News Scan for Turkey, September 19th, 2017
Turkey’s education minister says high school entrance exam will not be held this year
Education Minister İsmet Yılmaz confirmed on Sept. 19 that the Transition from Primary to Secondary Education (TEOG) exam will not be held this year, putting an end to recent discussions on its potential removal.
The issue was brought to the agenda on Sept. 15, when President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said “he hopes TEOG will be abolished immediately,” stressing that he found the practice wrong.
Yılmaz said the ministry is working on a new exam system to replace TEOG and urged the public “not to be worried” about the changes.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-education-minister-says-high-school-entrance-exam-will-not-be-held-this-year-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=118125&NewsCatID=341
Turkey’s Erdogan supports Iraq’s stance on territorial integrity
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi during his visit to the United States this week and discuss their concerns about the Kurdish Regional Government’s (KRG) independence referendum, which is slated for September 25.
Speaking to reporters at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport before leaving for New York to attend the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, Erdogan said: “We will hold a separate meeting with Iraqi Premier Haider al Abadi, but as far as I see, we are looking in the same direction. What is this direction? The territorial integrity of Iraq.”
The president said Turkey shares a 350-kilometre (217-mile) long border with Iraq, adding that both countries belong to the same civilisation.
http://www.trtworld.com/turkey/turkey-s-erdogan-supports-iraq-s-stance-on-territorial-integrity-10602
Agreement will bolster gas transfer between Turkey, Greece and Italy
A gas transfer agreement between Turkey, Greece and Italy is set to increase its capacity for natural gas movement between the three countries.
The Interconnector Turkey- Greece-Italy (ITGI) natural gas transportation project, which was proposed within the framework of the Southern Gas Corridor to transport Caspian gas to European markets via Turkey, was approved and released in Turkey’s official gazette Tuesday.
ITGI now aims to improve and increase gas transmission networks and to further develop gas trading between the countries. In addition to enhancing trade between gas producing and consuming countries, participants of the agreement aspire to contribute to other European markets as well. The agreement will ensure gas market liquidity in Turkey, Greece, and Italy as well as the diversification of natural energy resources.
The agreement was initially signed on July 26, 2007 in Rome, and proposed the transportation of natural gas from the Shah Deniz gas field in Azerbaijan to Europe.
https://www.dailysabah.com/energy/2017/09/19/agreement-will-bolster-gas-transfer-between-turkey-greece-and-italy
Main opposition CHP launches march to Giresun to protest low hazelnut prices
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) on Sept. 18 kicked off a march from the Black Sea province of Ordu to the neighboring Giresun in a bid to protest the purchase price for hazelnuts in the new season, which had been announced as 10 Turkish Liras.
Around 3,000 people gathered in front of the Ordu Municipality ahead of the three-day march with the motto “We are marching for hazelnut,” with the participation of CHP deputy head and Ordu deputy Seyit Tosun, CHP group deputy leader Özgür Özel, Giresun Mayor Kerim Aksu as well as other party figures and hazelnut producers.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the 47-kilometer march to Giresun, Tosun said hazelnut producers were the victims of low prices, which had been announced by the agriculture minister with the cost of 8.75 liras, and they had to sell their hazelnuts starting from 7.5 liras.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/main-opposition-chp-launches-march-to-giresun-to-protest-low-hazelnut-prices.aspx?pageID=238&nID=118105&NewsCatID=338
Telia sells $508M Turkcell stake to focus on Nordics
After selling 153.5M Turkcell shares, Telia will still remain the largest shareholder in Turkcell through Turkcell Holding
Scandinavian Telia AB has sold about 1.78 billion Turkish liras ($508 million) worth of stock in Turkey’s largest mobile operator, Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS, in order to focus on its operations in the Nordics and Baltics.
Stockholm-based Telia agreed to sell 153.5 million Turkcell shares — its 7 percent direct stake — to institutional investors, the company said in a statement Tuesday. After the sale, Telia no longer has a direct stake in Turkcell. But the company said Telia’s indirect stake (24 percent, remaining the largest shareholder) in Turkcell through Turkcell Holding remains unchanged.
http://www.yenisafak.com/en/economy/telia-sells-508m-turkcell-stake-to-focus-on-nordics-2793933
Democratic forces of Turkey demand a ‘scientific and secular’ education system
As the academic year in Turkey started with a number of issues, ranging from a controversial revisions in the curriculum to thousands of teachers still waiting to be appointed, 13 institutions, including the Alevi-Bektashi Federation, trades union Eğitim Sen, and United Haziran (June) Movement, called on the members of the public to raise their voice against the reactionary policies of the current government in the education fields.
As Zeynep Kuray from BirGün reported, thousands gathered in İstanbul’s Kartal district on Sunday (September 17) to demand a ‘secular, scientific, and democratic education system’.
https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/democratic-forces-of-turkey-demand-a-scientific-and-secular-education-system-180037.html
19.09.2017
compiled by Editor BTT
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.
