STANDING OVATION FOR SEZER IN LITHUANIA
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday delivered a speech to the Parliament in Lithuania, the second stop on his official Baltic tour, and his remarks were met with a standing ovation from the national assembly. “The rights and freedoms of the people are not bestowed upon them by their governments. On the contrary, such rights are the people’s birthright,” he said. “Governments in the present age must strive to create the conditions necessary to guarantee the people’s rights and their free and unhindered exercise. In Turkey we must raise the level of consciousness of both the people and the government towards this end, and so we can benefit from our rights and freedoms in a better atmosphere, one keeping in line with international standards. The Turkish Parliament’s recent action passing certain constitutional amendments shows Turkey’s determination and resolve to make our rights and freedoms into a shining beacon for all the world.” Addressing the Cyprus situation, Sezer remarked that admitting the Greek Cypriot administration into the EU before establishing a peaceful settlement on the island would only exacerbate efforts to reach a solution. /Milliyet/

ECEVIT: “THE ECONOMY IS HEADED UPWARDS”
Prime Minister and Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit said yesterday that precluding unexpected developments, the Turkish economy would continue to improve this year. Speaking at his party’s parliamentary group meeting, Ecevit stated that despite pessimistic views from some quarters, very positive progress was being made. Stressing that the government had opened up new horizons in the economic and social realms for Turkey, the prime minister said, “Our DSP deputies have contributed greatly to all the legislative work with their diligence and regular attendance at meetings.” Turning to the situation in the Middle East, Ecevit said that a “humanitarian tragedy” was taking place there. Criticizing the Israeli government for its occupation of Palestinian territories and its “oppressive stance,” Ecevit said, “Turkey has been doing whatever it can to stop this tragedy, and we will continue to do so.” /Sabah/

DERVIS: “TURKEY IS A BRIDGE BETWEEN EAST AND WEST”
State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis, who is currently in Germany for an official visit, yesterday attended a conference of the Near East and Middle East Association. Speaking to the gathering, Dervis underlined Turkey’s importance for the European Union and the imperative for the Union to admit it. Characterizing Turkey as a bridge between Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Dervis stated that it was in the interests of both Turkey and the EU to improve bilateral relations “The Turkish economy had a very difficult year last year, but now our economic crisis has ended,” Dervis added. /Hurriyet/

PARLIAMENT JUSTICE COMMISSION APPROVES BILL ON DEATH PENALTY
Parliament’s Justice Commission yesterday approved a bill concerning an amendment to the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) on the death penalty. The bill proposes abolishing the death penalty, excepting cases of war crimes, imminent threat of war and terrorist crimes. /Turkiye/

TURKEY SIGNS SECURITY AGREEMENT WITH BULGARIA
Bulgarian Interior Minister Georgi Petkanov arrived in Ankara yesterday to make contacts with Turkish officials. Turkish Interior Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen and Petkanov signed a Coast Guard Agreement and Minutes of Accord to improve security cooperation between the two countries. Yucelen said that major issues on the agenda for Petkanov’s meetings would be working to fight terrorism and drug smuggling as well as improving mutual cooperation on other security issues. /Cumhuriyet/

UN BEGINS DECOMMISSIONING WEAPONS ON CYPRUS
United Nations officials have started to decommission weapons in the Greek Cypriot administration as a show of good will to the island’s Turkish Cypriots. UN peacekeeping force units have destroyed some 4,500 weapons to date at the UN headquarters on Cyprus. “We have started the process of weapon decommissioning and we expect to have completed it within two months,” said a UN spokesman in Lefkosha. /Cumhuriyet/

SOUTH KOREAN CHIEF OF STAFF RECEIVES HONOR FROM KIVRIKOGLU
South Korean Chief of General Staff Gen. Nam-Shin Lee, who is currently on an official visit to Ankara, was yesterday awarded an Order of Merit from his Turkish counterpart Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu. Gen. Nam-Shin Lee accepted the honor with great thanks, calling it a wonderful token of Turkey’s friendship with South Korea and of both countries’ contributions to peace throughout the world. /Star/

DEUTCHE BANK ANALYST: “TURKEY’S ECONOMIC PROGRAM IS PERFECT”
An official from Deutsche Bank, one of the world’s premier investment banks, yesterday gave his enthusiastic seal of approval to Turkey’s economic program. Deutsche Bank Turkey analyst Marco Anunciata lauded the government’s implementation of its program as “flawless,” adding, “Never before have I seen such an excellent standby program.” Recent weeks have seen a marked increase in interest in investing in Turkey, Annunciata said. Hopes are high for the short-term, he remarked, tempered only by some concern about regional political tensions, especially in the Middle East and Iraq. /Aksam/

US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HEAD PLEDGES TO PROMOTE TURKEY
Thomas Donohoe, the chairman of the US Chamber of Commers, wrapped up a historic two-day visit to Turkey yesterday with a joint press conference held in Istanbul with leaders of the Turkish business community. Donohoe praised the economic opportunities he had seen during his stay and vowed not to let his country or government pass them by. “When I get back home I’m going to talk with the government and with business circles in order to promote Turkey,” he pledged. The business leader also asked Turkey’s business community to do its part to promote economic cooperation, because, he said, “Capital flocks to where it feels welcome and safe.” He added that cutting red tape in Turkey that tends to discourage foreign investment would be a positive step towards attracting a massive foreign capital influx. /Aksam/

SLOVENIA TO REPRESENT EU MEMBERSHIP CANDIDATES
Former Slovenian Prime Minister Lojze Peterle was elected as the representative of 13 European Union membership candidates, including Turkey, at the recent European Union Association meeting in Brussels. Peterle stated that Slovenia would support more cooperation between the EU candidate countries as well as the improvement of bilateral relations. /Cumhuriyet/

TURKEY CELEBRATES CULTURE WITH INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVALS
International theatre festivals to be held throughout Turkey this year will contribute a great deal both to strengthening cultural ties between the countries involved and enlivening Turkey’s cultural atmosphere. The “Turkish-Greek Theatres’ Assembly” on May 10-17 in Istanbul will host thespians from both countries switching hats, as Greek actors are set to perform Turkish plays, and Turkish troupes to stage plays by their Aegean neighbors. The current “State Theaters Sabanci International Stage Festival” in Adana, in addition, has attracted groups from as far afield as France, Bulgaria, Russia and Greece to display their talent through April 27. And the Black Sea city of Trabzon is set to host the third “International Black Sea Theatre Assembly” on May 15-23. /Cumhuriyet/

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