These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on August 20th, 2008.

- 20 / 08 / 2008 08:52

TURKIYE

GUL: WE BROUGHT TOGETHER THREE CONTINENTS IN ISTANBUL

President Abdullah Gul who chaired the second day of the Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit said, "by bringing us together with our African friends, Istanbul has symbolically brought together three continents. We are ready to share the opportunities we have with African countries." 
    
WE STEPPED IN FOR WORLD PEACE

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met African leaders who attended the Turkey-African cooperation summit. Erdogan said the world needed peace more than ever. "Turkey will continue to play an active role in the solution of the regional and global problems," said Erdogan. He said relations with African countries would be enhanced. 
    
ZAMAN

USA WANTS TO PASS FROM STRAITS, TURKEY SEEKS A FORMULA

Passages from the straits started to be discussed following the statement of U.S. President George Bush that they would send assistance to Georgia with ships. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs, Matt Bryza, said they had not yet made a formal request, however that talks were underway. 
    
PRESIDENT GUL PARDONS ERBAKAN

President Abdullah Gul pardoned former prime minister Necmettin Erbakan who was under house arrest in the "missing trillion" case. Thus, Erbakan's remaining 8 months sentence was pardoned. 
    
SUICIDE BOMBER DETONATES HIS CAR, PREVENTS DISASTER

A terrorist, who was followed by the police in the southern province of Mersin, blew himself up in his car on a road outside city center. The blast injured 12 policemen, one of them seriously. The police, by neutralizing the terrorist, prevented a probable attack in the city. 
    
YENI SAFAK

U.S. REPORTED TO BE BARGAINING WITH TURKEY ON PASSAGE OF HUMANITARIAN AID VESSELS THROUGH TURKISH STRAITS

The U.S. was reported to have engaged in bargaining with Turkey to secure a permission for the passage of its two hospital ships, USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort, through the Turkish straits to the Black Sea to help war-torn Georgia. Pentagon was said to be insistent on the issue. Vessel passage through the Turkish straits is regulated by the Montreux Convention signed in 1936. The convention does not allow vessels weighing above 45 gross tons to sail in the Black Sea unless they carry the flag of a littoral country. 
    
CAR BOMB KILLS ONE, INJURES 13

A car packed with explosives went off on Tuesday in the southern province of Mersin, killing the suspected bomber and 13 policemen. Acting on a tip-off, police stopped the car at a checkpoint and ordered the driver to get out of the vehicle but he detonated the bomb.

VATAN

IS THIS RIGHT MR. PRESIDENT?

President Abdullah Gul was among the accused including Necmettin Erbakan in a case which was filed on charges that false documents had been prepared to show that the banned Welfare Party (RP) had spent treasury aid of 1.2 million YTL in 1997. However, Gul could not be tried because of his political immunity. Necmettin Erbakan, former leader of the banned RP, was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months of imprisonment sentence. Erbakan's sentence was adjourned for four times because of his health. Later, a law was enacted enabling those who are older than 75 years to serve their imprisonment terms in their house. Erbakan was serving his sentence since May 26, 2008 in his summer house in Altinoluk town of the western province of Balikesir. President Gul pardoned 2.4 year house arrest punishment of Erbakan under a law enacted by the Justice and Development (AK) Party. 
    
NOW STRAITS PROBLEM!

U.S. President George W. Bush pushed the button to send two hospital ships of the U.S. Naval Forces to the Black Sea to show that it supports Georgia and intimidate Russia. U.S. officials asked for permission from Turkish executives five days ago to pass from the straits. However, under Montreux Convention, permission can not be given to floating hospitals that are as big as aircraft carrier. 
    
CUMHURIYET

GUL PARDONS ERBAKAN'S PENALTY

President Abdullah Gul who was not prosecuted in the "lost trillion" case thanks to his immunity, pardoned Necmettin Erbakan, former leader of the dissolved RP, who was sentenced to home imprisonment in the same case, due to chronic illness. Leader of the Felicity Party (SP), Recai Kutan, welcomed the decision. Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Atilla Kart said President Gul exercised the power given to him by the Constitution, however the decision should be questioned ethically because Gul himself was a suspect in the same case. 
    
