APRIL 23 CHILDREN'S DAY CELEBRATED
The April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day was celebrated yesterday throughout the country and in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as well as at Turkey's foreign missions with a wide variety of ceremonies. Additionally, last night a reception was held to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of the opening of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) in Ankara. /All Papers/
SEZER: "THE DEATH PENALTY SHOULD BE ABOLISHED"
At a Parliament reception to mark April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day yesterday, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said that the death penalty should be abolished. "There is no need to change the Constitution to accomplish this," Sezer added. "The death penalty could be abolished through making arrangements in the law." /Hurriyet/
CEM AND PAPANDREOU'S JOINT MIDEAST VISIT TO BEGIN TODAY
Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and his Greek counterpart George Papandreou are set to begin a historic joint visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories today. In the leadup to their visit to push for peace in the region, US Secretary of State Colin Powell called Cem to hail the unprecedented mission and to express his wishes for its success. /Hurriyet/
BAHCELI: "GOVERNMENT COALITION COULD BE RESHAPED"
Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli has suggested that if the government coalition partners continue to seek solutions for controversial issues in Parliament rather than among themselves, that could cause a new formation to take shape in the government's ruling coalition. Receiving children yesterday for the April 23 Children's Festival, Bahceli answered journalists' questions regarding Motherland Party ANAP) leader and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz's recent statements indicating that he favored a complete lifting of the death penalty. "I respect Yýlmaz's statements which reflect his views as a party leader," Bahceli stated. Pointing to the MHP's "clear stance" regarding the death penalty, Bahceli said that his party would act in line with that stance during debates in Parliament. Stressing that coalition partners' seeking solutions by compromising with opposition parties rather than among themselves, would not cause problem within the government, he added, however, "If this practice becomes a habit, then it may lead to a new formation in the coalition." He also emphasized that he had not meant that the MHP itself would break the coalition. /All Papers/
US CYPRUS COORDINATOR VISITS ANKARA
United States State Department Special Coordinator for Cyprus Tom Weston arrived in Ankara yesterday to make contacts with Turkish officials. Weston is expected to meet with Turkish Foreign Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal today. According to diplomatic circles, Weston's visit indicates that the US is planning to continue to actively contribute to the current round of talks between the two leaders on Cyprus. The US administration had previously indicated that it could help both sides to surmount any problems which could interrupt the peace talks. /Cumhuriyet/
DERVIS RAISES BALLOON ON ENTERING POLITICS
State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis gave out signals yesterday that he might enter party politics in the future. Dervis, who is currently in Washington to attend the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank's spring meetings, made the remarks at a gathering held by the Washington Institute think tank. Addressing his possible future in domestic politics, Dervis said, "For the time being, I am fully concentrated on my duties. However, it is hard for a cabinet minister do his job indefinitely without being able to depend on a certain party." Dervis added that his independent status up to now had been an advantage in the implementation of economic reforms. Since the economy minister post was created for Dervis early last year, he has kept his possible political cards close to his chest, though they have sparked occasional speculation. /Turkiye/
EU APOLOGIZES TO TURKEY FOR ERROR-RIDDEN MAP
The Office of EU Commission President Romano Prodi issued a statement yesterday apologizing for an error-ridden "political map" of Turkey showing the nation in the thrall of fringe and defunct political groups. The map in question, which showed the terrorist DHKP-C, Turkish Communist Labor Party-Leninist (TKEP/L) and the closed Virtue Party (FP) as representing Turkey, was prepared in error, said the statement. /Milliyet/
TURKISH-AMERICAN GROUP URGES BUSH TO FOCUS ON FACTS CONCERNING ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS
