ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on September 4th, 2007. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
MR. BAYDEMIR EXCEEDS LIMITS
Governor Osman Baydemir of the southeastern city of Diyarbakir has accused the government of failing to support any of their projects in the city during the four-and-an-half-year political power of the Justice & Development (AK) Party. "This is nothing but a negative discrimination. If the prime minister wages a war against Diyarbakir, I tell him come and try! We do not refrain from fighting," he said.
IRAN TO ERECT A WALL AGAINST PKK
The Iranian government has decided to erect a concrete wall to provide border security against the terrorist organization PKK.
FIRST LONG-RANGE TURKISH RIFLE
Military experts have tested five prototypes of a sniper rifle designed by the Turkish Armed Forces. The weapon was considered quite successful by the experts. The manufacturing firm named the rifle with a weight of 5 kg as KNT-308. It will be the lightest sniper rifle in the world.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
ONE MORE REMAINING FOR 100 BILLION USD OF EXPORTS
Turkish exports in August grew 23.43 percent, compared to August 2006, and reached an impressive 8.6 billion USD. Turkish exports in the past 12 months rose by 22.66 percent and reached 98.9 billion USD. Between January-August 2007, Turkish exports increased by 24.44 percent and reached 66.83 billion USD.
I WILL FOLLOW UP TENDERS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES, GUL
On his first day of welcoming guests at the Cankaya Palace, Turkish President Abdullah Gul received representatives of non-governmental organizations. Talking with Chairman of the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO) Nurettin Ozdebir and an accompanying delegation, Gul indicated that he will provide support to Turkish businessmen seeking projects overseas. "I will follow up on tenders in foreign countries," told Gul.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
REAL ESTATE DOUBLES EARNINGS
Those who purchased real estates by installments earned 2 times the worth of the properties they bought before the houses were delivered to them.
In the last couple of years, neither foreign exchange nor gold brought in the money that was earned by real estates. Citizens who purchased luxurious real estates in Istanbul, had a profit of 27 to 112 percent before even completing the installment payments. According to sources, the fear regarding a probable earthquake in the city, raised the demands.
FIRST PHOTOGRAPH FROM CANKAYA
President Abdullah Gul had his first official meeting at Cankaya Presidential Palace yesterday. Gul received Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan. Gul also had his first photo taken at Cankaya, sitting at the presidential chair in front of the presidential flag.
RED LINE WARNING
National Movement Party (MHP) chairman Devlet Bahceli stated that they had "red lines" regarding the new constitution. "We have red lines regarding the civilian constitution as well. We will work to overcome these," Bahceli stressed.
VATAN (INDEPENDENT)
------------------
INFLATION HIGHER THAN EXPECTED
The Turkish Board of Statistics (TUIK) announced inflation numbers in August. The Consumer Price Index (TUFE) grew 0.02 percent and Producer Price Index (UFE) rose by 0.85 percent last month. Annual TUFE increased by 7.39 percent while UFE increased by 3.72 percent. In the first eight months of 2007 (January-August), TUFE increased by 3.13 percent while UFE increased by 3.93 percent.
TENDER FOR AIR AMBULANCES
Turkish Ministry of Health will hold a tender through which it will procure planes and helicopters to be used as air ambulances in cases of traffic accidents.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
PRIME MINISTER GETS ANGRY AGAIN
The opposition parties described the program of the 60th government as an action report eulogizing the previous Justice & Development (AK) Party instead of enlisting the government's plans for the next five years.
In response to the opposition parties' criticisms, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said by mentioning the Democratic Society Party (DTP), "those talking about differences, should first declare the PKK as a terrorist organization."
HEAVY BLOW ON TERRORIST ORGANIZATION
Under counter-terrorism program, 159 members of the terrorist organization PKK were killed and 128 others were arrested in the January-August period of the year. 75 terrorists surrendered to security forces in the same period.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
WHY IS "CIVILIAN" CONSTITUTION DRAFT HIDDEN FROM CIVILIANS?
Justice and Development (AK) Party, which did not make public the new constitution draft but revealed some of its articles drew criticisms in Turkey.
"Discussions are made on assumptions. They need to bring the draft in front of us," said Republican People's Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), criticizing AK Party.
Istanbul and Diyarbakir bars also agreed with the politicians. "Such issues cannot be carried out with imposition. Why is all this secrecy?" they said.
On the other hand, academicians stressed that the preparation process of the constitution should be transparent.
EXPORTS DO NOT CUT SPEED
Turkey, for the first time in its history, is about to exceed the 100 billion USD-threshold for exports. According to Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM), annual exports figures reached 98.9 billion USD with a 22 percent rise. Exports in August 2007 rose up to 8.6 billion USD, with a 23.4 percent increase over to the same period of last year.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
"OUR DIFFERENCES ARE OUR ASSETS"
In response to the criticisms by the opposition parties against the program of the 60th government, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "our sole aim is to make Turkey one of the biggest and most developed countries in the world."
"Our differences are our assets. While the United States and the EU recognized those who support separatist terrorism as terrorists, those who are under this blessed roof cannot do the same thing. What ties us together are the one nation, one flag, one homeland and one state," he stressed.
TURKEY: A KEY TO PEACE
Mark Gerzon, author of the book "Leading Beyond Borders: Transforming Conflict Into Opportunity", said that if Turkey succeeds in accepting its differences as its assets and becomes a full member of the EU, it will be the greatest model for the global peace.
NO SURPRISE IN INFLATION RATES
The consumer prices rose by 0.02 percent and producer prices increased by 0.85 percent in August 2007. As of August, annual inflation was calculated as 7.39 percent in Consumer Price Index (TUFE) and 3.72 percent in Producer Price Index (UFE). TUFE grew 3.13 percent and UFE grew 3.93 percent in the first eight months of 2007.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
ERDOGAN TO DTP: DECLARE PKK AS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that the differences in Turkey are actually the richness of this country. Erdogan made a call to the Democratic Society Party (DTP) to declare PKK as a terrorist organization.
RUSSIAN GOVERNOR INVITES TURKISH BUSINESSMEN
Anatoli Artamonov, Governor of Kaluga region in the Russian Federation, invited Turkish businessmen to invest in his region. "We provide all logistics services to businessmen who invest in our region. We provide tax exemptions, land and cheap labor of quality. There exist investment opportunities in Kaluga in the sectors of automobiles, wood works, glass and construction materials", said Artamonov.
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
-------------------------
ERDOGAN TO DTP: "DECLARE PKK AS TERRORIST"
Replying to criticisms he received regarding the 60th government program, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "our differences will be our richness."
Giving messages to Democratic Society Party (DTP) as well, Erdogan noted, "first of all you should declare PKK and those who support it as terrorists. While EU and USA act like that, why do not the ones under the blessed roof of my country, act accordingly?"
FAKE CERTIFICATE TO KILLER MEDICINE
Lida, a slimming medicine which is manufactured under unhealthy conditions in China and has caused several deaths recently, entered Turkish market with a fake health certificate.
The "miraculous slimming capsules" which caused the death of 2 people last week, were sold with fake certificates, claiming that the medicine was "a hundred percent natural" although it contained 80 percent sibutramine which is hazardous to human body.