Turkey-press scan

ZAMAN

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PROTESTORS GATHER AGAINST BOARD DECREE REMOVING ERGENEKON PROSECUTORS

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered on Saturday in İstanbul to march against a controversial decree of Turkey's High Board of Judges and Prosecutors which was reportedly set to replace prosecutors of the Ergenekon probe from office and assign them somewhere else. Members of the Young Civilians and 70 Million Steps Against Coup Platform were on the streets of Istiklal Avenue, chanting slogans and carrying banners against decree which has been reportedly written by board member Ali Suat Ertosun. Legal experts say Ertosun must be relieved of duty after a photograph showing him together with a suspect in the Ergenekon probe has been published in newspapers.

TRT TO BROADCAST LIVE FROM AL-AQSA MOSQUE ON NIGHT OF LAILAT AL MIRAJ

Turkish state-owned broadcaster TRT will be on air live from Jerusalem's al-Masjid al-Aqsa on the Islam world's holy night, "Lailat al Miraj". The live broadcast will also be available on TRT's AVAZ which would reach Muslims living in the Central Asia and the Middle East.

YENİ ŞAFAK

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HIS FACTORIES IN TMSF

70 companies of Hayyam Garipoğlu, who violated the agreement he made with Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF), were confiscated. Management and supervision of the companies were transferred to TMSF. 40 TMSF officials took over the factories in İstanbul, İzmit, Bandirma, Lüleburgaz, Amasya, Adana and Adıyaman.

EVERYBODY SHALL INHALE A CLEAN AIR

Smoking ban in enclosed places is starting today. Millions of people, perhaps for the first time in their lives, will enjoy inhaling a smoke-free air. Smoking is not allowed in all enclosed places including restaurants, coffee houses, cafeterias, business places and entertainment places.

TÜRKİYE

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SÖYLET AND SOYSAL BECOME YOK MEMBERS

President Abdullah Gül appointed Prof. Ayşe Soysal from Boğaziçi University and İstanbul University Rector Prof. Yunus Söylet as members to Higher Board of Education (YÖK).

NO SMOKING!

Turkey's air is now smoke-free. "No smoking" signs will be seen in everywhere in Turkey as of today. According to the new sentence of article No. 4207, which is put into effect today, smoking ban will be applied nearly in all enclosed places except homes.

HÜRRİYET

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TURKISH CULTURE MINISTER FOR BULGARIA

Winner of the recent general elections in Bulgaria, Boyko Borisov, is set to assign a Turkish descent deputy as culture minister in his new cabinet. Turkish sculptor Vejdi Rashidov is the only Turkish deputy elected to the parliament from Borisov's new political party GERB. "We want to have Turkish state as a good neighbor to us. We will not make any religious or ethnic discrimination. At least four others of Turkish descent will take part in the government," Borisov told daily HURRIYET.

EXPANDED SMOKING BAN IN EFFECT

An expanded smoking ban went into effect as of today in all enclosed public places including restaurants, cafes, coffeehouses, bars and stadiums. Data showed that 36-37 percent of the 48 million adult population in Turkey are smokers with an annual 5.5 billion packages of cigarette consumption. Turkish state collects 8 percent of its total tax revenues from the tobacco products. The first phase of the law went into effect in May 2008 and made it illegal to smoke on public transportation and in workplaces and malls. Restaurants, bars and cafes were given an extra year to bring themselves into compliance with the law. Turkey will be the seventh country in the European continent which bans smoking in all enclosed public places.

MİLLİYET

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SMOKE-FREE LIFE BEGINS

Turkey started to implement one of its revolutionary decisions. As of today, smoking is banned in enclosed public places, business places and mass transportation. Bars, coffees, coffee houses and pubs will be influenced from the ban most as their customers are mostly smokers.

MOST ADDICTS IN DTP AND CHP

According to a survey by A&G company in 33 provinces, 43 percent of Turkish people is smoking addicts. In the last ten years, number of male addicts dropped, while female increased. The rate of smoking among youth increased from 39.5 percent to 49.5 percent. Also, 52.5 percent of people who voted for Democratic Society Party (DTP), and 51.5 percent who voted for Republican People's Party (CHP) are addicts. The least number of smokers is in Justice & Development (AK) Party. The rate of people who say "I won't quit smoking with the ban" is 47.3 percent.

SABAH

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NINE INMATE FRIENDS FOR ÖCALAN

Turkish Justice Ministry is reportedly set to transfer nine convicts to an island prison where head of the terrorist organization PKK Abdullah Ocalan has been serving his lifetime sentence as the sole inmate of the facility. The move has come as a response to the demands of the European Prevention of Torture Committee. The prison has been added new recreational areas where Ocalan could see other inmates.

TRT TO BROADCAST LIVE FROM AL-AQSA MOSQUE ON MUSLIM HOLY NIGHT

Turkey's state-run broadcaster TRT will be the first foreign TV channel to broadcast live from Jerusalem's al-Masjid al-Aqsa on the Islam world's holy night, "Lailat al Miraj". TRT's live broadcast from al-Masjid al-Aqsa on Sunday will also reach the Muslims living in the Central Asia and the Middle East via TRT's AVAZ and Iraq's Kirkuk Turkmeneli TV channels.

VATAN

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LAST CHANCE FOR CYPRUS

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said that Turkey did not want the current status quo in Cyprus to continue like that. "Either this status quo changes with mutual negotiations or we will have to think about alternatives together," he said.

GÜL APPOINTS TWO MEMBERS TO YÖK

President Abdullah Gul appointed Prof. Ayşe Soysal from Boğaziçi University and İstanbul University Rector Prof. Yunus Söylet as members to Higher Board of Education (YÖK). Söylet and Soysal support freedom of wearing headscarf at universities.

RADİKAL

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TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER SOUNDS COMMITTED FOR CYPRUS PEACE

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has made a terse warning on the Cyprus problem, saying the status quo needed to change in any way. "Negotiations would either end the division of the island or we would all have to consider alternative ways. Everyone should fully understand that the negotiations offer the last chance. We do not want the status quo to linger on the island. Turkish Cypriots can live no more under economic isolations as if they have committed a crime against humanity. There is an expression in English: 'Enough is enough,'" Davutoğlu has told a televised interview.

TURKEY WAKES UP TO FIRST DAY OF SMOKE-FREE LIFE

Expanded smoking ban went into effect in Turkey as of today in all enclosed public places including restaurants, coffeehouses, and pubs. The European expression, "smokes like a Turk" will no more apply. Smokers who violate the ban will face a 69 Turkish lira penalty, as place owners will have to pay as high as 5,600 Turkish lira if they let smoking where it is banned.