GOOD MORNING --TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON MAR 06

HURRIYETÂ

-- COUNTER STATEMENTS FROM CHP, MHP     Â

Opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) harshly responded to remarks by Turkish General Staff late Tuesday which said "these attacks do more harm to our commitment to fight against terrorism than traitors do." CHP Chairman Deniz Baykal said, "we are making a democratic discussion and our addressee is the prime minister. No one should attempt get in the way." Whereas MHP leader Devlet Bahceli said, "it is the government who is the addressee
 of our political assessments and who will respond on this issue. We are standing behind our words."
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-- TOUR OF FRIENDSHIP FROM TURKISH, ARMENIAN MUSICIANS

Acclaimed Armenian "duduk" (a woodwind instrument) player Jivan Gasparyan and Turkish folk singer Yavuz Bingol are set to take on a tour in April to promote peace and friendship between Turkey and Armenia. The two musicians will travel the U.S., France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy. "We have a thousand-year-old common history between us. We are taking on the road to tell this friendship in our songs," Bingol said.
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MILLIYET

-- TARGET IS TO PLAY FINAL

The Fenerbahce team and executives who returned from Sevilla have a common ambition, which is to play final in the European Champions League. Fenerbahce won Tuesday's match against Sevilla by penalty goals and qualified for quarter final.
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-- HARSH ANSWER

The Republican People's Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) gave a harsh answer to the General Staff statement that said, "your attacks are harming Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) more than traitors." CHP said their interlocutor is the prime minister and it is not the duty of only politicians to keep TSK outside discussions. "You cannot prove that you are right by insulting others. On the contrary, insulting is the clue of injustice," the party said. On the other hand, MHP said the target of political assessments of MHP is the government. "Every one and every institution has to be aware of his/her/its duties and responsibilities, take action accordingly, and stay within his/her/its own borders," the party told.
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-- TUSIAD MONITORS ECONOMY WITH CONCERNS

Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag, the chairperson of the Turkish Industrialists' & Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD), expressed concerns of the business world about recent economic developments as follows: "Unfortunately, we are monitoring developments with concern. There is stagnation in domestic market, and we cannot find remedy to unemployment." Yalcindag said the course of inflation scares the business world and growth rate has stagnated. "In my opinion, 5 percent growth rate and 4 percent
 inflation rate are targets that are hard for us to achieve."
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SABAH

-- FENERBAHCE'S VICTORY ON WORLD MEDIA

World media hailed Fenerbahce's victory at the Champions League after it toppled Spain's Sevilla on Tuesday to qualify for the quarter finals. Chinese media outlets reported a breaking news on 6.30 a.m. local Chinese time. Italian sports media qualified Fenerbahce's win as "holiday in Andalusia" whereas Spanish newspapers criticized Sevilla, saying, "Volkan freezed up the hell."
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-- ZORLU ENERGY BIDS 510 MLN USD IN TENDER FOR POWER PLANTS

Turkey's Zorlu Energy Corp. offered 510 million USD in an auction on Wednesday to privatize Tercan, Kuzgun, Mercan, Ikizdere, Cildir, Beykoy and Atakoy hydroelectric power plants, Denizli geothermal power plant, and Engil Gas Turbines. The total power generated at these plants is 141 megawatts. 27 companies participated at the auction. Among them were Calik Enerji A.S., Aksa Enerji A.S., Turkerler A.S., Kiler Alisveris A.S. and Ozaltin A.S.

VATAN

-- "YASAR PASHA IS VERY EMOTIONAL"

Speaking to Vatan daily regarding the harsh General Staff statement, Deniz Baykal, the chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP), said, "Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit is very emotional and making a defense with a sensitive spirit." Baykal said he is not in a conflict with the army. "It is not about the stay of troops there (north of Iraq) for a few more days, what I was trying to say was another thing." In the morning, the CHP chairman spoke to Vatan moderately. However, in
 the afternoon, the party made a harsh statement. It said, "our interlocutor is the prime minister. You cannot prove that you are right by insulting others. On the contrary, insulting is the clue of injustice," the party said.

-- IS IT A SIGNAL OF A NEW OPERATION INTO NORTH OF IRAQ?

Military activity at Turkey-Iran-Iraq border has increased. Turkey has been deploying troops to Semdinli for the recent two days. There is a heavy helicopter traffic in Hakkari.
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CUMHURIYET

-- GREEN LIGHT FROM ANKARA

Turkey has agreed in principle to become a member of the Union for Mediterranean. Ankara shed a green light to the project after it got the assurance that the process will not be led Turkey to a privileged partnership with the EU.
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RADIKAL

-- MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY: MILITARY HAS INSULTED

Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) responded in a written statement on Wednesday to the General Staff who said "these attacks do more harm to our commitment to fight against terrorism than traitors do." "You cannot prove that you are right by insulting others. On the contrary, insulting is the clue of injustice," the party said. "Chief of General Staff (Gen. Yasar Buyukanit) is not comfortable. He is acting emotional and sensitive," CHP leader Deniz Baykal told daily RADIKAL.

-- TUSIAD EXPRESSES CONCER OVER RECENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

Chairwoman of the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) Arzuhan Yalcindag voiced worry over recent economic signals, saying that inflation and employment rates for February are sources of concern. "As the business world and TUSIAD, it is our task to make emphasis on economic shrinkage and warn when economy does not progress on the desired course," Yalcindag said.

YENI SAFAK

-- DOUBLE E-REPLY FROM OPPOSITION

The Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) replied to the General Staff with statements posted on their web-pages. The General Staff earlier posted a harsh statement on its web-page to respond to criticism of these two political parties that the cross-border operation lasted short. CHP said, "you cannot prove that you are right by insulting others. On the contrary, insulting is the clue of injustice" in return to General Staff's statement that "the unjust attacks against the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are harming it more than traitors." MHP chairman Devlet Bahceli said, "nobody cannot qualify the MHP as an institution giving harm more than traitors."
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-- "SURPRISING" ANSWER TO SURPRISING RECTOR

Turkish businesswoman Guler Sabanci surprised with her answer the rector of Oxford University who said he was surprised to meet "such a Turkish businesswoman." Sabanci told rector Christopher Patten, "I am surprised about perspective of western countries on my country. Maybe this is not illiteracy, but it is at least a prejudice because we are Muslim." "I am surprised that you are surprised. When I came to London in mid-1980s, women were not allowed in the Bankers Club. I have seen such examples in many European countries where I visited," she also said.