GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON MAY 19
Güncelleme Tarihi:
These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in the Turkish press on May 19, 2008. Hurriyet English does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET
-- YOUR YOUTH WILL NOT FORGET YOU
May 19 Youth & Sports Day will be celebrated throughout the country and foreign representations. Today, the Turkish youth will reiterate that they are the guards of the Turkish Republic entrusted by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
-- NEW ERA IN SMOKING
Smoking ban in all closed areas starts on May 19th. Law banning cigarette smoking took effect on Sunday midnight. Those who smoke in banned areas will have to pay 50 YTL, and those who throw the cigarette package and cigarette end will be obliged to pay 20 YTL.
MILLIYET
-- TURKEY NEEDS AN OBAMA
Joost Lagendijk, co-chairperson of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliament Committee, said "Barack Obama is the only candidate that would put an end to the polarization in the United States. There is a similar atmosphere in Turkey." "Obama, the president candidate in the United States has the potential to bring Democrats and Republicans together. If Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to be Obama of Turkey, he should be the prime minister of everybody, not only the prime minister of 47 percent," Lagendijk said in an interview with daily Milliyet.
-- BUSH EULOGIZES TURKEY
U.S. President George Bush eulogized Turkey at the opening of World Economic Forum that started in Egypt. Bush said Turkey was an overwhelmingly Muslim and modern country having a successful democracy.
-- ONE SOLDIER KILLED
Corporal Yakup Suna was killed in clash between the security forces and the PKK terrorists in southeastern province of Sirnak. Two soldiers were injured in the clash.
SABAH
-- THIRD WAY FORMULA
Turkish Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan thinks that a third way can be found which would also ease everyone on the closure case against Justice & Development Party (AKP). Toptan says the Constitutional Court can find the third way in order to ease everybody who thinks like the prosecutor and not to disband AKP. The court can go beyond written rules "in case of necessary situations." It can make case laws in the name of stability.
-- NAZIM: TURKISH CHE GUEVERA
Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev said: "When I was a student at the university in Moscow, (Turkish poet) Nazim Hikmet was very popular. He was just like the Turkish Che Guevera."
-- TOO HOT THIS WEEK
Temperatures will rise 4-6 degrees Celsius this week to be above seasonal averages, meteorologists warned.
VATAN
-- "THEY WILL CLOSE DOWN THE PARTY"
A government minister, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said that the Constitutional Court would close down the ruling Justice & Development Party (AKP) in July and ban Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan from politics. Another senior party member said President Abdullah Gul would be banned too.
-- "EARLY ELECTIONS CAN BE HELD IN OCTOBER"
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Deniz Baykal told his senior party members that "elections would be held this year. Early elections are inevitable." "If the Constitutional Court makes its decision in August, early elections will be held in October. If it makes the decision in September, then general elections will be held together with local elections in March 2009," he said.
CUMHURIYET
-- INDEPENDENCE ENTHUSIASM
Great leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk lit the first light of independence and freedom on May 19th, 1919 in Black Sea province of Samsun saying that, "it is better for the Turkish people to die instead of living in dependence. The freedom fire, set in Samsun, spread to whole country after opening of the Turkish Parliament. Turkish nation, who sacrificed their life to be independent, celebrates May 19th as the Day to Commemorate Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and Sports.
-- PRIME MINISTER DOES NOT ATTEND CEREMONIES
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan would not attend the ceremonies to mark May 19th, Commemoration of Ataturk, Youth & Sports Day because of a health problem with his eye. State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek will represent Erdogan at the ceremonies.
RADIKAL
-- NO SMOKING IN TURKEY
Ban on cigarette smoking will start to be implemented today. However, it is not yet clear what citizens could do against those who do not abide by the ban.
-- NEW INITIATIVES TO BUILD CONFIDENCE IN CYPRUS
As technical committees continue works to initiate new negotiation process in Cyprus, it was stated that President Mehmet Ali Talat of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias would meet on May 23 and make public the first confidence building measures.
-- BRONZE MEDAL OF VIN-ART OF KAVAKLIDERE
“Vin-Art Narince-Chardonnay 2005” of Kavaklidere company was awarded with bronze medal in international "Chardonnay Du Monde" 2008 wine competition.
YENI SAFAK
-- SMOKING BANNED IN CLOSED AREAS
Smoking ban started today in all areas that have roof on itself. Those who smoke and who allow people to smoke will be punished. Heavy smokers should smoke outside the buildings. Smoking ban started in all buildings, theatres and cinemas, sports areas, and taxis, however the ban will start to be implemented in restaurants and coffeehouses on July 19th, 2009.
-- SHE WEARS OTTOMAN CAFTAN IN HER GRANCHILD'S WEDDING
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom wore the silk Ottoman Caftan, which she bought from western province of Bursa during her visit to Turkey, at the wedding of her grandchild Peter Phillips.