ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on April 25th, 2008. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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LET ME MAKE INDIVIDUAL DEFENSE
Zafer Uskul, head of human rights committee of the Turkish parliament, was asked to be banned from politics for 5 years on charges of his anti-secularist actions and statements in the case opened against Justice & Development (AK) Party.
Uskul applied to Constitutional Court and said he wanted to use his individual defense right.
MICROSOFT`S SOFTWARE CENTER TO BE ESTABLISHED IN ANKARA
An innovation center will be established in Ankara with the cooperation of World software giant U.S. Microsoft and a university.
Software companies, having any project or idea may be able to apply to the center.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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"ONLY A REFORM COULD PROVIDE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR SECULARISM"
In an interview with the Milliyet daily newspaper, MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijten, who wrote the Turkey Report for the European Parliament, said that Turkey needed to maintain its reform process to have enough control mechanisms over separation of state and religious affairs.
POSITIVE SIGNAL FROM NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
Turkey`s top security council has given positive signals at its routine meeting for a possible dialogue process with Massoud Barzani, head of the regional administration in north of Iraq. "We went over the developments in Iraq in general and affirmed the importance of Turkey`s holding talks with all Iraqi groups and formations," the National Security Council said in a statement.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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TURKEY MEDIATING PEACE BETWEEN SYRIANS-ISRAELIS
Ankara`s mediation efforts yielded result on Thursday when Israel announced that it was ready to give back the Golan Heights to Syria for peace, 41 years after it occupied the area. It was Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who passed the news to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Erdogan is set to travel to Damascus on Saturday. However, the Turkish premier said that direct talks between Syria and Israel could start after the U.S. presidential election in November.
FLAG PROVOCATION IN ARMENIA
People trampled a Turkish flag during a so-called commemoration ceremony on the occasion of the the incidents of 1915. The ceremony was held in the Armenian capital, Yerevan.
VATAN (INDEPENDENT)
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ARMENIAN DESECRATION TO TURKISH FLAG
There were ugly scenes in a rally in Armenia`s capital, Yerevan to protest incidents of 1915. A Turkish flag was laid on the road towards the monument. Thousands of people trampled the Turkish flag.
In an earlier rally in Yerevan, the demonstrators set a Turkish flag ablaze.
INTERESTING REACTION FROM AK PARTY MP
Justice & Development (AK) Party MP Vahit Erdem made very serious criticisms and warnings to the party administration.
Erdem said headscarf was neither a religious nor a political priority, "the constitutional amendment on the headscarf was not right. It has to be solved through compromise." Erdem noted that votes of AK Party would be around 30-40 percent if the presidential election process was not experienced.
IMF: YOU DON`T NEED US
IMF`s European Department Director Michael Deppler said Turkey did not need a new program, "however, if the executives ask for a Fund program, we would be pleased to do it."
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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CEREMONY HELD TO MARK ANNIVERSARY OF CANAKKALE BATTLES
An international ceremony took place in the northwestern province of Canakkale to mark the 93rd anniversary of Canakkale (Dardanelles) Battles. Turkey`s Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, New Zealand`s Foreign Minister Winston Peters, Australia`s Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon, Air Forces Commander Gen. Graham Lintott of New Zealand, Air Forces Commander Gen. Geoff Shepherd of Australia and British Naval Forces Commander Admiral Jonathan Band were among those who attended the ceremony.
SURPRISE VISIT BY GENDARMERIE
OFFICERS TO HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE
Two Turkish gendarmerie officers paid a visit Thursday to a human rights committee of Turkish parliament which has been carrying out an investigation over the killing of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. Colonel Ali Oz, former gendarmerie commander of the Black Sea province of Trabzon, and Captain Metin Yildiz, Trabzon`s former gendarmerie intelligence chief, refused to give information about the case until after being heard by a court of law.
"We are here today out of our respect for the parliament but we will not make any statements before our testimonies are heard by the court. We can brief the committee in detail after the court hearing," Col. Oz said.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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TENS OF THOUSANDS TO CELEBRATE MAY 1ST
Tens of thousands of workers and members of non-governmental organizations are getting ready to celebrate the May 1st Workers` Day in Istanbul`s famous Taksim Square. Labor unions say that nearly 500 thousand people could gather in the square. Slogan of this year`s celebrations will be "Social justice, independence, democracy, freedom, equality and peace for everyone".
WAR AND PEACE TOGETHER
An international ceremony took place in the northwestern province of Canakkale to mark the 93rd anniversary of Canakkale (Dardanelles) Battles. Representatives of Turkey, New Zealand, Australia, Britain, France, Canada, German, India, South Africa, Ireland, Pakistan and Bangladesh laid wreaths to the Canakkale Monument and gave messages of peace.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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NOW WE ARE MUCH STRONGER
Mehmet Simsek, State Minister for the Treasury, said that transformation process, political and economic stability, and growth rate had made Turkey a more resilient country to international shocks. "Turkey has a much better position now against fluctuations in foreign currency than it had in 2001," Simsek told an international meeting on economy in Istanbul.
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL CONVENES
Turkey`s National Security Council convened on Thursday for its monthly meeting under the chairmanship of President Abdullah Gul. The meeting evaluated the results of cross border operations against the terrorist organization in the north of Iraq, a statement said after the meeting.
"The meeting assessed developments in Iraq in general and affirmed the importance of Turkey`s holding talks with all Iraqi groups and entities," the statement said. "The new process in Cyprus, that began on March 21st, 2008, was also discussed in detail," the statement added.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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ANKARA DISCUSSES BAHCELI`S SUGGESTION
As discussions are underway in Ankara on the closure case opened against Justice & Development (AK) Party, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) chairman Devlet Bahceli made a statement on April 23rd.
Bahceli said they still backed the arrangement, which came up during the ruling of the 57th government, that prevented party closures before a judgement at law.
AK Party and Democratic Society Party (DTP) are positive towards the proposal, however Republican People`s Party (CHP) opposes.
TECHNOLOGY PERIOD IN JURISDICTION
Justice Ministry decided to equip all judicial courts with the latest technology. All the hearings throughout the country will be recorded with video cameras.
The hearings will end at a shorter period of time as the secretaries would not write down the minutes.
This implementation will take effect by the end of summer.
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
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ERDOGAN`S MEDIATION
President Bashar al-Assad of Syria said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had conveyed them a message that Israel was ready to withdraw from the Golan Heights for a lasting peace. The issue will top the agenda of scheduled meeting between President al-Assad and Prime Minister Erdogan in Damascus on Saturday.
BLUE REFORM AT SECURITY COUNCIL
The routine meeting of Turkey`s National Security Council was held at the Blue Hall of the Pink Mansion for the first time because of the ongoing restoration works at the Cankaya Presidential Palace. Since the hall where the meeting took place was smaller than the hall at the Cankaya Palace, there was a quite intimate atmosphere at the meeting.
(YMB-AY-UK-MS)