GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON JULY 8

HURRIYET

--GOVERNMENT, LABOR UNIONS STRIKE DEAL IN WAGE BARGAINING

The Turkish government and major labor unions for public sector workers reached an agreement in a wage raise bargain on Tuesday after Turk-Is, Turkey's largest labor unions confederation, went on a country-wide one-hour strike. Nearly 270,000 public workers will see a 3 percent increase during the first half of the year, and a 5.5 percent rise in the second half.

 

The government will also pay an additional 60 TL for underpaid workers.

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--SANTANA ROCKS BOSPHORUS

American Grammy Award-winning musician and guitarist Carlos Santana took the stage on Tuesday in Istanbul's Kurucesme Arena in his first concert in Turkey in 20 years. Thirteen thousand fans watched the legendary guitarist, while traffic in the surrounding neighborhood was disrupted.

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--FOREIGN BANKS QUIT TURKEY DAM PROJECT FINANCING

A group of German, Austrian and Swiss banks said Tuesday they had withdrawn their financial support for the construction of a dam in Turkey's southeast. German Euler Hermes Kreditversicherung, Austrian Kontrollbank and Swiss Exportrisikoversicherung banks said they would not finance the 1.8 billion euro Ilisu Dam project citing Turkey's failure to comply by the terms of an earlier agreement signed between the country and the banks.

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MILLIYET

--ONE HOUR PROTEST AND SPEEDY COMPRIMISE

A compromise could be reached in collective bargaining talks regarding 270,000 people when members of the Confederation of Turkish Labor Unions, or Turk-Is, went on strike in 81 provinces for one hour.

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Chairmen of NGOs first spoke to President Abdullah Gul and later to State Minister Hayati Yazici after collective bargaining talks failed to achieve results. The parties failed to reach a compromise in the evening after two-hours of talks.

 

The parties agreed that there shall be a 3 percent increase in wages for public sector workers during the first half of the year, and a 5.5 percent rise in the second half. It was also decided that low wages shall be increased 60 TL ($40).

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--BOLU TUNNEL TO BE CLOSED TO PASSAGE FOR 60 HOURS

The Ankara-Istanbul lane of the Bolu Mountain pass on the TEM motorway will be closed to traffic for 60 hours for maintenance works. Traffic will be directed to the former mountain highway.

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--NO FOREIGN LOAN TO ILISU

German, Austrian and Swiss finance institutions withdrew their loan support for the Ilisu Dam that will flooed 80 percent of Hasankeyf town of the southeastern province of Batman. Turkey said it was resolved to conclude the project despite this development.

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SABAH

--NO CONFLICT WITH ARMY

Premier Tayyip Erdogan sent "warm" messages to the army and "cold" signals to the European Union, or EU, prior to the G-8 summit.

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In an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera, Erdogan said, "There are not any conflicts with the armed forces. Nobody wants to try soldiers on charges related to their professions." Erdogan also said that Turkey was tired of waiting for the EU.

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--LABOR UNIONS AND GOVERNMENT REACH AGREEMENT

The Turkish government and labor unions reached an agreement in collective bargaining talks. According to the agreement, there will be a 3 percent increase in wages of public workers during the first half of the year, and a 5.5 percent rise in the second half.

 

VATAN

--THEY COULD NOT LET IT GO

Three financiers of the Ilisu dam project decided to withdraw their support stating that the historical town of Hasankeyf, whose history dates back 10,000 years, will be flooded with the construction of the dam.

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Credit institutions in Germany, Austria and Switzerland had earlier accepted to provide a 1.2 billion euro loans for the construction of the Ilisu project provided that the cultural assets in Hasankeyf would be protected and the people living in the region would not be negatively affected. However, the problems related saving the invaluable historical assets in the region, by moving them to other location, the re-homing of displaced citizens remained unsolved. The credit institutions withdrew their support "in order not to be a part of this cultural massacre."

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--ERDOGAN INSISTS

In a report it sent to the Presidential Palace regarding the "midnight law," the government, unlike the army, said that the law was "not against the Constitution and EU standards" and asked for its approval. The report claimed that the law was not in breach of Article 145 of the Constitution and it was in line with the EU's Accession Partnership document and progress reports.

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CUMHURIYET

--TURKISH GOVT. SUBMITS REPORT TO PRESIDENT OVER BILL ON CIVILIAN TRIAL OF MILITARY PERSONNEL

Turkish government has presented its justifications to President Abdullah Gul over a bill that allowed civilian courts to try military personnel. The government cites European Union progress reports, rulings of the European Court of Human Rights and related regulations in EU-member countries. However, examples given in the report only concern the European rulings on trial of civilians by military courts. The Turkish General Staff does not have any opposition to an arrangement that would prevent the trial of civilians by military courts. The General Staff objection is to the civilian trial of military personnel.

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--GOVT., PUBLIC WORKERS AGREE ON WAGE RAISE

Talks between the Turkish government and labor unions for public sector workers in wage increase bargaining talks produced an agreement on Tuesday after workers went on country-wide one-hour strike. The agreement will give to public sector workers a 3 percent increase during the first half of the year, and a 5.5 percent rise in the second half. The government will also pay an additional 60 TL for underpaid workers.

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RADIKAL

--"ILISU DAM" CONSORTIUM TERMINATES AGREEMENT

"Don't Let Hasankeyf be lost" campaigns yielded result and the international consortium pledging loans terminated the agreement. The consortium had asked for a series of assurances regarding the protection of environmental and historical sites, but it says, "The conditions are not met."

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Environmentalists claim that Turkey could not construct the Ilisu Dam because of technical inadequacy of the country. Hasankeyf survived for 55 years despite tens of feasibility reports, three international agreements, two consortiums, two tenders and 40 governments eager for the construction.

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--DERVIS ESTIMATES: GROWTH TO START IN 2010

Former Economy Minister Kemal Dervis thinks Turkey will enter into growth again in 2010. Dervis said it was hard to estimate the speed of this growth, yet noted that it was important to set forth real targets.

 

YENI SAFAK

--WE ARE NEITHER A POLICE NOR A MILITARY STATE

Premier Tayyip Erdogan gave important messages during a graduation ceremony at the Police Academy. Erdogan called on politicians to keep their hands off the army and police.

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"Nobody should do politics over our police forces, army members or judicial authorities. Nobody should use these institutions for political discussions. Turkey is neither a police nor a military state," Erdogan said.

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--WE FOLLOW DEVELOPMENTS IN URUMCHI WITH CONCERN, DAVUTOGLU

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that Turkey was following the recent developments in Urumchi with deep sorrow and concern. Noting that 156 people were killed and 800 wounded in clashes between the police and protestors in Urumchi, Davutoglu asked the Chinese government to find those responsible for the incidents and to establish peace in the region as soon as possible.