Τουρκικός Τύπος

Wednesday, 23 December 2009 08:45

TURKIYE

NUCLEAR CRISIS WARNING FROM DAVUTOGLU TO WORLD
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu spoke aboard the plane on his return to Turkey from Brussels. Commenting on Iran, Davutoglu said, "our national interests are in question. It will be advantageous for us if there is stability in the Middle East. It is again us who will lose the most if tension escalates."
Reacting against the double standard of the European Union (EU) against Turkey on visa requirements, Davutoglu said, "What has Serbia done to get exempt from visa requirements? They always put Turkey to a different category. Enough is enough."

POLITICAL STYLE BLEMISHES OUR IMAGE
President Abdullah Gul, while commenting on the developments, warned politicians about recent debates.
Gul said, "style of politicians can be scathing from time to time. It does not suit Turkey. Our image in foreign countries would be damaged if uneasiness grows."
Gul wanted all politicians to act carefully.

ZAMAN

DAVUTOGLU SAYS NEIGHBORS NOT THREAT AGAINST TURKEY
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that neighboring countries did not pose threat against Turkey. Davutoglu said that they did not want another cold war. He denied claims that there was cooperation between NATO and Turkey against Iran.

RECTORS WARN
Rectors are worried about university students' taking active role in riots in which two people were killed in Bulanik town of southeastern province of Mus and many demonstrations in several provinces of Turkey. Rectors said that there were provocations in many incidents.

YENI SAFAK
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ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON STATE
Police searched houses of two officers residing at military lodging complex in Cankaya district of Ankara after an alleged assassination attempt on Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc. Police found a notebook showing sketches of the house of Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Sahin.
Police also seized documents including information about ministers and lawmakers including President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to these documents, top of the state was followed closely.

"NATO HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IRAN"
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu reacted harshly to NATO which discussed Iran. Davutoglu said Iran did not pose a threat.
"Iran is not a matter to be discussed by NATO. NATO first has to make a technical perception of threat," Davutoglu said.

TEN CONDITIONS FROM MAKHMOUR
The delegation including three deputies from outlawed Democratic Society Party (DTP) were welcomed warmly at Makhmour Camp in the north of Iraq. Residents of the camp set up ten conditions for a mass return to Turkey and their first demand was not different from DTP's: "Ocalan's prison conditions should be improved."


VATAN
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LAST WARNING
Health Ministry announced: 4 million people have been infected with swine flu so far. The illness has spread throughout the country.
Two million people have been vaccinated. Number of people who gained immunity reached 6 million. However, this figure is not enough to halt the spread of the disease.
Death toll rose to 458 from swine flu as of December 17, 2009.
Health Ministry has decided not to announce the death toll unless it rises significantly.

FAREWELL LETTER IN PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE
Ahmet Tatar, brother of lieutenant colonel Ali Tatar who committed suicide, spoke to daily VATAN in Ankara. He said, "we did not want him to read the news reports about himself. But he read all of them and he was exhausted."
"He was released from prison on Wednesday. I went to visit him with my family on Friday. We were at dinner when he received the court notice. Sometimes people remain helpless. We could not sleep after the notice came. He went to bathroom saying he had stomachache. We could not stop him. It was not a suicide but a rebellion against tricks on himself. In his last letter, he requested to be buried near our father." Military Prosecutor's Office is examining his letter.

CUMHURIYET
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HUGE GAP IN UNEMPLOYMENT
Turkish Board of Statistics (TUIK) made public figures of unemployment on provincial basis for the first time. The figures showed that there was a huge gap in unemployment between the eastern and western regions of the country. Southeastern provinces of Sirnak and Hakkari and southern province of Adana were the provinces with highest percentage of unemployed individuals in 2008. According to the data, only quarter of population in eastern and southeastern regions had jobs.

"I WANT TO KNOW WHICH CRIME I COMMITTED"
Journalist Tuncay Ozkan, chairman of the New Party (YP), made his defense in Ergenekon case and said, "I don't know which crime I committed. I wrote seven petitions, and none of them were responded." Ozkan said that he had to sell his TV channel Kanalturk because of pressure by the prime minister.

