TURKEY-PRESS SCAN (3)

ANKARA (A.A) - 19.02.2011 - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on February 19, 2011. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

TURKIYE
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THREE SURVEYS: AK PARTY'S VOTES AROUND 48 P.C.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan asks three companies to conduct surveys about the recent political preferences in Turkey every 15 days. According to the results of the recent surveys, votes of ruling Justice & Development (AK) are around 48 percent. Votes of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) is around 25 percent, and those of the other opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) are around 11 percent.

PRIME MINISTER SHOWS ADDRESS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded to the CHP leader who asked where the Ergenekon organization was as he wanted to become a member. Erdogan said, "go to the Department No:2 of the Council of State, and you will find the traces of the organization you are seeking."

TRNC PRIME MINISTER: WE CANNOT GET SEPARATED
Prime Minister Irsen Kucuk of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said ice between TRNC and motherland Turkey had melted. Kucuk said, "banners opened during a demonstration in TRNC drew reactions in our country." Meeting Turkey's State Minister for the European Union (EU) and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis, Kucuk said, "Turkey is the biggest guarantee of Turkish Cypriot people. Contributions to TRNC have increased during AK Party government. Ankara continues its support to our national cause."

ZAMAN
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ERGENEKON WOULD BE TRIED IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD
U.S. ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone, whose remarks after Soner Yalcin's detention drew reactions, said that he could not act as a party on a matter that was carried to court. However, Ricciardone was clear about Ergenekon case. Noting that the allegations regarding the case were serious, the ambassador said such a development would be brought to justice in any part of the world, adding that it would be more convincing if the judicial process was short and transparent.

GERMAN AMBASSADOR: ERGENEKON CASE TO STRENGTHEN STATE OF LAW
German ambassador in Ankara Eckart Cuntz said that the reforms conducted within the scope of adhesion to the EU were beneficial for both Turkey and Europe. Cuntz also said that Ergenekon case was an opportunity to strengthen the confidence in democratic institutions and state of law.

YENI SAFAK
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IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR ERGENEKON, LOOK AT COUNCIL OF STATE
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan showed the address to Republican People's Party (CHP) chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu, after the opposition leader's recent statements in which he asked where Ergenekon was and said he would become a member of the organization. Recalling the bloody Council of State attack of 2006, Erdogan said, "Go to the 2nd Chamber of Council of State, there you will find the organization you are looking for".

STAFF READY, GIVE ME HALK TV
It has been revealed that Soner Yalcin, who has been detained on the charge of "being a member of Ergenekon", had sent a letter to Republican People's Party's (CHP) Communication Coordinator Baki Ozilhan and wanted Halk TV. Yalcin, who claimed in his letter that he had reached agreements with writers such as Emin Colasan, Mustafa Mutlu, Sedat Ergin, Ruhat Mengi, Nihat Genc and Nuray Mert, also promised that he would support CHP in the upcoming elections.