TURKEY-PRESS SCAN (1)

ANKARA (A.A) - 16.09.2006 - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on September 16th, 2006. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)

----------------

AL QADI'S PETITION IS WITHDRAWN

Ecevit government in 2001 decided to freeze assets of Saudi Arabian businessman Yassin Al Qadi in Turkey. Al Qadi filed a lawsuit to the Council of State to annul the decision.

Council of State annuled Ecevit government's decision pertaining to Al Qadi. Upon this, the prime ministry appealed the decision of Council of State.

When Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan learned that prime ministry appealed the decision about Al Qadi, he got angry and said, "correct this".

Upon this a petition was sent to Council of State renouncing from the appeal.

METROBUS TO ISTANBUL

Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas said they approved the metrobuses of the Dutch Phileas company for the Metrobus Project that will work between Topkapi-Kucukcekmece districts. The metrobus is able to carry 220 people.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

----------------

FINAL STAGE IN AL QADI

Interesting developments occurred after Saudi Arabian businessman Yassin Al Qadi, who is included in the UN list of terrorists, applied to Council of State to annul Council of Ministers' decision freezing his assets in Turkey. Prime ministry, which became an intervenor during the trial process defended that Al Qadi can not be removed from the list of those whose assets would be frozen. However, Council of State made a decision in favor of Al Qadi.

Upon this, the prime ministry Deputy Undersecretary Mustafa Cetin objected the decision on August 31st,2006. In the petition of Cetin, the decision of Council of State was described as 'unjust and lacking legal basis'.

A surprise development occurred 6 days after this. The prime ministry applied to Council of State with a petition again bearing the signature of Cetin saying that, "we renounce our demand for appeal and want execution of the petition dated August 31st to be ceased."

SABAH (LIBERAL)

-------------

REACTIONS TO POPE FROM THE WORLD

The statement of Turkish Religious Affairs Director Ali Bardakoglu asking Pope Benedict to apologize took headlines in world press. New York Times wrote that Pope may not pay his visit to Turkey in November. On the other hand, a diplomatic source said, "Turkey is a secular country, not a religious state. Pope can visit Turkey."

PENALTY OF HRANT DINK APPROVED

Turkish Court of Appeals approved the 6-months of imprisonment about Hrant Dink. The Court noted that insulting statements are not freedom of expression.

THE BOMB IS FAMILIAR

Security Department spokesman Ismail Caliskan stated that the mechanism of the bomb which recently killed 10 people in southeastern city of Diyarbakir is similar with the ones PKK terrorist organization uses, adding that this mechanism was earlier used in three other attacks in the region.

VATAN (INDEPENDENT)

------------------

POPE'S TURKEY SCHEDULE NOT CHANGED

Turkish Foreign Ministry stated that Pope Benedict will pay a visit to Turkey between November 28th and 30th as it was earlier planned.

DERVIS LOST CHANCE FOR UN

UN Security Council dropped the number of candidates for the post of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to 5. Kemal Dervis was not included in the list. FM of South Korea is the luckiest candidate for UN Secretariat General.

(More) (GC-AY)