TURKEY-PRESS SCAN 2

ANKARA (A.A) - August 8, 2011 - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on August 8, 2011. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

VATAN
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MIRACULOUS ESCAPE FROM BOMB AMBUSH
News of a second attack in the southeastern province of Hakkari came only 24 hours after the killing of police officer Yasin Hobek in the southeastern province of Bitlis. A bomb, which was earlier planted on the road, was detonated while a vehicle --carrying civilian police officers-- was passing in Cukurca town of Hakkari. Four police officers in the vehicle were wounded. Heart of Murat Celikhasi, one of the police officers, stopped on the scene. News agencies said he was killed but he was later revived in Cukurca State Hospital.

RELATIONS BREAKING OFF
Syrian President Bashar al-Asad, who sent tanks on his people asking for reform, resisted the UN's call for ceasefire as 'I've the right to kill outlaws'. He also responded to Ankara's message, which is at the end of its patience, with the same harshness. Al-Asad sent tanks on his people prior to Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's visit to Syrian capital Damascus tomorrow.

CUMHURIYET
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SYRIA GIVES TERSE RESPONSE TO ANKARA'S SLAM
A top aide to the Syrian president on Sunday sounded unpleased over Turkish premier's latest remarks that Ankara's patience had grown thin over civilian massacres in a violent crackdown by the army on protestors and that he was set to send his foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, to Damascus to meet Bashar al-Asad to make a final warning. "In case Davutoglu delivers a tough message, he would receive an even tougher response on Turkey's position," Bouthaina Shaaban, Assad's top aide, said. Erdogan is expected to convey the message that Asad should either make political reforms or quit.

TURKEY ACTIVISTS GATHER TO PROTEST NUCLEAR PLANT CONSTRUCTION
A group of environmental activists in Turkey protested on Sunday the government's decision to build the country's first ever nuclear power plant in Akkuyu town of the southern province of Mersin. A spokesperson for the group said the nuclear plans were underway "in spite of the will of the people," adding that the nuclear disaster in Fukishima, Japan, forced the Japanese government to withdraw future plans to construct more nuclear plants in its own country as well as another in Turkey's Black Sea province of Sinop.

RADIKAL
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TENSIONS RUNNING HIGH BETWEEN TURKEY, SYRIA
Relations between Ankara and Damascus saw a bitter blow on Sunday as Turkish Prime Minister said their patience had grown thin over Syrian army's violent crackdown on protestors and that his foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, was set to deliver a decisive message to the Asad government during a visit scheduled for Tuesday. "Davutoglu's decisive message will be countered by even a more decisive response," Bouthaina Shaaban, Assad's top aide, said. 

FEAR OF BLACK MONDAY
World stock markets were on a nervous standby before opening on Monday after Standard and Poor's downgraded the United States' credit ratings. Istanbul Stock Exchange, which plummeted 9.7 percent last week, was also on pins and needles on a fear of a black Friday.

TURKIYE
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TURKEY TO BE SUPER POWER IN FIVE YEARS
Economy Prof. Osman Kilic commented on the economic crisis which hit the United States and many European countries. Kilic said, "there is a crisis in western world. Middle East is in chaos. Turkey's cash input is high. Turkey will rule the world soon. Unemployed people in Europe will rush into Turkey to find job."

SIX MESSAGES TO AL-ASAD
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will covey Turkey's 'final word' to Syrian President Bashar al-Asad tomorrow. Davutoglu will pay a critical visit to Damascus, and he will tell al-Asad, "don't impose violence on your people. The condition of such leaders is obvious. Hear the demands of your people. Turkey cannot be an onlooker towards what is happening. We are out of patience. You have to bear the results, if you don't make reforms rapidly."

ZAMAN
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STRANGE RESPONSE FROM DAMASCUS
Damascus gave a strange response to the remarks of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who said, "we are at the end of our patience. I'm sending the foreign minister to Syria on Tuesday." Advisor of Syrian President Bashar al-Asad said, "if Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will give a firm message, he will hear a more determined response about the stance of Turkey which is not condemning the criminals."

MINE TRAP TO POLICE IN CUKURCA
While efforts are under way to end terrorism, PKK terrorist organization is continuing its bloody acts. The terrorist organization, which killed a police officer in the southeastern province of Bitlis two days ago, took action again in the southeastern province of Hakkari yesterday. A mine trap was set up while a police vehicle was passing in Cukurca town. The mine was set off, and one police officer was killed, while three others were wounded.
   
YENI SAFAK
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DIVINITY HIGH SCHOOLS AGAIN AMONG TOP CHOICES
Islamic divinity high schools or Imam Hatips in Turkey have become once again a favorite of the students after a barrier in entering university exams had been removed. In just two years, number of Imam Hatip students reached as high as 240 thousand. Higher Board of Education (YOK) had lifted different coefficient system, which has been applied for students graduated from Imam Hatips and vocational high schools while entering university exams to treat them equal as regular high school graduates while they are choosing a branch that is different from the branches they graduated.     

TURKEY'S EU MINISTRY LAUNCHES AID CAMPAIGN FOR SOMALIA
Turkish European Union Minister Egemen Bagis launched on Sunday an aid campaign to contribute to efforts to fight a famine in Somalia. "We have once more indicated in the prosperous atmosphere of the holy month of Ramadan that we cannot remain indifferent to the tragedy our African friends are facing, and therefore we have been mobilized to extend a helping hand to Somali and African people," Bagis said. Meanwhile, Istanbul's Esenler municipality announced that it would extend food aid to 100,000 people in Somalia.