TURKIYE
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     REFORM PACKAGE READY THIS MONTH
     During the meeting of the EU reform follow-up group, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave information about Constitutional amendment and the reforms. Erdogan said, "it is necessary to make amendments to Constitution rapidly to pursue initiatives in democracy, supremacy of law and human rights." He added, "Constitutional amendments package will be presented to Parliament as soon as possible while the reform package on amendments in various areas will be presented by the end of March." He also said that whatever was required would be made for a strong and neutral jurisdiction.
    
     SABANCI: TURKISH ECONOMY BETTER THAN WORLD ECONOMY
     Sabanci Holding's Executive Board Chairperson Guler Sabanci said that Europe did not have a comprehensive economic program yet, adding, "on the other hand, we have already announced mid-term economic program. There is an increase in production and sales. Our situation is not bad."
    
     ZAMAN
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     CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PACKAGE TO BE AT PARLIAMENT TILL END-MARCH
     Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the constitutional amendment package would be submitted to the parliament till the end of March. Erdogan said Turkey would speed up negotiations with the European Union (EU). The prime minister also said Turkey aimed to adjust to advanced democracies with a planned judicial reform.
    
     GULER SABANCI: TURKEY'S ECONOMY NOT BAD, NOTHING TO BE FEARED OF
     International rating organizations have been upgrading Turkey's rating thanks to Turkey's success despite global crisis, whereas the Turkish business world is hopeful about the future. Sabanci Holding's Executive Board chairperson Guler Sabanci said there was nothing to be feared of in Turkey. Sabanci said that fluctuations in Europe, particularly in Greece, stemmed from debts. "When we look into figures, we see that our situation is not bad."
    
     YENI SAFAK
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     GENDARMERIE FORENSIC LAB CONFIRMS COLONEL'S SIGNATURE
     Experts at a criminal lab with the Turkish gendarmerie have confirmed that a signature on a plan allegedly drafted to besmirch the government and the Gulen community in Turkey was the product of Colonel Dursun Cicek's handwriting. Earlier, Turkey's highest scientific authority and police forensic teams said in their reports that the signature was of Cicek.
    
     THOUSANDS GATHER ON ANNIVERSARY OF "FEBRUARY 28TH"
     Tens of thousands of people took to the streets at Istanbul's Beyoglu district in a protest to mark the 13th anniversary of "February 28th". The crowd shouted slogans, saying "Never again," and they carried banners that read "Resistance against oppression."
    
     CURRENT POLITICAL OUTLOOK DISTURBING, TURKISH MAGNATE
     Guler Sabanci, head of the Sabanci Holding, said the business world was disturbed by the current political climate, which hindered the businesspeople from seeing the future. "It would be much better for the country if the current political dust settled immediately. We have a job to do. We will have some moderate growths to see and an unemployment problem to solve, which is likely to take some time," Sabanci said. 
 

VATAN
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     CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE TO BE AT PARLIAMENT BY END OF MARCH
     Following the meeting of the EU reform follow-up group, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Constitutional amendment package would be presented to Parliament by the end of March. The package also includes a change in the structure of Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK). Also, the law which drops referendum term from 120 to 60 days is expected to be adopted at Parliament this week.
    
     NOTHING TO WORRY
     Sabanci Holding's Executive Board Chairperson Guler Sabanci made an assessment about economic crisis: "there is nothing to worry for Turkey. Debt figures don't seem bad. There can be a small deviation in inflation figures, but all targets seem reachable."
    
     CUMHURIYET
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     TRAFFIC SPEEDS UP
     Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug had a surprising meeting following a trilateral meeting at the Presidential Palace. Gen. Basbug asked Erdogan to have a meeting. Then, Erdogan and Basbug who chatted for some time during the funeral for Professor Ihsan Dogramaci had a surprising meeting at the Prime Ministry building. The meeting, scheduled to last about half an hour, lasted one hour and 15 minutes.
     Erdogan and Basbug discussed the investigation "Balyoz" (Sledgehammer) and a regulation paving the way for trial of military officers by civilian courts. Sources said there was not any crisis, whereas the Prime Minister's Office released a statement and said, "the regular meeting scheduled for March 4 was held on Sunday due to a winter military exercise."
    
     COLONEL OZCOBAN ARRESTED
     Fourteen soldiers, a retired non-commissioned officer and a civilian official, who were detained in the second wing of the investigation into plan "Balyoz" (Sledgehammer), were transferred to court house on Sunday. Colonel Ozcoban, the commander of Gendarmery Regiment in Konya, and another military officer were arrested. Thirteen people were released.
    
