ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on December 10th, 2006. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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"THEY CAME TO BIDE FAREWELL"
Turkish General Staff sources has indicated that Ali Tuygan, former undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and his successor Ertugrul Apakan had visited the General Staff HQ to bid farewell, not to inform them on Turkey's recent proposal to the EU. On the other hand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the General Staff was informed verbally.
"DO WE GET OPINION OF CANKAYA?"
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has replied to the Presidential Office and the General Staff, "we held talks on a proposal made by Finland which holds the rotating EU presidency. Do we get opinion of the Presidential Office or relevant institutions? We ask and get opinion of the Presidential Office and the relevant institutions when we prepare a written document. We should not treat each other unfairly. Otherwise, we affect markets."
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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SCALE OF JUSTICE UNDER DEBRIS
Lawsuits filed against a construction company, whose housing complex collapsed, killing 316 people during the 1999 earthquake in Turkey, are set to be dropped due to lapse of time in two months. The company, "Yuksel Insaat" has been found guilty of faulty construction and many of its executives and officials have been sentenced to imprisonment. But a court later suspended their penalties.
BATTLE OF WORDS ON THE PEAK
Tension was high in Ankara when Foreign Ministry sources said that the president and the General Staff were informed in advance about Turkey's proposal on Cyprus issue. "The President was not informed neither directly or indirectly," a Presidential Palace statement said. Erdogan responded: "Do we have to check with the President and the Chief of General Staff before our talks?"
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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A CONFIDANT PREMIER
Turkey informed Matti Vanhanen, the Finnish prime minister, about its recent move on Cyprus on as early as December 1st, but Vanhanen, as he was told, kept Turkey's proposal as a secret until December 7th, when the Permanent Representatives Committee (COREPER) convened to discuss the issue.
WITHOUT TURKEY, EUROPE WOULD BE VERY POOR
"If we push Turkey away, we would end up with a much poorer, less secure European Union," British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett wrote in an article, as EU leaders brace for a summit next week.
"AL-CD" BOMB
Police arrested 10 people yesterday including a lawyer named Murat Tetik (25) who claimed to be "the commander of Al Qaida in Turkey." Police searched Tetik's house and found a "CD bomb," a minuscule explosive device placed on a CD which would have exploded if played.
VATAN (INDEPENDENT)
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"I WAS NOT INFORMED"
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has denied allegations that he was informed on Turkey's recent proposal to open one of its ports and an airport to the Greek Cypriot traffic. The Presidential Press Center said in a statement that the president was not informed on the proposal directly or indirectly.
"DO WE GET OPINION OF CANKAYA?"
After President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said that he was not informed on Turkey's proposal regarding the Cyprus issue, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has given a harsh reply, "do we get opinion of Cankaya or the other relevant institutions as holding talks?"