TURKEY, US AND ISRAEL CONDUCT JOINT MANEUVERS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
Ahead of a possible US war against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, the Turkish, Israeli, and US armed forces yesterday conducted joint military maneuvers in the Mediterranean in an exercise known as “Reliable Mermaid 5.” The maneuvers, intended to bolster the search-and-rescue and humanitarian aid capabilities of the three nation’s forces, were regular exercises scheduled long before the current heightened tensions in the region, military officials said. Turkey participated in the maneuvers with a helicopter, two frigates and a submarine attack team. /Star/

GUL’S MIDEAST TOUR HOPES TO HEAD OFF IRAQ WAR
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul will begin a tour of Middle Eastern countries tomorrow as part of a final concerted attempt to head off a war in Iraq. His first stop will be Damascus, Syria, after which he will proceed to Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. During his contacts, Gul will lay out Turkey’s Middle Eastern and Iraqi policies. Meanwhile, Gul reportedly made a phone call to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday. In the leadup to his Middle Eastern tour, the prime minister exchanged views with Annan on the Iraq issue. In addition, Gul expressed Turkey’s views on the Cyprus issue. /Turkiye/

GUL TO DISCUSS WAR PREPARATIONS WITH BORDER REGION GOVERNORS
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul is to hold a summit today at his office to discuss recent developments on the Iraq issue with seven governors of provinces located along Turkey’s southeastern borders. Gul and the governors are expected to discuss precautions to take for the prospect of war, including measures to hold back a possible flood of refugees fleeing from Iraq to Turkish territory. High-level military officials will also participate in discussions to offer the views of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) on the issues. /Star/

DENKTAS: “TO AVOID REGRETTABLE ERRORS, THE TRNC MUST SET THE PARAMETERS FOR PEACE”
The future of Cyprus is a matter for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), and the TRNC’s wishes must be paramount in setting the island’s course, said TRNC President Rauf Denktas yesterday. Denktas’s defense of the TRNC’s position, given in a meeting of the leaders of parties represented in Northern Cyprus’ Parliament, came as Turkish and Greek Cyprus are preparing to resume negotiations next Tuesday. “Our nation won’t forsake its sovereignty,” said Denktas. “We must make clear what kind of peace we want, or else risk our nation and the world falling into regrettable errors.” The party leaders are expected to issue a response to Denktas’s views later today. In related news, TRNC Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu said that the TRNC Parliament had decided to continue negotiating on the basis of United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Cyprus plan. /Milliyet/

SIMITIS: “TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP BID AND CYPRUS ARE RELATED MATTERS”
Turkey’s European Union membership bid and the issue of Cyprus are related matters, said Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis yesterday. “To move forward in its EU membership bid, Turkey must first resolve the island’s problems,” stated Simitis, whose country just assumed the rotating EU presidency. “There’s still enough time to work through the problems. The Turkish Cypriots’ willingness to continue negotiations is quite positive.” The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cyprus are set to resume negotiations next week to meet a Feb. 28 deadline for a settlement on the island, designed to prevent the southern half of Cyprus from joining the Union alone. Simitis also expressed optimism that continental shelf disagreements between Turkey and Greece could be solved. “Our countries have agreed on a method to go forward, and work is continuing,” he stated. /Hurriyet/

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SENER RECEIVES GERMAN AMBASSADOR
Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener yesterday received German Ambassador in Ankara Rudolph Schmidt in a meeting which was closed to the press. The two officials reportedly discussed major issues at the top of the international agenda. /Star/

CABINET HOLDS FIRST MEETING OF THE NEW YEAR, DISCUSSES POWER GRID THEFT
The Cabinet yesterday held its first meeting of 2003. During the gathering, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler briefed the participants on energy sector issues, in particular the problem of power grid theft and how to combat it. Speaking after the meeting, State Minister for the Economy Abdullatif Sener said that Turkey suffered more losses from this illegal practice than many other countries. “Prime Minister Abdullah Gul has issued directives to energy officials on how to stop this theft,” Sener added. /Milliyet/

IKDP LEADER BARZANI TO VISIT ANKARA
Massoud Barzani, the leader of the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP), is set to visit Ankara this weekend. Barzani is expected to meet with Foreign Ministry and General Staff officials, as well as Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, if the latter’s schedule allows. Barzani had planned to visit Ankara last week, but the trip was postponed due to health problems. /Turkiye/

US AMBASSADOR PEARSON PLEDGES TO PROMOTE TURKEY’S ECONOMY
Robert Pearson, the United States’ ambassador to Turkey, yesterday visited Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchange (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu. Following the meeting, Pearson told reporters that Turkish-US trade relations had been discussed. Stressing that trade volume between the two countries was quite low, Pearson stated that he would write letters to US textile companies urging them to work with Turkish firms. Explaining that the US government had prepared an economic package to support Turkey’s economy, the US ambassador added, “The package’s first aim is to ensure the trust of world markets in Turkey, and the second is to convince them that Turkish economy can weather any crisis.” /Turkiye/

JAPANESE OFFICIAL KAMEI: “TURKEY SHOULD BE AN ECONOMIC BASE, NOT A MILITARY ONE”
Hisaoki Kamei, secretary of the Japanese-Turkish Parliamentary Friendship group and leading member of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democrat Party, yesterday spoke on the development of Turkish-Japanese relations and Turkey’s growing prominence on the international stage. “Turkey is an important economic base for Japanese businessmen both for its geopolitical conditions and its connections to the European market,” said Kamei. “The Japanese government wants to improve its relations with Turkey. We want to introduce ourselves to the members of the recently elected ruling Justice and Development Party [AKP]. I believe that Turkey should be an economic base for the Middle East rather than a military one. Your country offers many opportunities to foreign investors, but your government should launch more initiatives to promote these opportunities as well as Turkey’s rich cultural and social assets.” Kamei added that the Japanese government supported Turkey’s EU membership bid, underlining that Turkey’s admittance would benefit both the European and Japanese markets. /Cumhuriyet/

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