ERDOGAN, KARAMANLIS DISCUSS CYPRUS ISSUE
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, visiting Brussels, Belgium to attend the European People’s Parties’ Summit, last evening met with his Greek counterpart Costas Karamanlis at a working dinner. The two leaders reportedly exchanged views on the Cyprus issue. State Minister Mehmet Aydin and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Istanbul Deputy Egeman Bagis were also present at the meeting. Erdogan is set to attend a meeting of the Union of European Christian Democrats this morning, and to return to Turkey in the evening. /Turkiye/

KARAMANLIS, SCHROEDER URGE ANKARA TO EXTEND ANKARA PROTOCOL TO NEW EU MEMBERS
Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and his German counterpart Gerhard Schroeder yesterday met in Berlin. At a press conference, the two leaders said that Turkish-European Union relations had dominated their talks. Karamanlis said that he supported Turkey’s EU membership bid, adding, however, that Ankara should fulfill all the conditions and extend the Ankara Protocol to all 10 new EU members in due time. Schroeder, for his part, stated that he shared the same views as Karamanlis. Stressing that Turkey should fully implement reforms, the German chancellor stated that he believed it would extend the Ankara Protocol to all the new EU members. /Turkiye/

CICEK: “THERE IS NO PROVISION IN THE NEW TCK FOR A RETRIAL OF OCALAN”
Speaking following yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Justice Minister and government spokesman Cemil Cicek said that there was no article in the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK) which would entail a retrial of PKK/KADEK terrorist head Abdullah Ocalan. Asked whether the Justice Ministry was preparing for such a retrial, Cicek said that there was no possibility of that for now, adding that first the European Court of Human Rights should issue a ruling on the issue. In related news, Justice and Development Party deputy leader Faruk Celik said yesterday that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had told him that the government had made no legal changes which would pave the way for Ocalan’s retrial. /Star/

AKSU: “THE NUMBER OF MISSIONARIES IN TURKEY IS NOT KNOWN”
Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu said yesterday that exact figures on the number of missionaries in Turkey were not available, adding that some were helping poor families and their children and aiding victims of natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. In a written response to Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy Mahmut Goksu’s question concerning missionaries in Turkey, Aksu said that estimating the number of missionaries was not possible. “It’s also impossible to estimate the amount of money they spend, since they act in secrecy,” he added. /Cumhuriyet/

PAPADOPULOS: “WE WON’T ACCEPT A UN REFEREE”
Tassos Papadopulos, leader of the Greek Cypriot administration, said yesterday that Greek Cyprus wanted the UN secretary-general’s initiatives to find a settlement to the Cyprus issue, but it wouldn’t accept his “referee.” Speaking at a gathering in Athens, he said that national issues could not be solved by a foreign arbitrator. Stressing that Greek Cypriots wanted a settlement to the Cyprus issue, he remarked however that they had rejected Kofi Annan’s Cyprus plan because it failed to meet their concerns on certain matters. Papadopulos added that Greek Cypriots continued to support forming a federation with two nations and two regions. /Turkiye/

EU TO PROVIDE TURKEY WITH €2 BILLION IN PRE-ACCESSION AID OVER THREE YEARS
European Union Investment Bank Vice President Wolfgang Roth and the bank’s Turkey Desk Chief Hakan Lucius yesterday briefed the Turkish Parliament on €2 billion in pre-accession economic assistance the EU will provide to Turkey over three years. Addressing the deputies, Lucius stated that the amount of the assistance could rise if circumstances warrant. /Cumhuriyet/

SCHOLAR OF “GENOCIDE” CLAIMS MEETS WITH BAYKAL
Justin McCarthy from Louisville University, an expert on the Armenian “genocide” claims, yesterday met with opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc. Baykal stressed the importance of rectifying a “great deception” on this issue, adding, “We want to make sure the debate will move away from a political framework to a scholarly one based on historical documents.” Arinc also said that Turkey is ready to make available every document in its possession on Armenians and that it has never committed a genocide. McCarthy added, “There was a war in eastern Anatolia during World War I, not a genocide campaign against the Armenians in the region.” Stressing that the Armenian accusations of genocide were illogical, McCarthy said Turkey was one of the most important countries in the world and a model country in its region. He also emphasized that resolutions taken by several countries’ parliaments concerning the Armenian genocide claims were politically motivated. /Huttiyet/

BRITISH BUSINESSMAN VISITS TRNC TO DISCUSS INVESTMENT CLIMATE
Michael Bouttcher, the director of British firm Store International, which has tourism investments in many countries, yesterday visited the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in order to discuss the investment climate in the country. He is being accompanied by a delegation during his short stay on the island. Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Bouttcher said that he was visiting Cyprus to discuss business, adding that he could invest in the TRNC. Bouttcher is expected to meet in Girne (Kyrenia) with Ahmet Arken, the owner of the Pinae Bay Club, to discuss a possible joint venture before leaving the island tomorrow. /Turkiye/

CHP DEPUTY PROPOSES BILL TO PROTECT HOMEOWNERS WHO ACT IN SELF-DEFENSE
Opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Canan Aritman yesterday proposed a bill to shield from prosecution people who assault robbers invading their homes. “In Turkey, a person can get prison time even if a he wants to protect himself from a robber entering his house,” said Aritman. /Star/

NORWEGIAN AMBASSADOR VOICES SUPPORT FOR TERRORIST HEAD ABDULLAH OCALAN
Norwegian Ambassador Hans Wilhelm Longva and a committee of Norwegian deputies and journalists yesterday attended celebrations marking Nevruz, and the group joined into slogans supporting terrorist group PKK head Abdullah Ocalan. Longva visited Diyarbakir Governor Efkan Ala and expressed his pleasure of seeing improvements in democracy. “There is a positive atmosphere,” added Longva. The Nevruz celebrations continued without interventions by the police. /Sabah/

SSK, PHARMACIES REACH PAYMENT SETTLEMENT
Social Security Authority (SSK) pharmacies yesterday reached a compromise on the issue of payment for medicines. The SSK will pay for the medicines of citizens retroactive to Feb. 10 into the accounts in three state-owned banks. The SSK also pledged to shortly pay back its accumulated debts to the pharmacies. /Turkiye/