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| These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on March 12, 2010. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. HURRIYET -------- SWEDISH PARLIAMENT ADOPTS BILL ON "GENOCIDE" ALLEGATIONS Swedish lawmakers adopted 131 to 130 votes a bill affirming allegations that Armenians, Assyrians, Syriacs, Chaldeans and Pontic Greeks underwent a genocide in 1915 in the Ottoman Empire. In response to the vote, Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan cancelled his prospective visit to Sweden scheduled for March 17. Turkey's Ambassador in Stockholm Zergun Koruturk has been recalled to the Turkish capital. "We strongly condemn the resolution," the Prime Ministry said in a statement. PREMIER PLEDGES NEW HOUSES FOR QUAKE-RATTLED VILLAGES IN EASTERN TURKEY Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to construct new houses for victims from an earthquake that killed 41 people in the eastern province of Elazig during his visit in quake-hit villages. Erdogan pledged that the country's housing agency would deliver the villagers their new homes by September 9. PROMINENT CARICATURIST PASSES AWAY Turhan Selcuk, one of the most prominent caricaturists in Turkey, passed away at the age of 88. Selcuk died because of multiple organ failure, his doctors said. Selcuk will be laid to eternal rest on March 14 in Hacibektas town of the central province of Nevsehir. MILLIYET -------- SWEDEN ACCEPTS "GENOCIDE" TOO Shortly after U.S. House of Representatives Committee of Foreign Affairs' decision, Sweden's Parliament also adopted a resolution on Armenian allegations defining 1915 incidents as "genocide" with 131 votes against 130. When the resolution was approved in Sweden, Ankara recalled Turkish Ambassador in Stockholm Zergun Koruturk for consultations. Also, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan cancelled his visit to Sweden which was planned to be paid on March 17. TURKISH MEDIA UNDER PRESSURE 2009 Human Rights Report of U.S. State Department includes important statements about freedom of press in Turkey. The report stressed the high number of cases filed against journalists. It also criticised the statements of government officials which target the press. The report stressed that the tax penalties against Dogan Media Group rose the concerns of observers regarding freedom of press. SABAH ----- E-MAIL CAUSES PANIC IN ANKARA It has been revealed that the information regarding the truck carrying 950 hand grenades belonging to Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) was delivered via the e-mail address "mehmetali01168@hotmail.com", not by phone. In an "highly important" e-mail sent to Ankara Police Department the other day, an unidentified informant asserted disastrous claims. "Members of the investigation committee of the Special Forces Unit are in panic. Dirty weapons are being collected. Their serial numbers will be changed and a bloody attack will be waged during the Newroz," the informant said. The prosecutor's office has taken action to capture the said informant. SWEDEN INVENTS NEW GENOCIDES Sweden has accepted an resolution on Armenian allegations by including expressions regarding the "Greeks, Chaldeans and Assyrians" as well. The Swedish parliament accepted the resolution by including expression of "other minorities" in the text. The resolution was adopted by 131 against 130 votes, just like the one-vote difference at the recent U.S. congressional voting. VATAN ----- TURHAN SELCUK PASSES AWAY Renowned name of Turkish humor and caricaturist of Cumhuriyet newspaper Turhan Selcuk (88) passed away. Selcuk, who was the creator of "Abdulcanbaz" character, was the brother of journalist and writer Ilhan Selcuk. A ceremony will take place for the famous cartoonist in Istanbul tomorrow. He will be laid to rest in Hacibektas upon his will. THANKS TO COMMANDER The 8th Corps Commander Gen. Mustafa Korkut Ozaslan accompanied Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan while he was visiting the tents that were erected in Okcular village after the earthquake in the eastern province of Elazig. Women in the tent thanked the commander, and told Erdogan that Gen. Ozaslan extended support to people all the time after the quake. Erdogan hugged and kissed Gen. Ozaslan, and thanked him for the assistance and relief services. CUMHURIYET ---------- WE LOSE TURHAN SELCUK Turhan Selcuk, one of the biggest masters of caricature in the world and a caricaturist in daily CUMHURIYET, passed