GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON JUNE 29

HURRIYET
-- A SINGLE WORD CAUSES STORM
Adopting an amendment at midnight, the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, changed the expression "including the condition that" of Article 250 of the Criminal Procedure Law, or CMK, into "in the case of". With the amendment, army members will be tried before civil courts. Commenting on the issue, Republican People's Party, or CHP, chair Deniz Baykal said that Premier Tayyip Erdogan increased the recent tension. Meanwhile, Erdogan said that the law was against coups and those supporting such movements.
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-- "ISTANBULIVE" AT CENTRAL PARK
More than 5,000 people arrived at New York's world-renowned Central Park to watch the "Istanbulive" concert, however, the gates were closed as the park's capacity was exceeded. Turkish band MFO, singers Sertab Erener, Demir Demirkan and claritenist Husnu Senlendirici performed at the concert.
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MILLIYET
-- WE HAVE NO BAD INTENTIONS ABOUT COMMANDER
As the debate in Turkey continue over an amendment foreseeing the trial of military personnel in civilian courts for crimes committed under the jurisdiction of criminal courts with special authority, Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin spoke to Milliyet daily newspaper. Ergin said that the amendment was not made in secret. "I visited the Republican People's Party, or CHP, headquarters in the morning and briefed party members on the amendment. Also, the reason for the mentioned amendment, which has become a matter of criticism, is obvious." Talking about those circles that have associated the amendment with a speech made by Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug, Ergin said, "How could we know what our chief of General Staff would say? Mr. Basbug held a press conference a day later. We can have no bad intentions about the commander, and the amendment has no special intention." The minister argued that the new regulation was not against the Constitution.
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-- IT IS AGAINST MILITARY INTERVENTIONS
Speaking about the new amendment in the northwestern province of Kocaeli, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said, "it is against military interventions and those who want to make military interventions."
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-- THAT NIGHT IN MADIMAK
When there are only a few days to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the Sivas Madimak massacre, Serdar Dogan, a playwright who was in Sivas during the incidents, told Milliyet daily about those days. Serdar Dogan lost his 19-year-old brother Serkan in the fire that broke out in the Madimak Hotel that day. Serdar Dogan said, "We did not think that something would happen to us. I sent my brother to the hotel. Then, the crowd in the street reached almost 10,000 people and they were shouting slogans like ‘the Republic was established here, and it would be demolished here.’ Then, some of the crowd entered the hotel and started a fire." Thirty-three Alevi writers, poets and intellectuals and two hotel employees died in the fire.
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SABAH
-- SEX TEAM CLAIM IN ERGENEKON
In a coded file found in a computer belonging to retired lieutenant commander Levent Bektas, who was sent to prison within the scope of the Ergenekon case, an organized structure comprising of some civilian female employees, officers and non-commissioned staff in the Naval Forces Command was found. Ergenekon case prosecutors informed military prosecutors after they discovered "inappropriate" images of female employees with some senior commanders. A woman was stopped attempting to enter army facilities with a video recorder. It has been learned that the footage that included sexual images of officers, was being saved to be used if necessary.

-- THIS LAW WAS PASSED AGAINST THOSE BACKING MILITARY INTERVENTION
During a meeting of his Justice and Development Party, or AKP, in Kocaeli, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan responded to the Republican People's Party, or CHP, who reacted to an amendment made to the Turkish Penal Code. Erdogan said, "They say AKP has convinced us. What were you doing when the law was being passed? The law is against those who back and want to make military interventions."
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-- ISTANBUL FIRE IN NEW YORK
Some Turkish performers including Sertab Erener, Husnu Senlendirici and the band, MFO, took to the stage for the Istanbulive concert in New York, in the United States. Some 5,000 people, most of whom were Turks, listened to the concert in Central Park.
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-- ROUTE OF THIRD BRIDGE IN ISTANBUL
Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim said the route for the third bridge to cross the Bosphorus has been confirmed. The third bridge will be constructed between Beykoz neighborhood on the Anatolian side and the Tarabya neighborhood on the European side.

