PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE ECONOMIC BILLS
This week bills on economic matters will be on Parliament's agenda. Legislation to boost employment as well as bills on the estate tax and consumer and earthquake insurance will be debated. Meanwhile, Parliament's Interparty Reconciliation Commission will meet on Tuesday to complete its work on an amendment to Articles 101 and 104 of the Constitution which propose curbing the powers of the president, limiting presidents to one term, and confining their selection to among sitting members of Parliament. /All Papers/
CAKMAKOGLU GOES TO GERMANY FOR NATO-UKRANIAN MEETING
Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu flew to Germany yesterday to attend a meeting concerning NATO-Ukranian relations. Before his departure, Cakmakoglu told reporters that Ukraine had good relations with Turkey and that it was a country which contributed to security, peace and stability in the Balkans and Southeastern Europe. He added that he would meet with his German counterpart and discuss Afghanistan as well as defense cooperation with Germany. /Turkiye/
TURK: "PENITENCE LAW DOES NOT INCLUDE ABDULLAH OCALAN"
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said yesterday that Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the terrorist PKK organization, would not benefit from a proposed new penitence law. The law would cover persons who supply information about terrorist organizations, Turk added. /Hurriyet/
TALABANI TO VISIT ANKARA
Jalal Talabani, the leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), is scheduled to pay an official visit to Turkey today. Turkish Foreign Ministry officials will convey Turkey's concerns about peace and security in northern Iraq to Talabani. Turkey is especially concerned with the terrorist PKK's recent efforts to reorganize its political wing in the region. Another sensitive issue to be discussed with the PUK leader is certain Kurdish groups' efforts to establish an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq. Talabani will be reminded that Turkey would never allow an independent state to be established in the region, even in the wake of a possible US intervention in Iraq. Meanwhile, Talabani is expected to express his opposition to the formation of such a state. /Cumhuriyet/
VURAL: "TURKEY SHOULDN'T BE LATE FOR THE EU"
Appearing on state TV channel TRT 1 yesterday, Turkish Secretary-General for EU Affairs Volkan Vural offered his evaluations of recent developments concerning Turkey's bid for EU membership and its relations with the EU. Denouncing the European Parliament's recent approval of a report recognizing a so-called Armenian genocide, Vural said, "Such allegations can never alter historical facts. I don't believe that Turkey's accession period will be adversely affected by this development." Recalling that the EU is due to set a calendar for candidate countries by the end of 2003, Vural remarked that Turkey must do its utmost not to miss the opportunity to join the Union. "Turkey shouldn't be late for the EU," said Vural. "We've accomplished most of our short-term goals. The faster we fulfill the EU criteria, the sooner we can enter the Union." Vural also added that he did not believe the EU was demanding that Turkey make sacrifices for the sake of EU membership, stressing that the EU's demands such as improving its human rights situation should be considered positive developments for Turkey's future. /Cumhuriyet/
FEBRUARY INFLATION FIGURES RELEASED
The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) yesterday released inflation figures for February. The month-on-month inflation rate was announced as 2.6% for the wholesale price index (WPI) and 1.8 % for the consumer price index (CPI). The year-on-year inflation rate was 72.1% and 60.7% for the WPI and CPI, respectively. State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis said in a written statement that the inflation figures were consistent with the government'simplemented economic program, and that they were encouraging. /All Papers/
TOBB SUMMIT SLATED TO DISCUSS EAST, SOUTHEAST
Turkish Union of Chambers and Stock Exchanges (TOBB) President Rifat Hisarciklioglu is slated to hold a meeting tomorrow to discuss the problems of the eastern and southeastern Anatolia region with bureaucrats and ministers responsible for that area. /Star/
FARMERS TO RECEIVE 35 TRILLION TL IN AID
State Minister Ramazan Mirzaoglu said yesterday that the Agriculture and Village Affairs Ministry would grant agricultural support aid to Turkish farmers amounting to 35 trillion Turkish lira next week. While traveling on state business in Manisa, Mirzaoglu said, "Initially, direct support aid will be made to the earthquake-stricken and disaster regions. Secondly, it will be given to other provinces such as Manisa." /Aksam/
ORAL: "THE TURKISH ECONOMY IS IMPROVING"
Finance Minister Sumer Oral said yesterday that the Turkish economy was improving. "We don't expect to run into any road blocks this year," Oral added. /Star/
GERMAN TOUR OPERATOR TUI HOPEFUL ABOUT TURKISH TOURISM
One of the biggest tour operators in Germany, TUI, believes that although the tourism market will shrink this year, Turkey's share will increase. Stating yesterday that the travel market in Germany had recently seen a contraction of 30%, TUI's Contract Director for Turkey Nurhan Erdem Tanir said, "While the number of tourists visiting Spain and Greece is falling by 30% and Tunisia by 50%, Turkey's loss is coming in at just 15-20%. Recently the number of German tourists travelling to Turkey through TUI has started to climb as compared to last year, and this makes us hopeful." /Aksam/
WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN ENVIRONMENT PLATFORM MEETING HELD IN MARMARIS
Scientists, scholars, representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and environmentalists from Mediterranean countries gathered recently to discuss environmental problems at a meeting of the Western Mediterranean Environment Platform in Marmaris. The attendees stressed that there were certain deficiencies in Turkey's environmental policies and that Turkey had to develop its own environmental philosophy in order to eliminate widespread ignorance of the issues. /Cumhuriyet/
TURKISH JEWELERS SEE POTENTIAL IN HUNGARIAN MARKET
At yesterday's wrap-up of Budapest's International Textile and Jewelry Fair, participating jewelers said that they were pleased with the contacts they had made. Stating that Hungary is a very attractive market with its population of 10 million, its central location, and proximity to other countries, Istanbul Chamber of Jewelers Chairman Alaattin Kameroglu said that Turkish jewelers had attracted much attention during the four-day fair. Kameroglu said that his company alone had signed business deals with three Hungarian companies and that he had seen once more that Turkey, in which tons of gold is processed every year, should place more importance on Hungary and its neighboring countries. Saying that the potential of processed gold in Turkey was very high, he added, "The potential for such gold in Hungary and its neighbors is very high as well. This can create ripe opportunities for Turkey. We must capitalize on this." /Aksam/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION