Wednesday, 21 October 2009These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on October 21, 2009. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET
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SIX DIAGNOSED WITH SWINE FLU IN TWO SCHOOLS IN ISTANBUL
Six students were diagnosed with swine flu in two schools in Istanbul, the governor said. Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler said that six students were tested swine flu positive. Necessary measures have been taken and students' condition was good, Guler said. Governor said there was no need to close two schools where those students were attending.
"IT IS PLEASING"
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that surrender of a group of
members of terrorist organization PKK was a pleasing and promising development. "Is it possible not to be hopeful after the picture we saw yesterday at the Habur gate? Something is happening in Turkey, which gives us hope," Premier Erdogan told a parliamentary group meeting of his Justice and Development (AK) Party.
MILLIYET
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ALL SURRENDERED PKK MEMBERS RELEASED
A criminal court in the southeastern province of Silopi ruled for the
release of five more PKK members after prosecutors let 29 others free earlier. A group of 34 PKK members, surrendered at the Habur border gate between Turkey and Iraq on Monday as the Turkish government prepares to unveil measures to widen democratic rights and freedoms.
TURKISH PREMIER WARNS AGAINST PROVOCATIONS
Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a warning against provocations after a group of PKK members surrendered to security authorities. "Good things are happening. But whenever steps are taken forward in the fight against terrorism certain vogue circles begin getting anxious and they start seeking provocations," Erdogan said.
SABAH
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THEY REMOVED 'MR' FROM STATEMENT AND WERE RELEASED
5 PKK members who insisted on stating in their statement that they
surrendered because Mr. Ocalan wanted so, were released when they removed 'Mr.' from their statement.
The prosecutors asked the following questions to the 5 PKK members who came from Iraq:
"When did you join PKK? In what specific locations have you been? And why did you come back to Turkey?" When the 5 PKK members said they came because "Mr.Ocalan requested", the prosecutors asked the court to arrest them.
The judge spoke to their lawyers and suggested that they should not use the word "Mr." When the PKK members insisted, the judge urged them not to. After the PKK members agreed not to use that word, they were released.
ATALAY: FRAME WORK IS ARTICLE 221 OF PENAL CODE
Minister of the Interior Besir Atalay said "the return of PKK members is
part of the plan. We are expecting more in groups of 100 to 150. The frame work is Article 221 (on effective repentance) of the Turkish Penal Code. We are working on their leaders."
VATAN
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THOSE WHO DID NOT FIRE BULLET RELEASED
34 people who came from Mount Qandil and Makhmour camp to Turkey were released because they did not get involved in an armed terrorist attack. 34 people who call themselves "Peace Group" entered Turkey from Habur border gate the previous day.
150 MORE TO RETURN HOME
Interior Minister Besir Atalay said PKK terrorists' "returning home" was a part of the plan of the government. "They understand that violence is a dead end," Atalay said. "We expect that 100 or 150 more people will also surrender," Atalay said.
"FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM WILL CONTINUE"
Cross-border operation decision that was made at the parliament topped the agenda of the meeting of the National Security Council (MGK) which lasted for nearly eight hours. The motion extending government's mandate to launch cross border military operations for another year was an important component of fight against terrorism. MGK said in its statement that fight against terrorism would continue.
CUMHURIYET
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INTERIOR MINISTER SAYS HOMECOMING PART OF PROCESS, EXPECTS NEW ARRIVALS
Interior Minister Besir Atalay said the "home coming" process from Iraq was meaningful adding that they expected it to continue. "The north of Iraq is not going to be a safe haven for them, they all now this. Initially we expect groups of 100 to 150 PKK members to return," said Atalay.
ALL RETURNEES GO FREE
All PKK members who returned to Turkey were released after their testimonies were taken. Although the PKK members did not resort to the "effective repentance law", Article 221 of the Turkish Penal Code, the prosecutors and the interrogating judge exercised this article. The return of the group which departed from Habur was turned into a Democratic Society Party (DTP) show off.
