Turkey-press scan on Dec. 7

ZAMAN

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PM ERDOĞAN TO VISIT WHITE HOUSE WITH FOUR CRITICAL MESSAGES

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will meet with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House on Monday. He informed journalists about what he would discuss with Obama.

Here are the topics:

- Turkish troops will not fight in Afghanistan. Turkey will invest 50 million USD.

- PKK is the common enemy of Turkey, Iraq and the United States. Makhmour Camp will be emptied.

- We have no disagreements with U.S. officials over Iran. We will convey Iran's messages to United States.

- We can think about mediation between Israel and Syria if they want it.

ERGENEKON IN CYPRUS COVERED

Former Turkish Cypriot foreign minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer, who brought forward the Cyprus branch of Ergenekon, harshly criticized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu and his government. Soyer said there was no progress made in the probe launched in April. He said officials of the interior ministry dragged their feet sending necessary documents to chief prosecutor's office.

YENİ ŞAFAK

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CALL TO RESOLVE MINARET CRISIS

Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey of Switzerland said that results of a referendum in her country on building of minarets had unfortunately turned into an international crisis. She said that they were not planning to hold a new referendum, and added that there were nearly 400 mosques in Switzerland and that the decision did not mean to destroy the Islam faith and culture. Calmy-Rey also said that they were trying to resolve the issue through dialogue.

INVITATION

It was revealed that the prosecutors who have been carrying out the Ergenekon probe, sent court invitation to three retired admirals who allegedly prepared the "Cage Action Plan". Retired admirals Feyyaz Öğütçü, Kadir Sağdıç and Fatih İlgir, are expected to be questioned by the prosecutors this week.

TÜRKİYE

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"QANDIL AND MAKHMOUR WILL BE EVACUATED"

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that necessary steps would be taken quickly for evacuation of PKK's camps in Qandil and Makhmour. Erdoğan told reporters on his way to the United States that the strategy of fight against the PKK would be updated during his visit.

ERDOĞAN-OBAMA MEETING

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is set to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House later today. Erdoğan and Obama will come together for the second time over a luncheon. Erdoğan is also scheduled to meet with U.S. congressmen as part of his state visit to the United States.

HÜRRİYET

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THEY HIT THEMSELVES WITH THOSE STONES

The children who threw stones at security forces as well as state buildings and vehicles during demonstrations to protest transfer of Abdullah Ocalan, head of PKK terrorist organization, actually harmed themselves. Parliamentary debates on a draft law that envisages reduction in punishment for those children will be delayed.

FROM TURKEY TO IRAQ: "SEND TERRORISTS IN QANDIL TO SOMEWHERE ELSE"

Prior to his scheduled meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington D.C. on Monday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a critical message to northern Iraqi administration. "Turkey and the local administration should work in coordination about camps of the PKK terrorist organization in Qandil," Erdoğan said and called on the northern Iraqi administration to send terrorists in Qandil to somewhere else.

MİLLİYET

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NO RISK OF ESCAPE

Three former force commanders, Aytac Yalman, Ibrahim Firtina and Ozden Ornek, were released because they came to the Court House to give testimony and there was low possibility of obfuscating the evidences.

Each of the former commanders was asked about 50 questions and all questions were about coup diaries that allegedly belonged to Ornek. Ornek rejected claims that he kept such a diary.

TENSION HIGH AHEAD OF DTP CLOSURE CASE

Tension is quite high ahead of the closure case against Democratic Society Party (DTP) filed at the Constitutional Court. The court will begin hearing the case on Tuesday.

Police did not allow a demonstration by DTP in Diyarbakir to protest conditions of imprisonment of Abdullah Ocalan. Protestors clashed with police. Aydin Erdem, a 23-year-old university student, was shot death during the protest. Police also detained 130 people in protests in other southeastern provinces of Batman, Hakkari, Sanliurfa, Mardin and Siirt.

SABAH

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"WE WON'T FIGHT"

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gave important messages prior to his scheduled meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday. He said that Turkish troops would not be involved in any fight in Afghanistan. "We will support Afghanistan by training its soldiers and joining in the rebuilding of its infrastructure. We will make investments worth of 50 million USD in that country," he said. Erdoğan told reporters that Turkey's strategy about Iraq would be updated, and harshly criticized the Democratic Society Party (DTP) by saying, "that political party at the Turkish parliament releases very ugly statements."

REASON: THEY WON'T ESCAPE

Acting Chief Prosecutor Turan Colakkadi who questioned three former commanders under the Ergenekon probe, said that they released the retired generals since there was no risk of escape and low possibility of obfuscating the evidences.

CITI GROUP: TURKEY TO GROW 4.2 PERCENT

The Citi Group said that Turkey would grow 4.2 percent in 2010. The group also estimated that grow rate of the world economy would be 3.5 percent for the next year.

VATAN

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STATE PROTECTION FOR NEGAR

Negar Azizmoradi, who was detained in Turkey after escaping from Iran with a fake passport where she faced a likely death sentence for declaring herself an atheist, was released but taken to another province for security reasons. Azizmoradi will be protected by the state since she sought asylum from the United Nations.

28TH DAY IN COMA

Condition of Serap Eser, who was seriously injured when supporter of the PKK terrorist organization threw a fire-bomb at a public bus, has deteriorated. Doctors are working hard to keep 17-year-old Serap alive but 28 days have passed since she went in coma.

PROVOCATION CLAIMS LIVE

Clashes erupted between security forces and supporters of the PKK terrorist organization in Diyarbakir, Siirt, Batman, Mardin, Hakkari, Agri and Istanbul. Protestors threw fire-bombs, stones and fireworks at security forces. In response, security forces used teargas to disperse them. A university student died as he was shot by a stray bullet in Diyarbakir.

RADİKAL

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PURGE OF PKK TO BE DISCUSSED IN DETAIL

Before leaving for United States where he will meet U.S. President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gave messages of a new era regarding terrorism and government's democratic initiative. Erdoğan, who said "it was a milestone" while speaking about his meeting with former president George W. Bush on November 5, 2007, stated that his meeting with Obama would focus on purge of PKK members from Mount Qandil and Makhmour Camp in the north of Iraq.

"Will it be in Iraq or will they be sent to another place, the terrorist organization will be dissolved one way or another," he said.

LAST STRAW

The Aphrodite cats, indigenous cats of Cyprus, have been torn between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. Greek Cypriots have taken a step to register the breed as the "national cat". However, they accuse Turkish Cypriot side of hybridizing the cat.