TURKIYE
     -------
     THERE IS NO NEED FOR IMF
     The International Monetary Fund (IMF), which said the medium-term program had strengthened Turkey's economy, announced that talks on a loan agreement were over. State Minister Ali Babacan said, "we do not have to agree with the IMF. We have suspended talks till May."
    
     KOREANS DUE TO SINOP
     Turkey will cooperate with South Korea, its friend coming from history, on nuclear energy. Turkey and South Korea signed a protocol which envisaged construction of a nuclear power plant in the northern province of Sinop by a South Korean company.
    
     BODIES COUNTED WRONGLY
     Authorities said the death toll in the earthquake that hit the eastern province of Elazig was not 51 but 41. They said this wrong calculation stemmed from addition of the morgue registers and information coming from five villages more than once.
    
     ZAMAN
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     TALKS OVER, NO DEAL WITH IMF
     Turkey has shelved talks on a stand-by deal with the IMF. Though it would continue to hold consultations with the IMF over the country's financial stability as an IMF delegation is set to visit Turkey in May. State Minister Ali Babacan said Turkey's relations with the IMF would continue in line with the country's own medium-term economic programme.
    
     TURKEY, SOUTH KOREA SIGN DEAL FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
     Turkey and South Korea signed a deal to construct a nuclear power plant in the northern Turkish province of Sinop. The deal was sealed during a Turkey-South Korea business forum in Istanbul. Participating in the forum, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said South Korea was the second biggest trade partner for Turkey behind China in the Far East.
    
     YENI SAFAK
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     FAREWELL TO IMF
     Talks with the International Monetary Fund failed. Turkey that weathered the crisis without IMF financing, said "we can not accept impositions. There is no need for a new stand-by arrangement."
    
     STONE TRAFFIC IN ANKARA
     Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin paid visits to executives of opposition parties to inform them about a new bill on punishment of children who took part in protests of the terrorist organization and threw stones at police. Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) said the bill could be debated at the parliament. Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) said it would work on the bill.
     President Abdullah Gul also gave support to government's bill.
     "I hope the bill would pass. Children should not suffer for adults' sin," he said.
 

VATAN
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     MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER SAYS MILITARY CHIEF SHOULD RESIGN IF ALLEGATIONS ARE TRUE
     Deniz Baykal, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), reiterated that the chief of the General Staff should resign if allegations were true that a document was drafted at the General Staff HQ to besmirch the government and the Gulen community. "I have said that the chief of general should resign if the document turned out to be authentic. And I stand behind my words," Baykal said. The Turkish military has said that a commissioned officer -- Dursun Cicek -- was responsible in the drafting of the alleged document and an investigation was underway.
    
     TURKEY CAN STAND ON ITS FEET WITHOUT IMF: ERDOGAN
     Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey did not need the International Monetary Fund's money after Turkey and the IMF said talks for a stand-by deal were postponed till May. "The IMF helps countries which cannot stand on their own feet. Turkey can stand on its feet and the IMF has come to understand that," he said. Erdogan said Turkey passed off a deal with the Fund "because the IMF had put political pressure on Turkey."
    
     CUMHURIYET
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     AFFECTION FOR ALEVIS IS ALSO A CRIME
     "Affection for the Alevis" of Gen. Saldiray Berk, against whom prosecutors have sought 15 years in prison within the framework of the investigation "Ergenekon" in the eastern province of Erzincan, was also included in the annexes of the indictment. The annexes said, "Berk has always accompanied by his spouse when visiting Alevi villages and groups. Berk's interest in Alevi villages stems from his feeling himself close to Alevi faith."
    
     TSK'S VEHICLE TIPPED-OFF
     Ankara police stopped a lorry in Etimesgut town of capital Ankara "upon a tip-off" on Wednesday evening. Shortly after news that ammunition was seized was heard, it was revealed that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) hired the lorry for its routine weapon dispatch and there were 900 hand grenades in the lorry. The lorry was taken to the police department.
    
     HOPE FOR CHILDREN
     Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin met with the deputy chairmen of parliament groups of opposition parties to get support to a bill, publicly known as the arrangement regarding "children that hurled stones (at security forces)." The Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) demanded that path of amnesty should not be opened for head terrorist Abdullah Ocalan.
    
     RADIKAL
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     MOM, WHERE ARE YOU?
     Keko, an 8-year-old boy who survived the earthquake in Elazig, was pulled out of the rubble. When he was discharged from the hospital, he ran to the wreckage of his house to search for his mother. After a long search, he was convinced that his mother was dead. Then he went to the cemetery in tears. It was impossible to calm him down. He is now waiting for his father who was living in Germany as a worker to return home.
    
