These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on May 22nd, 2008.

- 22 / 05 / 2008 08:11

TURKIYE (RIGHT)

AFTER QUEEN OF UNITED KINGDOM, FISCHER ALSO VISITED MOSQUE

Austrian President Heinz Fischer became the second foreign leader visiting a mosque in a week. President Abdullah Gul hosted his Austrian counterpart Fischer and his spouse in his hometown Kayseri. Gul promoted the historical and tourist attractions of his hometown. He later visited Hunat Mosque and an old madrasah together with his guests. 
    
EUROPE WARNS FOR CLOSURE CASE: OUR TIES MAY BE CUT

Members of the European Parliament (EP), who voted a report on Turkey, said the outcome of the closure case against the ruling Justice & Development (AK) Party would have a direct effect on Turkey's European Union (EU) membership process. The "Ergenekon" investigation, AK Party closure case, and civilian constitution were the highlights of the report adopted by the EP. Socialist members of the parliament said voters made the decisions on political parties, and also said that Turkey's EU membership process would be halted if AK Party was closed. Oomen-Ruijten, who prepared the report, said she had doubts about whether Turkish judiciary was impartial. Also, European Commissioner for enlargement Olli Rehn warned that Turkey should abide by international standards. 
    
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)

TURKEY GOING THROUGH JUDICIARY TEST

The statement issued by the Supreme Court of Appeals opened the Turkish judiciary system to dispute. The statement was against reforms, however, different comments were made by EU. European Parliament's Turkey rapporteur Ria Oomen-Ruijten said Turkish judiciary had impartiality problem, not independency. EU will ask more reforms on judiciary at the meeting of Association Council next week. 
    
TALKS BEGIN, TURKEY HOSTING MIDDLE EAST PEACE

Turkey assumed mediator role to find solutions to disputes between Israel and Syria and get parties together in Istanbul. Damascus and Tel Aviv announced that they were holding indirect peace talks mediated by Turkey since Monday. 
    
PM ERDOGAN DUE TO IRAQ

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will travel to Iraq in the coming days, prime ministry officials said. Exact date of the one-day visit was not announced due to security concerns. Terrorist organization PKK is on the top of Erdogan's agenda. 
    
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)

TURKEY TO PLAY A MAJOR ROLE

Syria and Israel started indirect peace talks under mediation of Turkey. Later parties will engage in direct talks again under Turkey's mediation. The talks in Istanbul were seen as a turning point in the Middle East peace process. Both parties thanked Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 
    
TAKSEA

First sea taxi in Istanbul was launched. Five more sea taxis will be launched until September. The sea taxis which are approximately 10 to 12 meters in length will provide service between 27 locations.

VATAN (INDEPENDENT)

WARNING OF "YOU CANNOT DO WHAT YOU WANT"

Presidents Committee of the Supreme Court of Appeals accused the government of targeting judiciary to get rid of closure case. In a statement, the court said methods and intentions were more frequently tried recently to influence the court to take a result in favor in the dissolution case --with an astonishing belief that "it was authorized by the people to do anything it wishes" and by complaining about judges, targeting them, even getting help from foreign individuals and institutions. "Defendants and their supporters ignored the fact that the indictment was institutional, and they attempted to make the Chief Public Prosecutor subject to reactions and enmity of the people through illogical, unlawful remarks and articles and acts most of which constitute crimes in themselves." 
    
"POLITICS IS NON OF JUDICIARY'S BUSINESS"

Spokesman Cemil Cicek read government's counter-statement and said "they are trying to influence the closure case. Supreme Court of Appeals lost its impartiality." 
    
TURKEY OFFICIAL MEDIATOR

Israel and Syria officially announced that Turkey was mediating between the two countries. Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert confirmed the mediation of Turkey. It was revealed that delegations of the countries were holding talks since Monday. Delegations never met but Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Counselor Feridun Sinirlioglu shuttled between the delegations. 
    
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

FISCHER ASKS ABOUT CLOSURE CASE

Austrian President Heinz Fischer, who is in Turkey on a formal visit, met Deniz Baykal, the chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP). Answering questions of reporters after the meeting, Baykal said he discussed with Fischer the closure case against the Justice & Development (AK) Party and Turkey's EU membership bid. 
    
ISRAEL-SYRIAN TALKS: TURKEY FORMALLY BECOMES MEDIATOR

It has been revealed that Syria and Israel launched indirect peace talks in Istanbul on Monday through mediation of ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu, a deputy counsellor of the Turkish Foreign Ministry. The parties said they had decided to maintain a serious and continuous dialogue in order to reach a comprehensive peace. Also, Washington said that Istanbul talks were not a "surprise" and they had been informed about the talks. Washington also eulogized Turkey's efforts. 
    
