These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on May 13th, 2008.

- 13 / 05 / 2008 08:21

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

NIGHTMARE ENDS

Higher Education Board (YOK) Chairman Prof. Dr. Yusuf Ziya Ozcan said that they were planning to make significant changes in the university entrance exam. Ozcan said that YOK and the Ministry of the National Education would work together. Ozcan added that they wanted to enable students to take the exam several times in a year. 
    
BARZANI IN VERY ACT

In an operation carried out jointly by the Turkish gendarmerie forces and the National Intelligence Agency (MIT), four people were arrested for sending information to the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party's (KDP) Kurdish intelligence unit "Parastin" about the Turkish Armed Forces' strikes against the PKK terrorist organization. 
    
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

WE ARE WATCHING CLOSURE CASE AGAINST AK PARTY, CLINTON

U.S. Democrat Party presidential candidate and Senator from New York Hillary Clinton said that "the U.S. is closely watching the closure case against Turkey's Justice and Development (AK) Party". We favor democracy in Turkey, Clinton noted. 
    
TRADE BRIDGE WITH AFRICA

"Turkey-Africa Foreign Trade Bridge-3", a business forum organized by the Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey, will begin in Istanbul on Tuesday. Around 1,000 African businessmen will hold almost 40,000 business meetings with nearly 2,500 Turkish businessmen. Turkish businessmen are expected to sign contracts worth over 3 billion USD with their African counterparts. The forum will continue until Thursday. 
    
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)

TEST DAY PANIC ENDS

Higher Board of Education Chairman Yusuf Ziya Ozcan said the university entrance exam (OSS) would change completely. "Students will be able to take OSS several times a year till they get the mark they want," Ozcan said. National Education Ministry executives have been working on another system which allows students to take the exam at 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades of high school. 
    
OZKAN SELLS KANALTURK TO KOZA

Tuncay Ozkan sold his TV channel, Kanalturk, to Koza group owned by Akin Ipek. There are some claims that Ozkan sold Kanalturk to Ipek for 40 million U.S. dollars.

VATAN (INDEPENDENT)

WHY DO YOU HIDE THEM?

Investment funds, which were formed in Luxembourg, Bahrain and Malta under fake names, purchased shares of the Turkish Telekom with a considerable discount. Despite all pressure by the public opinion, the Privatization Administration Board did not disclose names of those funds that purchased the shares. 
    
SHE READS BOOKS ABOUT TURKEY FOR FOUR MONTHS

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and her spouse Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, are expected to arrive in Ankara later in the day. The Queen will first pay a visit to the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Later, an formal welcoming ceremony will take place at the Cankaya Palace. President Abdullah Gul will be wearing a tuxedo at the banquet in honor of the royal couple. British TV channel will broadcast the banquet live. Queen Elizabeth, who has a tradition of paying only two visits abroad a year, has been reading books about Turkey and the northwestern Turkish city of Bursa for four months. She will proceed to Bursa on the second day of her tour of Turkey. Hayrunnisa Gul will accompany the Queen. On the third day of her visit, Queen Elizabeth and the Prince Consort will attend several events in Istanbul. 
    
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

ALARM FROM CHAMBERS

Executives from commercial and industrial chambers in Ankara released a joint statement and said that the Turkish economy was going through a tough time. The executives warned politicians not to cause tension in the country. "Turkey is surrounded by an economic problem that includes declining growth rates and rising current account deficit and inflation rates," the statement said. 
    
ILHAN SELCUK RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL

Ilhan Selcuk, editor and publisher of the Turkish daily Cumhuriyet, was discharged on Monday, after nearly one and a half months in hospital. 83-year-old journalist was detained on March 21st as part of a probe into a criminal network that calls itself "Ergenekon". He was released almost 48 hours after his detention. Selcuk was hospitalized due to angina pectoris and pneumonia ten days after he was released and underwent a surgery at a hospital in Istanbul. Selcuk's condition was totally stable, the hospital said. Ergenekon terrorist organization was revealed after police seized hand grenades, TNT explosives and fuses in a house in Istanbul on June 12th, 2007. 
    
RADIKAL (LEFT)

15 PERCENT OF TURK TELEKOM IS 1.9 BLN USD

15 percent public shares in Turk Telekom were sold to Turkish and foreign investors for 1.9 billion USD (nearly 2.3 billion YTL). Therefore the value of Turk Telekom reaches 12.7 billion USD. 
    
SURPRISE FROM TUNCAY OZKAN

One of the most interesting sales in the media world concluded on Monday. Akin Ipek, the owner of Bugun newspaper which is known with its pro-government stance and conservative opinions, purchased Kanalturk TV channel, which became the voice of nationalists with its anti-government programs under leadership of Tuncay Ozkan who opened and managed the TV channel.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

PRESIDENT GUL TO WEAR TUXEDO FOR QUEEN ELIZABETH II

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and consort Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, will arrive in Turkey on Tuesday. President Abdullah Gul will host a dinner in honor of Queen Elizabeth II at the Presidential Palace. Gul will wear tuxedo at the dinner for the first time. 757 foreign journalists are expected to cover Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Turkey. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Deniz Baykal and Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit will not attend the dinner at Cankaya Presidential Palace. 
    
ILHAN SELCUK DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL

Ilhan Selcuk, editor and publisher of the Turkish daily newspaper Cumhuriyet, was discharged after receiving treatment nearly one and a half months in hospital. Selcuk had been hospitalized due to angina pectoris and pneumonia ten days after he was released from police detention and later underwent a surgery at a hospital in Istanbul. Selcuk's health is totally stable, the hospital said. 
    
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

ONLY QUEEN WITH A GOLDEN RECORD

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom will come to Turkey later in the day on a three-day state visit. The life of the Queen is full of surprising details. She organized a public concert titled "Party at the Palace" on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of her ascend to the throne. When CDs of the concert were sold out, Queen Elizabeth II won a golden record for her achievement. 
    
AN INTERESTING APPROACH TO TURKISH DEMOCRACY

The Financial Times daily of Britain has backed Turkey's membership to the EU, and defined Turkey as a "Muslim democracy". "The west needs to encourage the development of a modern Muslim democracy in Turkey for the good of the country, Europe and the wider Middle East," the daily commented. 
    
SABAH (LIBERAL)

10 ANATOLIAN PROVINCES WILL NEED 472,000 RESIDENCES IN 7 YEARS

According to a research by a Turkish NGO, 10 Anatolian provinces will need 472,000 residences in the next seven years. These provinces include Denizli, Trabzon and Tekirdag. 
    
THERE IS NO SLOW DOWN IN REFORMS, BABACAN

Turkey's Foreign Minister and Chief Negotiator for EU talks Ali Babacan said that "there is no slow down in Turkey's reforms". Speaking to reporters in Helsinki, Babacan said that there was absolutely no slow down and unwillingness on the part of the Turkish government for further reforms in Turkey's EU process. "There are many reforms that the Turkish government is making. We are in touch with the EU Commission for details of reforms," Babacan noted.