GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON MAR 03

HURRIYET
-- ITALIAN COSTA TO BUILD CRUISE SHIP PORT IN IZMIR
Pier Luigi Foschi, CEO of Italian Costa Group, announced that they signed a protocol with the Izmir Chamber of Commerce (IZTO) for the construction of a giant transatlantic port in Uckuyular in the western province of Izmir. The giant cruise ship port will be built with an investment of 75 million euro and it will be completed in 18 months. IZTO Chairman Ekrem Demirtas said that eight cruise ships could dock at the port simultaneously.
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-- MONTHLY EXPORTS DROP BY 35 PCT
Turkish exports dropped 35 percent in February when compared to the same month last year to reach $6.8 billion. The decline in exports of the country continues due to the global economic crisis. Turkey’s annual exports between February 2008 and February 2009 increased by 8.01 percent to reach $121.6 billion.
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MILLIYET
-- EXPORTS FALL SHARPLY IN FEBRUARY
Due to the ongoing global crisis, Turkish exports decreased by 35 percent in February 2009 when compared to the same month of the previous year. The automotive sector has witnessed the sharpest decline with 55 percent within this period. According to the figures of the Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM), among all EU-member states, Turkish exports to Luxembourg, Ireland and Spain declined the most.
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U.S. DOLLAR'S HEAT ON RISE
The heat of the U.S. dollar is increasing as a result of the record-breaking losses announced by the world's leading companies, as well as markets depressed due to the delay of the United States implementing its crisis package. When all these negative developments in the world combined with Turkey's failure to sign an agreement with IMF, the 1 U.S. dollar rose to 1.73 TL on Tuesday. Analysts said that such increase might continue.
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SABAH
-- THERE WILL BE REDUCTION IN NATURAL GAS PRICES IN MAY
Director General of Turkish Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (BOTAS) Saltuk Duzyol said there would be a serious drop in the price of natural gas in May as oil prices continued to remain low.
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-- ALARM BELL RINGS IN EXPORTS
The Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM) said that Turkish exports dropped 35 percent in February to reach $6.8 billion. Concerns over the crisis grew. Tensions in the markets escalated after the EU's meeting to find a solution for the crisis failed to reach a result.

VATAN
-- PRICE REDUCTION IN NATURAL GAS ON WAY
The Turkish Petroleum Pipeline Corp. (BOTAS) announced that a major price reduction might be made in natural gas in May, if oil prices remain at low levels and the foreign exchange rates did not increase significantly. The price of natural gas was reduced 17 percent in January.
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-- ONE ENGINE STOPPED, WE ARE IN TURBULENCE!
Do not think it is the Amsterdam plane crash; we are talking about the economy: Turkey’s monthly export income dropped by half. It means one of the engines stopped. The U.S. dollar is over 1.73 Turkish lira because of turbulence in the markets.
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CUMHURIYET
-- EXPORTS DOWN
Turkey's export figures have been decreasing for five months. The country's exports dropped by 35 percent in February 2009 when compared to the same month of 2008. Turkish Assembly of Exporters (TIM) chairman Mehmet Buyukeski said a decline in exports would continue in the next few months.
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-- THY PILOTS NOT MAKE MISTAKE
Dutch authorities said that the pilots of the Turkish Airlines (THY) plane which crashed near the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam last week, were not at fault. Dutch experts told reporters that the THY plane approached the runway of Schiphol Airport perfectly.
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RADIKAL
-- DROP IN EXPORTS RINGS ALARM BELLS
According to the figures of the Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM), exports in February dropped 35 percent when compared to the figures of the previous year, to reach $6.8 billion. Exports had last fallen below $7 billion in August 2006. The fall in the automotive sector is 55 percent. The drop in industry, which makes up 83 percent of total exports, is 38.26 percent.
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-- TUSIAD EXPRESSES REGRET
Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) chairperson Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag said, "It seems that a deal with the IMF would be signed after elections. The delay is very saddening. We were really hopeful."

YENI SAFAK
-- HERE IS DOCUMENT SHOWING "TWO MINUTES"
It has been revealed that the Tekirdag plane of Turkish Airlines (THY), which crashed while landing at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport last Wednesday, was the victim of the control tower. According to the records of Northwest Airlines, THY's plane was given a landing clearance only two minutes after a giant Boeing-757 aircraft.
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-- WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BREAK RECORDS LIKE BEFORE, TUZMEN
State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said that Turkey would not be able to break records in exports anymore, like it did in the past. Turkish imports dropped by 47 percent and the current account deficit also decreased by 75 percent, Tuzmen said.