17:16   (GEN) COUNTER-NARCOTICS OPERATIONS THROUGHOUT TURKEY
Turkish security forces seized a total of 28.5 kg of hashish and 25.7 kg of heroin and detained 25 people during the operations waged in several provinces on Tuesday.
   In simultaneous operations conducted in the central Anatolian province of Konya, northwestern province of Kirklareli, western province of Usak and southern provinces of Adana and Mersin, security teams confiscated 15 kg of hashish and detained 22 people.
   During an operation waged in the southern province of Adana, police found 10 kg of hashish in a passenger bus and arrested one person.
   Moreover, 3.5 kg of hashish was seized in northwestern Edirne province and one person was detained.
   Security forces also confiscated 25.7 kg of heroin in an operation in Gurpinar town of the eastern province of Van and detained one person in connection with the incident.
   (DO-AÇ)

17:14   (ECO) FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES
Buying and selling prices of USD, Euro, British Pound and Swiss Franc in Istanbul and Ankara on Monday and Tuesday are as follows (in TL):
  
   MONDAY TUESDAY
   Buying Selling Buying Selling
   USD 1.5210 1.5240 1.5110 1.5130
   Euro 2.0800 2.0840 2.0780 2.0800
   British Pound 2.3650 2.3850 2.3600 2.3700
   Swiss Franc 1.4100 1.4200 1.4150 1.4200
   ANKARA
   USD 1.5160 1.5260 1.5080 1.5180
   Euro 2.0720 2.0870 2.0720 2.0880
   British Pound
   2.3550 2.4000
   2.3400 2.3900
  
   (EÖ-AÇ)

17:14   (GEN) TURKISH ENERGY MINISTER MEETS GERMAN BUSINESSMEN IN ANKARA
Turkish energy minister said on Tuesday that Germany would become one of the most important partners of Turkey in the area of energy.
   Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz had a meeting with German businessmen over a luncheon hosted by German Ambassador to Turkey Eckart Cuntz in Ankara.
   Yildiz said German companies who attended the meeting had a turnover of nearly half a trillion U.S. dollars.
   "Turkey and Germany have a similar primary energy structure. The two countries don't have natural gas and oil, but they have coal. Turkey and Germany can cooperate in this area," he said.
   In his part, Cuntz said that there were several German companies which were eager to invest in the area of energy in Turkey.
   Cuntz said such meetings should be held regularly to make Turkish-German cooperation lasting.
   (EÖ-AÇ)

17:13   (DIP) GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER MEETS WITH PACE PRESIDENT
Parliament Speaker David Bakradze of Georgia met with Mevlut Cavusoglu, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
   The meeting at the Turkish parliament was held behind closed doors.
   (UK-AÇ)

16:55   (DIP) TURKISH FM ON ARMENIAN PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE TO TURKISH COUNTERPART
Turkey's foreign minister said on Tuesday that the letter sent by Armenian President Serzh Sargsian to his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul was a routine message sent by leaders while flying over Turkish territory.
   Foreign ministers of Turkey, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia met at a trilateral consultancy meeting and afterwards held a joint press conference in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
   Replying to questions at the conference, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu confirmed that Armenian President Sargsian sent a routine letter to Turkish President Abdullah Gul and added, "Mr. Sargsian has expressed his positive wishes in his message".
   Upon a question on whether he would travel to Iran soon, Davutoglu said he would pay a visit to this country next week.
   "We would like to hold comprehensive talks during our visit. We do not want to lose the positive momentum achieved in diplomacy," he said.
   In his reply to a question on the conflict between Serbia and Kosovo, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said such issue was a political matter coming from history, adding that his country would never accept a unilateral declaration of independence.
   Jeremic said Serbia would not accept such declarations by the local administrations in Kosovo, however, it supported a solution that would be acceptable for all the parties.
   Upon a question on the separation demand of the Serbians in Bosnia, Turkish Minister Davutoglu said that Bosnia's territorial integrity was the basic principle for the UN and all international organizations.
   Davutoglu said the negotiations between the ethnical groups in Bosnia should be carried out in accordance with the principles of territorial integrity and irrevocability of the borders.
   Expressing the importance of the decision to appoint ambassadors between Bosnia and Serbia, Davutoglu said such a development would contribute to peace between the Bosnians and Serbians living in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
   Commenting on the separation demand of the Serbians living in Bosnia as well, Serbian Minister Jeremic said his country had full respect for the territorial integrity of Bosnia and all other UN-member states.
   Jeremic said problems should be solved through dialogue and talks between representatives of the three nations in Bosnia and within the framework of the Bosnian constitution.
   (DO-AÇ)