A group of Turkish Americans sent a letter to US President George W. Bush this week in an effort to counter Armenian lobbies' publicity drive on April 24, the day these lobbies use to mark a so-called genocide. The letter from the Association of Turkish-American Engineers, Architects and Scientists stressed Turkish sensitivity to the unfounded allegations and asked Bush to evaluate the issue through taking the actual historical facts into consideration. Stressing that the wartime events of 1915 could never be compared to the Holocaust of European Jews, contrary to the Armenian claims, the letter said that the lobbyists' allegations created animosity between the Turkish and Armenian nations and were greatly damaging bilateral relations. /Cumhuriyet/
LEADERS, DIPLOMATS DISCUSS REGIONAL COOPERATION IN ATHENS
Prominent British economy newsweekly the Economist hosted a three-day meeting in Athens over the weekend entitled "The Sixth Roundtable Meeting: Leadership Strategy for Global Development Through Regional Cooperation." High-level international officials and diplomats attended the meeting, including Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and EU Council Secretary-General Javier Solana. Motherland Party Istanbul Deputy and Turkish Democracy Foundation Chairman Bulent Akarcali represented Turkey at the gathering. The attendees condemned acts of terrorism and reiterated the need for the establishment of an international front against the menace. /Cumhuriyet/
TALAY, AUSTRALIAN GOVERNOR-GENERAL TO MARK GALLIPOLI LANDING
Culture Minister Istemihan Talay and Australian Governor-General Peter Hollingworth are set to attend tomorrow's annual commemoration of the landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) during the 1915 Battle of Gallipoli. Today Hollingworth will visit an exhibition of Australian Aboriginal art and see a ballet concerning the Gallipoli martyrs, and later will give a reception at Istanbul's Akol Hotel. Tomorrow morning both Talay and Hollingworth will participate in the dawn ceremony at the site of the landing. /Turkiye/
ANKARA HOSTING OIL GROUP MEETING
A meeting organized by domestic industry group the Oil Products Employers' Association is set to begin today in Ankara. The meeting will address such subjects as gas oil and energy policies, domestic oil production, and comparisons between Turkish and international oil pricing. Representing the government at the gathering will be Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and Energy Minister Zeki Cakan. State Minister Mehmet Kececiler, True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller, Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and Felicity Party (SP) leader Recai Kutan are also expected to attend. /Star/
DOMESTIC STEEL CONSUMPTION FALLS
According to a new industry group report, domestic steel consumption plummeted 34% over the last year to reach levels not seen since a full decade ago, in line with a 9.4% contraction in steel production. The Association of Iron and Steel Producers report says that increased exports had made Turkey the world's 15th-largest iron and steel producing country. But, it continues, recent protectionist measures on the part of the United States and the European Union had led Turkey to lower its $34 billion export target for this year. The report goes on to explain how the protectionist measures affected world trade in general and Turkish production in particular, and it calls on the government to take measures to counter this trend's negative effects. /Cumhuriyet/
WORLD BANK: "TURKISH ECONOMY GREW THE MOST IN 1980-90"
A new report just released by the World Bank indicates that Turkey's economy experienced its best growth period to date in 1980-90ü, a growth that so far it has not yet matched. The average growth rate for the decade in question was 5.4%, while 1990-2000 saw growth of only 3.7%. In the 1980s Turkey's economy was one of the fastest growing in the world, the report added./Milliyet/
PUBLIC DEBT INCREASES IN Q1
The Treasury announced yesterday that state debt had increased in the first quarter of this year, despite government measures for saving and economizing. Public sector debts to both domestic and foreign sources increased by $14.7 billion to reach a total sum of $138.3 billion. Foreign debt alone grew to $9.6 billion. The trend was ascribed to continuing difficulties in the real economy. /Cumhuriyet/
ALP ELECTED TO POST AT ARCHITECTURE ORGANIZATION
Dr. Ahmet Vekif Alp, an advisor to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, has been elected Eastern European director for the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the AIA announced this week. Alp will assume the post at a ceremony in Amsterdam next month. The AIA is one of the most prominent and internationally active organizations in the field of architecture. /Aksam/
AYLIN TASDELEN BREAKS WEIGHTLIFTING RECORDS
Turkish weightlifter Aylin Tasdelen, 53 kg, broke European records yesterday by lifting 92.5, 112.5 and 205 kilograms in the snatch, clean-and-jerk and overall categories respectively, during the 15th European Women's Weightlifting Championship held in Antalya. /All Papers/
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION