Turkish Press Review of Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Vatan, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Turkiye, Zaman, Yeni Safak

HURRIYET

Turkish Energy Minister Hilmi Guler and Iranian Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri-Hamaneh signed on Saturday a deal which would make Turkey one of the global energy players. According to the agreement, Turkey would annually extract 20 million cubic meters of Iranian natural gas and carry it by pipelines. Turkmen natural gas will also flow to Turkey via Iran. Europe will purchase natural gas from Turkey. The agreement is expected to reduce Turkish and European dependency on Russian natural gas. Turkey and Iran will build a 2,000km-long pipeline.

Ambassador in Ankara Ross Wilson denied claims that his country provided the terrorist organization PKK with weapons and munitions, adding that the USA recognizes PKK as a terrorist organization. "Why do we provide weapons for an organization which we see a terrorist group?" he told reporters during a reception for the French national day. "We do not work with the PKK and we do not give them weapons," Wilson said.

MILLIYET

Ibrahim Halil Ozyavuz, a new high school graduate and a resident of south-eastern province Sanliurfa's Harran town, became 242nd in Turkish university entrance examination. Ozyavuz picks cotton every summer and helps his parents' income. "I prepared myself for the university entrance examination in a disciplined manner and received assistance from my teachers. I plan to attend medical college at either Istanbul University or Ankara's Hacettepe University," remarked Ozyavuz. Ozyavuz has been the first student from Harran to achieve such a success in the university entrance examination.

Eray Kapicioglu, CEO of the World Eye Hospital, said that they will begin selling shares of the hospital at the stock exchange. "We may also make an agreement with a foreign group to become partners. The hospital currently has 12 branches and serves patients from 195 countries. "We will open three more branches very soon," told Kapicioglu. The hospital owns clinics in Amsterdam and Berlin.

SABAH

Addressing the residents of Adapazari and Ankara in election campaign rallies on Saturday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan indicated that the opposition "made the mosques arenas for verbal clashes. I invite you to bury the opposition in ballot boxes on July 22nd".

Dr. Murat Sert of the Cukurova University said on Saturday that watermelon is a fruit with various vitamins. "Watermelon should be eaten before lunch or dinner on an empty stomach. This way, it becomes more helpful to the body," told Dr. Sert. Sert also indicated that the seeds of watermelon should also be consumed. "The seeds help in lowering blood pressure and assist the functions of kidneys," underlined Dr. Sert.

VATAN

Ankara made a counter-move against Russian attempts to by-pass Turkey in transporting natural gas to the West by signing a groundbreaking deal with Tehran on Saturday. According to the agreement, Iranian and Turkmen natural gas will be carried to Europe via Turkey and Turkey will operate three Iranian natural gas fields. Iran will also meet half of Turkey's natural gas need.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan severely criticized the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and its leader Devlet Bahceli without directly mentioning name. "They have never learned what democracy is and in their understanding of democracy there was always insult," Erdogan told a campaign rally in the capital Ankara.

CUMHURIYET

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a wealth of only 5,110 YTL in 1994 when he was serving as the mayor of Istanbul. Erdogan's wealth became 1.7 million YTL by 2005 as Turkey's prime minister. According to sources, Erdogan's wealth grew 355 percent in the past 11 years. Erdogan's sons Ahmet Burak and Bilal purchased a villa in Istanbul worth 1 million YTL in 2006. Bilal and his wife Reyyan bought a home in the United States worth 261,000 USD. Erdogan's sons also purchased a ship that cost 2.3 million USD.

Despite an optimistic assessment by the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party on employment, Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) indicated that 10.8 percent of all young Turks over the age of 25 are unemployed. In 2006, 18.7 percent of all young Turks were unemployed, said ATO.

RADIKAL

In a fire in Aegean town of Kusadasi in 2006, 500 hectares of forests were burned. Following the fire, Turkish Minister of Environment Osman Pepe made an announcement that saplings would be planted in lands that burned. However, sources indicated that 129.4 hectares of the burned forests have been provided to a mining corporation. The corporation received permission to construct a road on the forest land. All environmental groups in Turkey have been shocked by the development in Kusadasi.

TURKIYE

Turkish patients will be able to get appointments in public hospitals. They can do so by either calling hospital appointment operators, SMS or through the internet.

Chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP) Deniz Baykal indicated that "the CHP does not have any preliminary requirements for a compromise on Turkey's new president. The new president does not have to be from CHP."

ZAMAN

Turkey will need to seek solutions to a number of problems immediately after the July 22nd elections such as in economy, foreign policy and social life. Fight against terrorism and cross border operation, uncertainty in Iraq, the future status of Kirkuk, EU reforms, steps to preserve financial balance, unemployment and social security reforms are some of the problematic areas that await the new government. Foreign policy has a loaded agenda: In relations with the EU, certain reforms need to be adopted in parliament before November 7th. Diplomatic steps need to be taken to avert a prospective referendum on Kirkuk's status. On the other hand, a substantial part of the society is expecting a new constitution and judicial reform. In economy, tax burden on employees should be reduced to drop unemployment rates and social security reform should come into effect on January 1st, 2008.

Number of children living under the shelter of the Social Services and Child Protection Agency has significantly drop over the last years from 20 thousand to 14 thousand as result of an important project carried out by the Minister of State for women and family Nimet Cubukcu who extended 350 new Turkish lira (YTL) aid to the families of children who lived under social shelter and 4,500 children reunited with their families. The ministry also gave 450 YTL aid to protective families and 1,500 children found new families and left the shelters.

YENI SAFAK

The Justice and Development (AK) Party will hold an election campaign rally in Istanbul on Sunday. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan attaches great importance to this rally which will take place at the Zeytinburnu Kazlicesme Arena.

Turkish State Minister and Chief Negotiator for EU talks Ali Babacan indicated that the possibility that the Justice and Development (AK) Party will establish the next government of Turkey by itself adds strength to the Turkish market and increases the value of stocks. "We provide confidence in the Turkish market," noted Babacan.

AA

Güncelleme Tarihi: 15 Temmuz 2007, 12:38