GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON MAR 22
Güncelleme Tarihi:
These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on March 22nd, 2008. Hurriyet English does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET
-- WE WILL PRESERVE STABILITY
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his party administrators, "do your best for an agreement with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). We will do our best to preserve stability." Justice & Development Party (AKP) administration plans to bring the package to referendum with 330 votes, even if MHP does not support.
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-- NEW PROCESS STARTS IN CYPRUS
President Mehmet Ali Talat of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias made a historic step yesterday (Friday). The two leaders agreed to start comprehensive talks in June and find a solution to Cyprus question soon.
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MILLIYET
-- NEW PAGE IN CYPRUS
President Mehmet Ali Talat of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) met Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias in the buffer zone in Cyprus on Friday. The meeting took place at the residence of Michael Moeller, the chief of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) Mission and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to Cyprus. Talat-Christofias meeting lasted three hours. The two leaders will begin comprehensive negotiations after three months. Meanwhile, Moeller indicated that the Lokmaci Border Gate will get opened after technical problems have been resolved.
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-- POVERTY IN TURKEY DECREASES BETWEEN 2002 & 2006
A joint research conducted by the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) and Turkish Central Bank showed that poverty in Turkey decreased between 2002 and 2006. According to the research, aid to the poor increased during this period. Low income families rely on loans to support their lives, the research found out.
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SABAH
-- 12 NEW NAMES UNDER INTERROGATION IN INVESTIGATION OF ERGENEKON TERRORIST ORGANIZATION
Teams of Anti-Terrorism Department of Istanbul and Ankara launched synchronous operations against 18 separate places at 04:00 a.m. upon the directives of prosecutor Zekeriya Oz, who is assigned to conduct the investigation against terrorist organization Ergenekon. 12 people, including renowned names, were detained. Cumhuriyet newspaper's columnist Ilhan Selcuk (83) who is also chairman of the daily's board of trustees, Workers' Party (IP) Chairman Dogu Perincek, and former rector Kemal Alemdaroglu were taken into custody in Istanbul.
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-- NO STEP BACK IN FIGHT AGAINST GANGS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "we will not retreat from our targets." Likening Ergenekon operation to "clean hands" operation in Italy, Erdogan said, "our fight will continue."
VATAN
-- TEB ENTERS EUROPEAN MARKET IN KOSOVO
Turkish TEB bank entered the European market by establishing two branches in newly independent Kosovo. TEB and its French partner BNP Paribas decided to expand in the Balkans and Turkic Republics of Central Asia.
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-- CLOSURE CASE AGAINST AKP WILL HAVE NO IMPACT ON TURKISH ECONOMY, SIMSEK
Turkish State Minister Mehmet Simsek said that the closure case against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will have no impact on the Turkish economy in the medium and long run. Turkish economy is strong enough to absorb domestic and international shocks, Simsek told.
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CUMHURIYET
-- SPRING WEATHER IN CYPRUS
President Mehmet Ali Talat of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) met Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias in the buffer zone in Cyprus. The meeting took place at the residence of Michael Moeller, the chief of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) Mission and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to Cyprus. The two leaders, speaking to press after the 3.5 hour meeting, stated that Lokmaci (Ledra) gate, which has been closed for 45 years, will be opened soon.
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RADIKAL
-- ERGENKON BOMB
Anti-terrorism teams raided more than 20 houses and business places at 04:30 a.m.
12 people, including Cumhuriyet newspaper's columnist Ilhan Selcuk (83) who is also chairman of the daily's board of trustees, Workers' Party (IP) Chairman Dogu Perincek, and former rector Kemal Alemdaroglu, were taken into custody in Istanbul.
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-- FIRST BILATERAL MEETING IN CYPRUS
Peace process has re-started in Cyprus after the referendum of Annan Plan in 2004. President Mehmet Ali Talat of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) met Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and decided to start negotiations after 3 months of preparations.
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YENI SAFAK
-- SECOND WAVE IN ERGENEKON
12 people, including Cumhuriyet newspaper's columnist Ilhan Selcuk (83) who is also chairman of the daily's board of trustees, Workers' Party (IP) Chairman Dogu Perincek, and former rector Kemal Alemdaroglu, were taken into custody in Istanbul within the framework of an operation against Ergenekon terrorist organization.
-- COMPROMISE IN CYPRUS
President Mehmet Ali Talat of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias agreed on Friday to remove Lokmaci barricade dividing Lefkosa into two. Talat said, "we make a new step. We will meet after 3 months."