away at the age of 88. President Abdullah Gul and politicians have expressed their condolences, saying that Selcuk would always be remembered. A ceremony will be held on Saturday for Selcuk at CUMHURIYET's headquarters in Istanbul. He will be buried in the Hacibektas town of the central province of Nevsehir. ONE STUDENT KILLED, TWO INJURED IN TRAM ACCIDENT A high school student was killed and two others were seriously injured when a tram hit them as they crossed a road in Istanbul's Gungoren district. Police identified the dead boy as Denis Tekin. RADIKAL ------- CIVILIZATION DIFFERENCE The numbers of workers in Britain is 8 million more than Turkey and the country's production is 4 times greater. However, the number of fatal work accidents in Turkey is nearly 20 times higher than the same number in Britain. Commenting on the situation in the work environment in Turkey, Labor Minister Omer Dincer said the number of occupational diseases and accidents started to decrease since 2003. "However, it is meaningless to be happy with such development. Because the death of a worker is a shameful thing for us," Dincer said. LOTS OF TALK, BUT NO ACTION The government again made a promising statement regarding the status of the Heybeliada Seminary. Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said, "Our government and I myself have decided that the school shall start education. We will overcome the legal obstacles through law". Statements similar to Arinc's have been delivered since 2003. In 2003, the foreign minister of the time Abdullah Gul said that "the government worked on such matter". During the same period, Prime Minister Erdogan also said that they would try to find a solution to the issue. TURKIYE ------- KUNTA KINTE PERIOD OVER Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that those who are bound to Social Security Agency (SSK) had been like the novel character "Kunta Kinte" before the ruling of Justice and Development (AK) Party. "Everyone, including me, has gone through those days," he said. Pointing to the important reforms carried out in the health sector, Erdogan said those times were now over. BABACAN: WE ACHIEVED THE HARD DURING CRISIS State Minister Ali Babacan delivered a speech at an award ceremony organized by the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD). During his speech, Babacan said, "Turkey has fulfilled reforms despite the crisis". YILDIZ HOLDING ON RISE WITH NEW PARTNER Zeki Ziya Sozen, Yildiz Holding's Director for Investments and Business Development, said that his company would make joint investments with a foreign company. "We will go beyond the 274 million TL investments that we have made during the economic crisis," Sozen said. ZAMAN ----- SWISS PARLIAMENT ADOPTS ARMENIAN BILL Swiss parliament adopted a bill on the Armenian allegations over the incidents of 1915 just days after a U.S. House panel passed a similar resolution. The bill was approved 131 to 130. Ankara reacted strongly to the vote as Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan cancelled his visit to Sweden next week and Turkey's ambassador in Stockholm has been recalled to Turkey. The Swedish government, a strong supporter of Turkey's European Union membership bid, has said it did not endorse the resolution. PREMIER IN QUAKE-HIT VILLAGES Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited villages that were leveled in an earthquake that killed 41 people in the eastern province of Elazig. Erdogan said Turkey's housing agency would start building new houses for the victims and the construction works would begin on May 1. Erdogan said houses would be delivered to their owners as of September. YENI SAFAK ---------- HOUSES TO BE BUILT TILL RAMADAN Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who visited earthquake-hit Kovancilar village of the eastern province of Elazig, said that new residences would be constructed till Ramadan month. The 8th Corps Commander Gen. Korkut Ozaslan accompanied Erdogan while he was visiting the tents. The women in the tents thanked Gen. Ozaslan and told Erdogan that the general helped them soon after the earthquake. Erdogan also thanked Gen. Ozaslan, and hugged him. 8.5 TONS OF HASHISH IN BARN After the operation Lucy-S in 1993 (in which 11 tons of hashish was seized), the second largest operation was staged in Lice town of the southeastern province of Diyarbakir. Police confiscated 8.5 tons of hashish which was buried in a barn in Hedik village of Lice. Six people were detained in the operation. |