ERDOGAN ELECTED TO PARLIAMENT
Ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) won all three seats in Parliament in Siirt by-elections yesterday receiving 84.8% of the votes cast. The way is now open for AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan who has been elected to represent Siirt to become Prime Minister. In addition to Erdogan, other AK Party candidates Oner Gulyesil and Oner Ergenc will represent their party in Parliament. The number of AK Party seats in Parliament increases to 365 while opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has 177 seats, True Path Party (DYP) 2 and Independents 6. Erdogan is expected to replace Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and form a new Cabinet. Reportedly he planned to reduce the number of ministers from 24 to 20 and remove ministers who have opposed allowing the US deployment. /All Papers/

FOREIGN MINISTER YAKIS SAYS SENDING ANOTHER PROPOSAL TO PARLIAMENT ISN’T CLEAR YET
Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis said yesterday that the issue of whether another proposal on dispatch of Turkish troops abroad and deployment of foreign troops in Turkey would be sent to Parliament had not become clear yet. The Parliamentary Planning and Budgetary Commission discussed the Foreign Ministry’s budget in 2003, and Yakis answered commission members’ questions about foreign policies. Regarding the Iraq issue, Yakis said that Turkey had done its best to prevent any war. “Turkey was taking measures to protect its interests in case of a war,” said Yakis. Stressing that keeping refugees within Iraq before they came to Turkish border was possible only with a great number of military existence, the foreign minister said, “Our soldiers will try to keep refugees within Iraq and reasonable kilometers away from the border.” Noting that Turkey would prevent if some groups in northern Iraq carry out acts that may destroy Iraq’s territorial integrity and if they exert efforts with this purpose, Yakis said, “So, existence of Turkish soldiers will be a dissuasive factor.” Regarding the issue of safety of Turkmen, in northern Iraq, Yakis added that Turkey attributed same importance to safety of Turkmen, Arabs and Kurds. The foreign minister also remarked that Turkey would continue to support Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas for his efforts to find a just solution to the Cyprus issue. /Turkiye/

PEARSON: “TURKEY SHOULD GIVE ITS DECISION ON IRAQ AS SOON AS POSSIBLE”
United States Ambassador to Turkey yesterday visited ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss recent developments on a possible US-led operation against Iraq. During their talks, Pearson said that the US would start the operation in 10 days and that Turkey should make its decision by March 17, deadline the US gave Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to disarm. “Turkey’s decision is very important at this point so it should make its decision as soon as possible,” he said. Pearson also briefed Erdogan on the structure of Iraq after the operation. Erdogan said that his party was going to do what was necessary. “However, do not set deadlines for us,” he added. He also told Pearson the AKP deputies’ concerns on Iraq’s territorial integrity and northern Iraq. Speaking after their meeting, Pearson said that they had talked about all issues in detail. Also present at the meeting were State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan and Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis. /Milliyet/

US MILITARY BUILDUP IN TURKEY CONTINUES
Ahead of a possible war against Iraq, US military buildup in Turkey continued over the weekend. A Belgian-flagged cargo ship unloaded armored military vehicles and other equipment at the southern Turkish port of Iskenderun on Saturday, while previously disembarked US materiel were headed to the southeastern provinces of Batman, Silopi and Mardin as well as to the Incirlik Airbase in Adana, a NATO base mainly used by US forces. In related news, the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) was reported to be preparing to file a parliamentary investigation motion concerning the issue following Parliament Spokesman Bulent Arinc’s recent statements that he had doubts that the current US military buildup in Turkey might have breached the clauses of an earlier authorization proposal approved by Parliament that allowed the US to make upgrades to Turkish airbases and ports for a possible stationing of US troops. /Cumhuriyet/

ITF ASKS UN SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR URGENT PROTECTION FROM KURDS
Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) had sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan asking for urgent protection from the Kurds in northern Iraq, Turkish news channel NTV said over the weekend. The letter remarked that northern Iraq’s ethnic Turkmen population was under an imminent threat of genocide and ethnic cleansing posed by the Kurdish groups mainly controlled by Jalal Talabani’s Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) and Massoud Barzani’s Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP). /Cumhuriyet/

DENKTAS: “THE THIRD UN CYPRUS PLAN SHOULD BE REVISED BY TAKING TURKEY INTO CONSIDERATION”
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said yesterday that the United Nations’ third plan should be revised by taking Turkey into consideration. “We haven’t yet discussed the plan completely,” he said. Speaking at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport before departing for Hague, where the Cyprus summit to be held, Denktas said that thousands of pages needed to be added to the plan. He stated that he could not say “yes” to the plan, since it would make Turkish Cypriots minority on the island. However, he added that he was still ready to negotiate it with Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos. /Aksam/

IMF COMPLETES FOURTH REVIEW OF THE ECONOMIC PROGRAM
International Monetary Fund delegation yesterday completed fourth review of Turkey’s economic program. Speaking at a press conference before leaving Turkey, IMF Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen said that they agreed on main issues such as 6.5% primary surplus, growth, and inflation targets. “We will continue to work on details in Washington,” said Kahkonen. State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan is expected to go to Washington on March 15. During his visit, Babacan and IMF officials would discuss details on pre-conditions. /Milliyet/

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