TURKISH TROOPS TO TRAVEL TO AFGHANISTAN
The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) will participate in the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) in Afghanistan with a unit of 261 including administrative staffs. Following a farewell ceremony to be held at the 28th Mechanized Brigade Command in Ankara today, the unit will travel to Kabul, Afghanistan with a military cargo plane. There are six colonels in the Turkish troops. /Turkiye/

BAHCELI: “WE ARE IN FAVOR OF EU MEMBERSHIP”
Gunter Verheugen, who has been maintaining a series of contacts in Europe, met with Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli yesterday. The European Union Commission's representative to Turkey Karen Fogg was also present during the meeting, in which Bahceli said, “The Nationalist Action Party (MHP) supports the targets of the EU membership and is making the necessary contributions on the subject.” Stating that it will continue these contributions, Bahceli added, “There has been positive developments since Helsinki Summit. These developments occurred not in spite of the MHP, but with its contributions. We want a dignified membership.” Requesting that a concrete timetable will be given at the Copenhagen Summit, Bahceli added that Turkey’s sensitivity about terrorism should be understood. /Aksam/

LINN: WE SUPPORT TURKEY’S BID FOR FOREIGN CAPITAL
Johannes Linn, World Bank’s vice president for Europe and Central Asia, said that the World Bank was ready to help Turkey to attract foreign capital to the country. However, he said, the complex tax system and unfair incentive regime were major obstacles before investors. He also underlined that the World Bank insisted on the fight against corruption. Linn, paying a four-day visit to Turkey, met with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit yesterday and he is also scheduled to meet with State Minister for the economy Kemal Dervis. /Turkiye/

THE EUROPEAN UNION INSISTS ON TWO CRITERIA
Gunter Verheugen, the European Commissioner for enlargement said yesterday that the European Union insists on two criteria in order to start Turkey’s full membership process. These criteria are; the abolition of the death penalty and education in mother tongue. Turkey for its part insisted on a date to be set to start the full membership process. Verheugen also met with Deputy Prime Ministers Devlet Bahceli and Mesut Yilmaz. Yimaz and Verheugen signed two accords concerning the local management of the European Union’s financial aid package. /Hurriyet/

DERVIS: “THE CRISIS REGARDING LOANS MOSTLY OVER”
Speaking in Parliament’s Planning and Budget Commission to discuss the Bill for Regulating Public Financing and Debt Management yesterday, State Minister for the economy Kemal Dervis said that Turkey had mostly solved the crisis over loans. /Hurriyet/

PEARSON: “WE NEED A STRONG TURKEY”
Speaking at a conference “Improving the Investment Environment in Turkey,” Robert Pearson, US Ambassador to Ankara said that the US would always need a strong Turkey. “The US would like to see Turkey in an active role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, Pearson added. Pearson also said that Turkey has a lot of advantages of being close to Afghanistan and Central Asia. /Hurriyet/

DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNESCO MATSUURA PRAISES TURKEY
Director-General of UNESCO Koichiro Matsuura yesterday visited Turkish National Education Minister Metin Bostancioglu. Praising Turkey’s efforts to improve the conditions of education, Matsuura remarked that all Islamic countries should consider Turkey good example for its efforts precisely aimed at bolstering conditions of education for girls. Meanwhile, Bostancioglu stated that Turkey adhered to all principles of UNESCO, underlining the importance of eliminating ignorance for democracy and peace. /Cumhuriyet/

BILL ON PRESS LAW DISCUSSED
A recently prepared bill on Press Law was yesterday discussed at a meeting attended by the representatives of media. Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz remarked that the bill should be passed by the Parliament as soon as possible since the issue of enhancing press freedom was of great importance to Turkey’s bid for full EU membership. Yilmaz stated that the implementation of the right to access information in a country highly depended upon the existence of a free press. Remarking that the bill was designed to eliminate the obstacles against the freedom of press, Yilmaz also added that it was prepared in line with liberal principles and taking realities of Turkey into consideration. Meanwhile, State Minister Yilmaz Karakoyunlu stated that the current Press Law imposed strong restrictions over press freedom after 1954. /Cumhuriyet/

SEZER MEETS ISIKARA
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday said that Istanbul was not ready for an earthquake. Sezer visited 1st Army Command and then Bogazici University’s Kandilli Observatory and was briefed by Prof. Ahmet Mete Isikara. Following his visit, while answering a question if Istanbul was ready for a possible earthquake, Sezer replied, “Maybe Istanbul is not ready for it completely. Istanbul needs resources. According to the information I received from Istanbul Governor, a project was prepared concerning the issue. I hope precautions will continue to be taken as long as there are financial resources for it. /Sabah/

ISO TO PRESENT A REPORT TO PRIME MINISTER
The Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ISO) prepared a report entitled “Solution Proposals for Turkey’s Problems with Priority” to present to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. The report urges the government to take appropriate measures to provide industrialists with more opportunities. The report suggests that Turkey’s new industry policies should be prepared with the contribution of all sectors concerned. /Cumhuriyet/

THE FIRST CENTER FOR HIGH-ENERGY PHYSICS ESTABLISHED IN TURKEY
The International Committee for Future Accelerators (ICFA) established its first center to carry out scientific studies on high-energy physics in Turkey. ICFA was created to facilitate international collaboration in the construction and use of accelerators for high-energy physics. The opening ceremony of the center was held yesterday in Istanbul. Turkish Scientific and Technological Researches Institution (TUBITAK) Chairman Prof. Namik Kemal Pak stated that new investments on science and technology studies were very important to Turkey’s bid for full EU membership. /Cumhuriyet/

CHOMSKY CRITICIZES THE US AND TURKEY
A prominent American thinker Noam Avram Chomsky who attended a panel in Diyarbakir, accused Turkey of supporting the US policies. Claiming that an attack on Iraq will cause confusion in the Middle East, Chomsky said that Turkey which is a water resource in the region, had put other countries in a difficult position by establishing dams. During his speech, he mostly criticized his own country by saying that the war of the US in the region aims to establish an authority on oil resources. He also underlined that he was in favor of a Kurdish state to be established in the region and asserted that in the case of a US military intervention in the Iraq, Turkey would militarily support. /Turkiye/

USAK CARPETS ATTRACT ATTENTION ABROAD
Usak carpets attracted attention in Christie’s Auction this week. The carpets, which had been selected from the Syrian ambassador and diplomat Gazi Alta’s carpet collection and which had been woven in the 17th century, was sold in the auction for tens of thousands of dollars. These carpets, which ceased to be woven at homes recently, are exported to six countries, mostly to the US and Germany under the names of Lotto, Madalyon, Kuslu and Sapanlý. /Aksam/

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