ARSLAN TELLS OF PREPERATIONS FOR DANISTAY ASSASINATION
The Ergenekon case continued with cross-examination of Alparslan Aslan. Arslan said his intended target was the Chief of the State Council's Second Chamber Mustafa Birden. Answering a question on who showed him the Vakit Daily news feature with the headline 'Here are those State Council members', Arslan said, "Kemalettin Gulen showed it to me. He is an ultra-nationalist. As far as I'm concerned he is Fethullah Gulen's cousin. He said he called and swore at the Cumhuriyet daily. I liked that. A good Muslim stance. I went to his office and I asked for his address and telephone, and he gave it."
RADIKAL
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ALL SURRENDERED PKK MEMBERS SET FREE
All of the 34 PKK members who surrendered were let go free after a court in the southeastern province of Silopi released five of them in a brief trial. Twenty-nine of the PKK members were released right away after prosecutors took their statements. The group were headed to Diyarbakir along with Democratic Society Party (DTP) deputies and members. Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he welcomed the surrender of the group of PKK members: "Is it possible not to be hopeful after the picture we saw yesterday at the Habur gate? Something is happening in Turkey, which gives us hope," Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a parliamentary group meeting of his Justice and Development (AK) Party.
GREEK PREMIER PREPARES TO MOVE FOR TURKEY'S EU BID
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou is reportedly set to launch an
initiative as "a road map" for relations between Turkey and European Union. The road map that Papandreou is expected to unveil at an EU summit in December, seeks to achieve two goals: 1) To bring Turkey closer to the Union. 2) To have the EU exert more pressure on Turkey to fulfill commitments.
TURKIYE
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NEW GROUPS TO SURRENDER
Interior Minister Besir Atalay said that "Returning Home" of terrorists on the mountains was a part of the democratic move implemented by the Turkish government. The people on mountains understood that terrorism was a dead-end, he said. Atalay said that 100 or 150 people could come to Turkey from the north of Iraq and Europe in the coming days.
MGK SAYS ACTIVE FOREIGN POLICY TO CONTINUE
A statement was released at the end of the meeting of National Security Council (MGK) which took nearly eight hours. The statement said works on regional peace, stability and cooperation would continue in an active way.
ZAMAN
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KAZAKH PRESIDENT DUE IN TURKEY
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev is scheduled to arrive in Turkey today on a formal visit which is expected to double trade volume between the two countries. Six Kazakh cabinet members and 300 businesspeople will accompany Nazarbayev during his visit to the Turkish capital and Istanbul.
GOVERNMENT TO SET UP OFFICE FOR TURKS ABROAD
Turkish government is planning to establish an office to deal with problems of as many as 5 million Turks living outside Turkey. "Directorate for Turks Abroad and Related Communities" is set to form separate desks for Turks living in Germany, France, Italy, Britain, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand in the first place.
COURT ISSUES ARREST WARRANT ON FORMER MEDIA MAGNET
A criminal court in Istanbul has issued an arrest warrant on Cem Uzan, a Turkish businessman and a former media magnate, for embezzlement. The warrant, issued on an appeal by Turkey's Savings Deposit Insurance Fund, followed another such order by a separate criminal court on Uzan for siphoning money from his private bank. Uzan, leader of the Young Party, faces three-and-a-half years in prison on charges of swindling.
YENI SAFAK
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RTUK GIVES THREE MONTHS OF TIME TO DOGAN GROUP
Radio Television Supreme Council (RTUK) announced that it had given three months of time to Dogan Group to reduce the shares of foreigners in its TV channels and radios to below 25 percent.
In its statement RTUK said based on the report by the Finance Ministry dated September 18, they determined that the ownership structure of Dogan group violated the provision prohibiting foreigners to hold more than 25 percent shares of Turkish TV channels and radios.
The statement said the companies whose applications for licenses have not been processed yet, should revise their ownership structures and renew their application.
ERGENEKON PARTY
A lawyer from Izmir named Tarcan Uluk said they were establishing a new political party named Ergenekon Party (ER). He said Ergenekon was the embodiment of values, everybody was proud of.
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Wednesday, 21 October 2009
ANKARA (A.A)
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