TURKIYE
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330 FOREIGN COMPANIES AT OUR DOORS
Foreign companies, which earlier postponed meetings, now turned their routes back to Turkey after global economic crisis weakened. Turkey Investment Agency Chairman Alpaslan Korkmaz said, "currently there are 330 foreign companies are waiting for application. However, we are acting very picky not to turn the country into an investment dump."

7 PKK TERRORISTS KILLED IN HAKKARI
An operation was launched in the region where three gendarmery specialized sergeants were killed in Cukurca town of the southeastern province of Hakkari. During the clashes, seven PKK terrorists were killed.

EXPORT RISES 34 PERCENT
Following six percent of growth rate, export figures also pleased Turkey. Turkish exports in March increased 34.34 percent and reached 9.6 billion USD when compared to March 2009.

ZAMAN
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HSYK-APPOINTED JUDGES AT WORK TO COVER UP COUP PLOT
Important developments surface in a probe over an alleged coup plot, dubbed as "the Sledgehammer", which included bombing of mosques and taking down Turkey's own fighters jet. Judges appointed by the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) sometime ago with a highly debated decree that caused a crisis within the board have been releasing suspects one by one. Judge Oktay Kuban with the 12th Criminal Court in Istanbul ordered for the release of 19 military officers including three retired generals, the commander of the First Army ret. general Cetin Dogan, ret. general Engin Alan and ret. former admiral Semih Cetin. On Wednesday, 9 soldiers were also released by sitting judges of the 9th Criminal Court.

EXPORTS UP 34 PERCENT
Turkish exports climbed up 34.34 percent in March 2010 over the same period last year. Exports reached 9,569 million USD according to the data by Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM). News on rise in export came a day after TurkStat reported a six percent growth rate in the last quarter of 2009.

YENI SAFAK
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PRIME MINISTER STRONGLY REACTS AGAINST CORRUPTION IN CHARITY
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the money given by the people for charity was a "trust holy as honor".
"Those who attempt to seize this trust and use this money in actions apart from its aim will become miserable," he said.

RECOVERY FROM CRISIS
Turkey's Exporters' Assembly (TIM) Chairman Mehmet Buyukeksi said, "probability of IMF deal removed and we could breath a sigh of relief."
Buyukeksi said rise in exports was pleasing and industry exports amounted to 8.9 billion USD.
Buyukeksi said exports and growth were related to each other, noting that the growth rate announced on Wednesday reaffirmed this relationship.
 

VATAN
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TEKEL TENSION IN ANKARA
While leaving their tents (erected for protest) one month ago, TEKEL (privatized once-state-owned beverage and tobacco monopoly of Turkey) workers had said they would come back to Ankara on April 1. They did arrive yesterday, however, police blocked their road even before they entered Ankara. Police intervened in the workers --who wanted to go to Turk-Is (Confederation of Labor Unions) building-- with pepper sprays and clubs. Many workers and deputy Bayram Meral from main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) were affected from the pepper spray.

SIGNATURE DISCUSSION
Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Sahin --who is claimed to have signed constitutional amendments proposal by violating the bylaw-- said yesterday, "I did not have my signature on the proposal. Anybody can look at the commission list." Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that even if Sahin had signed it, the number (of signatures) was more than 184 so there was no problem.

CUMHURIYET
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COURT RELEASES GENERALS IN ALLEGED COUP PLOT PROBE
An Istanbul court ordered for the release of 19 military officers including three retired generals in a probe over a suspected coup attempt dubbed as "the Sledgehammer." Court released former commander of the First Army ret. general Cetin Dogan, ret. general Engin Alan and ret. admiral Semih Cetin citing "no strong crime factor." The court said the soldiers and the generals would continue to stand trial in the case over the alleged coup plot.

MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER DENIES MEETING WITH SUSPECT IN ALLEGED ANTI-GOVERNMENT PLOT
Deniz Baykal, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), strongly rejected news reports that he had met with Colonel Dursun Cicek, a prime suspect in probe over an alleged plot to besmirch the Justice and Development (AK) Party and the Fethullah Gulen congregation. "I have held no such meeting," Baykal said. News reports have alleged that Baykal and Cicek gathered in the offices of the private news channel CNN Turk. The channel has also denied the news reports.

