Today's Zaman, your gateway to Turkish daily news :: News

Junta had more munitions to carry out Cage action plan

TODAY'S ZAMAN WITH WIRES — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

An anti-democratic formation within the Naval Forces Command had large caches of munitions to put into operation a plan aimed at discrediting the governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party) by assassinating prominent non-Muslims in Turkey and blaming the party for the killings.

8 soldiers testify in Poyrazköy probe

TODAY’S ZAMAN — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

A group of eight soldiers gave testimony at the Beşiktaş courthouse in İstanbul on Friday as part of a probe into munitions unearthed in İstanbul’s Poyrazköy district in April.

Taraf faces complaint over ‘Cage Operation’ report

TODAY'S ZAMAN WITH WIRES — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Maj. Gen. Ferit Güler has announced that a criminal complaint was filed against the liberal Taraf daily due to a report it published on Thursday over an action plan devised by an anti-democratic formation within the Naval Forces Command to assassinate several prominent non-Muslim figures and put the blame for the murders on the governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

‘Shady groups within TSK challenging the state’

EMRE SONCAN — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

A plot devised by a group of members of the Naval Forces Command to intimidate the country's non-Muslim population by assassinating some of their prominent figures and undermining the power of the ruling party has drawn considerable public ire, with various circles raising their voices against illegal and anti-democratic formations within the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).

Prime Minister Erdoğan slams CHP's Öymen over anti-Alevi remarks

TODAY'S ZAMAN WITH WIRES — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan yesterday lashed out at Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Onur Öymen over his remarks two weeks ago that equated a past Alevi revolt with a terrorist campaign.

‘Government plans to concentrate on Makhmour,' says Minister Atalay

TODAY'S ZAMAN WITH WIRES — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Interior Minister Beşir Atalay has said the government plans to intensify its efforts to bring more than half of those in the Makhmour refugee camp, located in northern Iraq and where most of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party's (PKK) members are located, back to Turkey as part of the government's democratic initiative to settle the Kurdish issue.

Plan for bloody attack on Koç Museum was part of Cage action plan

TODAY'S ZAMAN WITH WIRES — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

An Ergenekon-linked plot to launch a bloody attack on students visiting the Rahmi M. Koç Museum in İstanbul was part of the Cage Action Plan [Kafes], documents found attached to the action plan suggest.

US expert links Obama's success to role of Turkey

ABDULLAH BOZKURT — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

The success of US President Barack Obama's foreign policy hinges on Turkey's role, said Walter Russell Mead, a senior fellow at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), during a seminar held at the US Embassy residence in Ankara on Thursday.

Davutoğlu presses for solution in Iran nuke deadlock

TODAY’S ZAMAN — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu was in Iran’s northwestern city of Tabriz where he had talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday amidst mixed signals from world powers and an apparent new deadlock in efforts to allay Western concerns over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Eminağaoğlu to remain influential in YARSAV as spokesman

METIN ARSLAN — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

The former head of the Judges and Prosecutors Association (YARSAV), Ömer Faruk Eminağaoğlu, a jurist who is best known by the public for his remarks against the trial of Ergenekon members charged with plotting to overthrow the government and who was not re-elected to office in elections held on Sunday, is likely to retain his influence in the association as the associations spokesperson, the new YARSAV head has announced.

Turkish figures rank high on list of world’s most influential Muslims

ROBERTA DAVENPORT — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Names like Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Fethullah Gülen, Abdullah Gül and Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu are ranked near the top of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims, according to a report published by the Amman-based Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre.

Turkey-skeptic, low-profile Van Rompuy becomes EU’s first president

TODAY'S ZAMAN WITH WIRES — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Contrary to his position on Turkey’s accession to the European Union back in December 2004, the first remarks on the issue by Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy, after being appointed the first president of the EU, had an agreeable ring to them.

Ahtisaari tells EU leaders to respect membership promise to Turkey

TODAY’S ZAMAN — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Recalling that full membership is the eventual goal of ongoing accession negotiations between Turkey and the European Union, former Finnish President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari, now the chairman of the Independent Commission on Turkey, warned EU-member countries on Friday to remain committed to this goal.

‘Our banner was stolen by pro-coup members of the bar’

EMINE DOLMACI — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

A group from the Young Civilians, a civil society organization known for its creative demonstrations supporting democracy and anti-militarism, has claimed that a banner it hung on a hotel in İstanbul’s Taksim Square to express its criticism of the İstanbul Bar Association, which held a demonstration in Taksim on Wednesday, was stolen by members of the bar.

Retired colonel’s suicide found to be ‘suspicious’

TODAY'S ZAMAN WITH WIRES — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

A retired colonel committed suicide yesterday by jumping off the balcony of his apartment in İstanbul’s Kadıköy district while his wife and mother were at home.

