News Scan for Turkey, Aug 04th 2016

Draft on cash repatriation approved after CHP makes key revisions over money laundering concerns

A law proposal which will regulate and restructure cash repatriation, taxes and customs was approved by parliament late on Aug. 3 after a number of key revisions demanded by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) were made, as reported by Reuters.

According to the law, taxes and tax penalties, revenue services, traffic motorway passage fees, Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) administrative fines, customs duties, payroll tax, unemployment premiums, social security support premiums, general health insurance premium receivables and all kinds of penalties and overdue interests will be restructured.

The law enables legal and natural persons who bring money, gold, foreign currency and capital market instruments into Turkey from abroad by the end of the year to economize freely.

In addition, a statement read that “all kinds of ships, yachts and other water vehicles” and the “opportunity to bring assets to other names and accounts” were omitted from the proposal.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/draft-on-cash-repatriation-approved-after-chp-makes-key-revisions-over-money-laundering-concerns.aspx?pageID=238&nID=102493&NewsCatID=345

New York Times, international media affirm investors rushing to Turkey despite failed coup

With accredited international media organizations like the New York Times publishing articles with headlines such as, ‘A Coup, Terrorists and Inflation, Yet Investors Rush to Turkey’ and ‘Investors Are Unfazed by Instability in Turkey,’ financiers can be rest assured that the country and its economy are going to do just fine following the July 15 failed coup attempt.

As written in the article published on Wednesday by the New York Times, the best-performing investments in the global economy last week was in fact Turkish stocks and bonds, which were up 6.6 and 3.8 percent in dollar terms, according to Merrill Lynch.

The country’s top economic officials are reassuring investors that the failed military coup attempt orchestrated by the Gülenist Terror Organization (FETÖ) will not cause permanent damage to the economy.

http://www.dailysabah.com/economy/2016/08/04/new-york-times-international-media-affirm-investors-rushing-to-turkey-despite-failed-coup

Turkey sees swift overhaul of intelligence agency, gendarmerie after coup

Turkey will soon complete an overhaul of its intelligence agency and make new appointments to its gendarmerie as it tries to rid its security apparatus of the followers of a U.S.-based cleric blamed for an attempted coup, officials said on Wednesday.

President Tayyip Erdogan said new appointments in the gendarmerie, responsible for security in rural areas and key in the fight against Kurdish militants, would come within 48 hours. Interior Minister Efkan Ala said work on restructuring the MIT intelligence agency was ongoing and “should not take too long”.

More than 60,000 people in the military, judiciary, civil service and education have been detained, suspended or placed under investigation following the July 15 coup attempt, prompting fears among Western allies and rights groups that Erdogan is using the events to crack down on dissent.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-security-science-idUSKCN10E0XE

Banking sector profits up 40 percent

The net profit of the banking sector soared by 39.6 percent over profits for the same period last year. The sector’s net profit for the six-month period from January to June totaled TL 19.03 billion.

According to a report from the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK), the net profit for the Turkish banking sector rose to TL 19.03 billion for the first six months of the year from TL 13.6 billion for the same period last year.

http://www.dailysabah.com/economy/2016/08/04/banking-sector-profits-up-40-percent

Austrian leader suggests Turkey EU bid ‘reset’

Austria’s chancellor says there are signs that Turkey is heading toward a dictatorship and questions the sense of continuing negotiations with it over EU membership.

Christian Kern says it may be time to push the “reset button” on the talks, adding he wants “critical discussions” of the topic at next month’s EU summit.

Kern made the comments in a late evening newscast Wednesday.

He said “there is no realistic perspective for membership” for Turkey. Instead, the Austrian leader calls for a “new approach” based on the need for close economic ties between the EU and Ankara.

He speaks of “signs that are unmistakable” that Turkey is moving toward a dictatorship under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/08/04/latest-austrian-leader-suggests-turkey-eu-bid-reset.html

Only statue of Roman emperor on display in Antalya Museum

Continuing excavation and restoration work at the ancient city of Perge in southen Antalya province has unearthed a trove of rare and priceless artifacts, including a one-of-a-kind statue of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, who took the throne in the Roman Empire in the 2nd century.

Other findings unearthed during the excavations included two Aphrodite statues, Asclepius, Tykhe, Nemesis, Helios and Selene statues, a snake statue, a dressed man statue, a dressed woman statue and a horse statue.

In order to display these priceless artifacts and the statue of the Roman emperor, who was also known as Caracalla, a special section named the “Perge Western Street and F5 Fountain” has been created in the Antalya Museum.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/only-statue-of-roman-emperor-on-display-in-antalya-museum–.aspx?pageID=238&nID=102442&NewsCatID=375

Turkish Cypriots Protest Turkey’s ‘Religious’ Influence

Hundreds of Turkish Cypriots took to the streets on Wednesday to protest against what they say is Turkey’s attempt to mold their secular culture into one that’s more in tune with Islamic norms.

Some 1,500 mostly young people blew whistles and raised their hands in front of Parliament in the Turkish Cypriot part of the ethnically divided island’s capital, Nicosia. They were decrying the creation of a “coordination committee” that will fund, oversee and approve all youth sport and cultural activities.

Protesters from some 80 groups spanning the political spectrum charged that the committee’s hidden agenda is to instill a more Islamic way of life by funding cultural and sporting projects that will include religious elements.

The committee is headed by a Turkish national who has been appointed by the Turkish government and is “all about religion” and instruction about the Quran, Ottoman customs and the Arabic language, Turkish Cypriot lawmaker Zeki Celer said.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/turkish-cypriots-protest-turkeys-religious-influence-41099911

This is a news-scan from major Turkish papers and internet sites. However, we do not verify above stories neither do we vouch for their accuracy.

04.08.2016
compiled by Editor BTT