REFORM PACKAGE SENT TO PRESIDENT
The Harmonization Law, which is widely known as the mini reform package, was sent to the president yesterday for his approval. The package, which includes nine articles and proposes amendments to the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), Anti-terror Law, Penal Procedural Law (CMUK) and State Security Courts (DGM) Law, was approved on Wednesday by Parliament. The president will now approve the bill or send it back to Parliament wholly or in part for reconsideration within 15 days. /All Papers/
SEZER VISITS QUAKE AREA
Yesterday, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer visited Afyon and the surrounding area, which was hit by an earthquake with a magnitute of 6.0 on the Richter scale on Sunday. Sezer was accompanied by Chief of the General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu and Public Works and Housing Minister Abdulkadir Akcan. After hearing a brief from Afyon Governor Ahmet Ozyurt, Sezer talked to the area's citizens and promised that the state would meet their needs. /All Papers/
CEM: "TURKEY ADVOCATES IRAQ'S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY"
Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem yesterday met with Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit. Speaking to the press after the meeting, Cem fielded a number of questions about a letter which Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein recently sent to Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. "Turkey advocates Iraq's territorial integrity," said Cem. "I believe that Turkey is pursuing the right policy on the issue." /Cumhuriyet/
CHENEY MAY VISIT TURKEY TO BUILT ANTI-SADDAM COALITION
US Vice President Dick Cheney is planning a trip this March to 11 countries in the Middle East and Europe, including Turkey, reports said yesterday. The main purpose of Cheney's visit to Turkey and elsewhere would reportedly be the situation in Iraq and with that country's leader Saddam Hussein, with Cheney hoping to built a coalition for a military strike against Iraq. The other countries on Cheney's planned itinerary are Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Great Britain, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Amman, Jordan and Israel. /Hurriyet/
ECEVIT CALLS ON COALITION PARTNERS TO ACT IN HARMONY
Yesterday, Prime Minister and Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit asked coalition partners the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) and Motherland Party (ANAP) to act in harmony in order to avoid a deadlock in Turkish political life. Addressing his party's parliamentary group meeting, Ecevit recalled the recent tensions between the two other coalition parties on the controversial mini reform package. He said that the country could not possibly bear a deadlock in politics just at a time when the economy is beginning to get back on to track. Speaking on the Iraq issue, Ecevit stated that Turkey wanted a peaceful resolution to the matter without conflict in the region. The premier also told the deputies about his recent visit to Bulgaria. Finally, Ecevit briefed them on positive developments in the Turkish economy. /Turkiye/
AUSTRIAN DOCUMENTARY, CANADIAN DIRECTOR FEEL HEAT FROM PROTESTS
Turkish lobbies in Austria and other European countries have launched a protest campaign against a TV program entitled "Kurdistan: Plateau of the Gods" set to appear soon on Austrian state TV channel ORF. The Austrian branch of the Kemalist Thought Association has drafted letters of protest to be sent to ORF Director-General Monika Lindner. Meanwhile, French daily Le Monde yesterday gave prominent coverage to protests against Canadian movie director Atom Egoyan, whose parents are Armenian and who is currently shooting a movie entitled "Ararat" which airs allegations about the so-called Armenian genocide. The paper stated that Turkish lobbies were trying to prevent the release of the movie by sending letters of protest to the distributor company. /Cumhuriyet/
DANISH FOREIGN MINISTER HOPES FOR CYPRUS SETTLEMENT BY JULY
Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said yesterday that he was optimistic that the Cyprus problem could be settled by July, before his country takes over the revolving presidency of the European Union. Moeller spoke to reporters after separate meetings with Glafcos Clerides and Yiannakis Cassaoulides, the president and prime minister from Greek Cyprus. "I think that a solution is possible before we take over the presidency on July 1. I am very optimistic," he said. /Turkish Daily News/
DANISH PARLIAMENTARIAN NAMED EU LIASON TO TURKISH PARLIAMENT
The European Union-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Commission has selected a Danish parliamentarian to handle relations between the Turkish Parliament and the European Union Parliament. European Greens Party Parliamentarian Joost Lagendijk was named to the post yesterday. /Hurriyet/