Armenia says no further talks with Turkey unless protocols ratified

TODAY'S ZAMAN WITH WIRES — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Armenia and Turkey will hold no further major negotiations unless the national parliaments of the two countries ratify two protocols on normalization of bilateral relations, an Armenian Foreign Ministry official was quoted as saying yesterday.

Iraq election impasse continues, veto contested

REUTERS — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Iraqi lawmakers failed on Thursday to resolve differences over an election law, dampening hopes of holding a vote on time in January and throwing into doubt a partial US troop withdrawal later next year.

Swine flu death toll at 93, ministry announces

TODAY’S ZAMAN WITH WIRES — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

The Health Ministry announced on Thursday that the number of deaths caused by the H1N1 virus, which is widely known as swine flu, has increased and now stands at 93 nationwide.

Poll shows eastern Alevis want CHP’s Öymen to resign

TODAY’S ZAMAN — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

A new poll shows that more than 80 percent of Alevi respondents residing in the east of the country would like to see Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Onur Öymen resign over his recent remarks, which angered Turkey’s Alevi community.

French teacher insists Turkish student accept genocide

ALI İHSAN AYDIN — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

A news piece published in Today’s Zaman this week has reverberated in France as the drama continues to unfold around the case of a student in France suspended from school for refusing to deign to his teacher’s insistence he recognize an alleged genocide against Armenians.

IAEA boss Mohamed ElBaradei urges Iran to agree on fuel deal by end of year

REUTERS — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

The UN nuclear watchdog chief urged Iran on Friday to accept an offer to process its enriched uranium abroad by the end of 2009 and advised Western powers not to impose further sanctions on Tehran.

Rescue teams find one missing child alive in snow

TODAY’S ZAMAN WITH WIRES — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Five-year-old Sebahi Tosun, one of a group of youtg people who were lost on Wednesday morning in Ankara’s Bala district, was found alive yesterday.

Some papers fail to cover action plan against non-Muslims

TODAY’S ZAMAN — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Several newspapers yesterday failed to cover a report published by the Taraf daily on Thursday about a military plot to damage the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) by assassinating prominent non-Muslim figures in Turkey and putting the blame for the killings on the party.

Polanski will not agree to extradition, lawyer Herve Temime says in interview

REUTERS — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Roman Polanski will not agree voluntarily to being extradited to the United States over a 1970s child molestation case, the film director’s lawyer said in an interview with French daily Le Figaro published on Friday.

One dead after shootout in Esenyurt

TODAY’S ZAMAN WITH WIRES — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

One person died and one police officer was injured after an altercation between two people and police officers on Friday in İstanbul’s Esenyurt district.

Swine flu vaccine not causing deaths, WHO says

AP — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

The World Health Organization (WHO) has ruled out swine flu vaccine as the cause of death in 41 people who had received the flu shot.

China vows to punish H1N1 death cover-ups

REUTERS — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

China has promised severe punishment for officials caught concealing deaths from H1N1 flu after a medical expert said suspect cases may have been held back by local governments.

Britain hit by floods after record rainfall; bobby missing

REUTERS — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Lifeboats and military helicopters rescued hundreds of people overnight in northern England as torrential rain flooded homes and washed away bridges.

UN war crimes court appoints lawyer for Serb leader Karadzic

REUTERS — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

A London-based barrister has been named to represent former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic at his trial for war crimes and genocide, the UN criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia said on Friday.

The triumph of the powerless

MICHAEL MEYER* — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

NEW YORK -- It was early June 1989. Vaclav Havel had been released from jail only days before, yet he was full of what now seems an almost prophetic certainty.

Presidential poll in Romania could solve crisis

REUTERS — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Romania will hold a closely-fought presidential election on Sunday that could put an end to a government crisis delaying aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and revive momentum for political and economic reforms.

N. Korea, Myanmar accused of violations

REUTERS/AP — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

A special committee of the UN General Assembly condemned North Korea and Myanmar on Thursday for what it said were widespread human rights violations in the two Asian countries.

UN climate chief seeks $10 billion

REUTERS/AP — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

The UN environmental chief called on rich nations on Thursday to pledge $10 billion a year for three years at next month’s Copenhagen summit to help poor states begin to tackle the impact of climate change.

Kosovo ruling party: Coalition will stay

REUTERS — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci’s party said on Friday it would not part ways with its junior coalition partner after all, despite a quarrel stemming from this week’s local elections.

Suicide bomber kills 17 in Afghanistan

REUTERS — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

A suicide bomber on a motorcycle detonated his explosives in a crowded area in southwest Afghanistan on Friday, killing 17 people, including a senior police official, a provincial governor said.