GOOD MORNING --TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON MAR 09

HURRIYET

-- TALABANI PRAISES TURGUT OZAL Â

Iraqi president Jalal Talabani first went to Ataturk's Mausoleum Anitkabir and then proceeded to Cankaya Presidential Palace together with Turkish Deputy PM Cemil Cicek, who welcomed Talabani at the airport. Upon questions, Cicek said they talked about former Turkish President Turgut Ozal and Talabani praised Ozal's vision during their talks.
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-- CALCULATIONS CHANGED, NATIONAL INCOME 7,500 USD

According to the new method to calculate national income, per capital income became 7,500 USD. The figure was 5,480 USD based on previous calculations.
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MILLIYET

-- PKK EITHER LAYS DOWN ARMS OR LEAVES, TALABANI

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani met Turkish journalists Hasan Cemal, Mehmet Ali Birand and Cengiz Candar at Cankaya Presidential Palace's Camli Kosk. During the meeting, Talabani said it was unacceptable for PKK to wander around with weapons on Iraqi territory. "PKK should either lay down arms or it shall leave Iraq," Talabani said.
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-- ON TOUR FOR EUROVISION

Turkish alternative rock band Mor ve Otesi (Purple and Beyond), which will represent Turkey at this year's Eurovision Song Contest, is getting prepared for the competition with a team comprising 60 people. The group will go on a tour for Eurovision across 15 countries before the contest.
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SABAH

-- HEADSCARF SUPPORT FROM NEIGHBOR

Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis delivered a speech in "the 4th International Women's Convention in Local Administrations" organized by the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party in Ankara. Bakoyannis said wearing headscarf is a right and it should not be banned. If women want to wear headscarf by their free will, their rights should not be taken away from their hands, she stated.
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-- LAST SITUATION IN ZAP

Correspondents from the Washington Post daily visited Zap hit during the ground cross-border operation by Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in the north of Iraq and watched funeral of terrorists who were killed in the operation. The daily wrote top terrorists said they would not fight for an independent Kurdish state anymore and they would not cooperate with regional administration in the region.

VATAN

-- WE BECOME RICH IN ONE NIGHT

According to the new computation method of national income, Turkey's national income increased by 31.6 percent to 758 billion YTL for 2006, Turkish Board of Statistics (TUIK) announced. On the other hand, national income per capita rose to 7,500 U.S. dollars from 5,480 U.S. dollars for 2006.
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-- WIVES OF COMMANDERS VISIT ANITKABIR

Turkish General Staff Chief Yasar Buyukanit's wife Filiz Buyukanit, wives of commanders and members of Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) paid a visit to Ataturk's Mausoleum, Anitkabir, to mark "International Women's Day". Buyukanit signed the special register of Anitkabir and wrote, "we will not allow those who aim to weaken your principles."
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CUMHURIYET

-- WOMEN TAKE TO STREETS

Thousands of women shouted for equality on International Women's Day in Caglayan Square in Istanbul. Women carrying Turkish flags and posters of Ataturk protested the government. They carried banners which read "we are walking for Republic" and "Turkey is secular and it will remain so".
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-- BAKOYANNIS: WEARING HEADSCARF IS A RIGHT

Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis eulogized the rights that were granted by Ataturk, the founder of Republic of Turkey, to women. Bakoyannis also asserted wearing headscarf is a right. Delivering a speech in "the 4th International Women's Convention in Local Administrations" organized by the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party in Ankara, she said wearing headscarf should not be banned.
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RADIKAL

-- AFFIRMATIVE ACTIONS NEEDED FOR WOMEN'S EMPLOYMENT

According to a report prepared by Prof. Gulay Toksoz from Ankara University, affirmative actions are needed in order for the women to participate in working life. Toksoz suggests that a permanent council should be formed at the Turkish parliament and all laws should be evaluated according to the erspective of gender equality.
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-- PER CAPITA INCOME RISES 37 PERCENT IN A DAY

Turkish Board of Statistics (TUIK) updated the national income calculations within the framework of harmonization with EU. Gross national product, which was calculated as 576.3 billion YTL in 2006, became 758 billion YTL with an increase of 31.6 percent. Moreover, national income per capita, which was known as 5,480 USD for 2006, will be 7,500 USD with a 37 percent rise.

 

YENI SAFAK

-- 25 BLN USD READY, COME AND INVEST IN IRAQ

"Our oil income has increased and we have reserved 25 billion USD," said Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, while inviting Turkish companies to invest in Iraq. Noting that barrel price of oil exceeded 100 USD, Talabani said they would not have any difficulties for making payments.

-- PKK NO BIG THREAT AS IT WAS PREVIOUSLY, WP

It was revealed that two reporters from the U.S. daily Washington Post were at the camps of terrorist organization PKK during Turkey's cross-border operation. The newspaper, which stated that Barzani administration has isolated terrorists, also noted that PKK is a "smaller threat" for Turkey now.