These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on May 9th, 2008.

- 09 / 05 / 2008 08:27

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

CLOSURE WILL FUEL TERRORISM TOO

Lawmakers and experts are concerned: The closure case filed against Turkey's ruling Justice & Development (AK) Party would escalate terrorism which has been reducing. Terrorism experts said that the terrorist organization was about to collapse for the first time since the fight against terrorism had started in Turkey 25 years ago. Experts and deputies from the region believe that "weakening political will would once again flourish traitors' hopes." 
    
EYES TURNED ON ISTANBUL

Formula 1 will start with today's practice at Istanbul Park. Thousands will be at the grandstand to watch the Turkish Grand Prix on Sunday. 3 billion people will watch the race live from Istanbul. 
    
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

A LESSON OF DEMOCRACY FROM DANISH INTELLECTUALS

Danish intellectuals have reacted harshly to the extreme rightist political party which insisted on a ban on judges wearing headscarf despite the court verdict. Denmark People's Party (DF) protested the court verdict that allows judges to wear headscarf to perform their duties. A group of Danish intellectuals including politicians, writers, businessmen and journalists published an open letter to react to the DF. 
    
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)

IGLESIAS TO HIT THE ROAD FROM TURKEY

Music world's velvet-voice singer Julio Iglesias will give concerts in Turkish southern province of Antalya, Istanbul, western province of Izmir and Ankara as the first leg of his world tour. He will visit Ataturk's Mausoleum, Anitkabir, too. 
    
EARTHQUAKE RISK IS STILL HIGH

Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute Director Prof. Gulay Altay warned against earthquake. She said, "there is an activity off Saros Gulf in the south and north of Marmara Sea. Earthquake risk is still high. Quakes with magnitudes between 5-6 would jolt."

VATAN (INDEPENDENT)

EARTHQUAKE WARNING FROM KANDILLI

Kandilli Observatory and Seismology Institute Director Prof. Gulay Altay said, "there is an activity in the north and south of Marmara. Earthquake risk is still high. Experts shall not show the risk low." 
    
SHAME OF FEDERATION AGAINST TERIM

Italian President decorated Turkish national team coach Fatih Terim with Star of Italian Solidarity. Turkish Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan, State Minister Murat Basesgioglu, UEFA's vice-president Senes Erzik and Turkish Football Federation's former chairman Levent Bicakci attended the ceremony. However, Turkish Football Federation's new chairman Hasan Dogan and executives left Terim alone although they were invited to the ceremony too. 
    
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

MARMARA ALARM

Kandilli Observatory and Seismology Institute warned that precautions should be taken. Professor Gulay Altay, director of the institute, said that there was activity beneath Marmara Sea's south and north off Saros Bay. She said an earthquake in the region was still a high probability. "Our people should be aware that they are living at risk of an earthquake," she said. 
    
BARZANI TURNS DOWN DTP DELEGATION

Massoud Barzani, leader of the regional Kurdish administration in the north of Iraq, refused to meet Democratic Society Party (DTP) delegation who met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. "Turkey has changed its attitude and we are pleased with that. Nobody should expect us to take sides," Barzani was quoted as saying at a meeting with his party officials. 
    
RADIKAL (LEFT)

SUCH A MIND

Director-General Kasim Ozer for Workers' Health and Security has confused members of the parliamentary inquiry commission set to investigate deaths of 46 workers at Tuzla shipyard in the last 5.5 years. "621 accidents happened in the industry sector in the last seven years. Those accidents resulted in deaths of 9,063 workers. Deaths in the Tuzla shipyard were exaggerated," he said. 
     
A DELEGATION FOR BARZANI

Ankara has decided to intensify its dialogue with the local Kurdish administration in northern part of Iraq after the change in statements of Massoud Barzani. Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs will send a delegation to northern Iraq to hold talks with Barzani.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

ALL 50 TURKS SURVIVE DEADLY CYCLONE IN MYANMAR

Turkish Ambassador to Thailand Cinar Aldemir said that all 50 Turkish citizens in Myanmar survived the deadly cyclone. "There are two Turkish schools in the former capital Yangon and in Myanmar's second biggest city Mandalay. 20 Turkish teachers and their families live in Yangon and 7 others in Mandalay. They called our embassy and informed us that they all survived the cyclone," Aldemir said. 
    
HEAVY PUNISHMENT FOR VAKIT DAILY

The owner of the Vakit daily was sentenced to pay 100 thousand Turkish lira (nearly 78 thousand USD) and the editor-in-chief was sentenced to pay 11.5 thousand Turkish lira (nearly 9 thousand USD) in fine on charges of showing members of the Council of State as a target. The daily had published photographs of the chairman and three members of the Council of State Second Chamber for taking a decision to ban the headscarf in its edition on February 13th, 2006. Later, a lawyer staged an armed attack on members of the chamber, killing one of them. 
    
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

QATARI AMIR TO HAVE STADIUM BUILT FOR BESIKTAS

It was claimed that Besiktas soccer club was about to reach an agreement with Qatari Amir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani --foreign partner of ATV-Sabah media group-- for construction and operation of Inonu Stadium. According to Kanald.com.tr, the connection with al-Thani was established by Turkish President Abdullah Gul. 
    
BARROSO: SECULARISM CANNOT BE IMPOSED

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said that full democracy and 'democratic secularism' were needed in Turkey in order to become a full EU member and secularism could not be imposed. 
    
WARNING FROM KANDILLI: MARMARA ACTIVE

Kandilli Observatory and Seismology Institute Director Prof. Gulay Altay said that there was an activity off Saros Gulf in the south and north of Marmara. She said, "the probability of earthquake expectation is still high." 
    
SABAH (LIBERAL)

"WE USED TEAR GAS UNDER STATE AUTHORITY"

Istanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah spoke to reporters about tear gas fired by police during May Day. "This is state's police. And the authority to use gas was granted by the state," he said. 
    
1 BLN USD OF FORGETFULNESS

Chamber of Architects, that files lawsuit against nearly all constructions, has "somehow" forgot Trump Towers, Aydin Dogan's project, that is worth 1 billion USD. Chamber of City Planners filed a case against the project after the deadline for application to the court. Chamber of Architects was the intervenor of the case which was rejected by the court because of limitation period.