GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON MAY 18

HURRIYET
-- NEVER THIS CLOSE
The Kurdish issue was high on President Abdullah Gul’s agenda during his state visit to Syria. Gul expressed his hope about finding a solution, and said, "Efforts to find solutions to big problems should not depend only on governments. Dialogue with the opposition parties is essential."
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-- THOUSANDS VISIT ATATURK'S MAUSOLEUM
A rally was held in Ankara's Tandogan Square by the Kemalist Thought Association, or ADD, with the support of several nongovernmental organizations. Some 40,000 people took to the streets to attend the "republican rally."
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MILLIYET
-- AT TANDOGAN SQUARE AFTER TWO YEARS
Protests against the Ergenekon case marked a republican rally that was organized by Kemalist Thought Association, or ADD, and participated in by 130 nongovernmental organizations in Ankara’s Tandogan Square. The Ankara Security Department said 35,000 people attended the rally while ADD members said 1 million people and several news agencies said 135,000 people participated in the rally. Participants, during their speeches at platforms, extended support to suspects in the Ergenekon case. Several Republican People's Party, or CHP, deputies also attended the rally.
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-- ‘DO NOT EXAGGERATE; WE DO NOT HAVE VIRUS IN AIR’
A U.S. citizen of Iraqi origin, Salman Ali, and his mother – who were brought to Haseki Hospital after they were found to be infected with swine flu as they entered Istanbul's Ataturk Airport – are still being treated. Seraceddin Com, a Health Ministry official, said, "Nobody should panic because we do not have this virus in the environment, schools, air or business places."
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SABAH
-- NEW KURDISH INITIATIVE FROM GUL
President Abdullah Gul announced comprehensive preparations were under way to solve the Kurdish issue. He called on everybody to extend their support. "You call it either the southeastern issue or the Kurdish issue or terrorism, but we have to solve it,” Gul said. “We should see our deficiencies. The best way is to increase Turkey’s democratic standards to the standards of modern states."
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-- NEW DSP CHAIRMAN MASUM TURKER
Masum Turker became the new chairman of the Democratic Left Party, or DSP. During the party’s congress, which was very tense, Zeki Sezer gained 357 while former minister Masum Turker won 431 votes in the third round.

VATAN
-- HADISE EARNS $1.5 MILLION
Hadise, who took fourth place in the Eurovision Song Contest, returned to Istanbul. Speaking to reporters at the airport, Hadise said: "I left behind leading musicians such as Jade Ewen of the U.K. and Patricia Kaas of France. Fourth place is a big success for us. Politics are involved in the jury's voting." It was claimed that Hadise, who is preparing her third album, earned $1.5 million from concerts and advertisements.       �

-- GUL ANNOUNCES HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY IN DAMASCUS
President Abdullah Gul said earlier that 2009 was a year of historic opportunity regarding the solution of the Kurdish problem and that the opportunity should not be missed. But opposition parties wanted him to explain the opportunity. Gul said in Damascus yesterday: "I have been a statesman for 10 years. Civilians, military and all sections of society have never been so cooperative and coordinated before. They are exerting energy jointly. Turkey is pursuing comprehensive activities to solve its problem."
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CUMHURIYET
-- THEY FAIL TO SCARE PEOPLE
Tens of thousands, particularly women and the young, gathered in “democracy festival” in the capital city. Despite all the propaganda against the rally, tens of thousands of people attended the "Republic Rally" organized by the Kemalist Thought Association. They waved the red-and-white flags of Turkey and chanted slogans in protest over the arrest of intellectuals under the Ergenekon probe.
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-- TURKER BECOMES NEW LEADER OF DSP
Masum Turker became the new leader of the Democratic Left Party, or DSP, after receiving 421 votes in the party's congress.
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RADIKAL
-- LET'S REACH COMPROMISE
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan called on everyone to reach a compromise in an effort to find a solution to problems with the Constitution and the Kurds. "I call on all players in politics, non-governmental organizations and academicians to discuss these chronic problems of Turkey," he said.
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-- NO NEED FOR PANIC
Dr. Meral Ciblak, who detected the first case of swine flu in Turkey, said that there was not an outbreak in the country. She highlighted the importance of precautionary measures, and said, "there is no need for panic."

YENI SAFAK
-- SECOND WAVE
The second wave of "republic rallies," which was also included in the indictment of the Ergenekon case, was held in Ankara. A crowd gathered in the Tandogan Square. Four thousand policemen were deployed during the rally. The crowds showed their support to those arrested under the Ergenekon probe by chanting slogans and carrying banners.
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-- 3G REDUCTION IN INTERNET
Sureyya Ciliv, director general of Turkcell, said that they would provide a much faster access to internet through the Third Generation (3G) technologies as of August. Ciliv also said that there would be a considerable reduction in internet fees.