GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON JULY 30

HURRIYET

--CUKURAMBAR SCENARIOS

Here are some of the scenarios about the Sunday's secret meeting of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan with President Abdullah Gul in an apartment in the Cukurambar district of Ankara.

Erdogan has received a tip that his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) would be disbanded. They could have discussed possible future steps if the party gets closed and sought answers to questions like "at which level the government would resign and who would be assigned to form the new government?"

Such a meeting that took 5 hours at such a critical period could only have been held if a very important intelligence tip-off had been received. A party executive said, "Blasts in Istanbul topped the agenda of the meeting of two top figures of the state."

Some party executives said, "journalists attribute specific meaning to the meeting but they might have come together only to eat Turkish ravioli."

--COURT REJECTS CONTROVERSIAL EVIDENCE

In the second day of the closure case, members of the Constitutional Court examined audio-visual evidence presented to the court by the prosecutor in his indictment. Following long deliberations, some of the evidence was voted and rejected by the court members as they could not agree that the evidence were legally valid.

If the evidence examination is concluded, court is expected to begin the critical deliberation today whether AKP is the focal point of anti-secular acts or not.

MILLIYET

--NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME

The premier and opposition authorities gave messages of unity against terrorism and it created a positive atmosphere in the country, but it is uncertain how the cooperation will be settled on a concrete frame. When Turkish people were shocked by bloody attack in the Gungoren district in Istanbul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave important messages.

Erdogan said no political conflict should create a ground for terrorist acts and terrorism could only be defeated by unity. "We should stand hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder against terrorism," he said.

--TOWARDS FINAL STAGE IN CLOSURE CASE

Constitutional Court, which began hearing the lawsuit filed to shut down the ruling AKP the previous day, reached the final stage in regard to the case. The top court deliberated for 25 hours over two days. A decision is expected to be made on the closure case on Wednesday or Thursday.

SABAH

--FIRST TURKISH TANK "ALTAY"

Turkey started initiatives to manufacture the best tank of the world. Prototype of the Turkish tank will be produced in 2014.

The Otokar company of Koc Holding will produce Altay in Sakarya which will replace the old tanks of the Turkish Armed Forces. Some $500 million will be spent on research and development studies for the tank.

Defense Industry Undersecretary Murad Bayar said, "Most of Turkey's tanks are out of service. This tank will be better than others in the world. Altay will both be used by Turkish Armed Forces and will be exported to foreign countries."

--THE WEST FEELS UNEASY

Britain supports Turkey's European Union (EU) membership. British media gives broad coverage about Ergenekon, the closure case and the PKK. The British Independent said there was a struggle for democracy in Turkey. If the elected loses, all of us will be the victims of the results, it said.

"This battle for Turkey's soul is not merely taking place in the court rooms. There is blood on the streets too," the newspaper said.

VATAN

--40 TERRORISTS HIT IN THEIR HIDE-OUT

F-16 warplanes bombed PKK hide-outs in north of Iraq for the third time in a week. Turkey’s General Staff said Turkish warplanes destroyed a cave used as hide-out by the PKK terrorists in the Qandil region and neutralized a group of 30-40 terrorists in the air-strike.

--TOP COURT CONCLUDES EXAMINATION OF EVIDENCES

The Constitutional Court debated the closure case for 13 hours on Tuesday. According to the lobbies, the decision will be made by Friday at the latest.

The court is expected to debate today whether or not the AKP has become a focal point of anti-secularist activities. There is a possibility that the top court may reach a verdict today.

CUMHURIYET

--"DOCUMENT OF GOSSIP"

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) chairman Deniz Baykal said the Ergenekon indictment was not legal but political. Baykal said, "It is just like the minutes of a Big Brother house. Most of the conversation is non-criminal. A part of it is private, personal, gossip and backbiting."

--HUNT FROM THE CAMERA

After careful examinations on footage recorded by city surveillance cameras and cameras of the nearby offices and stores, police teams are now searching for the perpetrators of the twin Istanbul bombing.

--COMING TO END IN AKP CLOSURE CASE

Constitutional Court judges are continuing deliberations on the closure case filed against the ruling AKP. Court rapporteur Osman Can, who spoke to reporters waiting outside the courthouse, said that no verdict was expected Tuesday. His statement raised expectations for Wednesday.

RADIKAL

--NO DECISION FROM TOP COURT ON SECOND DAY

The Constitutional Court worked for 12 hours on Tuesday on the closure case against the AKP. The court board assessed the indictment and the defense of AKP together and made a great progress on the case. A decision could be made on the case late on Wednesday or Thursday.

--SOUND DEMOCRACY COULD OVERWHELM TERRORISM

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the people for unity and cooperation after bomb attacks in the Gungoren district of Istanbul. Erdogan said, "The state will find the face behind the mask. We should attach a great importance to socio-political structure hindering terrorism. A sound democracy could overwhelm terrorism."

YENI SAFAK

--YOUNGEST WITNESS DEPICTS THE BOMBER

Emre Beskan, a 10-year-old witness of the blasts in Gungoren district of Istanbul, said, "A young man wearing black clothes left a black nylon bag between two poles. That bag blew up after a while."

Emre's mother Fadime Beskan was one of the victims of that heinous attack.

--KOC TO MANUFACTURE ALTAY

Altay, the national tank project that would make Turkey one of the world's leading military tank manufacturers, started on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who attended the ceremony to mark the start of the project, said that the tanks would be the work of Turkish engineers.

Koc Holding Chairman Mustafa Koc said, "This project is our pride. It would revive our defense industry."