GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON MAY 30

HURRIYET

--BABACAN DRAWS REACTION

Babacan's remarks during his speech at the European Parliament, suggesting that not only non-Muslim minorities but also the Muslim majority in Turkey had problems with religious freedoms, drew wide reaction from both his own party and the opposition.

Deputies from the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the opposition who accused Babacan of not knowing statesman code of conduct, said Turkey was the sole country in the Muslim world where religious beliefs lived in the most extensive and perfect sense.

--MONITORING INCIDENTS REACHED GRAVE LEVELS

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli said, "The monitoring incident in Republican People's Party (CHP) is a scandal. The ruling AKP's intentions to found a state of fear have intensified recently. It is once more understood that the government who lost its political legitimacy, seeks help from unlawful and unethical ways."

MILLIYET

--DO THEY TAP MY TELEPHONES AS WELL?

Publication of a private conversation between CHP Secretary-General Onder Sav and a governor by the Vakit newspaper has boosted concerns about illegal tapping. The ruling AK Party submitted a motion to the parliament for an investigation into Sav's allegations that his meeting was bugged by security forces.

--TURKISH JETS HIT PKK TARGETS

Turkish fighter jets have "effectively" hit 16 PKK targets in the Hakurk region in northern part of Iraq. The Turkish Armed Forces said that operations backed by fighter jets were continuing in the region against PKK terrorists.

SABAH

--KURDISH ERA IN TRT

The parliament passed a law envisaging the state-run TRT channel to broadcast in languages other than Turkish. TRT will broadcast particularly in Kurdish, and in languages spoken in the near geography such as Arabian and Persian.

--MINISTER: BUGGING IS A STROKE ON FREEDOM

Interior Minister Besir Atalay pledged to investigate the allegations that the headquarters of the CHP was bugged. "Here is a blank check for you. Let's set up a committee and investigate the claims altogether," Atalay said.

The prosecutor who was dealing with the claims that Osman Paksut, the deputy chief judge of the Constitutional Court, was bugged was designated to investigate CHP's bugging claims.

VATAN

--F-16 JETS POUND HAKURK

The General Staff said Turkish jets "effectively" hit 16 PKK targets in Hakurk region in the north of Iraq. The General Staff also said that the targets were located at the end of a careful, cautious and detailed analysis, and added that Turkish Armed Forces showed necessary sensitivity to avoid any harm to civilian people and local groups.

--RULING AKP SUBMITS INVESTIGATION MOTION

The government proposed to set up a "joint committee" to investigate bugging claims. When it could not find the necessary support, it submitted a motion for a parliamentary investigation into the allegations. Interior Minister Besir Atalay said, "We are ready for every type of cooperation."

CUMHURIYET

--DICTATORSHIP OF FEAR

After the monitoring of Republican People's Party (CHP) SG Onder Sav's conversation, CHP members are trying to find out whether their phones are tapped or not. However CHP leader Deniz Baykal said the issue was not only the monitoring of the CHP, but also the violation of freedom of communication. "Voice recordings are being used by the government. They are leaking it out to the media and sometimes using it for blackmailing," said Baykal.

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli said the recent incidents were concrete indicators of the ruling AKP's intention to set up a dictatorship of fear, and asked a parliamentary inquiry to be launched on the issue. Bahceli said the ruling AKP had besieged the state and the society with unlawful methods.

In the mean time, the ruling AKP proposed to set up an inquiry commission. However it was striking that the proposal was restricted to only the CHP and did not include other monitoring incidents.

--NATIONAL TEAM BUILDS MORALE BEFORE FINALS

Turkey's National Soccer Team, which is making preparations for the 2008 European Soccer Championship, won the friendly game against Finland with a score of 2-0. Turkey's scorers were Tuncay Sanli (18) and Semih Senturk (88). Mevlut Erdinc's performance was praiseworthy and Servet Cetin who recovered from injury found opportunity to play in the game.

RADIKAL

--NO NEED FOR AN INVESTIGATION

Security Department Director-General Oguz Kagan Koksal denied the accusations of CHP Secretary-General Onder Sav that security forces bugged the CHP headquarters. "There is no need for an investigation since we did not bug the CHP headquarters."

--RULING AKP SUBMITS MOTION FOR INQUIRY

Meanwhile, the ruling ruling AKP submitted a motion to the parliament to launch a parliamentary inquiry into the tapping of Sav's private conversations.

--TENSION AT PARLIAMENT

Tapping of CHP Secretary-General Onder Sav's private conversations has escalated tension at the parliament. CHP accused the government of violating privacy of people and called on the interior minister to resign. In response, Interior Minister Besir Atalay said, "these are obnoxious allegations. I will not resign."

YENI SAFAK

--GO ON THIS WAY TILL FINAL: 2-0

Turkish national team boosted the morale in their last friendly match ahead of Euro 2008. Turkey started the game with the "ideal team" and defeated Finland 2-0 in the friendly. The first goal came from Tuncay in the 15th minute, and Semih scored the second goal in the 88th minute.

--BRITS CAME WHEN WE WERE EXPECTING IRANIANS

Sah Inn Paradise, which was opened in Antalya last year with "alternative tourism" concept, was preferred by Russian and British tourists when it was expecting tourists from Gulf countries and Iran. The presidential suite is €1,000 per night in the hotel. Foreigners preferring the hotel was up 100 percent this year over the previous year.