TURKIYE
     -------
     MINISTER CALLS FOR INVESTMENT
     Industry and Trade Minister Nihat Ergun said that Turkish economy had begun recovering rapidly. "Turkey will become one of the biggest economies of the world. Those who decided to invest in Turkey now, will win in the future," he said.
    
     STATE LIGHTS NEVRUZ FIRE
     Nevruz was celebrated throughout Turkey. Colorful activities took place in provinces from Edirne in the west to Kars in the east. Security forces did not allow supporters of the PKK terrorist organization to provoke the celebrations. President Abdullah Gul set the Nevruz fire in Ankara and gave messages of unity and solidarity.
    
     ZAMAN
     -----
     FEARS DID NOT BECOME REAL, NEVRUZ CELEBRATED LIKE FESTIVAL
     Nevruz, which was accepted a universal festivity by UNESCO last year, was celebrated in a joyful way in many regions of Turkey. Although some groups chanted provocative slogans during the celebrations attended by hundreds of thousands of people, not a single major incident took place.
    
     COMPANIES THAT MAKE CONSUMERS SUFFER TO BE PUNISHED
     Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK) has announced that it would charge the electricity and natural gas companies that did not pay attention to the complaints of their subscribers, with a 350,000 Turkish lira fine. EPDK's Director General Hasan Koktas also addressed the consumers and said, "Companies are obliged to pay for the devices that break down due to change in voltage. Inform us about the firms that do not act in accordance with such regulation".
    
     YENI SAFAK
     ----------
     NEVRUZ OF PUBLIC
     Democratic initiative of the government also had reflections on Nevruz celebrations. President Abdullah Gul set the Nevruz fire in Ankara. Gul said, "as how Nevruz heralds spring, let it also herald mutual affection and respect in Turkey." Hundreds of people who gathered in squares celebrated Nevruz in peace despite some individual cases.
    
     CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TOUR TO BEGIN
     The constitutional amendment bill, prepared by the ruling Justice & Development (AK) Party, will be submitted to the opposition on Monday. An AK Party delegation, comprised of Cemil Cicek, Sadullah Ergin and Bekir Bozdag, will visit the headquarters of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
 

HURRIYET
     --------
     "WE WILL ONLY OFFER TEA FOR THOSE WHO COME TO VISIT US FOR CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE"
     Cihan Pacaci, secretary-general of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said prior to talks on a constitutional amendment package, "we will only offer tea." "Our attitude will not change whatever the content of the package is. This package belongs to the Justice and Development (AK) Party since there is no compromise on it. According to our point of view, a committee should be established at the parliament to prepare a draft amendment," he added.
    
     DOG FIGHT COSTS 447 MILLION EURO
     Greek newspaper Elefterotipia wrote that Greek war planes took off for 19,888 times in the last 9 years for dog fight with Turkish war planes. The newspaper added that those fights cost Greece some 447 million USD.
    
     MILLIYET
     --------
     DOES PKK HAVE THE 1,100 STOLEN PASSPORTS?
     German "Focus" magazine wrote that a total of 1,100 empty passports, which had been stolen in Berlin in 2009, had been sent to the north of Iraq via Turkey. Turkish intelligence agency MIT also followed the developments, the magazine said.
     In July 2009, 1,100 empty passports, 900 empty visa forms and 2,000 empty residence certificates were stolen from the German Aliens' Department. The thieves got directions from Paris and Oslo, and their aim was to deliver the passports to the PKK terrorists in the north of Iraq. After the robbery, MIT followed the stolen documents through its agents within the organization. German intelligence agency stepped in as well.
     After a while, a Turkish origin woman living in Germany reported that she was being beaten by her husband Ferdi K. and claimed that he got involved in a passport robbery. After being questioned, Ferdi K. said that he was paid 1.2 million EUR to deliver the passports to Istanbul, adding each passport was sold for 5,000 EUR in the north of Iraq.
    
     IT'S NOW TIME FOR CARNATIONS, NOT BULLETS
     Turkey had its calmest and most crowded Nevruz celebration yesterday. At least 200,000 people were on the streets in the southeastern Diyarbakir province. Security forces said that nearly 150,000 people attended the celebrations in Istanbul. During the ceremonies held under tight security measures, some people carried posters of head terrorist Abdullah Ocalan. Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir said, "It is now time to give carnations to each other, not to throw bullets".
    
