GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON JULY 3

HURRIYET

--WHO PUT THAT GLOCK IN AYGUN'S OFFICE?

Questions about the Glock gun, found during the repair of a water heater in the office of Sinan Aygun, chairman of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce, remain unanswered. Police have been unable to determine who placed the unlicensed gun in Aygun's office. It was reported that there were many finger prints on the gun.

--"TURKEY IS PASSING THROUGH DIFFICULT DAYS"

Turkish Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug has denied allegations that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and he talked about the Ergenekon during their meeting on June 24th.

"Turkey is passing through difficult days. We all have to be acting with more common sense, more carefully and more responsibly," he said. Gen. Basbug also called on everyone to display the necessary sensitivity to the unity of the Turkish Armed Forces.

--AKP TO PRESENT ITS DEFENSE VERBALLY

Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek will appear in country's top court later in the day to present the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) defense verbally. On Tuesday, the chief prosecutor of the Court of Appeals presented evidence regarding the case at the Constitutional Court.

Cicek is expected to request the court not to accept statements and actions of the ruling AKP members after March 14 as evidence.

MILLIYET

--PM AND GENERAL STAFF: WE DID NOT TALK ABOUT THE OPERATION

Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug denied that the detention of certain retired generals came up during his meeting with PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Basbug said "this subject did not come up during our meeting, it is not possible for such issues to come up." The Prime Ministry Office which made a similar statement regarded the rumors as "a plot with an agenda that did not go beyond mere speculation".

--TOBB PRESIDENT ANGERS AT DETENTIONS

Rifat Hisarciklioglu, chairman of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, said Ankara Chamber of Commerce Chairman Sinan Aygun was detained in a manner that resembled coupe periods. "We take the treatment against one of our honorable colleagues in such a way as an insult to all of us. We don't want to carry fears while going to bed at night, about how we will find Turkey in the morning," said Hisarciklioglu.

SABAH

--2,500 PAGE INDICTMENT

The first step of the Ergenekon probe has been completed. The indictment was prepared by three prosecutors about 49 detainees and some others who were taken into custody and released later. It was completed in three months. The indictment is 2,500 pages long and it demands the suspects be tried on charges of "setting up a terrorist organization".

--GEN. BASBUG: "WE DID NOT TALK ABOUT ERGENEKON"

Turkey's Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug said the "topic of the Ergenekon investigation did not come up during my meeting with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on June 24th." Gen. Basbug's comments came after certain rumors in the Turkish media that his meeting with Erdogan on June 24 was connected to the Ergenekon investigation.

"I want to declare openly. The comments, implications and evaluations made on my meeting with Erdogan are not real. The topic of Ergenekon investigation did not come up at all during my meeting with Erdogan," Gen. Basbug said.

VATAN

--FOREIGN MEDIA CLOSELY MONITORS ERGENEKON

Foreign news agencies and dailies have been closely monitoring the developments that took place within the scope of the Ergenekon investigation. British, The Independent said, "The arrests mark a sudden intensification of a power struggle consuming the country." The Financial Times said the battle between the government and secular institutions damaged confidence in Turkish financial instruments.

--GEN. BASBUG: "WE ARE PASSING THROUGH DIFFICULT DAYS"

Turkey's Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug said on certain rumors in the Turkish media that his meeting with Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan on June 24 was connected to the Ergenekon investigation, "I want to declare openly. The comments, implications and evaluations made on my meeting with Erdogan are not real. The topic of Ergenekon investigation did not come up at all during my meeting with Erdogan." Gen. Basbug said.

"Turkey has been passing through difficult days. We all have to be acting with more common sense, more carefully and more responsibly."

CUMHURIYET

--TOWARDS A TOTALITARIAN PATH

Recent detentions stirred the business world, bar associations and other civil organizations.

Rifat Hisarciklioglu, chairman of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey said the recent developments resembled coupe periods. Hisarciklioglu who said, "We don't want to carry fears while going to bed at night, about how we will find Turkey in the morning," pointed out that coups were not always made against governments.

Bar associations said the investigation exceeded tolerable limits. The Istanbul Bar Association said nobody should make justice a tool for their political agendas. The Ankara Bar Association pointed out that the detained individuals did not know what they were charged with and said, "Practices that are peculiar to police states only, are truly alarming for our democracy. The detentions are signs of a totalitarian tendency."

BALBAY: "I WILL NOT TALK TO THE POLICE"

Mustafa Balbay, representative of our daily in Ankara, said he would use his right to remain silent as he did not know why he was detained.

Balbay who sent a letter to Zekeriya Oz, the prosecutor carrying out the investigation, said he would answer all questions in the presence of a judge and a prosecutor. Balbay said he was remaining silent also because remarks made by some people who were detained in the past was distorted and serviced to the media.

RADIKAL

--2,500-PAGE INDICTMENT

A new phase has begun in the operation Ergenekon. The Chief Prosecutor's Office in Istanbul said that the indictment about the first phase of the operation was completed. In the 2,500-page indictment, those who were detained during the first investigation are accused of founding and directing a terrorist organization.

--"TSK'S COMMAND ORDER WAS TARGETED"

Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug has denied allegations that the Ergenekon probe was high on the agenda of his meeting with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on June 24. "Such conspiracy theories are targeting to damage the Turkish Armed Forces' (TSK) command order," he said.

--TENS OF THOUSANDS IN SIVAS

Tens of thousands of people have gathered in the central city of Sivas to commemorate 37 people who were killed in the Madimak Hotel on July 2, 1993. They chanted slogans and called on authorities to turn the hotel into a museum.

YENI SAFAK

--WE DID NOT TALK ABOUT ERGENEKON

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug said they did not talk about operation Ergenekon during their meeting on June 24. Gen. Basbug regarded the allegations as a plot and said it was not possible for such issues to come up during their meetings.

--2,500 PAGES LONG TERRRORIST ORGANIZATION INDICTMENT

Acting Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Turan Colakkadi said the indictment of Operation Ergenekon was completed and the suspects were accused of founding a terrorist organization. Colakkadi said the indictment was 2,500 pages long. Because the indictment is voluminous it will be handed out to related parties in CD form.