ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on July 9th, 2008. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET
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COMPUTER DISCUSSION
Tacidar Seyhan, an MP of the Republican People's Party (CHP), made a claim that would no more make thousands of computer data in Ergenekon investigation an evidence. In the days when an indictment regarding the Ergenekon investigation is expected to be made public, some talk about a possibility that the computer data seized in the operation, on which the prosecutors base their accusations, may not be considered as an evidence.
Seyhan, a member of the Technology Committee of the Parliament, and industrial engineer and software expert, said he was the one who added this provision to Article 134 of the Turkish Criminal Procedure Code.
"When computers and registers are seized, the owners or their lawyers should be given a copy, however they did not do so in the Ergenekon investigation," Seyhan said.
TWO PASHAS AND AYGUN IN F TYPE OF "THE FAMOUS"
Retired generals Sener Eruygur and Hursit Tolon, and Ankara Chamber of Commerce Chairman Sinan Aygun were transferred to Kocaeli F type (maximum security) prison in Kandira. Many famous gang leaders are also kept in this prison.
OBJECTION TO RELEASE OF EIGHT PEOPLE
Prosecutors carrying out the Ergenekon investigation appealed to a higher court, and objected to the release of eight people. Mustafa Balbay, the representative of Cumhuriyet newspaper in Ankara, and Ufuk Buyukcelebi, the editor-in-chief of the "Halka ve Olaylara Tercuman" newspaper; are among these eight people who were released after their interrogation at the court.
MILLIYET
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I CAN NEITHER CONFIRM NOR DENY COUP ATTEMPT, OZKOK
Commenting on the allegations recently discovered in the diaries of Ozden Ornek, former commander of Turkish Naval Forces, regarding the preparations for a military coup, Hilmi Ozkok, former chief of Turkish General Staff, said that "he could neither confirm nor deny" the presence of such an attempt.
"This is all I can say on this matter," Ozkok said.
Regarding Ornek's remarks denying the ownership of such diaries, Ozkok said, "then the admiral should be trusted".
INVITATION CALL FROM SARKOZY
French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the phone and invited him to the "Union for Mediterranean Summit".
Erdogan told Sarkozy that he would try to participate in the meeting.
"Union for Mediterranean" had been previously suggested as an alternative to Turkey's EU membership, and therefore, Turkey had stated that it would not send high-level officials to the summit.
SABAH
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SARKOZY INVITES ERDOGAN TO SUMMIT OF UNION FOR MEDITERRANEAN
French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and invited Erdogan to the summit of Union for Mediterranean. Erdogan accepted Sarkozy's invitation. The summit of Union for Mediterranean will take place in Paris on July 13th.
SECURITY TIGHTENED FOR PROSECUTOR WORKING ON ERGENEKON PROBE
Tight security measures have been taken for Zekeriya Oz, the prosecutor working on the Ergenekon probe. 19 police officers are protecting Oz 24 hours a day. Three vehicles, including two armored ones, have been assigned for Oz.
VATAN
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WHY ARE THEY UNEASY ABOUT 'CLEAN HANDS'?
Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded to Deniz Baykal, the chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP) who said "if the prime minister is the prosecutor in this case (Ergenekon), I am the lawyer." Erdogan said, "we are not the advocate of the mafia or gangs. Why are those --who were asking when Turkey would stage a similar operation in days in which Italy launched operation 'clean hands'--feeling uneasy when our country is taking the same steps?"
SPANISH TOP GOAL SCORER JOINS FENERBAHCE IN RETURN FOR 60 TRILLION YTL
Daniel Guiza, who became the top goal scorer of Spain in the last season netting 27 times with no penalty kicks, agreed on a four-year contract with Fenerbahce. Fenerbahce paid 17.4 million Euro to Mallorca team for the transfer. 28-year-old player will get 3 million Euro every year. Guiza will be in Istanbul on July 14th and put his signature under the contract on July 15th.
CUMHURIYET
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GUIZA IN FENERBAHCE WITH RECORD PRICE
Turkey's Fenerbahce team announced on its official web-site that it signed a four-year contract with Spanish footballer Daniel Gonzales Guiza. Fenerbahce paid 17.4 million euros to Guiza's club Mallorca of Spain.
MERSIN ON FIRE
The fire in Gulnar town of the Mediterranean province of Mersin, during which two people died the other day, spread to a wider area due to the strong winds yesterday.
Many villages were evacuated because of the fire which ruined numerous houses and an area of hundreds of hectares.
RADIKAL
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FIRE IN AN AREA OF 1,000 HECTARES
Two women were killed and 27 people injured in a fire that began in southern province of Mersin on Tuesday. The fire covered an area of 1,000 hectares and is still out of control. 58 homes were burned and five villages were evacuated due to the fire. Dozens of animals were killed due to the fire. The cloud filled with smoke could be seen from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is some 70 kilometers away from the Turkish coast.
DANIEL GUIZA AT FENERBAHCE
Spanish goal scorer Daniel Guiza signed a contract with Turkey's Fenerbahce football club on Tuesday and will play for Fenerbahce for four years. Guiza also plays for the Spanish national team.
TURKIYE
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WE ARE NOT THE LAWYERS FOR GANGS, ERDOGAN
Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey should get rid of illegitimate searches and unlawful formations sooner or later.
Commenting on Republican People's Party (CHP) chairperson Deniz Baykal's remarks stating that "he would act as the lawyer in the Ergenekon case if Erdogan acted as the prosecutor", the prime minister said, "we are not the lawyers for the mafia or gangs. We carry out the duty given to the executive organ by the jurisdiction".
AEGEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN ON FIRE
Tens of hectares of green areas were destroyed because of negligence and lack of attention.
The fire, which started in Gulnar town of the Mediterranean province of Mersin the other day, killed two people and ruined an area of 1,000 hectares. Nearly 200 houses were destroyed in the fire, while numerous villages had to be evacuated. A forest area of 15 hectares burned down in coastal town of Bodrum and southwestern province of Isparta as well.
ZAMAN
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AMBASSADORS TO CONVENE FOR "BRAIN STORMING"
Turkey has invited all of its ambassadors to Ankara for a "brain storming" meeting. More than 100 Turkish ambassadors will come together for the first time to discuss Turkey's foreign policy.
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION UP BY 2.4 PERCENT IN MAY
Turkey's industrial production went up by 2.4 percent in May when compared to the same month last year, told the Turkish Statistics Board (TUIK) on Tuesday. Turkey's total industrial production went up by 5.8 percent based on averages of the first five months of 2008.
YENI SAFAK
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COUNCIL OF STATE MURDERER IN ERGENEKON
The "Operation Ergenekon" indictment, including accusations about 85 suspects, talked about the link between the Council of State attack and Ergenekon in 60 pages. The indictment regarding the Ergenekon terrorist organization, revealed after hand grenades and fuses were seized in a shanty house in Umraniye on June 12th, 2007, has been completed. The indictment will be presented to the prosecutor's office on Friday. The 2,500-page indictment is comprised of 40 chapters. It talks about the armed attack on the Council of State in 60 pages. The indictment says that some murders had links with the Ergenekon terrorist organization.
Also, additional indictment will be prepared regarding retired generals Sener Eruygur and Hursit Tolon, Ankara Chamber of Commerce Chairman Sinan Aygun and seven other suspects.
CLEAN HANDS TILL THE END
Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan defined the Ergenekon investigation as "operation clean hands", and said, "we will go till the end." Erdogan said, "why are those --who were asking when Turkey would stage a similar operation in days in which Italy launched operation 'clean hands'--feeling uneasy when our country is taking the same steps?"
(DO-SOL-BRC)