GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON MAR 13

HURRIYET

-- 37 MLN USD FUND CAUSES ARGUMENT

The United Nations Development Fund, administered by Kemal Dervis, allocated 37 million USD of fund for Diyarbakir, Siirt and Batman provinces of Turkey, causing a row. 38 representatives of NGOs including TESEV and CACA Association sent a letter to Kemal Dervis, complaining that project director Bartu Soral is "making an ethnic discrimination." Dervis then sent delegations to Ankara and Diyarbakir and launched an investigation. When Soral was taken from this position, he said, "they would use 37 million USD to finance separatist activities."

-- 12 BILLION USD TO SOUTHEAST
PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to New York Times. "We will invest 11-12 million USD in southeastern Anatolia in the following five years. A TV station broadcasting in Kurdish will be opened."

MILLIYET

-- FORMAL ENCOURAGEMENT TO MANY CHILDREN

Population planning, which was brought to the agenda after statements of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who called on each family to have at least 3 children, is the formal assignment of the state according to the constitution. However, this article is not included in the new constitution draft of Justice & Development (AK) Party. The draft with an arrangement to Article 43, makes "protection of the
family" the only target.

-- 12 BLN USD INVESTMENT IN SOUTHEAST
In an interview with the New York Times, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the government was planning to make 12 billion USD of investment in southeast to boost job opportunities. Erdogan said two big dams, irrigation canals system, and roads would be constructed within five years and the borders would be cleared off from the land mines. Erdogan said a tv channel, broadcasting in Kurdish and including tv programs in Arabic and Persian, would also be opened.

SABAH

-- EARTHQUAKE OF 4.8 MAGNITUDE SHAKES MARMARA

A magnitude-4.8 quake shook Marmara last night. The epicenter of the earthquake was Cinarcik town of Yalova and the tremor was felt in Istanbul and nearby cities. Residents rushed to the streets in panic.

-- HERE IS PM'S PACKAGE: BROADCASTING IN KURDISH AND 12 BILLION USD OF INVESTMENT

PM Erdogan announced his Kurdish package to NY Times daily: An investment of 12 billion USD will be made in southeast.''With this investment we will build two large dams, new irrigation canal systems and new roads. One of the deputy PMs will go to the region for the project. The project's preparation will be completed in two months, and the construction will begin. The border with Syria will be cleaned
of mines. A tv channel will start broadcasting in Kurdish. This channel will also broadcast in Persian and Arabic.

VATAN

-- BABACAN: TURKEY SHOULD BE IN EVERY REGION OF AFRICA

Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, currently in Senegal to attend OIC summit, visited Yavuz Selim Turkish School in Dakar. Speaking at the school, which is one of the 4 Turkish schools in Senegal, Babacan said, "Turkey should invest in every country of Africa. There are very big opportunities. We should not say 'what are we doing here?".

-- QUAKE SHAKES MARMARA

An earthquake, measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale, shook Cinarcik town of Yalova at 9:53 p.m. on Wednesday. No casualties reported after the quake which was felt in 7 provinces. Some people, who jumped out in panic from the balconies and windows, were injured.

CUMHURIYET

-- COURT CANCELS PROVISIONS ALLOWING FOREIGN COMPANIES TO ACQUIRE REAL ESTATE IN TURKEY

Turkish Constitutional Court annulled Wednesday provisions of a law on
direct foreign investments allowing foreign companies or their joint
ventures to acquire real estates in Turkey.

-- EARTHQUAKE SCARES MARMARA

An earthquake of 4.8 on Richter scale caused great panic in the Marmara region. The epicenter of the earthquake was Cinarcik town of Yalova. After the earthquake which was also felt in Istanbul, hordes of citizens filled the streets. Prof. Gulay Atalay, director of the Kandilli Seismology Institute, said this earthquake was not an indicator of an approaching major earthquake in Istanbul.

RADIKAL

-- COLD WEATHER TILL WEEKEND

When trees have started to blossom, Turkey will be under the influence of a new cold weather wave coming from the Balkans. According to the Meteorology Department, Marmara, western parts of Black Sea, northern parts of Aegean, and northwestern parts of Central Anatolia will receive rain today. Temperatures will be down 4-6 degrees Celsius in north, central and western regions of Turkey.

-- CINARCIK QUAKE SHAKES MARMARA WITH 4.8

An earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale jolted Marmara Region last night. The quake was felt in a large area, and it caused panic particularly in its epicenter Cinarcik and Yalova. Authorities said there were no casualties in the quake.

YENI SAFAK

-- MAGNITUDE-4.8 QUAKE IN CINARCIK

An earthquake of 4.8 on Richter scale caused panic in Marmara region. There were no casualties in the earthquake which occurred offshore Cinarcik town of Yalova. In Istanbul and surrounding cities, citizens
rushed to the streets in fear.

-- 12 MILLION USD OF INVESTMENT IN SOUTHEAST

PM Erdogan announced the socio-economic measures in counter-terrorism. ''An investment of 12 billion USD will be made in southeast. We will build two large dams, new irrigation canal systems and new roads. The projects will be completed in five years. The border with Syria will be cleaned of mines. In a couple of months a tv channel will start broadcasting in Kurdish. This channel will also broadcast in Persian and Arabic. This is the most important step ensuring cultural rights," said Erdogan.