RADIKAL (LEFT)

FINALLY A DOCKYARD IN "DEATH CAMP" TUZLA WAS CLOSED

As a result of the inspection on the recent deaths at the Tuzla dockyards in Istanbul, Selah dockyard --where two people were killed in a week-- was closed. For the first time during Labour Minister Faruk Celik's term, a dockyard in the Tuzla district which claimed 21 lives since he took office was closed down. Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler drew attention to risks due to explosives, risk of falling and electric shock, and said the dockyard would not be opened until these hazards were overcome. 
    
EU EXPECTING "VENICE" DECISION

European Parliament's Turkey report was adopted Wednesday. The European Union called for acceleration of reforms. European Commissioner for enlargement Olli Rehn said they were expecting a decision in compliance with Venice Commission's guidelines in the dissolution case against Justice and Development Party.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

WARNING FOR INSIDE AND OUTSIDE

President's Committee of the Supreme Court of Appeals issued a statement and lashed out at accusations made from inside and outside. The statement said the closure case was a corporate case and supported chief prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya who filed the lawsuit. "The defendants and their supporters ignored the fact that the indictment was institutional, and they attempted to make the Chief Public Prosecutor subject to reactions and enmity of the people through illogical, unlawful remarks and articles and acts most of which constitute crimes in themselves," it said. It also said methods and intentions were more frequently tried recently to influence the court to take a result in favor in the case --with an astounding belief that "it was authorized by the people to do anything it wishes" and by complaining about judges, targeting them, even getting help from foreign individuals and institutions. 
    
"JUDICIARY HAS BECOME PARTIAL"

Government described the statement as an illegal stance to influence the Constitutional Court. In a counter-statement read by government spokesman Cemil Cicek, the government said, the "(Supreme Court's) statement is political and unacceptable. It has no democratic and legal legitimacy. The indictment has been blessed and the Supreme Court of Appeals has become partial. The judiciary cannot supplant political opposition and cannot act like an opposition party." 
    
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

WELL-BALANCED REPORT FROM EU ALONG WITH THREE MESSAGES

Turkey report was adopted at the EU Parliament with 467 votes for and 62 votes against it. While critics found the report well balanced, European Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn gave the following messages: 1-The reforms should be accelerated with respect to democracy and secularism. 2- Use of exaggerated force during May 1st celebrations is worrying. 3- The dissolution case should be concluded in respect to European values. 
    
SELAH DOCKYARD SEALED

Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler announced Wednesday that the Selah Dockyard, located in the Tuzla district of Istanbul where many labor related deaths took place recently, would be closed. Following the related decision of the Ministry of Labor, the dockyard was sealed by the police. 
    
SABAH (LIBERAL)

PRESSURE FROM JUDGES TO JUDICIARY

Presidents Committee of Turkey's Supreme Court of Appeals released a statement similar to the "April 27th" declaration, and implied the Constitutional Court to "close the (ruling) Justice & Development (AK) Party." The statement especially emphasized that the closure case opened by the Supreme Court of Appeals chief judge against the AK Party was "institutional" and responded to criticisms like a memorandum. Implying that the AK Party case should be concluded with closure of the party, the statement said that methods and intentions were more frequently tried recently to influence the court to take a result in favor in the dissolution case --with an astonishing belief that "it was authorized by the people to do anything it wishes" and by complaining about judges, targeting them, even getting help from foreign individuals and institutions. The statement also included expressions that would be considered as an intervention to constitutional amendments, and criticized the stance of the European Union (EU) on the closure case. 
    
CICEK: SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS BECOMES A PARTY TO THE LAWSUIT

AK Party government harshly responded to the statement of the Presidents Committee of Turkey's Supreme Court of Appeals. Government spokesman Cemil Cicek defined the statement as a misfortune for democracy and legal system. "The statement do have neither a democratic nor a legal legitimacy. It is a political statement and the Supreme Court of Appeals has become a party to the lawsuit," Cicek said. 
    
TURKEY MEDIATES, STEPS TAKEN

Syria and Israel launched talks under Turkey's mediation. In the historic talks that began in Istanbul on Monday, (Israeli Prime Minister Ehud) Olmert's advisers and (Syrian President Bashar) al-Asad's aides discussed several matters through Turkey's shuttle diplomacy. Both countries thanked Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan.