Turkey-press scan on July 13

ZAMAN

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2,000 TURKS WATCH FIFA WORLD CUP GAMES IN SOUTH AFRICA

2,000 Turks watched the FIFA World Cup games in South Africa between June 11 and July 11. Half of those Turks went to South Africa thanks to sponsors while the rest went to South Africa individually.

EU EXTENDS SUPPORT TO TURKEY IN DEBATES REGARDING AXIS

The European Union (EU) has joined debates on Turkey and its axis after Turkey experienced tension with Israel and voted against U.N. sanctions on Iran recently. Contrary to US officials, the EU has made it clear that they were happy with the growing role of Turkey in the region.

YENİ ŞAFAK

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MHP AND BDP NOURISHED BY TERRORISM

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) was directly nourished by terrorism, while Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) did the same thing by carrying out the exact opposite policy. Erdoğan said both parties, which have decided to vote "No" in the referendum and stage a "boycott" against it, were in a serious contradiction with their root organizations.

"PIRATE" REPORT

In an effort to present the pirates who staged the massacre on the ship Mavi Marmara as innocent, the show-off report of the Israeli army said, "Professional mistakes were made while gathering intelligence and making decisions".

In the fake report prepared by Israel, which disregarded Turkey's demand for an international investigation, it is stated that lack of intelligence caused a bad result.

TÜRKİYE

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REFERENDUM TO HAVE TURKEY PROGRESS MORE

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke to journalists in Serbia and touched on daily matters. Erdoğan said, "September 12 (the day when Turkey will hold a referendum on constitutional amendment law) is a breaking point for the country's future. Our nation will not miss this opportunity."

Erdoğan said, "if the General Staff demands a land operation (into north of Iraq), we will think about it." Erdoğan also reacted to the European countries that have not handed over PKK members to Turkey, and said, "they do not behave honestly."

CLOSE RELATIONS WITH AFRICA

President Abdullah Gul visited many countries after Turkey launched "Africa initiative." Following leaders of Uganda, Tanzania, Mauritania and Egypt, Zambia's President Rupiah Bwezani Banda also visited Turkey. Gul and Banda decided on cooperation in agriculture, mining and energy.

HÜRRİYET

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THERE IS NO PKK MEMBER TO BE HANDED OVER

Jabar Yawar, spokesman for the peshmerge department in the north of Iraq, claimed that 248 top members of the terrorist organization PKK, whose extradition had  been requested by Turkey, were not in the north of Iraq. Yawar denied news stories that the United States and Turkey had agreed to stage an operation in the region. Yawar said those top members were not living in north of Iraq, but they were living in Turkey. He also said those people were committing crimes.

PERPETRATORS DO NOT SHAKE HANDS

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said if he was asked a question about the video footage regarding former Republican People's Party (CHP) chairman Deniz Baykal, he would say, "you can resort to the Ankara Prosecutor's Office, those who are responsible are obvious."

On his scheduled meeting with CHP chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu this week, Erdoğan said he would share with public if Kılıçdaroğlu made recommendations.

VISA WITH SERBIA LIFTED

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who visited Serbia, announced that Turkey and Serbia reciprocally lifted visa procedures. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu signed the agreement. Thus, the number of countries that do not ask for visa from Turkish citizens reached 62.

MİLLİYET

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STRANGE POLICEMAN IN DINK CASE

During the trial held yesterday within the scope of Hrant Dink's murder case, the detainee police officer Cavit Kılıç, who owns the internet cafe that suspect Ogün Samast had gone to on the day of the murder, delivered contradictory statements.

Kılıç, who is currently under arrest for "murdering someone", said that Samast had come to the internet cafe located 50 meters away from Dink's weekly Agos offices and chatted with someone on the internet in an excited way for nearly 2.5 hours. Noting he saw Samast on the street after the incident, Kılıç said, "He ran shouting repeatedly 'I killed someone'."

The judge recalled that Kılıç had mentioned in his 2007 dated statement that he had not seen Samast at his cafe but now he said the opposite, and he asked Kılıç which of his statements were true. "I recognized him when I saw him on TV with his white cap," Kılıç said.

IT IS NOT RIGHT TO JOIN EURO WHEN SITUATION IN EU IS UNCERTAIN

Kemal Derviş, who will discuss with socialists the situation in Europe and the debt problem of rich countries during a meeting in the Greek island of Patmos, said that Turkey's joining the Euro zone is not a good idea "for now". "Until common fiscal political rules and financial institutions are established within the EU, joining the Euro zone will not be a right thing to do for Turkey," Derviş said.

"It will limit our freedom of movement and rates will not be a tool of economic policy anymore," Derviş noted, adding EU's future in the next 5-10 years was not clear.

SABAH

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DATE OF GENERAL ELECTIONS NOT TO CHANGE

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that regardless of the result of the referendum on September 12, there would not be early general elections in Turkey. "We planned to hold the general elections on July 17, 2011. We may hold the general elections a month or two months before July 17, 2011," Erdoğan said.

CHP GIVES APPOINTMENT TO ERDOGAN FOR THURSDAY

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will begin meeting opposition leaders on Tuesday. Erdoğan will meet the leader of the Democratic Left Party (DSP) on Tuesday. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) gave an appointment to Erdoğan at 11.00 hours on Thursday. Prime Minister Erdoğan will give the message that terror and politics should be separated.

VATAN

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THEY MADE MISTAKE, NOT MASSACRE

Israel, which does not accept an international investigation, has completed the first stage of its internal investigation into the raid on Gaza-bound aid flotilla that killed nine people. The 100-page report prepared by the Israeli army said the raid was obligatory but the Naval Forces made some mistakes during the operation.

The report said commandos acted with insufficient order and incomplete intelligence, but it was a mistake to get on the ship although the ship resisted them. However, the report said, soldiers who shot 30 bullets on nine Turks at a close range acted "heroically and professionally."

OGER TOUR SOLD TO GIANT BRITISH TOURISM FIRM

Vural Oger sold his Oger Tour tourism company to giant British tourism firm Thomas Cook for 90 million Euro. Oger aims to grow in boutique hotel business and has not sold his facilities in Turkey. Oger will open three hotels in six months.

RADİKAL

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GERMANY SHUTS DOWN IHH

German Minister of Interior Thomas de Maiziere has banned the activities of the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (İHH) for collecting donations on behalf of Hamas. The German media reported that the activities of İHH in Germany had no connections to the İHH in Turkey.

ERDOGAN MAKES COMPLAINT ABOUT US

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan complained that the US was not following up the process after Furkan Doğan, a US citizen of Turkish descent, was killed by Israeli troops on May 31 when they raided ships carrying aid materials to Gaza. "Is the US not paying attention to and following up Furkan Doğan's death because Doğan was a Turk?" asked Erdoğan.