NEWS SCAN for Turkey – March 19th, 2013
Down below you will find headlines from major Turkish papers and internet sites.
Prosecutors demans aggravated life sentence in alleged Ergenekon coup plot case
Prosecutors underlined the existence of “Ergenekon terrorist organization” and demanded aggravated life in prison for retired generals Hursit Tolon, Hasan Igsiz, Ilker Basbug, Sener Eruygur (and many more), prominent journalists Mustafa Balbay, Tuncay Özkan as well as Professor Mehmet Haberal world world wide renowned surgeon and scientist. on accusations of attempting to overthrow the government by force, in a case that has left a mark on Turkey over the last four years.
Opposition concerned about AKP-BDP cooperation to shape up new constitution
PM Erdoğan has implied that they could postpone the period required to write the constitution to April, latest. The commission in charge is expected to be in office until April 23, 2013 a date on which which the 93rd anniversary of Parliament’s inauguration is to be commemorated. The opposition are strictly against the title of “presidential system” persistently favored by the AKP while the BDP tends to affirm it depending on the debates.
King Abdullah of Jordan says PM Erdoğan sees democracy as a “bus ride”
King Abdullah has said “Erdoğan is merely promoting a softer version of Islamism” in an interview. The King went on to say “Erdoğan once said that democracy, for him, is a bus ride. Once I get to my stop, I’ll get off”. Earlier this month King Abdullah had paid a two-day official visit to Turkey, where he was reported to shed tears as he visited Anıtkabir – the mausoleum dedicated to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of modern Turkey.
Terror Organization Leader expected to make a historic call on March 21st
It is reported that Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), is expected to make a “historic call” on March 21, Nevruz. The messgage is supposed to relate to the issue of democratizing Turkey and urging Parliament to work toward ensuring permanent peace locally.
Turkey receives giant investment in tourism sector
Turkey which has been a major point of attraction for foreign investors recently, has received another substantial investment from Qatar. Retaj Hotel & Hospitality group established in said country has opened its first hotel at Gunesli district of Istanbul, as part of its USD 500 million investment plan. The five-star Retaj Royale Istanbul is to be run unders Islamic principles and is the first of a series of facilities to be opened in Turkey.
Malaysian “online payment” company announces investments in Turkey
The Kuala Lumpur-based Malaysian company has invested in Turkey by acquiring stakes from Turkey’s PaytoGo and Game Sultan, both specializing in mobile payments systems. The group hopes this move will bring them closer to fast growing markets in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. A recent report by the Boston Consulting Group puts the growth rate of the country’s internet economy at 19 percent over the next 4 years, reaching USD 35.7 billion by 2017.
Number of foreign capital firms in Turkey surpass 32,000
It has been reported that the number of foreign capital companies in Turkey was about 32,000 at the end of 2012 and more than half of these companies were European Union-based. Of these companies 5,494 of are reported to be asscociates of Turkish companies with domestic capital. The top sector among foreign companies operating in Turkey is the wholesale and retail trade, comprising 32 percent of foreign companies. The real estate sector, at 16 percent, comes in second.
19.03.2013
SOURCE: MEDIA
We do not verify above stories neither do we vouch for their accuracy.
