NEWS SCAN for Turkey – May 13th, 2013
Down below you will find a summary of topics from major Turkish papers and internet sites.
Powerful car bombs kill 46 people in Reyhanlı town near Syrian border
Turkey faced another disaster on Saturday when 46 citizens were killed and more than hundred were wounded in 2 explosions in Reyhanlı, next to its border with Syria.
Turkish officials have claimed that the killings have to do with “groups and intelligence services loyal to the Assad regime” and experts say Syria’s more than two-year-old conflict have increasingly risked spill over to neighboring countries.
The terrorist acts took place 15 minutes apart at a crowded shopping district and outside a post office in the Reyhanli town. The explosions were so huge that they ripped through entire buildings and left hulks of twisted metal and charred skeletons from cars scattered over the streets.
PM Erdogan says Reyhanlı blasts intend to drag Turkey into a ‘bloody swamp’ in Syria
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed his supporters in an event organized by his party in Istanbul, on mothers’ day. Turkish PM commented that Turkey’s patience was being tested with the Reyhanlı attack, and urged vigilance.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also said the attack aimed to “disrupt Turkey’s peace,” urging calmness against “provocations.”
Nuclear plants to cut Turkey’s energy bill by US$ 7.2 billion
It is reported that Turkey plans to cut $7.2 billion from its annual natural gas bill after the planned nuclear plants become operational in the next decade.
PM Erdoğan said “Our power needs will double in the next decade. Currently we import 72 percent of our energy needs, but we will not need to import one-third of our current natural gas imports when our nuclear plants start running, and save $7.2 billion annually”.
It is reported that Turkey’s power consumption has doubled in the last decade, increasing from 130 billion kWh to 240 billion kWh.
Prescribed medicine market in Turkey shrinks by 5.9 percent
Surveys show that Turkish people have started to consume more medicine for less money.
It is reported that the industry sold 1.56 billion packages, with a 2.8 percent increase in 2012. The amount in TL however went down to 12.9 billion Turkish Liras with a 5.9 percent increase.
The Turkish government has applied considerable discounts in drug prices since 2009 to realize its budget targets, which caused decreases in profitability. Experts say the profitability of the industry continue to decrease following the regulations that pushed companies to decrease prices.
Turkish government to adopt strict alcohol and tobacco restrictions
The government has submitted a new bill proposal similar to the strict alcohol and tobacco restrictions practiced in New York. The new bill is reported to propose moves as dividing sections for smokers and nonsmokers in outdoor venues as well as completely prohibiting advertisements for alcoholic beverages.
It is also reported that if the bill is passed, smoking will be limited in outside venues as well as inside venues. Venues with outdoor seating will now divide the area into smoking and non-smoking zones. Moreover, cigarettes and other tobacco products will no longer be allowed to be consumed in the drivers’ seat of private vehicles.
Turkish and German foreign ministers sign joint declaration for strategic dialogue
Foreign Minister Davutoğlu and his German counterpart, Guido Westerwelle who met met at Villa Borsig, the guest house of the German Foreign Ministry on Sunday signed a joint declaration to build a mechanism for strategic dialogue between two countries.
Experts consider this to be a move to strengthen bilateral cooperation regarding in Turkey’s process of accession to the European Union as well as solve current problems and come to a consensus on conflicting opinions between the two countries.
In the meantime, Davutoğlu said on Saturday that Turkey was determined to keep a close eye on the case of neo-Nazi killings of 9 Turks, stressing the need to discover the realities behind the racist murders.
13.05.2013
SOURCE: MEDIA
We do not verify above stories neither do we vouch for their accuracy.
