Saturday, 17 October 2009
These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on October 17, 2009. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET
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RATING 0.8, CRISIS HUNDRED PERCENT
Despite 0.8 percent rating, the "Ayrilik" (Separation) series broadcast on state-run TRT channel showing the violence of Israeli soldiers in Gaza, caused a hundred percent crisis between Israel and Turkey. Israel gave a note to Turkey saying that "it will not remain indifferent to provocations", and said, "the soldiers who are defined as bloody in the series rushed to your help during the earthquake of 1999." Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said he was disappointed and he hoped two countries would get back working together.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu responded harshly to the note. He said, "Turkey cannot remain silent to the attacks on Gaza. Wishing that the tragedy would end cannot be seen as being against Israel. TRT is an autonomous institution, and we are not a censuring country."
Turkey's President Abdullah Gul said, "I am sure that the government will carefully deal with these issues. Such things may happen from time to time however, they do not harm the core of relations." Turkish State Minister Bulent Arinc also said Turkey would explain its intention to the Israelis.
FENER RAID 13 MONTHS LATER
Thirteen months have passed since a German court convicted some persons in the German Deniz Feneri e.V. charity case and the German prosecutor said, "the real perpetrators were in Turkey". Police searched houses and companies of 16 people, who were the administrators and employees of Kanal 7 TV channel, in Istanbul within the scope of the investigation carried out in Turkey. Police raided on 15 separate places, and seized computer hard discs and some documents that belonged to Zekeriya Karaman, the chairman of the Executive Board of Kanal
7, during their operation on the Kanal 7 building.
MILLIYET
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DIRECTOR WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING GONE
Ramazan Akyurek, the chairman of the Intelligence Unit of the Security
Department whose role in cases like Hrant Dink and Ergenekon is under discussion, was dismissed. Akyurek was replaced with Konya's police chief Huseyin Namal.
Akyurek visited Interior Minister Besir Atalay together with Oguz Kagan Koksal, the director general of Security, on Friday. Atalay told Akyurek that he was dismissed and asked him to hand over his office to Namal immediately. Ramazan Akyurek was astonished at this decision.
UZAN TO BE EXTRADITED IF HIS APPLICATION IS REJECTED
Pierre Lellouche, the French Secretary of State for European Affairs, said the French government or the embassy did not have any information about the sudden asylum request of Turkish businessman and politician Cem Uzan. Speaking to CNN Turk channel, Lellouche said, "he was granted three-month residence permit.
His file will be examined during this time. If it is rejected, Uzan will be
extradited."
SABAH
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ARGUMENT OVER 'VIDEO CAMERA' INTENSIFIES
Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that they refused the demand of Republican People's Party leader Deniz Baykal for holding the meeting with Erdogan in front of video cameras. Baykal on the other hand said they were insistent over the issue. "We will take the meeting under record with three robot cameras," said Baykal.
DINK INVESTIGATION COST AKYUREK HIS POST
Chief of Police Intelligence Department Ramazan Akyurek, whose name was mentioned in the investigation into the assassination of Hrant Dink, was dismissed from his post with the inspectors demand. Konya Police Chief Huseyin Namal was appointed in his place.
VATAN
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17 COMPANIES RELATED WITH DENIZ FENERI e.V RAIDED
The police raided certain companies in Istanbul Friday within the scope of the Deniz Feneri e.V investigation. A unit from Ankara Anti-Organised-Crime department searched for evidence and documents together with Istanbul Police in Kanal 7, Aktif Barter and Beyaz Group. The police seized computers and hard disks. Search warrants were issued by courts of districts where the companies are located.
ERDOGAN-BAYKAL SUMMIT GOT TANGLED UP IN CAMERA ARGUMENT
Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would not go to the meeting where the Kurdish initiative would be discussed if opposition leader Deniz Baykal insisted that the meeting be taken under record with video cameras. "I can't imagine people coming in the room with video cameras in their hands. We can't allow such a thing. If they agree to do the meeting without the cameras then fine. We will have the meeting. Without the cameras," said Erdogan.
Baykal replied to Erdogan's objection and said, "it is not possible for me to understand the Premier's insistence on having the meeting behind closed doors, hidden from the people, the nation. He is after carrying on his business behind misty and foggy doors. It is not possible for us to contribute to that."
