GUL REVIEWING CHANGES TO END UNIVERSITY HEADSCARF BAN
President Abdullah Gul yesterday said he was reviewing constitutional changes to end the university headscarf ban which need his signature to go into law. Gul made the remarks after separately receiving just-elected Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Justice Hasan Gerceker, Turkish Bar Association (TBB) head Ozdemir Ozok and members of the Turkish Confederation of Employer Unions (TISK). After the meeting, Ozok said that his talk with the president had been very fruitful, and added, "We discussed the amendments to Articles 10 and 42 of the Constitution and told the president about our latest meeting with local bar heads. We submitted a petition of our concerns and legal evaluations of the latest developments." Gul said that he would evaluate the package of constitutional changes and has yet to make any decision. "We're working on the package," he added. /Turkiye-Aksam/

CICEK: "TERROR GROUPS WHICH TAKE MANY INNOCENT LIVES IN TURKEY HAVE UNFORTUNATELY FOUND SHELTER IN SOME OF OUR ALLIES ABROAD"
Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek yesterday said that the Cabinet had discussed a controversial Belgian court ruling effectively freeing Fehriye Erdal, a member of the terrorist DHKP-C wanted for involvement in the 1996 assassination of a prominent businessman. Saying that Turkey expects genuine cooperation in its efforts against terrorism, Cicek explained, "Unfortunately, terrorist group which have taken many innocent lives in Turkey have found shelter in certain countries that we stand beside in many international organizations and even defense alliances." Cicek also said that the government isn't currently considering proposing changes to the Board of Higher Education (YOK) Law as part of its push to end the headscarf ban at universities. He said that now they are awaiting President Abdullah Gul's approval of Constitutional Changes towards the same end. /Cumhuriyet-Star/

TURKISH VICTIMS OF GERMAN FIRE LAID TO REST
Nine people, including five children, who were killed last week in a fire in Ludwigshafen, Germany were laid to rest yesterday in their family home of Gaziantep, in Turkey's southeast. State Ministers Said Yazicioglu and Mehmet Simsek, German Ambassador to Turkey Eckart Cuntz, Gaziantep Governor Suleyman Kamci and thousands of people attended the funeral. Speaking in Turkish at the ceremony, Cuntz said that the tragic incident had brought people from Turkey and Germany together, and added, "These people were children of both Gaziantep and Ludwigshafen. I also see myself as the ambassador of Turks living in Germany." /Turkiye/

COURT RECONVENES FOR DINK ASSASSINATION TRIAL
Istanbul's 14th High Criminal Court reconvened yesterday for the trial of 19 suspects charged with involvement in the assassination last year of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. Dink's widow Rakel and his sister Delal were present of the hearing, which was closed to the press. In related news, Turkey-European Union Joint Parliamentary Commission Co-Chairman Joost Lagendijk, who also attended the hearing, said, "In this case, those who are behind the scenes should be found and put on trial. Up to now, (only) those working in front have faced trial." He added, "If this case isn't resolved by including those behind the scenes, it will damage Turkey's image in the eyes of the EU." /Milliyet/

ISRAEL'S BARAK TO PUSH DEFENSE CONTACTS DURING ANKARA VISIT
During his contacts in Ankara starting today, Israel Defense Minister Ehud Barak plans to promote defense contacts with firms from his country. Barak hopes to win more M-60 tank modernization projects and will argue that joint Israeli-US Arrow missiles are superior to the US-produced Patriots for a proposed Turkish defense system. He will also push Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for a Turkish spy satellite project. During his visit, Barak is set to meet with his Turkish counterpart Vecdi Gonul, as well as President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, and Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit. /Sabah/

EXPORTS SOAR IN JANUARY
Turkey's export revenues soared over 38 percent in January and early February compared to the same period last year to reach $12.9 billion, said State Minister for Foreign Trade Kursad Tuzmen yesterday. In January, exports skyrocketed 49 percent, and also rose 11.7 percent on Feb. 1-9 with revenues of $3 billion, he explained. "We want to reach annual exports of $125 billion," Tuzmen added. /Sabah/