NEWS SCAN for Turkey – Aug 7th, 2013

Down below you will find a summary of topics from major Turkish papers and internet sites

Fenerbahçe knocks out Salzburg 3-1 to advance in Champions League

Fenerbahçe is one step closer to the Champions League group phase after eliminating Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg with a 3-1 victory at the Şükrü Saraçoğlu stadium in Istanbul on Aug. 6. The Yellow Canaries overturned an early goal by the visitors to cruise to the playoff stage, capitalizing on a 1-1 first-leg draw played in Mozart’s Austria.

The Austrians opened the score just as in the first game when Spanish striker Jonathan Soriano took advantage of a huge defensive mistake in Fenerbahçe’s area in the 4th minute to push the ball inside the net. However, Fenerbahçe came back with three super goals from Meireles, Sow and Webo to secure its place for the next qualifying round on the way to groups.

Fenerbahçe players also demanded a penalty for a handball in the 28th minute, after the ball was deflected by defense player Stefan Ilsanker’s hand. But the Czech referee Pawel Gil continued the game. On the other hand Salzburg displayed a very aggressive and quite successful performance but with not no goals.

US spokesperson says US will not comment on the Ergenekon outcome until eventual appeal

PSAKI, Spokesperson for US Department of State said many Turkish people expressed concern about the Ergenekon trial, but US was not going to comment on the outcome until an eventual appeal, which US understood was part of the process

Speaking in a daily press meeting, Psaki said “We think it’s for the Turkish people to decide” upon the question of “Does the United States, does the administration share serious concerns about the verdicts?”

Reminded that Deputy Spokesperson of US Department of State Marie Harf had said Washington did not have any comment on the decision and would not comment until the appeals process was finished, Psaki said: “Many Turkish people have expressed concern about the trial. We’ve seen that. But as Marie mentioned yesterday, we’re not going to comment on the outcome until there’s an eventual appeal, which we understand is part of the process.”

Candy Holiday expected to cause a boom in sales in Turkish confectionary sector

Eid stirs candy markets, TL 1 bln in sales predicted

As Ramadan is about to give way to Ramadan Holiday, a three-day religious holiday marking the end of the holy month, Turkish confectionary producers expect to enjoy a boom in sales.

For Turks, sweets are an absolute must during Eid, which is more than a religious festival in Turkey and is associated with candy. A centuries-old tradition of offering sweets to guests during Eid al-Fitr has led this festival to be called Şeker Bayramı, or the Sugar (candy) Festival.

Figures say “The average consumption level of candy in Turkey is 1 kilogram per person per month. This number increases to an average of 2.5 kilos during Eid al-Fitr.”

Istanbul among sixth-most visited cities in the world

Istanbul was shown among top 6 most visited cities in the world in a list published by BBC website in which The Thai capital of Bangkok ranked first.

Bangkok is reported to attract 15.98 million visitors a year, while London is observed to attract 15.96 million visitors. Paris was third in the list with with 13.92 million and Singapore came fourth with 11.75 million. New York was in fifth place with 11.52 million visitors followed by Istanbul with 10.37 million visitors a year.

The BBC report under the topic “What is the world’s favorite holiday destination?” cited the influx of Chinese tourists as the reason for the high number of visitors to Bangkok. The report said that the Tourism Authority of Thailand attributes the city’s rise in popularity to the film “Lost in Thailand,” which was China’s highest-grossing film last year. The movie is set in Thailand and is about the trials and tribulations of two rival businessmen.

Turkey finds 25 million tons of copper reserves in northern territory

It was staated by Kastamonu Governor Erdoğan Bektaş on Monday that an estimated 25 million tons of copper reserves had been found in the Küre district of the Black Sea province of Kastamonu.

Bektaş said to the press that the Turkish firm Eti Bakır AŞ had drilled the deepest well in Turkey in Küre and found an estimated 25 million tons of high tenor copper. Bektaş added that the reserve would help with Turkey’s copper needs in the future.

It is reported that ETI BAKIR is still examining the reserve estimate and that the initial predictions show that the reserve has around 25 to 30 million tons of copper.  A more exact estimate is expected to be revealed by 2014 and copper production will start by 2015.

Pre-qualification tender notice for TANAP project announced

The tender notices for the pre-qualification stage of the onshore pipeline and block valve and pigging stations construction of the Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline (TANAP) were announced this week. The invitations to bid will be made in the first quarter of 2014 and contracts are expected to be awarded in the third quarter of 2014, according to the notice. The construction period is expected to start at the end of 2014.

The TANAP, a natural gas pipeline system running from the Georgia-Turkey border to the Turkey-Greece border, will mainly consist of steel pipe with a diameter of 56” (alternatively 48”), including a short offshore section and interconnecting lines that may have reduced diameters, block valve stations, pigging stations, metering stations, pressure reduction stations, compressor stations and related SCADA and telecommunication facilities, according to the notice.

07.08.2013
SOURCE: MEDIA

We do not verify above stories neither do we vouch for their accuracy.