Ankara - Turkish author Yasar Kemal on Thursday was awarded Turkey's highest cultural honour when he was presented with the state Culture and Arts Prize at a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Ankara.

The controversial author of Kurdish descent has been a long-time critic of various Turkish policies concerning the Kurdish problem, spending time in police detention for his views and has at times lived in exile.

Budapest  - Turkey has accepted a Hungarian proposal to set up an international advocacy body to push for the quick realisation of the planned Nabucco gas pipeline, the head of a Hungarian committee said on Wednesday after talks.

The Turkish parliamentary trade and energy commissioner Soner Aksoy was in Budapest heading his country's delegation for talks with the leaders of the Hungarian parliament's ad hoc Nabucco committee.

After the meeting, the committee chairman Janos Koka told the state news agency MTI that Aksoy had expressed support for Hungary's recent proposal to set up an Nabucco advocacy committee.

Ankara - Turkish Airlines (THY) has decided to scrap plans to allow passengers to use mobile phones during flights saying that fights could break out between passengers due to a lack of a "culture of talking," Sabah newspaper reported on Tuesday.

"Some passengers speak with loud voices, speaking for a long, long time. The melody sounds and extras could upset other passengers. Problems could occur, fights break out, (or) flights could be put at risk," Sabah quoted an unnamed THY official as saying.

Ankara - Six people were injured in a bomb blast Monday at the Istanbul headquarters of

Washington  - As households across the United States prepare to roast the traditional turkey dinner to mark the Thanksgiving holiday, two birds were able to escape the pot and instead board a flight to Disneyland thanks to US President George W Bush.

Bush pardoned two turkeys in a humourous ceremony that has become a tradition at the White House.

Voters dubbed the birds Pumpkin and Pecan after two typical Thanksgiving pies. Later Wednesday the animals were to be flown to Disneyland in California, where Pumpkin would serve as honorary marshal of the Thanksgiving day parade.

"Together these birds will gobble the rest of their days in 'The Happiest Place on Earth.' I just hope they stay humble there," Bush joked.

New Delhi - India has scheduled talks with Turkey and Israel next month for a pipeline project that could help it access crude supplies from the Central Asian and Caspian region, a news report said Tuesday.

"It is not a simple project," Turkish energy minister, Hilmi Guler, told the Mint business daily. "In one month there will be a trilateral meeting between India, Israel and Turkey. This meeting is likely to be held in Turkey."