HURRIYET
-- SAHIN'S HOLE
Police found two rocket launchers, 590 grams of plastic explosives, a hand grenade and hundreds of bullets in excavations carried out in places in Ankara's Golbasi town pointed in sketches which were found at the apartment of Ibrahim Sahin, former head of Special Forces Department. Police also started excavations at a picnic area which is very close to Justice & Development Party (AKP) headquarters and Ataturk Forestry Farm (AOC).
-- SOLDIERS IN COURT
Five prosecutors, including Zekeriya Oz, interrogated three colonels, a navy captain and two first lieutenants --who were detained Wednesday in Ergenekon case-- for more than seven hours in Istanbul. Two colonels and lieutenants were sent to count, others released.
MILLIYET
-- THEY ARE DIGGING IN "DEEP"
Police started excavations in Golbasi town of Ankara after they found a sketch in the house of Ibrahim Sahin, a former head of the Special Forces Department. Police found many ammunition in their excavations. Excavations were later launched in two spots in Ankara and another in the southern province of Hatay. Rocket launchers and hand grenades hidden under ground were seized in excavations in Golbasi. The arms were covered with newspapers dated 2004. However, there are clues that they were buried under soil in the last one year. Police then launched excavations in Saklibahce picnic area, only 150 meters away from the headquarters of the ruling AKP, and near Ataturk's house in Ataturk Forestry Farm (AOC). This news shocked every one. More excavations can be carried out in Ankara upon tip-offs.
--- IMPRISONMENT PUNISHMENT FROM KANADOGLU
Ibrahim Sahin, a former head of the Special Forces Department, was released from prison 185 days after he was arrested in the Susurluk case. He was injured in a traffic accident. Sahin was later sentenced to six years in prison upon the insistence of Sabih Kanadoglu, the then chief prosecutor of Supreme Court of Appeals. Police also searched Kanadoglu's house in the recent wave of the Ergenekon investigation. Sahin, who claimed to suffer from loss of memory, was pardoned by former president Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
SABAH
-- IT IS NOW TIME FOR SOIL TO SPEAK
Police excavated some areas in Ankara and the southern province of Hatay on Friday upon a demand of Zekeriya Oz, the prosecutor of the ongoing Ergenekon case. Police used sniffer dogs in their searches. Plastic explosives, two rocket launchers, a hand grenade and 200 bullets hidden in plastic bags were found in the first excavation in a forest in Ankara's Golbasi town. Some of the ammunition were covered with newspapers dated July 7, 2004. Police also launched excavations in Ankara's Ataturk Forestry Farm (AOC), Saklibahce picnic area, Mamak neighborhood and Bala town; and Kumlu town of the southern province of Hatay. An area near Ataturk's house was excavated and a well was searched.
-- PALESTINE SUMMIT OF FIRST LADIES
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's wife Emine Erdogan is pioneering a first ladies summit in Istanbul for peace in Palestine. Queen Rania of Jordan and Asma al-Asad, the spouse of Syrian President Bashar al-Asad, are among first ladies participating in the summit.
VATAN
-- ANKARA HONEYCOMBED
Ankara turned into a honeycomb after notes and sketches found at the apartment of Ibrahim Sahin, a former head of Special Forces Department and a person who was involved in Susurluk case. Two rocket launchers, a hand grenade, explosives and bullets were found in excavations in Golbasi town of Ankara. Ammunition were found wrapped in newspapers dated July 2004 and buried in plastic bags half a meter under the ground.
Police said plastic bags were not corroded and a wall drawn in the sketch was built nearly six months ago, adding that the ammunition found in excavations could have been buried to the spot five or six months ago. After digging in Golbasi, police started excavations in a picnic area near Justice & Development (AK) Party, around Ataturk's House which is in Ataturk Forestry Farm, and two more excavations in Mamak and Bala towns.
-- FIRST LADIES HAND-IN-HAND FOR PALESTINE
First ladies of nine countries will meet in Istanbul Saturday at the invitation of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's wife Emine Erdogan. First ladies will call on to "stop war." Famous top model Naomi Campbell will also take part at the meeting which is entitled "world's first ladies hand-in-hand for Palestine." Emine Erdogan will also host a dinner.
CUMHURIYET
-- AMMUNITION OF THOSE INVOLVED IN SUSURLUK CASE
Police found explosives in excavations launched in Golbasi town of Ankara upon ten sketches claimed to be seized in the house of Ibrahim Sahin, a former head of the Special Forces Department who was a convict of Susurluk case and who has recently been detained within the scope of the Ergenekon case. Two rocket launchers, ten hand grenades and TNT explosives were unearthed in the excavations. Police also launched excavations in Bala and Mamak neighborhoods, Saklibahce picnic area near the headquarters of the AKP, and Ataturk's house in Ataturk Forestry Farm.
-- INVESTIGATION INTO CAMPAIGN TO APOLOGIZE TO ARMENIANS
Ankara Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into a campaign to apologize to Armenians upon a petition submitted by citizens Hasan Huseyin Satir, Sabahat Ozgur, Mehmet Inal Kolburan, Huseyin Erdogan, Serdar Orhaner and Kursat Karacabey living in Ankara. The campaign was pioneered by some academicians and journalists. The investigation was launched on charges of "openly insulting Turkish nation."
RADIKAL
-- UP IS ERGENEKON, DOWN IS SUSURLUK
Some sketches were found in the house of Ibrahim Sahin, a former head of the Special Forces Department who was detained in the Ergenekon case. Police seized ammunition after it excavated some areas in Ankara's Golbasi town, Middle East Technical University (METU) forest, an area near Marmara Villa in Ataturk Forestry Farm that belonged to the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), and near the headquarters of the AKP in Sogutozu neighborhood. Explosives, hand grenades, two rocket launchers and Uzi bullets were found in METU forest.
-- OFFICERS ALSO BEFORE COURT
Nine army officers on duty who were detained within the scope of the Ergenekon investigation were transferred to the court house to testify before prosecutor Zekeriya Oz. Three suspects who were claimed to assassinate an Armenian citizen in the central city of Sivas were also brought to Istanbul.
YENI SAFAK
-- BOMB FIELD
Police who seized the sketches of Ibrahim Sahin, a former head of the Special Forces Department who was involved in Susurluk case, found Ergenekon ammunition in Golbasi town in Ankara. Police launched excavations in ten areas in Ataturk Forestry Farm, Saklibahce picnic area, Emek Ciftlik intersection, Bala and Mamak towns of Ankara; and in the southern province of Hatay. The arms and ammunition unearthed in Golbasi were buried five or six months ago, and taken under protection by being wrapped by greaseproof paper. The ammunition and arms were also covered with newspapers dated July 7, 2004. Police are investigating what this meant.
-- CENTRAL BANK SIGNALS REDUCTION IN INTEREST RATES
Central Bank Governor Durmus Yilmaz said that there might be surprises in the first half of 2009. "It is possible to reduce interest rates, and we are doing so," he said.
