ERDOGAN PRAISES TURKEY’S ECONOMY PERFORMANCE
Addressing the prize ceremony held by the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO) to mark the 41st anniversary of the organization, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the weekend praised Turkey’s economy performance noting that all economic and financial indicators show that the country is making good progress. “We’re receiving very good news from all over the country,” he said. “As the curtain of mist over Turkey is lifting today, our path is being enlightened. We’re witnessing that Turkey’s industry, commerce and employment are developing faster than ever. I believe that our public servants, industrialists and workers are feeling more hopeful today. Turkey has also become a completely different country in the international platform.” /Sabah/

TALAT: “TRNC’S ISOLATION SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO AN END IN ORDER TO BRING PAPADOPOULOS TO THE NEGOTIATION TABLE”
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said yesterday that his priority was a solution on the island, adding that TRNC’s isolation should be brought to an end in order to bring Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos to the negotiation table. “Papadopoulos doesn’t have any intention to take any step until Oct.3,” he said. “But he will have to change his mind if TRNC’s isolation is ended.” Asked whether there was a new plan for a solution, Talat said that plans other than the Annan plan were only rumors. /Cumhuriyet/

DENKTAS SEES NEW CYPRUS PEACE TALKS AFTER APRIL
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas said yesterday that a new round of talks to find a resolution to the Cyprus issue might start after April. Speaking at a press conference in Lefkosha, Denktas said that new process would be the last try. “The process will either lead to a unified Cyprus or to a two- state finale,” said Denktas, who met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week in Istanbul. The TRNC foreign minister stated that if that process fails due to stance of Greek Cypriots, then Turkish Cypriots would shape a strategy to integrate with the world through their own independent state. He added that the TRNC government to end the country’s international isolation would increase diplomatic efforts. /Turkiye/

BAYKAL, SARIGUL SEEKS SUPPORT FOR DELEGATES FOR CHP LEADERSHIP
In the runup to a key party congress to be held later this month, Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and his main rival Mayor of the Sisli district Mustafa Sarýgul continuing their efforts to seek the delegates’ support for CHP leadership. Speaking to regional delegates from eight provinces in Ankara over the weekend, Baykal said, “We’ll overcome all these problems. There is no need to hustle.” Criticizing Baykal during his rally in southeastern province of Gaziantep, Sarigul stressed that very important changes took place in the whole world, but no change happened at CHP headquarters. He vowed that following his victory in the party congress, he would do his best to make the CHP the most democratic party in the world, adding that a strong CHP would greatly contribute to development of Turkey. Baykal is expected to travel both to Diyarbakir and Adana today to hold meetings. /Turkiye/

GREEK DAILY FILELEFTEROS: “ERDOGAN WILL TELL ANNAN THAT TURKEY WILL BE A STEP AHEAD THAN GREECE AND GREEK CYPRUS FOR A RESOLUTION”
Greek daily Filelefteros said yesterday that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is due to meet with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in Davos on Jan. 25-26, is expected to tell him that Turkey will continue to be a step ahead from Greece and Greek Cyprus for a resolution on the island. Filelefteros further claimed that if Annan launches a new initiative for the Cyprus issue, Erdogan would reportedly accept Greek Cypriots’ security demand. In related news, Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos is due to travel to Athens on Jan. 25-26 to discuss recent Cyprus developments with Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis. /Milliyet/

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH REPORT APPLAUDS TURKEY’S HUMAN RIGHTS REFORMS
New-York based Human Rights Watch, the largest human rights organization based in the United States with its researchers conducting fact-finding investigations into human rights abuses in all regions of the world, has released its annual report entitled “World Report 2005” covering 60-plus countries including Turkey. The report states that Turkey’s human rights record continued to improve during 2004, as the country attempted to recover from the legacy of human rights violations in the early 1990s. “There were fewer cases of torture and ill-treatment in 2004, largely due to safeguards imposed in recent years, and by the government’s frequent assertions of zero-tolerance for such abuses,” the report adds. It also praises recent human rights reforms, including the release of the four Kurdish former deputies Leyla Zana, Orhan Dogan, Hatip Dicle, and Selim Sadak, who were convicted in 1994 under the anti-Terror Law, and also the beginning of broadcasting in minority languages in the state television. /Hurriyet/

SERDENGECTI: “WE HAVEN’T OVERCOME OUR INFLATION PROBLEM SINCE PRICE STABILITY ISN’T FULLY ESTABLISHED”
Central Bank Governor Sureyya Serdengecti yesterday touted Turkey’s low inflation, adding, however that Turkey hasn’t still overcome its inflation problem because price stability wasn’t fully established in the country. “In order to say that we have overcome our inflation problem, price stability should be permanent,” he said. Touching on high current accounts deficit despite tight monetary and fiscal policies, Serdengecti said that this was because of high demand. He predicted, however, that high current accounts deficit would cause no crisis since Turkey was implementing floating exchange rate. /Milliyet/

TURKEY TO MEET IRAQ’S FUEL OIL NEED
Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) signed contracts with Turkish companies to meet Iraq’s fuel oil need. The managers of more than 20 Turkish companies met SOMO Director General Dhiaa Al-Bakkaa in Jordanian capital Amman for the procurement of oil products which is required for 2005 in the country. According to the contracts covering January-June 2005, the Turkish companies will export 600,000 tons of fuel oil per day to Iraq. /Star/