     SABAH
     -----
     HERE IS NEVRUZ INITIATIVE
     Nevruz was celebrated like a carnival throughout Turkey. No problems occurred during celebrations in Istanbul and Diyarbakir, in which hundreds of people participated. 150,000 people joined the celebrations in Kazlicesme, Istanbul. People sang songs, and performed folkloric dances. Thousands of people jumped over the fire.
     200,000 people attended the celebrations in Diyarbakir, to which also Ahmet Turk and Aysel Tugluk attended.
    
     CONSTRUCTION MURDER ON BOSPHORUS
     A businessman bought Tevfik Ercan Mansion on the Bosphorus in Bebek, Istanbul last July with leasing for 17.5 million USD. 1,000-square-meter mansion was expected to be turned into a restaurant. A renovation permit was taken from Bogazici Public Works Directorate. The building was covered with canvas, and first its internal then its external walls were demolished. Work machines approached the mansion through the Bosphorus, the mansion was totally demolished and then re-built.
     Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality says, "we have lodged a complaint, the decision to demolish the construction has been sent to the related committee," whereas a company executive said the construction was in line with the public works permit.
    
     850 MLN USD TO DARFUR
     850 million USD was donated in a donors' conference held in Cairo, Egypt under the co-chairmanship of Turkey and Egypt to help Darfur, Sudan. Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu defined the donation as significant.
 

VATAN
     -----
     EMERGENCY LANDING PANIC
     Turkish Airlines (THY) passenger plane bound from Zurich to Istanbul forced to make an emergency landing at the Zurich Airport shortly after taking off from the same airport. It was revealed that the tail of the plane touched the landing field during the taking off. Ten passengers decided not to fly to Istanbul on board the same plane.
    
     THREE DAYS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE
     Ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party will hold talks with the opposition parties about the constitutional amendment package. They will first meet with members of the Republican People's Party (CHP). The government will wait for three days. Then, the package will be submitted to the parliament. CHP thinks that all articles should be voted separately while the Nationalist Movement Party says that a committee should be established with the participation of all political parties to prepare a draft amendment.
    
     CUMHURIYET
     ----------
     CONSTITUTIONAL DRAFT TO SEEK FOR APPROVAL
     The contents of the constitutional amendment package prepared by the Justice and Development (AK) Party government will be made public at a press conference today. An AK party delegation, which will pay visits to Republican People's Party (CHP), Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and Democratic Left Party (DSP), will present the package to the opposition. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan got together with legists yesterday to review the package.
    
     WE EXAMINED AND DECIDED TO STAND SURETY FOR HIM
     Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug explained why he stood by 3rd Army Commander Gen. Saldiray Berk. Pointing to the three important issues in the accusations directed at Berk, Basbug said they inspected the allegation which claimed that a plan seminar had been played and there had been a diversion from the main issues, and found out that such accusations were absolutely not true. Basbug also said allegations regarding visits to Alevi villages were also quite inappropriate, stating that the date of the field exercise was older.
    
     RADIKAL
     -------
     WILL UNION REFORM BE MADE IN ANOTHER SPRING?
     Turkey is undergoing a "union reform" test. Workers in Turkey have been expecting a reform for 23 years. The International Labor Organization (ILO) found insufficient the bill that foresees amendments to law on unions and law on strike and collective bargaining. ILO experts' committee said they found three amendments positive, but criticized 14 aspects in the bill.
     Labor & Social Security Minister Omer Dincer brought together representatives of employers and employees on March 10 to discuss the ILO report. Turk-Is, TISK, DISK and Hak-Is expressed their views in the meeting. Dincer supported ILO's demands, however labor confederations could not agree among themselves. TISK objected. Dincer called on the confederations to first agree among themselves. The aim is to make the amendments till ILO meeting in June.
    
     NO TEAR GAS, THERE WERE FOLKLORIC DANCES
     Turkey celebrated a Nevruz without any tension and tear gases. Head terrorist Abdullah Ocalan's posters were opened in a square in Diyarbakir where 200,000 people gathered for Nevruz celebrations. Music and folkloric dances were the highlights of the celebrations in Kazlicesme, Istanbul. In speeches made in both Istanbul and Diyarbakir, members of Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) said Abdullah Ocalan was an interlocutor in the democratic initiative process.
    
     BABACAN HOPEFUL
     State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said, "this year will be much more better than 2009 in many aspects. However, we can return to our days before the global crisis only at the end of 2011. Growth figure can rise to 5.5 percent."
 

AA