CONSTITUTIONAL COMMISSION DECIDES THAT BILL WAS NOT AMNESTY LAW
The bill on conditional release vetoed by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer last week was taken up by Parliament’s Constitutional Commission yesterday, with the body deciding that the bill was not an “amnesty regulation.” Sezer vetoed the bill and sent it back to the Parliament to be debated again, citing his judgement that it was a kind of amnesty law and that it therefore requires the votes of 330 parliamentarians, or a three-fifths majority, to pass. The bill is expected to be debated in the full Parliament next week. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said yesterday that since last Saturday a total of 1,070 inmates had been conditionally released. /Turkiye/

FOREIGN MINISTRY: “EU TERRORIST LIST IS NOT OFFICIAL YET”
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Huseyin Dirioz said yesterday that Turkey had made initiatives towards the Belgium government regarding the terrorist group DHKP-C’s activities and its waving its so-called flag in that country. During the ministry’s weekly press conference, Dirioz said that the question of whether or not the PKK and the DHKP-C would be added to the EU list of terrorist groups was not yet clear and that the list had not officially been released yet. “The PKK’s self-proclaimed new label shouldn’t make any difference in declaring it a terrorist organization,” Dirioz added, referring to the terrorist group’s recent effort to re-label itself. /Turkiye/

DENKTAS: “TURKISH CYPRIOTS ARE NOT A MINORITY”
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas arrived in Bursa yesterday to receive an honorable doctorate bestowed upon him by Uludag University. At the doctoral ceremony, Denktas declared, “Greek Cypriots want us to be a minority dependent upon them. We can never accept such a situation.” Denktas reiterated that Turkish Cypriots were asking for equality on the island. /Turkiye/

TSK HOLDS MANEUVERS TODAY TO UNDERLINE NORTHERN CYPRUS’ SOVEREIGNTY
Even as the leaders of the two nations on Cyprus are engaged in talks to reach a settlement on the island, today will see the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Greek Cypriot administration content for sovereignty in the skies and on the waves. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are due to begin air and sea maneuvers approximately 15 miles off the coastal town of Erenkoy in the TRNC. The maneuvers are designed specifically to counter a fait accompli decision by the Southern Cypriots to take over search and rescue services from British forces stationed in Lefkosha. This decision was in violation of a 1960 accord made with the approval of all parties giving responsibility for search and rescue in Cyprus’ air and sea zones to the British forces. The British took on the duties because the Cyprus Republic, established jointly by Turkish and Greek Cypriots, lacked the technical expertise. But the Greek Cypriot decision announced this Feb. 7 to take over the services as of March 1 attempted to take advantage of their recognition as the “Cyprus Republic” to violate the 1960 agreement. /Hurriyet/

US DIPLOMATIC REPORTS: “TURKEY IS A TARGET FOR TERRORISTS”
Prominent US daily the Washington Times yesterday published an article entitled “Turkey Target for Terrorists” based on analyses of recent US diplomatic reports on terrorism. The piece argued that Turkey had been listed as a “high priority target” for terrorist attacks by operatives trained in Iranian camps. “The objective of the reported Iranian plan is to destabilize Turkey,” said the article. “The reports of plans targeting Turkey are largely based on information from Iranians applying for visas for travel to the United States at the US Embassy in [Southern] Cyprus.” According to the Times, activities against Turkey are planned by the "Third Corps" of the "Qods Force," a group which handles "external operations," a code word for efforts to export terrorism to selected countries. “The specific task of the Third Corps is to interfere in Turkish affairs and establish contact with Kurdish groups opposed to the Turkish government,” said the article. /All Papers/

MAY DAY CELEBRATED
May Day was celebrated yesterday throughout Turkey with great enthusiasm. Some 5,000 participants in Ankara gathered in Tandogan Square, despite a heavy rain. For the first time, Felicity Party (SP) leader Recai Kutan was present during the May Day celebrations. Meanwhile, security forces banned celebrations in certain cities, particularly in southeastern Anatolia in order to prevent illegal disturbances of public order. /All Papers/

YUCELEN SIGNS SECURITY PROTOCOL WITH AZERBAIJANI COUNTERPART
Interior Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ramil Usubov yesterday signed a protocol to improve mutual cooperation in the fight against international terrorism, money laundering and human trafficking. Yucelen stated that Turkey and Azerbaijan had reached an agreement to improve their cooperation in combating a wide range of organized crime. /Cumhuriyet/

BAHCELI TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN
Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Action Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahceli is scheduled to pay an official visit to Azerbaijan on May 6-8 upon the invitation of Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev. Bahceli is expected to meet with Aliyev, National Assembly Chairman Murtuz Aleskerov, Prime Minister Artur Rasizade as well as representatives of domestic political parties. Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu and Health Minister Osman Durmus are also to accompany Bahceli. /Cumhuriyet/

CHIBBER PRAISES VILLAGE-CITY PROJECTS
World Bank Turkey representative Ajay Chibber met yesterday with Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to be briefed on how Turkey would use a $300 million WB loan and on the government’s village-city projects. During the meeting, which was also attended by State Minister Mustafa Yilmaz, Prime Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Selcuk Polat and relevant bureaucrats, Chibber said that the World Bank viewed the village-city projects with admiration and that it pointed to such projects as a model for other developing countries to aid rural areas. /Hurriyet/

OCAK: “STATE-OWNED BANKS ARE NOW RECOVERING”
One of the top officials in Turkey’s state-owned banks yesterday predicted a rosier future in sight for the system. Safa Ocak, head of the State-Owned Banks Joint Executive Board, told reporters in Ankara that Turkey had gone through a “dark period” but that good economic news had begun to arrive due to the burgeoning recovery. Speaking to the Association of Economic Reporters, Ocak said that the state-owned banks had reached a point where problems of the real sector could be dealt with. The first good news in this approach, he continued, is Halkbank’s decision this week to allocate TL 1.5 quadrillion for artisans, craftsmen, and small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs (SMEs). Ocak added that state-owned banks’ balance sheets were in much healthier shape and that days of profits lay ahead. /Hurriyet/

ANKARA TO HOST MEDITERRANEAN FESTIVAL
Ankara is to host a festival to be attended by Mediterranean countries, according to a recent decision made at the Mediterranean Capitals Summit held in Baku, Azerbaijan. Ankara Greater Municipality Mayor Melih Gokcek stated that the festival, which is expected to be held in the last of week of August, would bring together cultural and artistic groups from a host of Mediterranean countries. /Aksam/

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