit chief who was arrested on Wednesday and suspected of involvement in a possible coup plot, Turkish media reported

Using metal detectors and wearing forensic white uniforms, police scoured the grounds just outside the home of former Special Operations Unit head Ibrahim Sahin, discovering hand grenades, plastic explosives, heavy weapons and various types of ammunition.

Cologne, Germany  - Turks living in Cologne, Germany, are forming an association to restore decency to the Rhein city's carnival, an annual festival of parties and parades with its roots in Christianity.

"We absolutely want to be part of the fun, but we want to adapt it a bit to our own way of life," said Katharina Starke, spokeswoman for the Turkish Carnival Association of Germany, ahead of the group's launch Thursday.

Ankara - Around 40 people were taken into custody Wednesday in the latest wave of arrests connected to a shadowy nationalist gang that prosecutors claim was conspiring to overthrow Turkey's moderate Islamic government, Turkish media reported.

Those taken into custody on Wednesday included retired generals, former police officers, academics and journalists who are suspected of being connected to the so-called Ergenekon gang which allegedly had links to various murders in the past.