     STATE FUNERAL FOR DOGRAMACI
     Professor Ihsan Dogramaci, the first president of the Higher Board of Education (YOK), was laid to rest after a state funeral on Sunday. President Abdullah Gul, Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Sahin, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Ilker Basbug, Republican People's Party (CHP) chairman Deniz Baykal, Former President Suleyman Demirel, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) chairman Devlet Bahceli, Dogramaci's nephew Iraqi Turkmen Front's chairman Sinan Celebi and many other politicians attended the funeral.
    
     RADIKAL
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     CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BE SUBMITTED TO PARLIAMENT IN MARCH
     Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that a reform package including judicial reform and political parties law would be submitted to the parliament by the end of March. Erdogan said that the proposed amendments would be evaluated under Turkey's EU adjustment process. "We do not talk about a full amendment from A to Z. Actually, there is no time for it. We need to finalize it quickly," he said.
    
     RECORDS TILL GRAVE
     Although it is not legal, a secret document enables provincial commissions to extend five-year period for an unlimited time to let gendarmerie forces and police hold records for people on the ground of investigation into illegal organizations.
 

HURRIYET
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     CHIEF PROSECUTOR INTERVENES
     Istanbul's chief prosecutor Aykut Cengiz Engin sent a note to the police and military officers and said, "if the instructions of the prosecutors carrying out the investigation 'Balyoz' (Sledgehammer) are not signed by deputy chief prosecutors, return them."
     Engin sent a "secret and urgent" note to police department and central command in Istanbul on February 27, said any invitation, call, search or arrest warrant should include the signature of a deputy chief prosecutor, showing that s/he has approved the act.
     Also, Engin added to this note a former note that deputy chief prosecutor Turan Colakkadi had sent to prosecutors Bilal Bayraktar, Ali Haydar and Mehmet Berk with special authority who have been carrying out investigation "Balyoz". The note that Colakkadi sent on January 20 said, "inform the chief prosecutors or the deputy chief prosecutors before any significant development like arresting people or searching several places."
    
     SUNDAY SUMMIT
     Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug met at the funeral for Ihsan Dogramaci, the founder of Higher Board of Education (YOK), in Ankara on Sunday. Erdogan and Basbug later had a meeting at the new Prime Ministry building. After one-hour-and 15-minute meeting, the Prime Minister's Office released a statement and said, "Erdogan and Basbug had their regular weekly meeting on Sunday as Basbug is to observe a winter military exercise on Thursday (March 4)."
    
     SIX HERONS ARRIVE
     Israel sent six of Heron unmanned aircraft to Turkey. The Herons and two ground control stations arrived in Turkey on Friday, the aircraft are expected to be handed over to the Air Forces in the coming two weeks. The other four Heron aircraft will be dispatched to Turkey in May or June.
    
     CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE TO BE AT PARLIAMENT AT END-MARCH
     Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the constitutional amendment package, including judicial reform, would be submitted to the parliament till the end of March.
    
     MILLIYET
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     PREMIER HINTS REFORM PACKAGE BY END OF MARCH
     Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the government was planning to submit a package of reforms in several laws as well as a constitutional amendment. "A package of constitutional amendments will be submitted to the parliament in the shortest possible time. And a reform package that brings changes to several laws will be presented by the end of March," Erdogan said.
    
     RENOWNED ECONOMIST LAUNCHES BLOG IN DEFENSE OF JAILED ARMY COMMANDER
     Internationally acclaimed economist Dani Rodrik has launched a blog site together with his wife in defense of Cetin Dogan, a retired Turkish army commander who was jailed for his suspected involvement in an alleged coup plot to overthrow the government. Rodrik, a figure who is closely watched by liberal circles in Turkey, is the husband of Dogan's daughter, Pinar. Their blog's name is "Cetin Dogan and the Facts."
    
     SABAH
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     CONSTITUIONAL PACKAGE TO BE BROUGHT TO PARLIAMENTARY AGENDA IN SPRING
     Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan indicated that a constitutional amendment package would be brought to parliamentary agenda soon and a reform package regarding several laws would be submitted to the parliament by the end of the month. Speaking at yesterday's Reform Follow-up Group meeting, Erdogan said that Turkey should take important steps in democracy, rule of law and human rights.
    
     DOGRAMACI LAID TO REST
     A funeral took place with the participation of pillars of the state for Professor Ihsan Dogramaci who passed away on Thursday at the age of 95. President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, General Staff Chief Gen. Ilker Basbug and Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal paid their last tribute to Dogramaci during the funeral.

AA