GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON JUNE 23

HURRIYET
-- KAZAKH OPPONENT FOR GALATASARAY
Turkey’s Galatasaray soccer club, who started to preparations for the 2009-2010 football season on Monday, drew with Kazakhstan’s Togol in the second qualifying round of UEFA European League. Galatasaray also signed Gokhan Zan, a player from their city rivals, Besiktas, for two years.
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-- PRAYER AND CARNATION FOR NAZIM HIKMET
Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan visited the grave of world-famous Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet in Moscow, prayed for him and laid carnations on his grave. Toptan said he was sincerely supporting the decisions the government had taken recently regarding Nazim Hikmet.
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-- GIANT FIRE IN YENI FOCA DISTRICT
A forest fire broke out in Yeni Foca district of Foca resort town of the Aegean province of Izmir around noon on Monday. Fanned by strong winds, the fire spread quickly and the smoke could even be seen from the nearby towns of Aliaga and Menemen. The fire threatened holiday sites, and 200 houses were evacuated.
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MILLIYET
-- GUL UNDERSCORES FREEDOM OF PRESS
President Abdullah Gul, who attended the anniversary of the Photo Reporters' Association in Ankara, emphasized the importance of the freedom of the press. Gul said the free press made countries more transparent and helped democracy take root. "If the free press is missing in a country, there are many other things that are lacking. If the truth and wrongdoing in a country are not freely covered, than there will be a major tendency in that country towards the wrong things," said Gul.
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-- ERDOGAN: WE DID NOT LOSE OUR EU ENTHUSIASM
Premier Tayyip Erdogan said the constant discussion over the status of Turkey in the EU was not in line with the pacta sunt servanda principle. Erdogan, whom met with ambassadors of EU countries, said there has not been the slightest decline in Turkey's enthusiasm or momentum towards the EU goal. However the attitude of certain EU countries paved the way for an erosion of enthusiasm for EU in society.
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SABAH
-- ERDOGAN SENDS 3 MESSAGES TO EU
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan hosted a luncheon in honor of ambassadors of EU member countries in Ankara on Monday. Erdogan told the ambassadors that a debate on Turkish democracy did not begin after a military document was found that listed a plan to do away with the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP. "Turkey has become a single heart against scenarios that are out of democracy," Erdogan said. "Using Turkey's EU membership issue in domestic politics will benefit no one," Erdogan also said.
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-- STRUGGLE UNTIL PKK DISSOLVES COMPLETELY, GEN. BASBUG
In a speech delivered at the "Silk Road-2009 General/Admiral Seminar" in Istanbul on Monday, the chief of the Turkish General Staff, Gen. Ilker Basbug, said that Turkey will continue to struggle against terrorist PKK until it gets dissolved completely. "Terror has become a threat not only for the international community but also for NATO, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary," Gen. Basbug stressed.

VATAN
-- LIEUTENANT COLONEL SENTENCED TO 42 YEARS IN PRISON FOR FALSE REPORT
Lieutenant colonel doctor Habil Tunc, working at the Gulhane Military Medical Academy, was sentenced to serve a term of  41 years and eight months for issuing false medical disability reports for men to free them from their military obligation in return for bribes. The First Army Command Military Court also decided to expel Tunc from the army, and seized the funds he received in bribes. An arrest warrant has been issued for Tunc, who is being tried in absentia, after he fled on learning of the charges.
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-- DIFFERENT SIGNATURE RAISES DOUBTS
The signature that navy colonel Dursun Cicek put to his testimony at the military prosecutor's office last week and 21 other signatures samples found on documents seized by Ergenekon case prosecutors were made public on Monday. The signature on the reactionary movement document and the signatures Cicek put on several documents including his credit card, passport and gun license were similar to each other in "shape." However, it can be seen that the signature placed on the colonel’s testimony was totally different.

Forensic medical experts, who examined the signatures and the reports prepared by gendarmerie and police criminology laboratories, spoke to daily VATAN: "The criminology reports indicate that the photocopied version of the document was investigated, not the genuine item. It is difficult to make a definite assessment about whether the signature is genuine or not from the photocopied version. However, the colonel has changed his signature, and this raises doubts about him."
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-- "NO CONFLICT AMONG US"
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan informed the ambassadors of European Union, or EU, member states about the "reactionary movement document." Erdogan said, "A tension has not occurred in Turkey because of this document. A discussion has not begun; there is no conflict among the institutions. On the contrary, Turkey has the opportunity to show that it is a single body against illegal and undemocratic scenarios with this document."
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CUMHURIYET
-- CONTROVERSY OVER DOCUMENT GETS AWAY FROM QUESTIONING ITS ORIGINS
General Staff Military Prosecutor's Office announced that they got the impression that the document was not written at any unit of the General Staff. The General Staff confirmed this announcement. The gendarmerie and police made statements suggesting that the signature samples of Colonel Dursun Cicek resembled the one found on the document in question. However, pro-government media is trying to draw the attention away from the question of where the original document is. While original discussion focused on the issue of where the document was prepared and if it was authentic, recent discussions concentrate on the signature on the photocopy. Even if the signature is genuine, it could have been glued before photocopying or copy pasted on in a digital environment.
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-- TERRIFYING FLAMES IN FOCA
The fire that broke out in a scrubland in Foca, spread rapidly fanned by strong winds. All efforts were exerted to protect summer houses in the area and 500 summer home were evacuated as precaution. The fire was fanned by swirling winds hampering fire fighting efforts; however, the fire was finally contained late in the evening.
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RADIKAL
-- JOYFUL GALATASARAY
Turkey's soccer giants Galatasaray signed a contract with soccer star Gokhan Zan on Monday. Zan played for Besiktas soccer club as defender for the last four seasons. Besiktas were the champions of Turkcell Super League in 2008-2009 season.
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--  GOVERNMENT'S INCOME FROM TAXES OF 50 PROVINCES DROPS IN 2009
The Turkish government's income from taxes paid in 50 provinces dropped significantly in 2009 when compared to the same term last year. Among the provinces where the government's income from taxes has declined are Kocaeli, Istanbul, Izmir and Bursa. The decline in tax income was due to the global financial crisis, government officials said.

YENI SAFAK
-- NIGHTMARE IN FOCA
A forest fire that broke out near a gendarmerie training command between Bagarasi and Kozbeyli villages of the Aegean town of Foca reached and threatened summer homes in the area shortly after it began. Some 500 homes were evacuated, but the fire, which spread rapidly fanned by strong winds, became the nightmare for those holidaying in the area.
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-- ZEYNEP CONQUERED USA WITH HER TEST
Zeynep Ilgaz Pala has become the hope of U.S. parents with the "home test set" that she manufactured with a company she established in the United States. Pala won the "rising star" award granted to individuals who take giant economic steps. The device Pala's company is manufacturing is a home drug usage test kit that analyzes hair strands, without having to have the test conducted in a lab. Pala's home test kit is the only home device of its type in the United States.
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-- ANTENNA OF STATE IN DARK HANDS
Fatih Karaca, the former chairman of the Turkish Supreme Board of Radio and Television, or RTUK, asked Turkey to immediately pass a regulation that would improve radio and television broadcasts. Karaca said, "Some circles prevent a frequency tender. Public sources are being used free of charge."

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