RADIKAL
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PRIME MINISTER LIKELY TO TRAVEL TO USA
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would decide on Friday whether to go to the United States to attend Nuclear Security Summit.
Talks are underway that he would probably decide to go to the United States.
Erdogan had suspended his decision to go to the United States because of the "Armenian Genocide" resolution but Washington D.C. visit was not excluded from the schedule of Erdogan.

MASS RELEASE IN BALYOZ PROBE
Decision for release was given one after the other in the case which was opened on charges that they prepared a plan, named "Balyoz" in the first army in 2003, including acts like bombing mosques and shooting down Turkish jets.
Judge Oktay Kuban of the 12th Istanbul High Criminal Court on duty released 18 people including then 1st Army Commander Gen. Cetin Dogan.
9 detainees were released on Thursday. Number of those released reached 31 in the past three days. Number of people under arrest is 6.
Reasons of release: There is not strong crime phenomenon, and probability for the qualification of the crime to change.

HE WAS KILLED 32 MONTHS AGO, COURT STILL PROBES HIS IDENTITY
Nigerian citizen Festus Okey was brought to police station in Beyoglu district on August 20, 2007 on suspicion of using drugs.
Okey died with a bullet shot from the pistol of a police officer, Cengiz Yildiz, who interrogated him. The investigation revealed that surveillance cameras at the police station were off.
Shirt of Festus Okey, which he was wearing when he was shot, could not be found in the police station.
A case was opened against Yildiz on charges of killing a person on negligence. The first hearing of the case was made on November 27, 2007 in Beyoglu Court. The court said there was "killing in first degree" and sent the file to 4th High Criminal Court.
The first hearing in the 4th High Criminal Court, calling life imprisonment against Yildiz, took place on February 14, 2008.
Upon the request of the lawyers of Okey, information for his identity was asked from Nigeria. No response has come in the 6 hearings that took place so far.
Now, they are waiting for a response by the next hearing on June 29.
 

HURRIYET
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CABINET GREENLIGHTS RETURN OF WASHINGTON AMBASSADOR
Turkish Cabinet has discussed the expected return of Turkey's Ambassador to the U.S. Namik Tan back to Washington D.C. The Cabinet greenlit Tan to return to the U.S. next week and participate in an international summit meeting on nuclear safety.

FRAUD IN CHARITY MURDER, ERDOGAN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said it was a murder to open a door for fraud and misuse public resources and charity funds. Speaking at a general assembly meeting of the Turkish Red Crescent Society, Erdogan said his government would not tolerate any such abuse whoever did it. "We have never condone and will not condone such activity. And we do not have the slightest hesitation to bring those who are responsible before justice," Erdogan said.

MILLIYET
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MASS RELEASE DAY IN BALYOZ
19 military personnel, 11 of them in active service, who were under detention within the scope of Balyoz probe, were released after objection to their arrest.
After assessing the objection to their imprisonment, Istanbul high criminal court member Oktay Kuban decided to release them on grounds that there was not "strong crime phenomenon".
Colonel Cengiz Koylu was arrested. Number of soldiers under arrest within the scope of Balyoz probe dropped to 7.

SEVEREST PUNISHMENT TO HER MURDERERS
Heavy life sentence was sought for the 7 accused who caused death of a high school student, Serap Eser, by hurling a molotov cocktail at a public bus in Istanbul.
Serap, whose body was severely burned, died 29 days after the attack.
In the indictment, those seven were accused of being members of a terrorist organization and killing in the first degree.

SABAH
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WELCOMING LIKE A RALLY
Hundreds of people, who had Turkish flags in their hands, welcomed Turkish President Abdullah Gul in Lahore city of Pakistan. During his meeting with journalists, Gul said regarding the efforts about constitutional amendments, "whether we like it or not, there is a legal frame in Turkey. There are objection and final decision mechanisms. These will reach a result."

20 BLN EURO FROM TURKEY TO GREECE!
Financial crisis became the subject of April Fool's Day jokes which took place in Greek press yesterday. Elefteros Tipos newspaper wrote, "there is no need for the help of IMF and EU any more. The help has come from Turkey. Turkey will buy 20 billion euro of Greek bonds."

OPENING WAY OF CORRUPTION IS A MURDER
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who attended Turkish Red Crescent General Assembly meeting, strongly criticised corruption and embezzlement. He said, "opening the way of corruption in use of public and aid resources is a serious murder. We cannot show tolerance to those who misuse the aids."
 

AA