EARTHQUAKE STRIKES BINGOL, KILLING SOME 150, INJURING HUNDREDS
An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale shook the southeastern province of Bingol early this morning at 3:27 a.m. local time. Officials put the estimated death toll at around 150, including scores of children buried in a collapsed school dormitory, adding that some 300 people had suffered injuries. Search and rescue efforts are continuing to save victims trapped under the quake’s debris. Over 50 aftershocks were recorded in the region. The quake was also felt in many other provinces, including Elazig and Diyarbakir, causing panic among local residents. /Anatolian Agency/

MGK URGES GOVERNMENT TO PROTECT THE SECULAR STATE
The importance of the principle of secularism, one of the basic pillars of the Turkish Republic, and its vigilant protection cannot be overemphasized, said a statement released by yesterday’s National Security Council (NSC) meeting. The statement urged the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government to protect Turkey’s secular state amid signs of rising tension between the secular establishment and the avowedly moderate Islamist governing party. Tensions between the government and the secular establishment made headlines last week when President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and top military officials declined to attend a traditional state anniversary reception. The statement from the NSC, which brings together Sezer, government leaders and military officials, did not specify any forthcoming action that the government might take. /Aksam/

GUL TO VISIT IRAN FOR OIC MEETING AT MONTH’S END
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is set to visit Tehran, Iran at the end of this month to participate in the 30th foreign ministers’ meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Gul is also expected to pay an official visit to Bulgaria near mid-month, on May 12. /Aksam/

POWELL: “TURKEY’S PLACE IS IN EUROPE”
Turkey’s place is within Europe, so a European Union lacking it is by definition incomplete, said US Secretary of State Colin Powell yesterday. Speaking to Greek daily To Vima, Powell stressed the importance of Turkey’s relations with the fellow nations of Europe, adding that it should be taken into the EU’s ranks as soon as possible. “Ankara knows what it has to do in order to fulfýll the Union’s criteria,” said Powell. Also touching on the Cyprus issue, Powell said that he was disappointed by the collapse in March of talks to reach a resolution on the island. Powell is expected soon to follow in his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul’s footsteps by visiting Damascus to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The visit carries great importance due to recent tensions between the two countries. /Aksam/

DENKTAS: “THE TRNC HAS BEGUN TO CARRY OUT ITS OWN PLANS FOR A PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT”
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said yesterday that the TRNC had begun to carry out its own plans for a peaceful settlement on the island. During his visit to Sakarya University in northwestern Turkey, where he was honored with an honorary doctorate, Denktas told reporters that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Cyprus plan was ill-suited to forge a lasting resolution on the island. “The TRNC has opened its doors to Greek Cypriots for the sake of peace,” said Denktas, referring to last week’s opening of border gates between the island’s two countries. “This can be a foundation for our two peoples to come to know each other. If we cannot establish a joint state, then we can live as two friendly countries side-by-side.” Stressing that granting European Union membership to Greek Cyprus was a violation of the Turkish side’s rights spelled out in 1960’s international agreements, Denktas said that the EU’s “irresponsible” support to the Greek Cypriots had “spoiled” them. “After getting ahold of 12 Mediterranean islands, Greece now wants to take the 13th, and so encircle Turkey with a ring of islands,” added the TRNC president. /Turkiye/

TRNC BORDER OPENING LEADS TO SPRING BREEZE OF FRIENDSHIP
Following last week’s decision made by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to open its border gates with Greek Cyprus, enabling citizens of the island’s two nations to visit each other for the first time in decades, over 100,000 Cypriots from both sides have taken advantage of the unprecedented open-door policy. The citizens have visited each other in proportions roughly equal to their population sizes, which in practice means more Greek Cypriots have visited the TRNC. The international community has also welcomed the new winds of friendship on the island. The Times of London quoted Greek Cyprus’ Nicosia governor as saying, “From now on this issue is in the hands of the two peoples. The politicians will follow them.” He added that he was pleased with the recent developments on the island and that new steps would follow. “Along these lines, Turkish Cypriots may soon be able to work, trade or make use of the health services in Greek Cyprus,” said the governor. /Turkiye/

ERDOGAN TO VISIT TRNC
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to pay a visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on May 9, “European Union Day,” to hold a series of contacts there. He will also meet with President Rauf Denktas to discuss recent developments on the island. /Turkiye/

IKDP HEAD BARZANI SENDS LETTER TO FM GUL REPORTEDLY SEEKING FURTHER COOPERATION IN N.IRAQ
Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) leader Massoud Barzani on Monday sent a letter to Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, reportedly requesting further Turkish cooperation during the postwar period in northern Iraq. Barzani also mentioned his appreciation of Turkey’s stance on northern Iraq during the war. In related news, Turkey is due to draw up a list of people who may take part in the Iraqi interim government to help the country in its transition to democracy. The list, which would include both Sunnis and Shiites as well as Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen so as to ensure a balanced administrative system, is expected to be delivered to the Bush administration later this month. /Cumhuriyet/

US CITES KADEK IN NEW TERRORISM REPORT
The US State Department cited KADEK, the terrorist successor to the PKK, in its annual “Patterns of Global Terrorism 2002” report released yesterday, alongside similar groups the DHKP-C and Turkish Hizbullah. The report stated that despite the PKK’s name-change last year to the so-called “Kurdistan Freedom and Democracy Congress” (KADEK) and its concomitant pledge to abandon armed attacks in favor of a political path, the terrorist group has persisted in arming an estimated 8,000 trained fighters in and around Turkey. Over the last two decades, the terrorist organization PKK/KADEK is responsible for claiming over 30,000 lives in southeastern Turkey. Turkey is a party to all 12 international conventions and protocols relating to terrorism. /Cumhuriyet/

CB HEAD DOWNPLAYS ECONOMIC IMPACT OF POLITICAL TENSIONS
There is no reason why current domestic political tensions should do any damage to the economy, said Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti yesterday. Speaking to reporters, Serdengecti said that the Iraq war had made no visible impact on Turkey’s economy, adding that the CB would strive to achieve its 20% inflation target for this year. He further remarked that the CB might launch inflation indexing later in May or June, but that external conditions were not appropriate for the measure just now. /Milliyet/

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION