Prague  - Czech President Vaclav Klaus, whose country chairs the European Union until June 30, Wednesday backed Turkey's aspirations to join the 27-member bloc.

"I would like to repeat and resolutely and loudly say that the Czech Republic is on the side of those who support Turkey's entry to the EU," Klaus said after meeting his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul in Prague.

Prague - Czech President Vaclav Klaus is to appoint Czech Statistics Office head Jan Fischer as the country's new premier on Thursday, the president's office said.

Fischer, who will be forming a caretaker technocrat cabinet, will take over from outgoing Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek only after the president appoints the entire government.

Fischer's appointment is the result of a deal forged by the biggest Czech political parties, Topolanek's Civic Democrats and his opposition rivals, the Social Democrats of Jiri Paroubek.

Prague - Czech President Vaclav Klaus said Monday that he is happy with a deal among rival political parties on a caretaker government led by statistician Jan Fischer that would complete the Czech Republic's presidency of the European Union ending June 30.

Klaus, who is to appoint the next premier, said in a Radio Cesko interview that he is "in principle" satisfied with the deal on the interim technocrat cabinet that would take the country to early elections before October 15.

Prague  - Czech President Vaclav Klaus said Thursday he preferred to find a quick but lasting solution to the political crisis, rather than keep outgoing Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek in a caretaker role until the end of Prague's stint as president of the European Union.

"I will not allow a lack of a solution ... such as maintaining the current, provisional state ... until the end of our presidency," Klaus said after accepting Topolanek's cabinet resignations earlier in the day.

Prague  - Czech President Vaclav Klaus Friday signed into law a bill that bans the media from publishing information from leaked police wiretaps, his office said.

The legislation was seen as a breach of media freedom.

The disputed penal code amendment, passed at a time when the Czech Republic chairs the European Union, allows courts to punish publication of information from leaked wiretaps by up to five years in prison.

Wiretap technology allows police to listen in on electronic communications in suspected criminal cases.

Prague  - Czech President Vaclav Klaus urged Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek to disavow a controversial artwork marking country's EU presidency in Brussels, which sparked a diplomatic row with Bulgaria and irritated Slovakia.

In a January 14 letter published Monday on the website of the Czech weekly business magazine Euro, Klaus called on Topolanek to join him in an apology to Bulgarian leaders.