ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on June 1st, 2006. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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WAKE UP KARAOGLAN
Tempo daily could take the first photograph of former PM Bulent Ecevit, who is under treatment in Gulhane Military Hospital (GATA) due to a brain hemorrhage. Ecevit is being kept in the reanimation unit of the hospital since May 18th. Rahsan Ecevit is the only person who can enter this room except doctors and the hospital staff. It has been learned that Rahsan Ecevit is whispering to Bulent Ecevit every day. She is telling him, ''My Karaoglan, your people are waiting for you.'' In the photograph taken by Tempo daily, Ecevit is being fed from a hole opened in his throat.
BOMBED GANG OPERATION IN CAPITAL
Police collapsed a gang including two officers, one of whom is a captain, and one non-commissioned officer in Ankara. Nine people were detained, while efforts are under way to capture two more non-commissioned officers. 2 Glock guns, C-4 explosives and hand grenades were seized in the operation staged in Eryaman, where many military lodgings are situated. The operation lasted about five hours. Aliases used in an organization named ''Atabey'' were found in the diaries of the detainees. According to news leaked out by the security officials, the map of the neighborhood of PM Erdogan's house was found in the operation. Also, it was claimed that police reached an intelligence in the operation that Erdogan's adviser Zapsu was planned to be assassinated.
AKP HQ WARNS MUNICIPALITIES
Justice & Development Party (AKP) headquarters has put restrictions on the municipalities regarding religious publications. A circular was sent to the mayors by AKP deputy leader Nihat Ergun. The circular said, ''it should be known that programs which can mislead our people are not in line with our program, principles and goals of our party. And, they are not approved by the administration.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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INTERESTING CONFESSION FROM MINISTER
Commenting on the Karun Treasures robbery, Turkish Culture & Tourism Minister Atilla Koc confessed the corruption in the system. He said, ''there are not any inventories of artifacts kept in museums. So what can you inspect when there is not any list of artifacts?''
NO ''SECULARISM'' IN EU DOCUMENT
The Secretariat General for the EU proposed that the expression that ''Turkey's education system is secular'' should be added to the Negotiation Position Paper, prepared by Turkey for the negotiations on education and culture. However, Turkish State Minister and chief negotiator Ali Babacan returned this proposal saying, ''we may have to present this change to the ministers for approval. And, the process will prolong.''
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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IS MORTGAGE A DREAM NOW?
Mortgage system has not been launched in Turkey since the related law has not been passed yet and interest rates have risen. However, authorities earlier said that the mortgage system can start to be implemented on June 1st.
BILLION DOLLAR LAUGHS
Zorlu Group sold its 75 percent stake in Denizbank to giant Belgian finance company in return for 2.4 billion USD. Dexia Executive Board member De Walgue said, ''we trust Turkey.''
VATAN (INDEPENDENT)
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ATABEY RAID!
Ankara anti-terror teams raided a house in Eryaman neighborhood acting on an e-mailed tip-off. There are a captain, a non-commissioned officer and retired officers among the people detained in the operation, reinforced by the gendarmery teams. It has been learned that the detainees called them ''Atabey Guerilla Group''. In the diary seized in the operation, police found the maps of neighborhoods in which PM Erdogan's house and houses of members of the Supreme Court are situated. Police are investigating whether this group has any connection with the attack against the members of the Council of State.
WE ARE NOT A PARTY WITH A RELIGIOUS AXIS
Turkish PM Erdogan spoke in the congress of his party in central city of Sivas: ''AKP (Justice & Development Party) is not a party with a religious axis. AKP will not wear this shirt. We are conservative democrats.''
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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SECULARISM OUT OF PAPER
The Negotiation Position Paper, which will be the road map in Turkey-EU negotiations on education, caused a crises among the state institutions. Justice & Development Party (AKP) government excluded the expression ''Turkish education system is secular'' from this paper. It is said that State Minister Babacan erased the expression, proposed by the Secretariat General for the EU, saying: ''it is written in the Constitution. There is no need to write it in this paper.''
CRISIS WARNING FROM AKP
Deniz Baykal, the leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), said that secularism will be jeopardized if a person supporting views of the Justice & Development Party (AKP) is elected the president. Calling on AKP to nominate the presidential candidate together, Baykal expressed concern that a president of AKP roots may lift the headscarf ban.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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MARKETS ARE MISTY
The decrease in European stock exchanges also affected Turkey. One USD was equal to 1.5650 new Turkish liras (YTL) as the markets closed yesterday. Meanwhile, the Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) closed the day at 38.132 points. Is Bankasi DG Ozince said, ''such downs and ups can be seen'', while Garanti Bankasi DG Ozen said that there is no need to panic. Finance Minister Unakitan said, ''there is no need to take measures at this stage.''
KING & QUEEN VISIT EPHESUS
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, who are in Turkey upon the invitation of Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, visited House of Virgin Mary and ancient site of Ephesus. The king and queen said they admired the ancient city. President Sezer did not participate in a dinner hosted by the Swedish king and queen in Ankara last night.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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BUSY DIPLOMACY TRAFFIC IN ANKARA
Five presidents, two prime ministers and 12 foreign ministers visited Ankara in three months. Turkey's importance in regional and world policy has increased as the problems in the Middle East, the most critical region in the world, are becoming insolvable each passing day. Statesmen of the countries that attach importance to Turkey's mediation in particularly Iran, Iraq and Palestine issues are visiting Turkey. The diplomacy traffic, intensified after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Turkey, continued with Israeli FM Livni's visit. Turkey told the guest minister (Livni) that peace in Palestine can be ensured by ''two independent states''. Russian FM Lavrov visited Turkey yesterday. Ankara will host German FM Steinmeier today.
GUL: COOPERATION WITH RUSSIA IN OUR BEST INTERESTS
Meeting Russian FM Lavrov, who arrived in Turkey yesterday, Turkish FM Gul said that there is a multi-dimensional partnership between the two countries. ''Our trade volume is 15 billion USD. We will enhance our cooperation, particularly in energy. This cooperation is in the best interests of our countries,'' he noted.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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RAID ON GANG, PREPARING FOR ASSASSINATION
Ankara was shaken by reports about a new gang yesterday. Acting on a tip-off, anti-terror teams raided a house in Eryaman, Ankara, and captured 9 people with hand grenades and C-4 explosives.
CLASH WITH TERRORISTS: 2 SOLDIERS, 3 VILLAGE GUARDS KILLED
Two soldiers and three village guards died in a clash between security forces and terrorists in Sirnak. Five village guards were wounded in the operation staged on Kato Mountain.
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
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A SHAME
President Sezer did not participate in the dinner hosted by King Carl XVI Gustaf. Sezer did not deny the claims that ''he did not attend the dinner because of spouses of some guests who are wearing headscarves.''
ESTABLISHED IN A HOTEL ROOM, SOLD AT 2.4 BLN USD
75 percent stake of Denizbank was sold to Belgian-French company Dexia in return for 2.4 billion USD. Thus, Zorlu withdrew from the banking sector. Denizbank DG Ates said that they decided to establish Denizbank in a hotel room in 1997.