RADIKAL
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BULENT ARINC WAS UNDER OBSERVATION FOR 24 HOURS
Backstage information indicated that the two people who were detained on charges of plotting an assassination attempt on Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc were fully-equipped "deep tapping" officers. Akif Beki, a columnist of daily RADIKAL, quoted one of his friends as claiming that it was not an assassination attempt. According to Beki's friend, Arinc was under close and technical observation and watch for some time, i.e. he was being observed for 24 hours.

GUL: DEVELOPMENTS DO NOT SUIT TURKEY
When President Abdullah Gul was telling about Turkey to Kuwaiti investors, there were many news stories from Turkey like the suicide of an officer who was a suspect of the Ergenekon case and detainment of two officers on charges of making plans to assassinate Bulent Arinc. Gul said he would ask the government about the developments regarding the assassination plot against Arinc, military and intelligence officers. Gul said, "they are all saddening. They do not suit Turkey. If a country is strong inside, it is also strong outside."



HURRIYET
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I HAVE VISITED ISTANBUL FOR MANY TIMES
Hero Talabani, the spouse of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, spoke to the daily HURRIYET, which is her first exclusive interview with Turkish media. Hero Talabani said, "I know Istanbul well. Nobody knows it but I have visited Istanbul for many times, and I love the Bosphorus and the sea. The Bosphorus Bridge suits Istanbul very much. I have been to so good places in Istanbul however I do not remember their names."

I HOPE IT IS ONLY FOR OBSERVATION
Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc spoke to daily HURRIYET regarding two officers caught in his street. Arinc said, "military identity cards that belong to the General Staff were found on the two officers caught in the street where my house is situated. They were both members of special forces. They only had officially-registered guns on them. I hope what they were doing only aimed at observation, nothing more."

BONE MARROW MESSAGE FROM YEREVAN
Daily HURRIYET's reporter Cansu Camlibel had an interview with Sevak Avagyan, director of the bone marrow bank of Armenia. Avagyan called his Turkish colleagues to apply to European Union (EU) funds. Avagyan has observed high matching rate between Turkish leukemia patients and Armenian donors. Avagyan argued that "Turks and Armenians were the two ethnic groups in the world that were genetically close to each other."

MILLIYET
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MESSAGES FROM ERDOGAN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave important messages before his departure for Syria where he traveled for a working visit:
To former DTP Chairman Ahmet Turk: "Saying that MPs from outlawed Democratic Society Party decided to stay in the parliament after an order from Imrali (where head of the terrorist organization Abdullah Ocalan is serving his lifetime imprisonment) was unfortunate."
To Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew: "What does he mean with 'crucifixion'? Because we do not have any crucifixes in our country."
To Israel: (On mediation between Syria and Israel) Turkey is ready for such a mission if it receives such a demand."

SWINE FLU FIGURES TO BE CENSORED
The Health Ministry will no more make public death toll from swine flu. The ministry was expected to release the toll on Tuesday but it announced that routine statements would not be made anymore as the World Health Organization, or WHO, has not recommended such a practice.
However, WHO announces global figures every Friday. Ministry's decision reminded Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remarks as "swine flu should drop off the agenda."

SABAH
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LIEUTENANT COMMITS SUICIDE
Gendarme commander first lieutenant Onder Galip (37) committed suicide in Ezine town of northwestern province of Canakkale on Tuesday. Galip came to his office in the morning with his liaison officer and sent him out of the office. After a while, a gunshot was heard from his office. Many people said that Galip married with two children was loved by his troops and the people in the town. Investigation continues.

CANCER LINE
Cancer density map for Eastern Black Sea region which was prepared by the support of Turkish Scientific and Research Board (TUBITAK) in two and a half years showed that 250 km high-tension line between Artvin and Giresun caused several deaths. The project was conducted by a team led by Prof. Dr. Tahsin Yomraklioglu from Istanbul Technical University. The research aimed to find out environmental factors' impact on cancer cases. According to the research, most of cancer cases were seen in this region.