GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON APR 30

HURRIYET

--GOVERNMENT, TRADE UNIONS FAIL TO RESOLVE DISPUTE OVER MAY DAY CELEBRATIONS IN ISTANBUL

A meeting on Tuesday between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and leaders of major trade unions proved fruiltess as they failed to agree on where to hold Workers' Day celebrations in Istanbul. Trade unions had pressed to stage a rally in Istanbul's Taksim Square but the government said it would not allow it.
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"Trade union representatives can lay a wreath at the Ataturk monument in Taksim Square and make a press statement," Erdogan said. The Turkish labor minister and the interior minister are expected to hold a press conference on Wednesday to give the government's final word on the issue.

--TWO TURKISH TROOPS KILLED IN EASTERN TURKEY

A sergeant was killed in a clash between the Turkish security forces and a group of PKK terrorists on Tuesday in the eastern province of Bitlis.
 
Another sergeant, a non-commissioned officer and three government-paid village guards were wounded. In a separate incident in the eastern province of Agri, close to the Iranian border, one private was killed when he stepped on a land mine.

MILLIYET

--KOC: WE WERE CRITICIZED FOR WARNING ON THE CUSTOMS UNION

Chairman of the Executive Board of Koc Holding, Mustafa Koc, said that his group was criticized when they warned about the Customs Union in 1995. "We suggested that Turkey should not say 'yes' before getting certain guarantees from the Customs Union. We now see that Turkey suffered losses due to the Customs Union," Koc said.

--MOST YOUNG HEART DISEASE PATIENTS IN EUROPE ARE TURKS

Europe's youngest heart disease patients are living in Turkey. According to a research conducted in 22 European countries, 20 percent of Turks under the age of 50 have some form of heart disease, compared to only 13 percent of individuals under the age of 50 in other European countries.

SABAH

--43 PLANES HIT PKK

After intelligence information that the PKK was preparing to attack Turkey from the north of Iraq, Turkish security forces began a 2-day bombing campaign on four known PKK camps.

The Turkish General Staff said PKK camps in Zap, Avasin-Basyan and Hakurk were bombed on April 25-26 and 111 targets belonging to the PKK were destroyed. A large group of PKK terrorists was also neutralized in the operation about which the General Staff released video footage.

--13 SOLDIERS DEAD IN 10 DAYS

A sergeant died in clashes with terrorists in Genc town in the southeastern province of Bingol. Two soldiers and three village guards were wounded. Separately, Private Mesut Sanir died in a landmine explosion in the eastern province of Igdir. Thirteen soldiers have died in 10 days.

VATAN

--GOVERNMENT SAYS 'NO' TO MAY DAY RALLY AT ISTANBUL'S BIGGEST SQUARE

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected a demand by labor union leaders to hold workers' day celebrations in Istanbul at the city's Taksim Square.

Leaders of the country’s three major labor unions met the Turkish premier on Tuesday and proposed to hold a commemoration ceremony instead of a rally at Taksim Square. Social Security and Labor Minister Faruk Celik said only a group of 100 to 150 labor union representatives could lay a wrath at the Ataturk monument in the square.

--QATARI BUSINESSMEN DUE IN ISTANBUL

A number of leading Qatari businessmen are set to arrive in Istanbul on Wednesday to seek investment opportunities on energy, real estate and tourism projects. They will gather with Turkish businessmen in Istanbul's Ceylan Hotel at a Turkish-Qatari business council meeting.

CUMHURIYET

--RULING AKP BARRICADE TO WORKERS

After Istanbul’s governor announced that police officers would use force should groups plan to stage demonstrations in Istanbul's Taksim Square on May 1, Workers' Day, leaders of several labor unions met Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan transferred the matter of May 1 to his ministers.

Holding talks with the interior minister, Labor and Social Security Minister Faruk Celik said that a group of 100-150 workers might enter the Taksim Square. "This is our definite attitude," Celik said.

--'KURDISTAN' FAUX PAS BY ITALY

A political world map printed by the Italian Belleti firm shows Turkey's southeast as 'Kurdistan'. Across from the Turkish flag on the map there is a map of 'Kurdistan'. Maps printed by Belleti are used at schools in Italy.

RADIKAL

BARGAINING TILL LAST MOMENT FOR MAY DAY

Turkish Confederation of Labor Unions (Turk-Is), Confederation of Revolutionary Workers' Unions (DISK), and the Confederation of Public Sector Unions (KESK) met Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss celebrations marking May 1, Workers' Day.
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Erdogan said 300-500 people together with the union leaders might attend the celebrations. "Of course, a wreath may be laid. However, this would be something else if you make a press release with 20,000 people."
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Representatives of labor unions later met Labor Minister Faruk Celik. He said the government was resolute not to allow celebrations in Taksim Suare. A final statement is expected to be made on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. (GMT 0800).
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--DEMIRTAS ENLISTED

The chairman of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) has been handed over to the Gendarmerie Command to complete his 15 month military service obligation after being released by a military court overnight, pending trial.
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Nurettin Demirtas still faces charges of using fake health reports to avoid military service, which is obligatory for all healthy Turkish men. The DTP has to elect its chairman within 45 days.

 

YENI SAFAK

--COURT FAILS TO CONNECT MAN WHO KILLED SENIOR JUDGE TO ILLEGAL ORGANIZATION
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A criminal court in Turkey ruled that a man, who killed a senior judge of the country’s top administrative court in May 2006, had acted alone in reaction to a court decision on the headscarf, failing to see his connections with an illegal organization in Turkey called "Ergenekon" which was brought to daylight after police seized hand grenades, TNT explosives and fuses in a house in Istanbul on June 12, 2007.
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However, there was evidence that the killer, Alparslan Arslan, had links to Veli Kucuk and Muzaffer Tekin, two leading figures in Ergenekon. Police have found manifesto of Ergenekon in Arslan's house and revealed that three hand grenades, which Arslan tossed at daily newspaper Cumhuriyet's offices in Istanbul, came from Ergenekon. Another suspect said Arslan and he had taken the grenades from Kucuk.
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--DTP LEADER IN ARMY NOW

Leader of the Democratic Society Party (DTP), Nurettin Demirtas, has been enlisted as a private in the Gendarmerie forces after he was released by a military court where he was tried on charges of using fake health reports to avoid military service. He was handed over to the Gendarmerie Command in Safranbolu town in the northwestern city of Karabuk to complete his military service after earlier being released by a military court.

Demirtas will complete 15 months of compulsory military service. Meanwhile, Demirtas's trial will continue. Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence up to 10 years for the DTP chairman under Article 81/1 of the Military Penal Code.