TOLL OF BINGOL EARTHQUAKE STANDS AT 84; RESCUE EFFORTS CONTINUING
The death toll from yesterday morning’s 6.4 earthquake in the southeastern province of Bingol stands at 84, with approximately 500 people injured. Dozens of students are still believed to be trapped underneath the collapsed dormitory at Celtiksuyu Primary School. Search and rescue efforts are continuing. Following the disaster, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the quake region accompanied by the ministers of the interior, public works and housing, education and health. Erdogan pledged that the state would use all means at its disposal to heal the wounds caused by the quake, adding that some 500 houses would soon be built in Bingol to shelter those left homeless by the disaster. The prime minister added that the state was planning investigations to find the culprits responsible for substandard buildings which collapsed in the quake and claimed many lives in the process. /All Papers/

SEZER, ARINC EXTEND CONDOLENCES TO QUAKE VICTIMS
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc yesterday both issued messages of condolences to those who lost loved ones in the earthquake in Bingol. The two leaders pledged that the state would spare no effort to mend the damage wrought by the quake. Pointing to other powerful Turkish earthquakes in recent years, the messages called for state officials to take necessary measures so as to minimize losses in future disasters. Meanwhile, opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal yesterday visited the quake-stricken region and observed the ongoing rescue efforts there. He urged the government to punish those responsible for substandard buildings which collapsed in the quake. /Turkiye/

ERDOGAN ISSUES CIRCULAR ON IRAQI RECONSTRUCTION
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently issued a circular instructing all relevant state bodies to begin drawing up plans for Turkey’s contributions to Iraq’s reconstruction. Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim stated that the Foreign Ministry was currently holding a series of meetings on the issue with the attendance of private sector representatives as well as state officials. “There is a wealth of business opportunities for Turkey in postwar Iraq, especially in the communications and transportation sectors,” said Yildirim. /Hurriyet/

GUL TO MEET WITH EU FOREIGN MINISTERS IN KAS
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is set to meet with the foreign ministers of European Union countries tomorrow in the Mediterranean coastal town of Kas in order to discuss a number of issues, including Turkey’s EU membership bid. The foreign ministers will later proceed to the nearby Greek island of Rhodes to continue their discussions. /Milliyet/

US COMMERCE UNDERSECRETARY: “WITH THE RIGHT COMPANY AND THE RIGHT BID, TURKISH FIRMS CAN CLAIM THEIR ROLE IN IRAQ’S RECONSTRUCTION”
Any experienced Turkish company ready to do quality work at a reasonable price in postwar Iraq can claim their share of the reconstruction pie, said US Commerce Undersecretary for International Trade Grant Aldonas on Monday. Speaking in Brussels, Aldonas denied Turkish media reports alleging that the US administration was reluctant to give construction business in Iraq to Turkish firms. “If a Turkish construction contractor who knows a great deal about construction in the northern part of Iraq based on prior experience is going to be the low-cost, high-quality bidder, they're going to get a hard look from a US contractor,” said the US official. “Because what the contractor is looking at is who is going to provide the highest-quality, lowest-cost services. And that's the way the system ought to work. The best thing we can do is ensure that what's going on there is driven by business considerations.” He also added that the US is still very supportive of efforts to share up Turkey’s economy. “There are certain steps that Turkey has to take on its own with respect to its fiscal and monetary policies and with respect to the International Monetary Fund, which would improve the prospects for economic growth,” said Aldoras. “Certainly we'll continue to engage in our discussions on the economic and commercial front. I know I was a part of the conversations with our Turkish counterparts and … there's a lot we can do at a very practical level on the commercial front to provide greater opportunities for US companies in Turkish markets and Turkish companies in US markets. And that process will continue. It's not something that is at all affected by the war in Iraq.” /Hurriyet/

US TREASURY SECRETARY SNOW: “FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IS DEPENDENT ON TURKEY STICKING WITH ITS IMF PROGRAM”
US Treasury Secretary John Snow stated yesterday that Bush administration funds allocated for financial assistance to Turkey would be conditional on the country's adherence to its IMF-backed economic program. “We will insist they stay on track with their IMF program,” said Snow. “And any loans made available to them will be on a conditionality basis.” US President Bush's wartime spending budget included a $1 billion grant for Turkey. After Parliament refused to open Turkey’s airbases to US troops prior to the Iraq war, the sum was cut from almost $6 billion earlier in the year. “I’ve spoken to Turkish officials about the package,” added Snow. Some Ankara officials had previously indicated that attaching conditions to financial aid was unacceptable. /Sabah/

TURKEY TO REOPEN ITS BAGHDAD EMBASSY, CONSULATES IN NORTHERN IRAQ
In light of the emerging stability in postwar Iraq, Turkey has decided to reopen its embassy in Baghdad as soon as possible. The building had been evacuated, leaving behind only a small security team, just prior to the Iraq war. Ankara has also decided to reopen consulates in the northern Iraqi cities of Kirkuk, Sulaimaniya, and Mosul. /Star/

TUSIAD URGES MEASURES TO FIGHT UNEMPLOYMENT
The private sector should work to create 700,000 new jobs every year in order to fight unemployment, which has reached as high as 16% in Turkey’s non-agricultural sectors, said Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan yesterday. Speaking at a press conference showcasing a new report on “Turkey’s Labor Market and Unemployment,” Ozilhan urged the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government to take new and more effective measures to bring down alarming rates of unemployment. “Economic stability is the key weapon in the fight against unemployment, and the government needs a long-term policy to address the problem,” he said. “Bringing down labor costs is also key for creating jobs.” The TUSIAD chairman also urged the government to pass a bill promoting employer flexibility. Also speaking at the press conference, Labor Minister Murat Basesgioglu said that sustainable growth was vital for reducing unemployment, adding that Turkey needed to achieve at least 6% growth. Arzu Yalcindag, the head of TUSIAD’s Social Affairs Commission, also said that the female labor force was very important for the European Union. /Milliyet/

MAY DAY OBSERVED
May 1 or May Day celebrations, attended by workers, civil servants, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), students and some political parties, took place yesterday in Sihhiye Square in Ankara. Some 3,500 policemen were sent to the area in order to keep celebrations in line, along with a helicopter, ambulances and fire trucks. It took two hours for groups marching towards the square to reach their destination. During the walk over, marchers shouted slogans against new labor laws as well as the International Monetary Fund. /Aksam/

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