ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on July 22nd, 2008. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET
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NUCLEAR DIALOGUE AT DOLMABAHCE PALACE
Saeed Jalili, secretary of Supreme National Security Council and Iran's nuclear negotiator, has met Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan during his stopover in Istanbul after attending talks with envoys from the U.S. and five other world powers in Geneva.
Jalili told Babacan during the meeting, "they do not trust us. They do not listen to us. Instead, they threat us. But when the name of Turkey is mentioned, it eases the tension."
Meanwhile, Beabacan said that Iran should take more tangible steps and pledged to maintain Turkey's facilitative role.

"IT WAS NOT AL QAIDA"
Two Turkish engineers who were kidnapped in western part of Afghanistan by unidentified people last week, have been released. Engineers Gokhan Gul and Erhan Gunduz were brought to Turkey by a private plane. They said that they were kidnapped by a group of plunderers, not by al Qaida militants.

PKK TERRORISM COSTS 300 BILLION USD
Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesman Cemil Cicek has indicated that terrorist organization PKK's acts of violence cost about 300 billion USD. "The Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) costs 32 billion USD. If we had not dealt with PKK terrorism, we would have finalized the project for ten times," he said.

MILLIYET
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SHOCKING ACCUSATION ABOUT COLONEL
An investigation will be launched against Colonel Ali Oz, former commander of the Provincial Gendarmerie Forces (in Trabzon), by claiming that he acted negligently regarding the assassination of journalist Hrant Dink. Colonel Oz testified in a court in Bursa province. Oz said he did not remember whether he received intelligence or document ahead of assassination of Dink. Oz stated he did not know Yasin Hayal, either.

GUN FOUND IN ATO FROM IRAQ
A Glock gun, found in the office of Ankara Chamber of Commerce Chairman Sinan Aygun, came from Iraq, officials said. Turkish Security Department asked information about the gun from the manufacturer in Austria. It said the gun was bought by the USA and it was delivered to coalition forces in Iraq in 2003.

SABAH
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KOC GROUP TO PLANT 700,000 YOUNG TREES
Turkey's Koc Group will plant 700,000 young trees in seven forests in seven regions of Turkey. The trees would be planted under a project called "For My Country". The young trees are made possible by donations from Koc Group companies, employees, dealers and suppliers.

WE WOULD INVEST 1 BLN USD IN TURKISH REAL ESTATE MARKET
Alexander Blank, President of CENTURY 21 Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, said that his group is planning to invest one billion USD in the real estate market of the southern province of Antalya. Representatives of CENTURY 21 convened in Antalya on Monday and discussed investment opportunities in Antalya. "Antalya is not only a major tourist destination for Russians. Antalya offers many possibilities to Russians with its coast, hotels, residences and luxury villas," Blank said.

VATAN
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DID GERMANY PAID RANSOM TO PKK?
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has given a confusing answer to journalists who asked whether Germany paid ransom to the PKK terrorist organization to save the kidnapped mountaineers. Merkel said that they did everything they could.
Meanwhile, the Der Spiegel wrote that Ahmet Danis, spokesman for the terrorist organization, told the magazine in an interview, "two Kurdish institutions in Turkey mediated for release of mountaineers."
Three mountaineers were kidnapped by PKK terrorists during a climbing expedition on Mount Agri on July 8th. The three were released after 12 days.

"DAY OF FATE" TO BE SET FOR AK PARTY
Turkey's top court will set a date to debate the closure case against the ruling Justice & Development (AK) Party. The Constitutional Court delegation will convene at 1:30 p.m. Some said that the members of the top court were planning to go on a vacation on August 10th, and that they could convene in the first half of August to debate the case.

CUMHURIYET
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COLONEL OZ NOT REMEMBER ANYTHING
Colonel Ali Oz, former commander of the Provincial Gendarmerie Forces in Trabzon, will face an investigation due to a claim that he acted negligently regarding the assassination of journalist Hrant Dink. Colonel Oz testified in court and said he did not remember whether he received intelligence about assassination of Dink.

ATAKOGLU HITS CHARTS IN USA
Turkish pianist and composer Fahir Atakoglu's new album "Istanbul in Blue" is being picked up by many radio stations across the USA. Atakoglu's latest album "Istanbul In Blue" is the most added and the most increased in air play album, according to Jazz Week and Media Guide. His album has become the number 1 on the World Music Album Chart in the United States.

RADIKAL
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COURT DATE FOR DECISION ON AK PARTY'S CLOSURE CASE TO BE DETERMINED ON TUESDAY
Turkey's Constitutional Court would determine the date for the decision on the closure case filed against the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party on Tuesday, July 22nd. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek said that "it is the AK Party's wish to see the Constitutional Court decide on the AK Party as early as possible."

ABDUCTED MOUNTAINEERS RETURN HOME TO GERMANY
Three German mountaineers who were abducted by PKK terrorists while climbing Mount Agri 12 days ago were released and returned home to Germany on Monday. Fierce reaction to PKK terrorist organization came from the German Greens. The Greens said that "PKK deeply hurts the Kurds."

TURKIYE
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IF AK PARTY CLOSED DOWN, CHAOS TO PREVAIL
Leading businessmen and academicians have warned that if the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party is closed down, there would be chaos in the Turkish economy. Omer Cihad Vardan, chairperson of the Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD), said, "I don't want to think what will happen if AK Party is shut down. Shutting down means chaos." Prof. Dr. Seyfettin Gursel from Bahcesehir University said if it was closed down, there would be a big shock in the country and the growth would decline sharply.

EU TO HAVE HONOR OF TURKEY'S ACCESSION
In an interview with Turkiye daily, Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said all should look at developments in the Middle East to understand the importance of Turkey. Turkey's membership would fill the gap between the Islam World and Europe, he said. EU would have honor of Turkey's accession, Blair stated.

ZAMAN
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TURKEY'S EXPORTS TO EXCEED 130 BLN USD IN 2008
Chairman of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), Oguz Satici, said that Turkey's exports would be worth 130 billion USD by the end of 2008. Automotive sector is expected to generate most Turkish exports in 2008.

SUNEXPRESS EARNS 162 MLN EURO
SunExpress, a consortium of the Turkish Airlines (THY) and Lufthansa, earned 162 million euro in the first six months of 2008, up 31.3 percent when compared to last year. SunExpress carried 1.8 million passengers in the first six months of 2008, up 35 percent when compared to the same term last year.

YENI SAFAK
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"IT IS HOW BITLIS PASHA AND ERSEVER WERE KILLED"
Tuncay Guney, who lives in Canada, has given a shocking deposition to the security officers regarding the Ergenekon probe. "Esref Bitlis Pasha, former commander of the Gendarmerie Forces, and Major Cem Ersever were aware of all actions of the Ergenekon. Since they were opposed to dispatch of weapons to the PKK terrorist organization, they were killed," he said.

OZ'S BAD MEMORY
Colonel Ali Oz, former commander of the gendarmerie regiment in the northern province of Trabzon, has told the prosecutor he could not remember whether he received an intelligence report about killing of journalist Hrant Dink of Armenian descent. An investigation was launched against Colonel Oz for allegedly neglecting his duty.

(EÖ-SOL-UK-AÖ)