Turkey press scan

These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on April 7th, 2005. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.HURRIYET (LIBERAL)DANGEROUS ANGERDesecration of the Turkish flag during a demonstration in southern city of Mersin has escalated tension in streets. When representatives of a leftist magazine attempted to distribute a leaflet in northern city of Trabzon, nearly two thousand people attacked them. Police saved them from being lynched.    DEADLY GAMESeven schoolchildren were injured after accidentally setting off  military devices they picked up at a military yard close to their school in Istanbul. The children found 14 devices in a sack half-buried in the ground at a military yard, where used and apparently unexploded ammunition were dumped. The explosion occurred at a nearby scrap metal shop, where the children took the devices to sell for money. Four of the children, including one who lost his feet during the explosion, were in critical condition.    MILLIYET (LIBERAL)FIRST TIME IN MIDDLE EASTJalal Talabani became the first Kurd elected president in an Arab country. The Iraqi parliament elected Talabani as the interim president of the country after two-month discussions. Kurdish leader will administer the country till December.    DANGEROUS ESCALATIONFive people, who wanted to distribute a statement illegally, were attacked by a group of people who were incited with the words that those five people ''were burning Turkish flag''. About 2,000 people in northeastern city of Trabzon who were incited with this lie attempted to lynch those five people who were distributing a statement on conditions in prisons. Police managed to save those five people by force.    ''SUPPORT TO EU BID DECREASING''According to the Pollmark Turkey Agenda survey also submitted to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, support of Turkish people to European Union (EU) membership bid decreased to 63 percent.    SABAH (LIBERAL)PRESIDENT ASAD OF SYRIA LAUDS PRESIDENT SEZERPresident Bashar al-Asad of Syria praised decision by Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer to go ahead with a visit to Damascus despite all pressures and said countries of the region had to stand together. President Sezer plans a state visit to Syria on April 13th and 14th. Syria has been under pressure to pull all its troops and security forces out of neighboring Lebanon. ''Turkey, as a sovereign nation protecting its own interests, did not allow other countries to dictate its decision. I think this is the most important aspect of President Sezer's visit,'' President al-Asad told the Sabah daily.    ''GENOCIDE IS THE SCENARIO OF EUROPE''Leon Debbagyan, an author of Armenian origin, informed members of  Turkish Parliamentary EU Adjustment Commission. ''I am old enough to know the truth. A genocide against Armenians has never taken place in Turkey,'' he said. Debbagyan defended that the so-called Armenian genocide was nothing but the scenario of Europe. CUMHURIYET (LEFT)SOCIAL TENSIONA group of people attacked members of Association of Assistance and Solidarity of Families of Inmates (TAYAD) who were distributing a statement on ''What is Happening at our Prisons? It is our Right to Know'' in northeastern city of Trabzon. Members of TAYAD escaped from the place and entered a shopping center. As the group chasing those four TAYAD members shouted: ''they were carrying a PKK flag'', more people gathered and attempted to lynch them. Police had difficulty in protecting those who were actually distributing statements. Police Chief Akyurek called on the group to be calm and leave the place. TAYAD members were taken away from the place by an armored vehicle.    FINAL FOUR IN ISTANBULThe Federation of International Basketball Associations (FIBA) decided to organize the FIBA Men's Europe League Final Four in Istanbul. Fenerbahce basketball team will also play in the final four. Earlier, the final four was scheduled to be organized in Kiev.    RADIKAL (LEFT)GOOD NEWS FOR CYPRUSThe European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) considered the lawsuit filed by Greek Cypriot Ksenides-Arestis against Turkey as ''acceptable''. This lawsuit was filed on charges that ownership rights were violated in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). This decision also includes some important statements about the Turkish Cypriot side. The ECHR gave the message that the Compensation Commission set up in TRNC to investigate the property demands of the Greek Cypriots can be considered as a domestic legal authority if its deficiencies are overcome. However, the Greek Cypriots are arguing that ''TRNC and the commission are illegal.''    ''MILITARY SCRAP'' CAUSES DISASTERA device taken by seven children from a garbage can in a military zone in Gaziosmanpasa neighborhood of Istanbul exploded. Those children wanted to sell this device to a scrap-iron dealer. Four of them were seriously injured in the blast. People living in the neighborhood said that the barbed wire surrounding the military zone could not prevent children from entering this zone.    TURKIYE (RIGHT)A NEW SUPPORT TO TURKISH CYPRIOTSThe European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has decided to listen to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) for the first time in a lawsuit filed by a Greek Cypriot. The ECHR said that members of the commission, which was formed in the TRNC to deal with the Greek Cypriots' claims for properties, should be listened at lawsuits. As a result, the ECHR has recognized the commission which was declared as illegal by the Greek Cypriots.    ANKARA: ''IT WAS AN EXPECTED DECISION''Patriotic Union of Iraqi Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani was elected the new president of Iraq. Turkish Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said, ''Talabani is an experienced politician. He attaches importance to Iraq's unity, so I congratulate him. I am sure that everyone's sense of being an Iraqi will be strengthened and the unity of the country will be consolidated. This will be the duty of everyone, primarily that of Talabani.''    ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)PRIME MINISTER PROMISES FOR AMENDMENTS TO NEW TCKThe Press Council met Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding some arrangements in the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK). The Press Council delegation including chairman Oktay Eksi and Ekrem Dumanli, the editor-in-chief of Zaman daily, presented a report to Erdogan on the changes they want in the new TCK. After the meeting, Eksi said that Erdogan promised that articles of the new TCK on the press would be reconsidered.    FRIENDSHIP MESSAGE FROM TALABANI TO TURKEYJalal Talabani sent a message of friendship to Turkey after he was elected the new Iraqi President. In the message he conveyed to Turkish Foreign Ministry, Talabani said, ''one of your brother has become the president of Iraq. Thanks for your confidence in me.''YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)PRESS FREEDOM IMPORTANTTurkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the ceremony held at the headquarters of Anadolu Agency (A.A) in Ankara to celebrate the 85th anniversary of its foundation. In the ceremony, Erdogan said that he had seen how much effort and attention journalism required, and added, ''freedom of the press is one of the most important freedoms in an open society, democratic country, and a state of law.''    2 BILLION USD OF VETO FROM SEZERTurkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer vetoed the law envisaging rental of airports to foreigners, saying that this law ''is against the Constitution''. Turkish Treasury was expecting 2 billion USD of income solely from Istanbul Ataturk Airport tender.Â