YUCELEN: "POLITICIZATION WILL NOT BRING BACK THE PKK'S VICTIMS"
Interior Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen said yesterday, "We all know that the PKK is making efforts towards politicization." He added however, that such efforts could never bring back the 35,000 people who died during the struggle against the terrorist organization. /Cumhuriyet/
AKBULUT RESIGNS FROM ANAP
Motherland Party (ANAP) Ankara Deputy Yildirim Akbulut yesterday resigned from his party. Akbulut, a former prime minister and presidential hopeful, is expected to join the True Path Party (DYP). With Akbulut's defection, the number of independent deputies in the Parliament has now increased to 15, while that of ANAP deputies has fallen to 78. /Turkiye/
INVESTIGATION COMMISSION DECIDES AYDIN WON'T FACE SUPREME COURT
The Parliament Investigation Commission decided yesterday that there was no need for the Supreme Court to hear charges against former Public Works and Housing Minister Koray Aydin. The commission took two months to reach the decision. Last September Aydin resigned from the Ministry in the wake of allegations of corruption. He also submitted a resignation from Parliament, which the body declined to accept. /Turkiye/
TURKISH SCHOLAR TO HEAD UN COMMITTEE ON TRAINING SAILORS
Professor Osman Kamil Sag, the dean of the Maritime Faculty of Istanbul Technical University, was selected chairman of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Subcommittee on Seafarer Training and Watchkeeping during the sub-committee's 33rd term meeting held late last month. The IMO, which is based in London, is a United Nations agency responsible for improving maritime safety and preventing maritime pollution from ships. Sag has held positions in many institutions such as the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU) and the International Maritime Association of the Mediterranean (IMAM). He was given the "2001 Annual IAMU Award of Recognition" in Kobe, Japan during the IAMU's Second General Assembly last October. /Cumhuriyet/
INSPECTION UNIT ESTABLISHED WITHIN MARITIME UNDERSECRETARIAT
A bill concerning a proposed inspection unit for the Maritime Undersecretariat was passed in Parliament yesterday, thus establishing the unit. The bill had been held up for three weeks due to the concerns of a number of deputies, but it was finally passed through the efforts of deputy prime ministers Devlet Bahceli and Husamettin Ozkan. /Star/
SYMPOSIUM TO DISCUSS PROTECTING HISTORIC CITIES
The Culture Ministry will hold a symposium in Antalya this weekend on "Protecting Turkey's Historic Cities and Bringing Them to Future." The gathering will be opened by Culture Minister Istemihan Talay and attended by governors from 25 provinces as well as over 100 mayors and scores of deputies. Talay said yesterday that the symposium would hear testimony from both Turkey and abroad about the protection of ancient cities' natural and cultural assets. Talay further stated that the legal and administrative issues of such protection and suggestions about protecting and preserving the contributions of traditional Turkish architecture, both in historic cities and in new developments, would be discussed at the symposium. /Aksam/
CEM MEETS WITH BUSINESSMEN TO PREPARE FOR MEETING IN US
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and representatives of the Turkish business community met yesterday in order to make preparations for the first meeting of the Turkish-US Economic Cooperation Commission in the United States on Feb. 26-27. The preparatory meeting was attended by Turkish Association of Chambers and Stock Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu, Turkish Exporters Assembly Chairman (TIM) Oguz Satici, Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) Executive Board Chairman Rona Yircali and Turkish Association of Industrialists and Businessmen (TUSIAD) Deputy Chairman Mustafa Koc. In addition, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal, who will lead the Turkish delegation at the commission, was also present at the gathering. During the meeting, Hisarciklioglu said that the US contingent was continuing to work on getting textile quota on Turkey lifted. /Aksam/
21st INTERNATIONAL ISTANBUL BOAT SHOW OPENS TODAY
The 21st International Istanbul Boat Show Fair will be opened at the CNR World Trade Center today and is set to run through Feb. 17. Over 150 companies and more than 600 products will be on display. A massive whale skeleton stretching 14 meters, which the Turkish Foundation for Maritime Research (TUDAV) brought from Adana, will also be exhibited at the fair. Proceeds from the fair will be donated to the "Education Campaign for a Million Children." /Star/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION