GOOD MORNING --TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON MAR 02

HURRIYET

-- WE ARE PROUD OF YOUÂ

Turkish people are proud of their soldiers who struck a heavy blow on PKK terrorist organization in the north of Iraq despite severe and difficult weather conditions. Turkish soldiers --who chased terrorists in the mountains where snow thickness reached 1-1.5 meters and it was -15 degrees Celsius-- were tired but happy while returning to home.
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-- FIGHT FOR TOP IN INONU

Besiktas and Galatasaray, two centennial teams of Turkish soccer, will play against each other for the 320th time this night. Leader Galatasaray wants to maintain its leadership in rival field. On the other hand, Besiktas has to win the match to pursue its bid for leadership.
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MILLIYET

-- TUSIAD CRITISIZES YOK

Arzuhan Yalcindag, Chairperson of the Turkish Industrialists & Businessmen Association, criticized the directive which Higher Board of Education Chairman Prof. Yusuf Ziya Ozcan gave to university rectors. Yalcindag pointed out that this caused the tension to escalate and said, "YOK Chairman could act with common sense."
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-- U.N. 2008 WOMEN POLITICAL REPRESENTATION MAP EMBARRASSES TURKEY

In U.N.'s world map showing the women's political representation rates of countries, Turkish women ranked the 108th in parliamentary representation and the 89th in representation in the council of ministers.
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SABAH

-- TERRORISM REPROACH

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met ambassadors of EU member states over a dinner. He told the ambassadors; "Turkish people were offended when our European friends approached terrorist organizations differently." Erdogan said that terrorist attacks in Ankara and Diyarbakir were not different from the ones in Madrid and London.

VATAN

-- DON'T GET HAPPY OVER ENDING OF OPERATION: TSK HAS FURTHER PLANS

Minister of Justice  Mehmet Ali Sahin said 90 percent of the terrorists in Zap were terminated and noted that if necessary Turkish Armed Forces would enter the north of Iraq once again. "Actions casting a shadow on TSK's struggle should be Avoided. It is an insult to say that TSK took directives from some places. They should not get happy over the ending of the 'sun operation'. TSK has further plans against terrorist organization PKK, in other parts of the north of Iraq," said Sahin.
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-- I AM PROUD OF OUR SOLDIERS

Arzuhan Yalcindag, Chairperson of the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen Association,said they believed in Turkish General Staff Chief Gen. Yasar Buyukanit's remarks saying, "we accomplished our mission and we are withdrawing." She said it would be wrong to look for other things behind it. "I was so proud to watch our soldiers who came back alive. We made considerable progress in getting rid of the trouble of terrorism," said Yalcindag.
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CUMHURIYET

-- WAITING FOR THE SECOND BLOW

 Although results of the operation (which was launched by Turkish Armed Forces in the north of Iraq) showed that PKK terrorists were struck a heavy blow in military area, PKK terrorist organization wants to turn the withdrawal of TSK into its own advantage in psychological aspect. According to PKK, TSK units are pursuing infrastructure activities to stage operations on Hanin and Hakurk regions. Terrorists are claiming that TSK will enter the region again.
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-- UNNECESSARY TENSION CREATED

Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag, Chairperson of the Turkish Industrialists & Businessmen Association (TUSIAD), said that Justice & Development (AK) Party government deteriorated both secularism principle and the confidence in headscarf issue. She also said that Higher Board of Education (YOK) Chairman Yusuf Ziya Ozcan created an unnecessary tension instead of acting with common sense.
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RADIKAL

-- TUSIAD CHAIRPERSON: HEADSCARF DEBATES HARMED ATMOSPHERE OF TRUST

Arzuhan Yalcindag, Chairperson of the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen Association (TUSIAD), said the atmosphere of trust which the government built with political and economic reforms was harmed following the constitutional amendments lifting ban on headscarf in universities. Yalcindag said "we were right in our criticism ." Yalcindag said the government's attitude turned the issue into a conflict between the Higher Board of Education (YOK) and the Inter-University Board. "Plus, the compulsive inculcation made through YOK Chairman to rectors asking them to bend the existing laws and legislations escalated the tension," said Yalcindag.

YENI SAFAK

-- EXPORT RECORD IN FEBRUARY

Turkey's export rate climbed 40.84 percent to 10.6 billion USD in February, 2008 when compared with February, 2007. Annual export figure as of February reached 112.3 billion USD. While the export/import ratio rose to 70 percent, State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said, "current account deficit will also drop."

-- TURKISH CHILDREN TALLER NOW

Scientists assert that Turkish children are taller compared 30 years ago. A research project carried out by scientists from Istanbul and Bogazici universities showed 4,500 children who were examined reached the height of their peers in the U.S. Turkish children between three Months to 6 years of age were taller than their American peers.