Tuesday, 17 November 2009These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on November 17, 2009. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET
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ECONOMIC CRISIS HITS NASA
The space center (National Aeronautics and Space Administration--NASA) opens its doors to daily HURRIYET. HURRIYET went to Kennedy space center for launching of Atlantis space shuttle. There are only five launchings ahead of NASA, which is getting prepared to retire two space shuttles Endeavour and Discovery together with Atlantis next year. If NASA's budget cuts continue, it cannot complete its new rocket Ares and it may not be possible for the NASA to discover space.
RANSOM COUNTING ON DECK
It has been revealed that 23 crew members of the Turkish ship, Horizon-1, were counted to see whether all of them were alive before 1.5 million USD of ransom was paid. Somali pirates kept the crew of the ship hostage for 90 days at the Gulf of Aden. The crew members gathered on the deck, and people on a plane counted the crew to see whether all of them were alive.
22-year-old technician Orhan Yudar wrote a diary on the ship after Somali pirates hijacked the ship on July 8, 2009 en route from Saudi Arabia to Jordan. Yudar hid the diary in the engine room.
According to Yudar's diary, fuel and material supply was made on October 5, 2009. Machines were checked and pirates left the ship at 5:30 p.m. An hour later, commandos were on the ship and we set sail. "Long live freedom, we are coming home," Yudar also wrote.
SEVEN-YEAR PUNISHMENT FOR TELEPHONE TAPPING ON WAY
Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek said after the Council of Ministers
meeting that punishment of illegal telephone tapping would be increased. Some amendments will be made to the Turkish Penal Code. The new arrangement foresees prison terms up to seven years for illegal telephone tapping.
MILLIYET
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DEATH TOLL FROM SWINE FLU RISES TO 73
The death toll from pandemic influenza, publicly known as swine flu, has risen to 73 in Turkey. Health Ministry said that swine flu had killed 13 people more since last Friday. The ministry said 249 people, infected with swine flu, were currently under treatment in hospitals. "56 of the 249 people are in intensive care units," it said.
SUMMER ENDS, UNEMPLOYMENT RISES AGAIN
Unemployment rate which slightly decreased in summer has risen to 13.4 percent in August again. The number of jobless people has become 3.4 million in the country. Turkish Board of Statistics (TUIK) announced Household Labor Force Survey for August 2009 and said unemployment figure became 13.4 percent in August, and it was 12.8 percent in July 2009.
SABAH
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MESSAGE FOR CONFERENCE IN PARIS
The French government made a proposal to host a conference on the Middle East in Paris. Responding to the proposal, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that "Turkey would support all initiatives with good will. Turkey supports all moves in the Middle East that would help peace in the region".
PIZZA PIZZA TO INVEST 5 MILLION USD IN ISTANBUL
Turkey's local Pizza Pizza chain will invest five million USD in Istanbul.
The new investment will provide jobs to 1,200 people. The chain will have 250 branches in Turkey in 2010. 60 of them will be in Istanbul.
VATAN
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DERSIM CRISIS INSIDE CHP
The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy group chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu held a press conference in eastern province of Tunceli where he attended funeral of his mother. In regard to CHP deputy chairman Onur Oymen's remarks on Dersim rebellion which took place in 1937, Kilicdaroglu said, "many were angered by Oymen's remarks in the parliamentary general assembly on November 10. Oymen tried to make a connection between terrorist organization PKK and Dersim rebellion during his speech. The incident that took place in Dersim was a
human tragedy." Kilicdaroglu said Oymen should do what was necessary.
ERDOGAN: "WHO TAPPED ME WILL BE FOUND"
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said members of jurisdiction confessed that phone conversations of prime minister had been tapped illegally in this country. Erdogan said those who tapped him would be found and a judiciary process would take place regarding this matter.
CUMHURIYET
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CALL FOR LAW
President Abdullah Gul intervened in the telephone tapping scandal, and had separate meetings with Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin and Hasan Gerceker, the president of the Supreme Court of Appeals. Gerceker said he explained about the problems in the system to Gul. Regarding tapping of telephones of the Supreme Court of Appeals, Gerceker said, "the tapping might have been made legally. However, the Chairmanship Board No:1 of the Court has to give a permission for the tapping."
NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED OVER 5 MILLION
The number of unemployed people in Turkey was up by 927,000 and reached 3,429,000 in August 2009 over August 2008. Thus, the unemployment rate was up to 13.4 percent.
DEATH TOLL RISES TO 73
The Health Ministry said 13 more people lost their lives due to swine flu, raising the death toll to 73. 249 people are actually being treated at hospitals due to swine flu.
RADIKAL
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GOVERNMENT TO HIRE 10,000 NEW TEACHERS
The ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party has submitted a draft law to the parliament to hire new teachers. If the draft law gets adopted, the government will hire 10,000 new teachers by the beginning of 2010.
TURKEY RANKS FIFTH IN WORLD WITH MOST NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE
Turkey ranked fifth in the world with the most number of unemployed people. The number of unemployed people in Turkey rose to 13.4 percent in August. There are nearly 3.5 million unemployed people in Turkey.
TURKIYE
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"WE HAVE CUT LOGISTIC SUPPLY TO PKK"
Osman Sagirli, a reporter with daily TURKIYE, met with the number-two person in north of Iraq. Sagirli had a meeting in Irbil with Nechirvan Barzani, the former prime minister of the regional administration in north of Iraq and the nephew of Masoud Barzani. During the meeting, Nechirvan Barzani said the "democratic move" of Turkey would end bloodshed. Barzani said, "the process should not be sabotaged. Turkey stood by us in our hard times. It is illogical for us to help PKK. We could not arrest them but we have limited logistic capabilities."
KILICDAROGLU: RESIGN, OYMEN: I WON'T
"Dersim crisis" tensed the Republican People's Party (CHP). Deputy chairman Onur Oymen, who showed how the rebellion was quelled as an example to fight against the terrorist organization PKK, became the persona non grata. CHP, which gets panicked over losing Alevi votes, is putting pressure on Oymen for his resignation. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the deputy chairman of CHP parliamentary group, asked Oymen to take those reactions seriously and do what he had to do. Oymen said, "I did what I had to do. I protected and backed Ataturk's acts."
ZAMAN
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CHILDREN AND PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS BEGIN RECEIVING SWINE FLU VACCINATIONS
Children and patients with chronic illness began receiving vaccinations
against swine flu in Turkey on Monday. Children aged between 6 months and 5 years are receiving vaccinations after getting permission from parents.
TRT MUSIC BEGINS BROADCASTING
Turkey's state run TV channel TRT has launched "TRT Music" channel on Monday. The new channel will broadcast video clips and musical programs 24 hours a day.
YENI SAFAK
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DERSIM QUAKE
Alevis were angered by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy chairman Onur Oymen's remarks in the parliamentary general assembly on November 10. Oymen criticized the democratic move of the government by referring to Dersim rebellion which took place in 1937. CHP deputy group chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu said, "Oymen should do what is necessary, relieving his party."
SUMMIT ON PHONE TAPPING AT PRESIDENTIAL PALACE
President Abdullah Gul had a meeting on phone tapping with Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin and Supreme Court of Appeals President Hasan Gerceker at the Presidential Palace. Gul said that everyone should do what was necessary to avoid any harm to jurisdiction.
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Tuesday, 17 November 2009
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