GOOD MORNING --TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON MAR 08

HÃœRRÄ°YET

-- 3 REMARKS FROM ERDOGAN IN 1 DAY     Â
 Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, recalling Turkish General Staff Chief Gen. Yasar Buyukanit's remarks on the recent ground operation waged to the north of Iraq, said that nobody could claim that they had taken orders from USA. "Otherwise, we will take this political outfit off," he said. On the other had, upon a citizen's question on whether an amnesty would be granted to criminals, Erdogan said, "There is no amnesty. Those who commit a crime, shall pay the price". Commenting on the population of Turkey as well, Erdogan said the  country's population would get older by 2030 and therefore every family should have at least 3 children in order not to face a decrease in the population.
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-- MAMMA MIA TO BE PEFORMED IN ISTANBUL     Â
"Mamma Mia", one of the most cheerful and lyrical musicals staged so far, will be performed in Istanbul for two weeks in October 2008. The musical, which comprises numerous popular songs by renowned band ABBA, tells the story of a young girl who looks for her father while getting prepared for her wedding.

         
MILLIYET 

-- WE HAVE BOMBED ENTRANCE OF THEIR CAVES, BABAOGLU   Â
Turkish Air Forces Commander Gen. Aydogan Babaoglu said that laser-guided missiles were used for the first time during the operations waged against terrorist organization PKK and all the targets were hit successfully. Babaoglu said Turkish Armed Forces hit Kandil, Zap and Hakurk regions during the first air strike, while Zap, Avasin and Basyan regions were bombed throughout the ground operation.
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-- MILITARY'S STANCE AGAINST TALABANI'S VISIT
Officials from the Turkish Army did not attend the welcoming ceremony held for Iraqi President Jalal Talabani who arrived in capital Ankara upon President Abdullah Gul's invitation. Meanwhile, Turkish General Staff Chief Gen. Yasar Buyukanit did not participate in the dinner held in honor of Talabani at the Presidential Palace.
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SABAH 
-- GAP WEAPON AGAINST TERRORISM
Action plan in regard to the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) region on which economy experts have been working for seven months has been completed. The action plan will be submitted to the Prime Minister Recep
 Tayyip Erdogan next week. The plan aims to bring special incentives and regulations to the region.
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-- TALABANI IN ANKARA
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani arrived in Turkish capital of Ankara on Friday. Turkish President Abdullah Gul welcomed Talabani at Cankaya Presidential Palace. Gul and Talabani had a long tete-a-tete meeting and chaired meetings between delegations of the two countries. Gul said a common vision could be established between Turkey and Iraq, if terrorist organization's taking shelter in Iraq will be prevented.

 

VATAN 

--  TALABANI WELCOMED WITHOUT SOLDIERS
The first visit Iraqi President Jalal Talabani paid to Ankara after he was elected the president started with trouble. Turkish soldiers did not attend the welcoming ceremony. Moreover, Talabani, who paid a visit to Ataturk's Mausoleum Anitkabir, signed the special note-book, however, he could not lay a wreath to the Mausoleum as he had difficulties in walking and could not climb up the stairs. An Iraqi Minister laid the wreath instead.
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-- HAVE AT LEAST 3 KIDS, ERDOGAN
 Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while addressing citizens in western province of Usak, said that majority of Turkey's population would be above the age of 60 by 2030. "If you do not want the population to get smaller, every family should have at least 3 children," he said.

 

CUMHURIYET

-- PLANS COINCIDE
Turkish government will give priority to social and economic steps in fight against terrorism. The ruling AKP will meet the U.S. administration's expectation on terrorist organization by the means of cultural, economic and political initiatives. Several proposals were submitted to U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. One channel of state-run TRT will broadcast in Kurdish. "Wise people project" will be implemented. According to the project, teachers, imams and prominent people in the community will have talks with parents to prevent their sons/daughters from joining terrorist organization.
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-- INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
Hasan Gerceker, chief judge of Supreme Court, said rights of women in Turkey should be boosted and there is violence against one of every three women in the country. Gerceker said women living in male-dominant society could only change their destiny by themselves.
         

RADIKAL 
-- ANKARA HOSTS TALABANI
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has been hosted in the capital Ankara at the highest level. President Abdullah Gul and Talabani held a press conference. Upon a question on "political solution", Gul said, "everyone who carries gun and commits terrorism should lay down arms."

-- WE WILL TAKE OFF POLITICAL OUTFIT, ERDOGAN
Turkish General Staff Chief Gen. Yasar Buyukanit earlier replied to claims that the cross-border operation was ended because the U.S. administration asked by saying that "If anybody can prove U.S. influence (on the decision to pull back), I will take off this uniform." Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said "otherwise, I will take my political outfit off."

YENI SAFAK

-- FIRST VISIT WITH NEW FLAG TO ANKARA

Ankara hosts Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, who was invited to Turkey during the cross-border operation, at Camli Kosk. The new Iraqi flag was raised in a country other than Iraq for the first time.

-- MILITARY SERVICE OF EQUAL PERIOD FOR EVERYBODY

Higher Education Council (YOK) chairman Yusuf Ziya Ozcan, who suggested Turkish General Staff to make arrangements regarding the military service period for technical school graduates, said that General Staff was planning to make the military service period the same for everybody. Recalling that graduates of high schools served in the army for 18 months, while university graduates served for 6 months, Ozcan said, "From now on, there will not be such a implementation."