     BABACAN SAYS IMF FINANCING TALKS END
     Turkey has put an end to stand-by talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which continued 19 months. Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said, "we do not need it immediately. We do not have to make a deal with IMF. There is also no need for a stand-by after May." Business groups were positive on government's decision.
 

HURRIYET
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     TODAY IS ROUGHER THAN FEBRUARY 28 PROCESS
     Meral Aksener, the interior minister of the February 28 (1997) process about whom a commander had said those days that he was going to make her sit on a pole and going to walk around it", compared those days to today in an interview with the daily Hurriyet. "I can say that February 28 process was more naive when I have seen what has been experienced today," Aksener said.
     Aksener said, "those days, they used to get information from the grocers or the doormen, however they are taking unsigned letters and e-mails without IPs into consideration today. There were confessors those days, but there are secret witnesses today. Whatever the secret witnesses say is accurate and you are asked to prove that you are not guilty."
     Aksener said, "the United States was behind the February 28 process, and it seems like it is also supporting today's process. When the army is losing esteem, a pasha was given a plate of gratitude worth 1.2 million." She also said, "families were not involved in February 28 process, however today families are the subject of the incidents; i.e. when we compare them, today is rougher than February 28 process."
     Meral Aksener also said, "Turkey is being pushed into a regime crisis, and this should be stopped and (general) elections should be held as quickly as possible."
    
     LORRY FULL OF GUNS SEIZED
     Counter-terrorism teams in Ankara stopped a white lorry licensed 06 BJ 9915 which was covered with a blue canvas in Golbasi town. The men in the lorry said they would hand over the guns and ammunition in the lorry to a military unit in Golbasi and showed the transportation permit. Upon instructions of the public prosecutor, those in the lorry were detained and guns and ammunition were seized. It has been revealed that military authorities were informed about the dispatch. Military authorities said it was safer to transport ammunition by civilian vehicles, adding ammunition was brought to Ankara by 12 vehicles on Wednesday.
    
     28 TURKS IN BILLIONAIRE LIST
     Twenty-eight Turks managed to take place in the 2010 list of billionaires of the U.S. Forbes magazine. This number was only 12 in 2009 due to global crisis, however it was up by 16 and reached 28 in 2010. The wealth of these Turks totalled 42.8 billion USD. Husnu Ozyegin, owner of FIBA Holding, is the richest Turk.
    
     MILLIYET
     --------
     POLICE RAID MILITARY'S AMMUNITION TRUCK
     Interesting police operation started at 15:57 when they received an e-mail. The e-mail said, "dirty guns are being carried to Ankara Mobilization Regional Command with a civil truck via Afyon. They will be used during Nevruz in southeast part of the country." Police stopped the truck, which was carrying also two soldiers, including a sergeant major, and the civilian driver, in Ankara.
     Showing his task order to police, the sergeant major said the truck was carrying 900 hand grenades that did not have any serial numbers. He said serial numbers would be stamped on them at the regional command. Police informed the prosecutor. The truck was taken to police department for investigation. At 1:45 a.m., the truck was allowed to leave. Soldiers, who were taken into custody, were also released.
    
     SARIK TARA EMERGES FROM NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
     Turkey and South Korea signed an energy cooperation agreement for a nuclear power plant planned to be built by Korea's KEPCO in Sinop. In the first phase two reactors, each with a capacity of 1,400 megawatts, are planned in Sinop. Then, the number of reactors will be increased to six. Turkish company ENKA, owned by Sarik Tara, will have a partnership in the $20 billion project. A source said, "state may have a stake too."
    
     SABAH
     -----
     POLICE FIND LARGE CACHE OF WEAPONS, MUNITIONS IN TRUCK IN TURKISH CAPITAL
     Acting on a tip-off, police found late Wednesday a large cache of weapons, munitions and hand grenades in a truck enroute to capital Ankara from the western province of Mugla. Two military personnel and the driver of the truck were briefly detained and interrogated on an order by a civilian prosecutor. The military personnel and the driver were released along with the truck after a Mugla gendarmerie commander issued a written statement that the weapons and munitions belonged to the Turkish military and the shipment was routine.
    
     ERDOGAN ON SUSPENSION OF IMF TALKS
     Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would not bow down to political pressures after the country and the International Monetary Fund said there would be no stand-by talks till May. "IMF engages with countries that cannot stand on their own feet. We will stick to our own medium-term economic programme," Erdogan said. Markets remained indifferent to the IMF talks suspension. U.S. dollar slipped against Turkish lira at 1.53 as the Istanbul Stock Exchange was slightly down by 0.39 percent.
 

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