GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON APR 17

HURRIYET

--"REQUESTED" STATEMENT CAUSES DEBATES IN ANKARA

President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Luis Maria De Puig, said that a Turkish parliamentary delegation requested PACE issue a statement against the political party’s closures.

Head of a Turkish parliamentary delegation, Mehmet Cavusoglu, said that he met with the PACE president twice but made no requests for a PACE statement against party closures. "PACE's decision to issue a statement against party closures was made before my arrival in Strasbourg," Cavusoglu claimed.

--STUDENTS MUST RECEIVE THERAPY

After a rising trend in violence on Turkish university campuses, chairman of the Turkish Higher Board of Education (YOK), Prof. Dr. Yusuf Ziya Ozcan, said that the country’s educational board, YOK, is preparing a package of measures to prevent violence at university campuses. "We need to meet student representatives and have discussions with the families of students. We need to provide therapy to students".

MILLIYET

--WAS THE COMMUNIQUE FROM EUROPE REQUESTED BY THE AK PARTY?

A communiqué written by PACE in reaction to the closure case filed against the ruling AKP has created a crisis. PACE President Luis Maria De Puig said the communiqué was written upon the request of the AK Party. Members of the Turkish PACE delegation from the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) reacted to the situation.

--ERDOGAN'S SECRET VACATION

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, returning from Qatar, took a secret two-day vacation with his family. Initial rumors say he went to a thermal resort in Sakarilica village in the central Anatolia city of Eskisehir. Later, another rumor claimed he was in the Aegean city of Denizli. None of the rumors have been confirmed.
 Â

SABAH

--OIL EXPLORATION SHOCK IN IRAQ

The list of 35 companies, which will explore oil in Iraq, was announced. The list includes Korea, but not Turkey. The decision, which reached Turkey on Monday, alarmed Ankara. Turkish foreign and energy ministries took action when TPAO (Turkish Petroleum Corporation) and its sub company failed to be included on the list despite making an application.
 
Iraq gave permission to Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia, but not to Turkey to explore oil on its lands.
 Â
--TSK HIT NORTH OF IRAQ AFTER 19 DAYS

The General Staff informed that Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) by F-16 and F-4 warplanes targeted a group of PKK terrorists attempting to sneak into Turkey in the Avashin-Basyan region. Separately, one PKK terrorist was killed in the Kupeli region of the southeastern province of Sirnak.

--FIRST DEBATE OF ARTICLE 301 WAS TENSE

The proposal to amend Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code was adopted by parliament's EU adjustment committee. However, MHP parliamentarians, opposing the proposal, walked out of the meeting.

VATAN

--HE INVITED LEADERS TO LUNCH

President Abdullah Gul sent a letter to Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan, Prime Minister and ruling AKP chairman, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Republican People's Party (CHP) chairman, Deniz Baykal, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) chairman, Devlet Bahceli, Democratic Society Party (DTP) group chairman, Ahmet Turk, Democratic Left Party (DSP) chairman, Zeki Sezer, Grand Unity Party (BBP) chairman, Muhsin Yazicioglu, and Freedom & Solidarity Party (ODP) chairman, Ufuk Uras.

In the invitation, Gul said he would be honored to host those invited to a luncheon at the Presidential the Palace on April 23.

--YSK STILL UNABLE TO FIND 5 MILLION MISSING VOTERS

Higher Board of Election chairman, Muammer Aydin, said there were 600,000 voters who did not have identity numbers, and three million others whose addresses were not recorded.

Aydin said, "Including these people, we do not have the registration details of a total of five million voters. We are looking for them. Such a huge number of voters would certainly have an affect of the outcome of elections. If we find the missing voters, 48 million people will cast their vote in the upcoming local elections."

CUMHURIYET

--FREEDOM MAKE-UP

The ruling AK Party made additions to a draft package of constitutional amendments that would include making the closure of political parties more difficult. The AK Party included rights of children, equality between women and men, and public administration in its list of amendments.

--WE HAVE NEVER BEEN SO HOPELESS

Most balances in the Turkish economy have been hurt due to ongoing global economic crisis. On the one hand, Turkish consumers have lost confidence in the Turkish economy in 2008, on the other; foreign investments in Turkey came almost to a complete halt in 2008.

Direct foreign investment in Turkey in January-February 2008 dropped by 80.4 percent when compared to the same period in 2007 and amounted to only $1.6 billion.

RADIKAL

--AKP KEEPING PACKAGE AGAINST PROHIBITION CASE LARGE

The cabinet is expected to discuss the bills and amendments to the constitution including those making the banning of political parties more difficult. The cabinet discussed the proposals shaped by the authorized bodies of the AKP made over the last two weeks.

An AKP source said a short list would be formed. The list will include the election of Turkish MPs, women and children’s rights, the formation of a political ethics committee, and the assigning of ombudsman

--RICE AND WHEAT PROBLEM

Chairman of the Union of Turkish Chambers of Agriculture, Semsi Bayraktar, said they were expecting a greater wheat harvest than the previous year. He said hoarders would face the consequences of their malice. Chairman of the Turkish Grain Board, Ismail Kemaloglu, said they have received authorization to import 100 tons of rice.

He said the markets would be regulated as the country held stocks that would last for six months.

YENI SAFAK

--MEDIA COULD NOT FIND PM

After his return from Qatar the Prime Minister took a two-day vacation at an unknown location. Reporters, after learning that the PM was not in Ankara, spent the day attempting to discover his whereabouts from the Prime Ministry.

--THERE IS NO RICE SHORTAGE

Rice producers said the soaring rice prices were the result of opportunists and that their silos were full. A local rice farmer in Edirne said that 33 percent of rice production in Turkey came from Ipsala and that said this year's harvest would be good.