World Bulletin / News Desk 

The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

Tuesday’s dailies focused on Ankara’s criticism of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s view on Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. Papers also looked at President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comments on national defense projects plus prominent Turkish businessman Bulent Eczacibasi’s take on recent economic developments.

“What negotiations with a murderer that killed 200,000 people?” was YENI SAFAK’s title to report Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s reaction to Kerry’s view on Assad. On Sunday, Kerry told CBS News the U.S. would "have to negotiate in the end" with the Syrian government.

The daily claimed London and Paris also criticized Kerry’s statement. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said on her Twitter account that Kerry had made no mention of Assad in his remarks. "[John Kerry] repeated long-standing policy that we need a negotiated process [with] the regime at table – we did not say we [would] negotiate directly [with] Assad," she wrote.

“Kerry stirred controversy again,” was MILLIYET’s headline, reporting that the U.S. politician’s office had intervened to clarify Kerry’s comments.

In relation to developments in Syria, STAR claimed that the families of three British girls that joined Daesh criticized U.K. police because officials did not share intelligence with their Turkish counterparts. “We could have prevented them leaving the country if we knew the necessary information,” the families said, according the daily.

President Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu attended the inauguration ceremony of a "Radar and Electronic Warfare Technology Center" launched by Turkey’s leading defense system producer, Aselsan, on Monday.

“Turkey would perish if [we] depended on others,” was STAR’s title to cover President Erdogan’s speech.

“When we need them, they turn their backs. Those countries that we are allied at NATO… But this is jealousy. At the last minute, they decide not to give. Why? Because they do not want a strong Turkey,” Erdogan said, according to STAR.

In economic news, DUNYA reported that a prominent Turkish businessman, Bulent Eczacibasi, said the country needs another success story.

“We need another story and development plan. We have to make another move in reforms that would be appreciated by the nation and could be told to other countries,” Eczacibasi said, according to HURRIYET.

The daily also reported that unemployment rose to 10.9 percent in December, which is the worst in last five years. There were 3.1 million people unemployed, the Turkish Statistical Institute said in a statement on Monday.

In health news, HABERTURK reported that four Turkish people have died due to H1N1, so-called “swine flu.”

“A 35-year-old woman died due to the disease. Three other people suspected of having the virus have lost their lives,” the daily said.

Finally, STAR warned Turkish people not to drink more than 100 cups of tea a day. “Tea-addicts will be sorry,” was the daily’s title on reporting an American woman’s addiction to tea that caused her to lose her teeth. Turkey is regarded as tea-loving nation.