VATAN
-- COUP LAW TENSION
Justice and Development Party's midnight amendment aiming to limit the authority of military courts caused tension between the ruling and opposition parties. Replying to criticism directed by the main opposition party, which earlier stated that "it was fooled," Premier Tayyip Erdogan said, "Where was your mind? What is your responsibility?" Republican People's Party, or CHP, chairp Deniz Baykal reacted harshly to Erdogan's remarks. "There was aggravated fraud in the Deniz Feneri case, now we are witnessing aggravated deception in Parliament," Baykal said.
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-- VOCATIONAL RELIGIOUS SCHOOL FORMULA FOR HEYBELIADA SEMINARY
The Turkish government is preparing to take action for the reopening of the Heybeliada Seminary which caused problems in relations between Turkey and EU. According to CNN Turk TV channel, a report prepared at the request of National Education Minister Nimet Cubukcu suggests two alternatives. Accordingly, the high school section of the seminary will be opened as a special religious school, like vocational religious high schools providing education under the control of the education ministry. The college section of the seminary will fall under the Higher Education Council's, or YOK, supervision. The second alternative is the opening of the seminary within the structure of a foundation. Legal amendments are required for both alternatives.
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CUMHURIYET
-- COVERED INTIMIDATION
The Justice and Development Party, or AKP, paved the way for investigating all military personnel, including the chief of General Staff, by civilian prosecutors. With a midnight operation of the AKP, the parliament passed an amendment that paved the way for the trial of military personnel, including the chief of General Staff, by civilian courts even any crimes committed against the constitutional order, were done so in a military zone. The regulation is considered as a covered intimidation directed at the General Staff.
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-- COMMON SENSE FOR SOLUTION
Ahmet Turk, the chairman of the Democratic Society Party, or DTP, said his party decided to launch steps for a solution after President Abdullah Gul said, "Kurdish issue is the most important issue of Turkey." Turk said, "this opportunity should not be missed." On criticisms that his party could not stay away from the terrorist organization PKK, Turk said, "there are 61 political parties in Turkey, 60 of them criticize PKK but does this help a solution?" Turk said his party wanted to contribute to formation of a common sense by both affecting the PKK and the state. "We want to be a bridge," he also said.       Â

RADIKAL
-- GOOD NEWS FOR TAPPING-LOVERS
You do not need to be a state official to tap telephones. According to the appendices of the second Ergenekon indictment, you can record telephone conversations and SMS messages passing through a nearby base station with a device that can be purchased on the internet. You only need to know the telephone or IMEI numbers to tap telephones.
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-- ERDOGAN: THAT LAW WAS PASSED TO TRY MILITARY INTERVENTION SUPPORTERS
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said, "we passed it against those who support military intervention" regarding the article paving the way for the trial of military personnel by civilian courts. The Republican People's Party, or CHP, had said they were deceived regarding the amendment. Erdogan said, "All party groups lifted their arms when asked who accepted the law. They were saying that they would stand against the supporters of military intervention. This is against military intervention and military intervention supporters. They could only be democratic for two weeks."
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-- FORTUNE 500 LIST
The net profit of companies in the Fortune Turkey 500 list was down 35.5 percent this year over the previous year. A total of 142 companies said they had suffered a loss. Turkish Oil Refineries Corp, or Tupras, is ranked first and the Petroleum Pipeline Corporation, or Botas, takes second place on the list.

YENI SAFAK
-- LOBBYING ATTACK WITH 13 HIGH-LEVEL OFFICIALS
The Turkish Police Department will carry out intense lobbying activities on issues such as the "allegations on the incidents of 1915", "Kurdish issue", "terrorism" and "human rights". A total of 13 high-level officials from the police department will pay visits to EU countries this week.
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-- SO, YOU WERE AGAINST COUP SUPPORTERS AS WELL?
Reacting harshly to CHP's criticism over the law that paves the way for the trial of military personnel by civilian courts, Premier Erdogan said, "The law is against those supporting military interventions. So, you were also against coup supporters?" Noting that the law was also passed after holding talks with CHP, Erdogan asked CHP, "Where was your mind? What is your responsibility? Where have you been?"