GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON FEB 07

HURRIYET

-- US INVITATION UPON RESTORATION IN CHURCH

Three Turkish nationals were invited to the "National Prayer Breakfast" held on the first Thursday of February each year in Washington D.C. U.S. President Barack Obama and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair were among

 the 3800 guests. Mustafa Yardimci, the chairperson of Edirne Chamber of Commodity Exchange, his assistant Huseyin Siragezen and priest Alexander Cikirik of the Bulgarian Orthodox "Sv. Georgi" Church were invited to the gathering. The invitation was made after a group of Americans who visited Turkey's northwestern province of Edirne learned about Edirne Chamber of Commodity Exchange's contribution to the renovation of "Sv. Georgi" Church.

 

-- GENERAL TOLON RELEASED

A court on duty has decided to release retired Gen. Hursit Tolon who was detained within the framework of Operation Ergenekon and who is currently under treatment at Gulhane Military Hospital (GATA). Officials said that the decision

to release Tolon was taken due to evidences and his legal status, not as a result of his health problems.

 

 

MILLIYET

-- RETIRED GENERAL TOLON RELEASED

Retired Gen. Hursit Tolon, who had been detained within the framework of the 6th wave of Operation Ergenekon, was released yesterday evening. Tolon was transferred from Silivri prison to Gulhane Military Hospital (GATA) on Janury 23 due to health problems.Â12th High Criminal Court of Istanbul, which has assessed Tolon's lawyer's request, decided to release him yesterday.

       Â

US DROPS WITH GOVERNMENT'S CRISIS PACKAGE

Markets gained strength thanks to the positive atmosphere abroad and the government's 34-article crisis package introducing several changes such as tax reduction and investment support. As a result of such developments, dollar dropped to 1.62 TL and Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) closed the week at 26,735 points with a 3.73 percent increase.

 

 

SABAH

-- TCG GIRESUN AGAINST PIRATES

The Turkish General Staff has said that a frigate "TCG Giresun" would be deployed as part of a United Nations-led force off the Somali coast to prevent hijacking of ships by pirates.

 

-- 33 GRENADES IN HOUSE OF HEZBOLLAH MEMBER

Thirty-three grenades have been found during an excavation in a house in southeastern province of Mardin. It was revealed that former owner of the house was Fadil Sani, who was convicted of being a member of the illegal Hezbollah organization.

 

-- TOLON RELEASED

The High Criminal Court in Istanbul has decided to release retired Gen. Hursit Tolon who has been under arrest for seven months under the Ergenekon probe. Earlier, Tolon was taken to the Gulhane Military Medical Academy (GATA) in Ankara for medical treatment.

 

 

VATAN

-- ABBAS IN ANKARA

President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine has come to Ankara on a two-day state visit. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted a banquet in honor of President Abbas yesterday evening. President Abbas is set to meet with Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan and President Abdullah Gul later today. Ankara is expected to put pressure on President Abbas to include Hamas in the Middle East peace process.

 

-- TURKEY'S MOVE FOR CORPORATE GILAD

A Turkish delegation has left for Damascus, Syria, for release of Israeli Corporate Gilad Shalit who has been kept hostage by Hamas for 958 days. The Turkish delegation will ask Hamas leaders to release Gilad in return for release of Palestinians by Israel. Gilad Shalit was captured in a cross border raid on the crossing Kerem Shalom and Gaza Strip by Palestinian groups on June 25,

2006.

 

 

CUMHURIYET

-- "IT DOES NOT REFER TO TURKEY"

Foreign Minister Ali Babacan has said that the statement released by foreign ministers of Arab nations in Abu Dhabi that non-Arabs should not interfere in developments taking place in the Arabic world did not refer to Turkey. "Policies pursued by Turkey received appreciation in the Arab states," he said.

 

-- TURKEY TAKES ACTION FOR ISRAELI CORPORATE

The government has taken action to bring Turkey-Israel relations back to their old level after Prime Minister Erdogan's reaction in Davos. A Turkish delegation formed by the Prime Ministry Office left for Damascus, Syria, to carry out initiatives for release of Israeli Corporate Gilad Shalit who has been kept hostage by Hamas for 2.5 years.

 

 

RADIKAL

-- TSK: NO SPECIAL TRAINING TO ISRAELI PILOTS

Turkish General Staff said in a weekly press briefing that Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) had waged an operation against PKK targets in Hakurk region of the north of Iraq on February 4-5. General Staff also said that TSK did not give any special training to Israeli pilots in the central Anatolian province of Konya.

 

-- DOCUMENT PUZZLE IN ERGENEKON

National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has said that it had informed General Staff on Ergenekon issue in 2003. However, in response to the court's question, General Staff said that "it had no such record in its archives".

 

 

YENI SAFAK
-- "IMF ARRANGEMENTS WERE NOT ENOUGH TO OVERCOME THE CURRENT GLOBAL CRISIS"

U.S. Nobel-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz has said that Turkish financial sector was less vulnerable than the United States and European countries in the recent global financial turbulence thanks to measures taken after the local economic crisis in 2001.Stiglitz said classic stand-by arrangements of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were not enough to overcome the current global crisis, adding that IMF also advised deregulation to countries which was one of the sources of current financial crisis.

 

-- TOLON RELEASED
The High Criminal Court in Istanbul has decided to release retired Gen. Hursit Tolon who has been under arrest for seven months under the Ergenekon probe, after his lawyer submitted a petition demanding release of his client. Earlier, Tolon was taken to the Gulhane Military Medical Academy (GATA) in Ankara for medical treatment.