Wednesday, 23 September 2009
These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on September 23, 2009. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET
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TOP TURKISH GENERAL SAYS WOULD WELCOME AL-ASAD'S PKK MOVE
Chief of Turkish General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug said they had welcomed Syrian President Bashar al-Asad's remarks that his country would let in PKK terrorists of Syrian descent if they quit the organization. "Estimated number of Syrian nationals in the PKK is about 1,500. Our fight against the terrorist organization would be affected a great deal if some of these Syrians quit the organization and climb down the mountain. Do not expect that it will be all over soon. There are no magical formulas," Basbug said.
ERDOGAN MEETS SENIOR AMRICAN-JEWISH LEADERS
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has met with senior opinion leaders of the American-Jewish community in New York City including the Anti-Defamation League, a major Jewish association with remarkable influence on U.S. politics. Erdogan participated in the general assembly meetings of the United Nations in New York with over 50 other participants. Erdogan renewed his criticisms towards Israel over Gaza in the conflict with Palestinians.
MILLIYET
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WE WILL HIT PKK IN EVERY CHANCE
On his way back from Turkey's southeast, Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug made remarkable statements regarding both the fight against PKK and the Kurdish issue.
Basbug said terrorist organization PKK's presence in the north of Iraq was a problem which should be solved, adding that nothing could be achieved if such presence existed.
DTP'S "MOVE" DILEMMA
Democratic Society Party's (DTP) provincial directorate in Diyarbakir did not accept Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Mehdi Eker's request for a meeting to exchange greetings for Ramadan feast, stating that such a gathering would not be appropriate when so many soldiers were being killed.
Meanwhile, Mehmet Nuri Balci from DTP, who is the mayor of Malazgirt town of the eastern province of Mus, paid a visit to the family of a martyr. "I am the mayor of all the people, no matter if they are civilians or soldiers. I hope our humanitarian approach would bring peace and brotherhood to the country," Balci said.
SABAH
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SECRET WITNESSES WILL CHANGE THIS WAY
Police Department asked for make-up artist Arzu Yurter's help to change the faces of the secret witnesses in Ergenekon case.
Commenting on the issue, Yurter said, "On one hand, I am worried about who will protect me. But on the other hand, I think I can do such a thing if it will be for the benefit of my country".
Noting that she has been dealing with this profession for 8 years, Yurter
said she could make a face unrecognizable after a series of small operations which she called temporary plastic surgery.
PARLIAMENT TO HOLD OPEN SESSION
Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is currently in USA, put an end to
discussions on whether the Turkish parliament would assess the democratic move initiative in an open or closed session. Erdogan said that the parliament would hold an open session to discuss the issue.
VATAN
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NEAR 100 PEOPLE KILLED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN RAMADAN HOLIDAY
Ninety-two people were killed in traffic accidents in Turkey during the
three-day Ramadan Holiday, the highest figure over the last years. Thirty-nine people were killed on the eve of the holiday, which was followed by 18 on the first day of the holiday, 14 on the second day, and 21 on the last day. An annual average of 4,500 people are killed in traffic accidents in Turkey.
DAVOS CRISIS OVER
Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with leaders of the Jewish
associations for the first time in New York since a crisis in a Davos meeting
with Israeli President Simon Peres. Leader of the Anti-Defamation League Abraham H. Foxman said "the crisis is now history." Erdogan also criticized Deniz Baykal, the main Turkish opposition leader, who claimed that the Turkish premier visited the U.S. for what is publicly in Turkey known as "the democratic move." "We did not come here for the democratic move. It is a shame that he acts as if we did," Erdogan said.
FIRST TURKISH-MADE SATELLITE TO BE LAUNCHED
The first satellite ever manufactured in Turkey is expected to be launched on Wednesday from a base in India. The satellite, "ITUpSAT1," has been manufactured at the Istanbul Technical University and it weighs 1 kilogram. The satellite will orbit the earth at an altitude of 720 km.
CUMHURIYET
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DAVOS CRISIS HISTORY
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gathered with leaders of about 50 Jewish associations in New York in his first meeting since a crisis with Israeli President Shimon Peres at the latest Davos meetings. Abraham Foxman, chairman of the Anti-Defamation League, said "the crisis is now history. Neither us nor the premier brought that issue up. His meeting with us is a sign of the importance he attaches to us."
TURKEY'S FIRST CUBIC SATELLITE
Turkey's first cubic satellite, which was manufactured at the Istanbul
Technical University, is set to be launched on Wednesday from a base in India. The satellite, "ITUpSAT1," will be launched on a PSLV C-14 by the Indian Space Research Organization. The satellite will orbit the earth at an altitude of 720 kilometers.
RADIKAL
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SYRIA GETTING POSITIVE, IRAQ IMPROVING
Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug said that Syria's promise to
declare amnesty for the PKK terrorists who would lay down arms, would affect the process positively.
Upon a question on the latest developments regarding the support for PKK's presence in the north of Iraq, Basbug said, "There are remarkable developments on such issue. The situation has improved compared to the past".
DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS FROM PARTIES
Democratic Society Party (DTP) criticized Basbug's statements while other political parties made comments from their points of view. While the ruling party said that Republican People's Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) should draw lessons from what the military had said, opposition parties said Basbug did not support the democratic move initiative.
TURKIYE
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WE NEED TO BE PATIENT
Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug said that the fight against
terrorism had several steps to be followed in Turkey, Iraq and Europe. "Patience is of great importance for getting results," he said.
Delivering remarkable statements on his way back from the southeastern province of Mardin, Basbug said that there should be no question marks regarding Turkish Armed Forces' approach to the democratic move. Basbug said the General Staff supported the democratic move within the framework of the limits laid out so far.
SESSION TO BE "OPEN"
Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the final comment regarding the session to be held at the Turkish parliament to discuss the democratic move. Speaking to reporters after attending a series of activities at the UN HQ in New York, Erdogan said the parliament would hold an open session to discuss the issue.
ZAMAN
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NO PRICE HIKES IN NATURAL GAS
Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz said the
government would not raise the price of natural gas in a bid to attract new
subscribers until the end of the year. "We will not increase the prices until the end of the year but we will not introduce a reduction either," Yildiz said.
Turkey paid 704 million USD last year to Iran for the natural gas it failed to
use according to the provisions of a purchase agreement with its eastern
neighbor.
SCORES KILLED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN HOLIDAY
Near 100 people were killed in traffic accidents in Turkey in the three-day Ramadan holiday as 447 others were injured. Interior Minister Besir Atalay said speeding was the main cause of the accidents.
YENI SAFAK
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HERE IS HOUSE WHERE CEM HID IN
Cem Garipoglu, the suspect of Munevver Karabulut's murder, hid in a vineyard house in Corlu town of the northwestern province of Tekirdag for 190 days. After the murder, Garipoglu was taken to the house in Corlu's Sarilar village by a friend of his father's. Cem came to Istanbul after the flood in Thrace region.
SPECIAL APPOINTMENT TO BALBAY
It has been revealed that retired Gen. Ergin Saygun informed Ergenekon suspect Mustafa Balbay in advance on the "Gunes" operation that was waged against PKK.
According to the annexes of the Ergenekon indictment, Cumhuriyet daily's Ankara representative Balbay briefed the executives of several newspapers on the meeting he held with Saygun in June 2007. Balbay told the executives that he got the information "directly from the general".
