14:29   (ECO) IMKB DOWN IN SECOND SESSION
The second session in Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) opened at 50,555.55 points on Tuesday.
   National-100, the benchmark index, was down 132.77 points, or 0.26 percent, at the beginning of the second session over to the closing of the previous session.
   (UK-AÇ)

14:20   (ECO) FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES
Buying and selling prices of USD. Euro and British Pound in Istanbul and Ankara at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday are as follows (in TL):
  
   ISTANBUL Buying Selling
   USD 1.5120 1.5160
   Euro 2.0740 2.0770
   British Pound 2.3450 2.3650
  
   ANKARA
   USD 1.5090 1.5190
   Euro 2.0690 2.0860
   British Pound 2.3400 2.3900
  
   (EÖ-AÇ)

14:01   (DIP) TURKISH PRESIDENT MEETS WITH INDIAN PRIME MINISTER
Turkey-India economic relations topped the agenda of the meeting between Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
   During the meeting, President Gul underlined that Turkey was determined to further improve its economic and commercial relations with India.
   "We are planning to open three new consulates general in India. This is the sign of our determination to further improve our bilateral relations. We also aim at increasing our trade volume with India from 3 billion USD to 5 billion USD," he said.
   Prime Minister Singh, on his part, said that they were ready for a deeper and more powerful cooperation with Turkey.
   "I believe that President Gul's visit will be a milestone in Turkey-India relations," he said.
   Singh also added that they appreciated Turkey's efforts to ensure peace and stability in the region.
   (UK-AÇ)

13:41   (DIP) TURKEY-BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA-SERBIA TRILATERAL MEETING HELD IN ANKARA
The fifth Turkey-Bosnia Herzegovina-Serbia trilateral consultancy meeting took place in Ankara on Tuesday.
   Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Bosnia-Herzegovina's Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj and Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic participated in the meeting.
   Holding a press conference after the meeting, Davutoglu said that they gathered five times in the last five months, and their meetings finally yielded results, adding that Bosnia Herzegovina would appoint an ambassador to Serbia in a short time and problems in diplomatic relations would be solved.
   Davutoglu said that the mechanism between the three countries in the last five months caused an important renewal in the image of Balkans.
   He noted that they would continue to meet every month. He said that they would convene in Sarajevo in March, and in Belgrade in April.
   (GC-AÇ)

13:40   (ECO) TURKEY GOES ON TALKS WITH RUSSIA ON NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
The Turkish energy minister announced on Tuesday that Turkish and Russian working groups continued their talks on establishment of a nuclear power plant in Turkey.
   Turkey's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz said that Turkey should better start consuming nuclear energy by 2017.
   "Turkish and Russian working groups would meet again in Istanbul this month," Yildiz told a televised interview.
   Yildiz said that Turkey was planning to sign an intergovernmental agreement before the parliament's summer recess.
   The minister said the construction of a nuclear power plant would last around seven years, and Turkey should have nuclear power plants at least in two regions till 2023.
   A Turkish-Russian consortium led by Russia's Atomstroyexport had been the only bidder in a 2008 tender to build country's first nuclear power plant. However, Turkey's state-run electricity wholesaler TETAS canceled the tender in November 2009.
   Also, Yildiz enumerated energy projects with Azerbaijan as the Shah Deniz 1 project, Shah Deniz 2 project and talks on natural gas connections between 2016 and 2017, and connection to Europe via Turkey.
   Yildiz said there were no problems in Shah Deniz 1 project, but the problem was related with transit fees.
   Turkey and Azerbaijan had not yet agreed on the price offer regarding Shah Deniz 2 project.
   "We cannot sign the package of agreements before we agree on all issues," Yildiz said.
   Yildiz said Turkey believed its offers were reasonable, and it could agree with Azerbaijan.
   The minister also said Turkey could start cooperating with Iran on natural gas, and could sign a marketing agreement for 17.5 billion cubic meters of gas.
   (BRC-AÇ)