U.S. WILL ABIDE BY MONTREUX CONVENTION

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Matthew Bryza, said Washington would abide by the Montreux Convention. Bryza said they had not made an official demand about the ships which would carry humanitarian aid to Georgia yet and talks continued. Bryza noted that they were considering sending ships in compliance with the Montreux Convention and said they understood the fact that the convention was an important part of Turkey's legal structure. 
    
RADIKAL

PRESIDENT PARDONS SENTENCE OF DEFUNCT PARTY LEADER

President Abdullah Gul pardoned Necmettin Erbakan, leader of the banned RP, from house arrest. Gul cited Erbakan's poor health as the reason for the pardon. Erbakan, 82, was accused of fraud of falsifying party records to hide RP's cash in what is publicly known as the "missing trillion case." 
    
TURKEY HOPING FOR MEDAL IN WOMEN'S 5 KM IN BEIJING

Turkey's Olympic hopes are high again with two athletes to run in women's 5,000 meters in Beijing Games. Elvan Abeylegesse, who claimed silver medal in 10,000 meters run, and Alemitu Bekele Degfa, who ranked third in the heats, will run in Friday's final for Turkey at Beijing's Bird Nest.

HURRIYET

PRESIDENT PARDONS HOME IMPRISONMENT

President Abdullah Gul pardoned former leader of the banned Welfare Party (RP), Necmettin Erbakan, who was under house arrest after being found guilty on corruption charges, publicly known as the "lost trillion" case. He pardoned former Prime Minister Erbakan's home imprisonment punishment because of chronic illness only 12 days before the beginning of Ramadan. Gul, himself was a suspect in the "lost trillion" case. Erbakan's lawyer Yasar Gurkan said, "He is 83 years old and sick. We wanted the pardon to be issued until Ramadan. Justice is served." 
    
COUNCIL OF STATE HALTS EXECUTION OF 11 PRIVITIZATIONS

The Council of State halted the execution of 11 decisions by Privatization Administration on privatization of 9 highways and 2 bridges over the Bosphorus with transfer of operation rights method. 
    
MILLIYET

HOUSE ARREST OF ERBAKAN ENDED

President Abdullah Gul pardoned remaining sentence of Necmettin Erbakan, former leader of the banned Welfare Party (RP), who was under house arrest on charges of "lost trillion" case of the RP. Erbakan was accused of fraud of falsifying party records to hide RP's cash, which were ordered to be seized after his party was disbanded. 
    
TARGET OF BOMB LADEN VEHICLE WAS POLICE DEPARTMENT

Police chased and tried to stop a car in the southern province of Mersin as they received a tip off that the car was laden with explosives. The suicide bomber managed to escape from the first check point, however he detonated the bomb in the second check point as he saw that he would get caught. 13 police officers were injured in the blast. The explosive is believed to be 30 kg of C-4. It was also revealed that the target of the terrorist was the police department. 
    
"STOP" CALL FROM GUL TO AL BASHIR

Discussions on visit of Sudanese leader Al Bashir, who is accused of genocide, to Istanbul to attend Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit continue. Referring to the incidents in Darfur, President Abdullah Gul, who met the Sudanese leader, said those human tragedies should end. 
    
SABAH

GUL URGES SUDANESE PRESIDENT TO END SUFFERING

President Abdullah Gul met his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir in Istanbul, and they discussed the Darfur problem. Gul urged Al-Bashir to "end the suffering." "No matter it is Christian or Muslim, every life is important for us. Turkey cannot remain indifferent to what is happening in Africa," Gul told Al-Bashir, who is accused by an international criminal court of multiple accounts of genocide in Darfur. 
    
CAR BOMB KILLS ONE, INJURES DOZEN

A car rigged with explosives went off Tuesday in southern Turkey, killing the suspected suicide bomber and injuring 12 others, many of them police officers. The bomber detonated the bomb after police stopped his car on a tip-off in the southern province of Mersin.