GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON JULY 24

HURRIYET

--SIMULTANEOUS OPERATIONS IN FIVE PROVINCES

Police teams from the Anti-Terrorism Department in Konya detained 26 people including Prof. Dr. Uckun Geray, Bayram Yonem, Ahmet Akgul and Nuran Gokdemir in simultaneous operations conducted in 5 provinces.

Those people were detained on charges of "attempting to overthrow the government by force", "being member of illegal organization" and "inciting revolt".

--THREE KILLED AT FOAM PARTY

Three people, two of them are foreign tourists, were accidentally electrocuted at a foam party in a luxury hotel in southern Turkey. The power leak that caused the deaths occurred when the foam machine fell on the floor at "Venezia Palace Deluxe Resort Hotel" in southern province of Antalya. Two Israeli tourists and a 20-year-old Turkish hotel employee died in the accident.

MILLIYET

--BACKSTAGE OF RAID ON GENERAL CONSULATE

Here is the testimony of Taxi driver Cebrail Kosanarslan who brought the terrorists that attacked U.S. General Consulate in Istanbul.

Kosanarslan said, "first of all Bulent Cinar and Raif Topcil got on my taxi. We later got Kargin to the taxi. Kargin leaned and got a rifle while getting on the taxi. When I asked what was that, he said they were hunters. Later, we continued to drive through Istinye district. Kargin took out a perfume before we come to Sariyer district and said that was the smell of paradise. I later saw another gun on knee of Kargin.

I begged them not to do anything to me and he told me to continue to drive. He said, 'our job is with the United States, not with you'."

--TUPRAS AGAIN THE BIGGEST IN ISO 500

The list announcing Turkey's first 500 biggest industry organization was made public. Tupras again ranked the first. Five Koc Group companies are in the first five of the list.

--PROF. HALACOGLU REMOVED FROM OFFICE

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan removed Yusuf Halacoglu, chairman of Turkish Historical Society, from office was he was having holiday. Halacoglu sent back to his post at Gazi University.

SABAH

--GREEN WAVE IN ERGENEKON

In an operation waged by Konya Police in connection with Ergenekon Probe 26 people were arrested in five cities. Director of National Solution magazine Ahmet Akgul, Workers Party official Prof. Uçkun Geray and National Channel's Mediterranean representative Yusuf Buldu were among the suspects who were arrested. Konya Poice Chief said "we are searching for connection between Ergenekon and the suspects.

--DEATH FOAM

Electric leakage at a foam party in a hotel in Antalya killed three people and wounded one. At a party in Venezia Hotel, the technician in charge of the foam machine, Tuncay Duran (31) fell down while trying to place the machine to its platform and was jolted by electric shock.

Two Israeli brothers and Turkish entertainer Fikret Sakaci was electrocuted while trying to save Duran.

VATAN

--IS THIS A GESTURE TO ARMENIA?

Yusuf Halacoglu, who was the chairman of Turkish Historical Society (TTK) for 15 years, was removed from office as initiatives are underway to come closer with Armenia.

Halacoglu said he did not have any idea why he was removed from office.

Halacoglu's call to the Armenian historians to establish a joint commission was also not responded.

--FOAM PARTY DISASTER

A foam machine killed two Israeli brothers, aged 14 and 18, and a Turkish hotel employee because of power leak after falling on the floor at "Venezia Palace Deluxe Resort Hotel" in southern province of Antalya.

A Turkish technician and a Kazakh tourist slightly escaped from death.

CUMHURIYET

--GROWTH IN ECONOMY ILLUSIONARY

Head of Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Tanil Kucuk said the recovery in economy was not due to a rise in production. He said "we have to hear the alarming bells for Turkey's industry. Let's not forget that this illusionary growth was achieved with the costs of risk in forreign currency exchange rates and inflation. If Turkey is abandoning its industry, it has to replace it with other policies."

Kucuk said the positive era that began in the first quarter of 2002 had ended by the second half of 2007.

"Turkey has to elude itself from the dust storm created by politics and focus on its economy and industry. This not a sustainable situation. The government needs to do its job," said Kucuk.

--SEVENTH WAVE IN ERGENEKON

Certain members of the Workers Party including Prof. Uckun Geray and directors of National Solution Magazine who were arrested in simultaneous operations waged under the Ergenekon probe in Istanbul, Konya, Izmit, Mersin and Elazig were interrogated. The suspects are charged with attempting to topple the government, creating an atmosphere of chaos and inciting to rebellion. The operations were carried out by Konya Police.

Chief of Konya Police department Tuzcu said the suspects had a common agenda and they were investigating into any possible connection with the suspects and Ergenekon.

RADIKAL

--THIS IS "ERGENEKON OF KONYA"

Teams from the Police Department in central province of Konya detained 26 people in operations conducted in Konya, Istanbul, Mersin, Kocaeli and Elazig. This investigation did not have a direct connection with "Ergenekon" dossier in Istanbul, the officials said.

--HALACOGLU DISMISSED

Professor Yusuf Halacoglu, head of Turkish Historical Society has been dismissed. He has been working as the head of the society since 1993. Halacoglu will continue teaching at Gazi University.

YENI SAFAK

--DEATH FOAM AT FIVE-STAR HOTEL

Three people including two foreign tourists were accidentally electrocuted at a foam party in the five-star Venezia Hotel in southern province of Antalya. The power leak that caused the deaths took place when the foam machine operator slid and fell, dropping the device.

Turkish hotel employee Fikret Sakaci and two Israeli tourists died in the accident.

--NEGLIGENCE IN DINK MURDER

The sub-commission which was founded to investigate the assassination of a Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink under the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission made public its report. Turkish police department and gendarmerie had negligence in the assassination of Dink, the report said.