CUMHURIYET
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DELAYED RAID
An operation was launched in Istanbul within the scope of the Deniz Feneri e.V. investigation carried out by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, two and a half years after the embezzlement was brought to light in Germany.
Police raided 17 different locations including Kanal 7 where the collected charities were channelled into. While the raids continued all day long, the police seized documents of Kanal 7.
The police raided companies belonging to Zekeriya Karaman --the chairman of the board of directors of Kanal 7-- and board members Ismail Karahan and Mustafa Celik. The prosecutor's office ordered the police to seize all the documents found, but nobody was taken into custody, it was reported.
Forty boxes of documents seized during the raids will be sent to Ankara
Chief Public Prosecutor's office.
AKYUREK REMOVED FROM OFFICE
Chief of Police Intelligence Department Ramazan Akyurek was removed from office and Konya Police Chief Huseyin Namal was appointed in his place. Akyurek was accused of negligence in the assassinations of Hrant Dink and Priest Santoro. Investigation revealed that Erhan Tuncel, one of the perpetrators of the Dink assassination, was an informant that worked for Akyurek. His superiors wrote a report in his record that he was a follower of the Fethullah Gulen congregation.
RADIKAL
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TOWARDS A NEW PROCESS REGARDING "GETTING PEOPLE DOWN FROM MOUNTAINS"
When Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip was going to Baghdad, a message came from Masoud Barzani, the head of the regional administration in north of Iraq, saying, "farewell to arms." After the significant signature ceremony and meetings, Erdogan gave messages to terrorists on mountains and people in Makhmour camp.
There are signs regarding solution of Kurdish problem, and bringing back PKK members from mountains. Barzani's message and Erdogan's talks with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and prime minister Barham Saleh of the regional administration are within the same framework.
When these developments were occurring in Baghdad, head terrorist Abdullah Ocalan suggested PKK to "surrender". If nothing inconvenient happened to those who surrender, the process will go on. This process can even be regarded as the beginning of "getting people down from mountains."
GAZA CONDITION BEFORE ISRAEL
Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu clearly said a military exercise was cancelled due to developments in Gaza. Davutoglu said, "when the humanitarian tragedy is going on in Gaza, we cannot give a military image." Davutoglu put forth Gaza condition to eliminate the tension with Israel. "Turkey supports every step for peace, but is against any step that will jeopardize peace," he said.
TURKIYE
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LOGISTICS BLOW TO TERRORISTS IN AGRI MOUNTAIN
Security forces seized hundreds of weapons including 64 Kanas sniper rifles which the PKK terrorist organization --getting ready for the winter-- smuggled into the country. Soldiers searched with detectors an inn used by PKK as a hideout. Soldiers seized 131 AK-47 rifles, 151 Bixi machine guns and 64 Kanas sniper rifles, during the operation. Experts believe the weapons were smuggled into Turkey from the north of Iraq.
SHOCKING OPERATION TO DENIZ FENERI
The police raided Kanal 7, a number of film production companies and depots in Istanbul within the scope of the Deniz Feneri e.V. investigation carried out by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's office. Deniz Feneri charity organization in Turkey said the raids were related with individuals whose names were involved in the investigation in Germany.
ZAMAN
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HEAVY ACCUSATION FROM UN TO ISRAEL
The Human Rights Council of the United Nations (UN) ratified a report
accusing Israel of its operation on Gaza. The council said Israel used
"unproportional force", and called for bringing up the issue to the international war crimes tribunal. Experts say the resolution paves the way for trying some Israeli executives for committing war crimes.
OLLI REHN: DEMOCRATIC MOVE IS TOP OF TURKEY'S SUCCESS ON ROAD TO EU
Olli Rehn, the European commissioner for enlargement, said the democratic move was the top of Turkey's success on its road to the European Union (EU).
Eulogizing the intellectuals who took initiative regarding this issue, Rehn said he was amazed by the developments.
YENI SAFAK
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INTELLIGENCE OPERATION
Ramazan Akyurek, the head of the Intelligence Unit of the Security
Department, was taken from office with a surprise decision, and was replaced with Huseyin Namal. Akyurek was accused of "delinquency" in Hrant Dink assassination.
PHILANTHROPY AWARD TO KOC
Koc family received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, one of the high-prestige awards in the world. Koc family went to the United States to get the award. Speaking on behalf of the family during the award ceremony, Rahmi Koc said, "spending is much more difficult than earning."
