GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON JULY 31

HURRIYET

--VERDICT: RULING AKP NOT BANNED, FACES CUT IN STATE AID

Turkey's top court announced Wednesday its verdict over a case filed to shut down Justice and Development Party (AKP), rejecting to close the ruling party but it decided to cut fifty percent of the financial aid from the state.

The ruling AKP was also given what court president Hasim Kilic said "a serious warning." Six members of the Constitutional Court voted for closure of the AKP while four others voted for depriving it of the financial assistance, and the court president voted for the rejection of the case. The ruling party will lose about 23 million YTL (nearly $20 million) of its financial aid.

--ERDOGAN: EVERYONE SHOULD ACT WITH RESPONSIBILITY

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey had survived a major hardship after the country's top court ruled Wednesday not to close down his ruling AKP. "All sides and all institutions, most of all the politicians have to act with responsibility," he told reporters. "The AKP, which has never been a focal point of anti-secular activities, will continue to uphold the basic principles of our Republic," he said.

--A HUMANITARIAN TRAGEDY

Thirteen illegal immigrants suffocated in an airtight truck trailer as they were tried to be smuggled out of Turkey along with 125 others after a trip from the eastern province of Van to Istanbul. Police found the bodies of the immigrants in the outskirts of an Istanbul district. The immigrants were of Pakistani, Burmese and Eritrean origin.

MILLIYET

--NO CLOSURE, BUT SERIOUS WARNING

Turkey's highest judicial body voted against closing the ruling AKP. Six of 11 judges voted for closure of the party, four defended that the party should be deprived of half of the Treasury assistance and one judge voted for rejection of the case. Since they could not reach the seven votes needed to impose a ban, the ruling party was not dissolved. However, ten of 11 judges agreed that the AKP became the focal point of anti-secular acts and decided to impose a financial sanction.

--EU URGES TURKEY TO PRESS ON WITH REFORMS

The EU welcomed the Constitutional Court's ruling not to impose a ban on theruling AKP. EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn urged Turkey to make up for wasted time by pressing ahead with reforms.

"Now it is time to get back to normal and re-energize the reforms with a broad consensus and based on dialogue with all sections of Turkish society," Rehn said.

Joost Lagendijk, chairman of the Turkey-EU delegation in the European Parliament, urged the AKP to show more sensitivity to concerns of its Turkish critics.

Meanwhile, the United States Department of State said that the U.S. would continue to work with the Turkish government and encouraging it to reinvigorate its efforts with the EU.

--NINE PEOPLE DETAINED IN CONNECTION WITH DOUBLE BOMBING IN ISTANBUL

The police have detained nine people for their alleged involvement in Sunday's double bombing in Istanbul in which 17 people and an unborn baby lost their lives. Operations are under way to capture the bomber who was identified by the police.

SABAH

--FIRST MESSAGE: WE WILL EMBRACE EVERYONE

Turkey's highest judicial body has ruled against dissolution of the ruling AKP, and decided to impose financial sanction instead. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that they would give priority to social peace.

--BOMBER TURNS OUT TO BE A MEMBER OF PKK

Nine people have been detained in connection with Sunday's double bombing in Istanbul which killed 17 people. The bomber managed to escape from the security forces at the last moment. It was claimed that the bomber was a member of urban cells of the PKK terrorist organization.
The police raided some houses to capture the bomber.

--BODIES OF 13 MIGRANTS FOUND IN ISTANBUL

Bodies of 13 illegal migrants have been found in a field in Istanbul. It was revealed that 13 of 138 migrants who were stacked in a lorry, died from asphyxiation and that human smugglers fled after throwing away the bodies. Ten migrants were found unconscious while the remaining 65 were missing.

CUMHURIYET

--COURT FINES AKP

Turkey's Constitutional Court ruled Wednesday not to close the governing AKP but it accepted that the party had become a focal point of anti-secular activities and decided to cut half of the financial aid it receives from the state. Six court members voted to ban the party, and four members voted for the aid cut. One member voted to reject the case. Court President Hasim Kilic said the ruling was "a serious warning" to the ruling AKP.

--OPPOSITION LEADER: CRISIS NOT SOLVED

Leader of Turkey's main opposition party said top court ruling Wednesday on the fate of governing AKP did not solve a crisis but it confirmed the crisis instead. Deniz Baykal, chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP), said the AKP had the duty and responsibility to lead Turkey out of the crisis.

RADIKAL

--TURKEY RELIEVED

The ruling AKP has narrowly avoided a ban. Ten of 11 judges of the Turkey's highest judicial body agreed that the political party became the focal point of anti-secular acts. Six of them voted for closure of the party, four defended that the party should be deprived of half of the Treasury assistance and one judge voted for rejection of the case.

Since there were not seven votes needed to impose a ban, the ruling party was not dissolved but imposed a financial sanction.

--EUROPE SATISFIED

The western world has welcomed the Constitutional Court's ruling not to impose a ban on the ruling AKP. EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn said that now it was time to get back to normal and re-energize the reforms with a broad consensus and based on dialogue with all sections of Turkish society.

British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs David Miliband urged Turkey to accelerate its reform process.

--FENERBAHCE CHEER UP TURKEY

Fenerbahce defeated MTK Budapest of Hungary 2-0 in the first leg of the second qualifying round of the European Champions League. Roberto Carlos and Selcuk Sahin were scorers of the match. The second leg will be played at Megyeri Stadium in Budapest on August 6.

YENI SAFAK

--TURKEY WINS

Turkey's four-and-a-half-month "closure nightmare" has come to an end. The Constitutional Court rejected the request of the chief prosecutor of the Court of Appeals for closure of the ruling AKP. Six judges voted for dissolution of the party and five voted against.

--"OUR PRIORITY IS SOCIAL COMPROMISE"

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after the Constitutional Court disclosed its verdict in the closure case against his political party that the court's decision lifted the great uncertainty that was blocking Turkey's path. "Our party, which was never the focal point of anti-secular activity, will continue to defend the Republic's basic values," he said.

--A JOURNEY OF DEATH FROM VAN TO ISTANBUL

Hopes of migrants who wanted to go to Europe for a better life, have faded away in Istanbul. 13 of 150 Afghan and Burmese migrants who were forced to travel the long distance from the eastern province of Van to Istanbul inside an overcrowded lorry trailer, died of asphyxiation. Their bodies were left in a field in Istanbul by human smugglers.