GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON MAY 26

HURRIYET

--"I DO NOT BETRAY 16.5 MILLION PEOPLE"

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan indicated during the 2nd regular congress of the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) Women's Branches, "If I had given a response to the statement of the Supreme Court of Appeals, I would have betrayed 16.5 million people. Everyone in this country should deal with their own jobs."

Erdogan said that democracy was the unchangeable fact of secular Turkey.

--CHP TO OPEN BUREAU IN THE U.S.

The Republican People's Party (CHP), the main opposition party in Turkey, has decided to open a bureau in Washington D.C. prior to the presidential elections in the United States on November 4.

MILLIYET

--NIGHT OF HONOR AT CANNES

"The Three Monkeys", a film by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, was presented with the "Best Director" award at the Cannes Film Festival.

"I dedicate this award to my lonely and beautiful country which I love with passion," said Ceylan, delivering a speech after American actor Sean Penn announced his name as the "Best Director." Ceylan also said he was quite honored to receive such an award.

--EU SUPPORT FROM CROATIA

The young Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic of Croatia, a country which started negotiations for EU membership at the same time as Turkey, said that those who claimed Turkey was not located in Europe should take a look at the map.

Jandrokovic also said that he did not believe Turkey's membership process affected Croatia's ongoing process negatively. The path to the EU is different for every country, he said.

SABAH

--TURKISH PM RESPONDS TO SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Presidents Committee of the Supreme Court of Appeals did not have authority to issue the statement that criticized last week "certain political circles" for attempting to influence and control the judiciary. "If such a statement regarding a political party, which is a defendant of a closure case, is issued, it would be betraying more than 16 million people who voted for my party. I can not leave it unanswered," Erdogan told a party meeting in Ankara.

"The Presidents Committee (of the Supreme Court of Appeals) issued that statement concerning themselves, not with an authority granted by laws or the constitution," Erdogan said. "There is no such authority and if we remain silent as administrators who won 16.5 million votes, then we, the voice of the silent mass, will become the silent mass. Everybody should mind his/her own business."

--IF THE RULING AKP IS CLOSED, TURKEY'S EU TRAIN WOULD STOP

A deputy of the European Parliament, Vural Oger, said that if the ruling AKP is closed, Turkey's EU train would stop. "If the party is closed and negotiations stop, Turkey would experience political and economic chaos in which the Kurdish problem would not get solved and radical fundamentalism as well as nationalism would gain strength," Oger noted.

VATAN

--WE ARE PROUD OF CEYLAN

A Turk was the star of the 61st Cannes Film Festival. After director Fatih Akin got the "Best Screenplay" award at last year's festival, Nuri Bilge Ceylan was presented with the "Best Director" award for his film, "The Three Monkeys" this year.

"I would like to dedicate this award to Turkey, my lonely and beautiful country which I love with passion," Ceylan said at the award ceremony which millions of people watched live on TV.

--REMAINING SILENT WOULD BE A BETRAYAL

Commenting on the recent statement by Presidents Committee of the Supreme Court of Appeals, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "No matter what the consequences will be, it is not possible to accept such a thing in a democratic country. Everybody should deal with his own business."

Erdogan also said, "If a statement is released regarding a political party which is faced with a closure case, remaining silent would mean betraying 16.5 million voters."

CUMHURIYET

--A CRY FOR WATER

Crops in several parts of Turkey, especially in eastern and southeastern regions, have been destroyed because of drought and scorching temperatures. Nearly 15 million decares of cultivated fields were affected by drought in the eastern and southeastern provinces of Mardin, Urfa, Diyarbakir, Batman, Hakkari, Mus, Siirt, Sirnak, Gaziantep and Elazig. Tens of thousands of farmers could not repay their debts. Sources say that regional economy would suffer a heavy damage.

--CEYLAN WINS "BEST DIRECTOR AWARD" IN CANNES

Prominent Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan has won the "Best Director Award" with his film "Three Monkeys" in the 61st Cannes Film Festival. Speaking at the award ceremony, Ceylan said, "I am honored with this award. I dedicate it to my beautiful country Turkey."

RADIKAL

--EU'S SOCIAL DEMOCRATS: CHP IS NOT PART OF OUR FAMILY

European Parliament's Deputy Chairman of the Socialist Group Jan Marinus Wiersma said that Turkey's Republican People's Party (CHP) was not seen as part of the European social democrats family due to its nationalist attitude. "We expect the CHP to support reforms in Turkey's EU process.

Yet the CHP is walking on a different path. CHP's leader Deniz Baykal is acting with a nationalist attitude," Wiersma argued.

--PRESIDENT GUL RATIFIES "EMPLOYMENT PACKAGE"

President Abdullah Gul ratified the "employment package." The "Employment package" is the law No. 5763 which amends Labor Law. Presidency press center stated that Gul sent the law to Prime Ministry for publication.

Under the law, the government will erase 85 percent of debt interest of those who are to pay their all premium debts to Social Security Institution (SSK) and Social Security Organization for Artisans and the Self-Employed (Bag-Kur) and 15 percent of interest for delay in a one-month period. The Unemployment Insurance Fund will subsidize SSK premiums of newly employed women and unemployed people between the ages of 18 and 29 for five years.

YENI SAFAK

--ERDOGAN SOLVES THE CRISIS

Backed by Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Michel Suleiman has sworn in and assumed duty as the new President of Lebanon.

Erdogan, who attended the oath-taking ceremony held at the Lebanese parliament, received a standing ovation as he entered the hall. President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora of Lebanon thanked Erdogan for solving the crisis in the country.

--"TWIN" ATTACK ON CANCER

Turkish twins Mustafa and Hazal Babadagli, who are high school students in Canada, succeeded in stopping cancer. The twins, who attended the 2008 Sanofi-Aventis Bio Talent Challenge, were ranked the 4th with their study which filtered cancerous cells.