GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON AUGUST 8

These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in the Turkish press on August 8, 2008. Hurriyet English does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET

--HURRIYET'S FREEDOM TRAIN IN KUTAHYA

Hurriyet's Human Rights Train, which set off to voice equality, freedom and what should be done against domestic violence to Turkish people, arrived at the Aegean province of Kutahya. The residents showed a great interest in the train. A photo exhibition on Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Founder of the Republic of Turkey, opened at Kutahya Train Station.

--SOZEN SAYS SCHOOLS SHOULD HAVE PRAYER ROOMS

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy chairperson Edibe Sozen said she was inspired by Germany in regard to the draft law on protection of youth which said that all schools including primary ones should have prayer rooms. The draft law prepared by Sozen said the state was obliged to establish prayer rooms at schools for healthy development of youth.

MILLIYET

--MORTAR ATTACK

Four mortars were fired from a device set up in Karacaahmet graveyard in Istanbul. One of the mortars hit the nearby municipal building. Their real target was the military barracks across the municipal building, but they fell short of their intended target. Four people were slightly injured in the blasts.

--CHEAPER FLIGHTS IN HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN

The Turkish Airlines (THY) will make a 25 percent cut in ticket fees for domestic flights during the holy month of Ramadan.

--OLYMPIC GAMES TO BEGIN

The 29th Olympic Games will begin in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. Inauguration ceremonies will take place at around 15:00 Turkish time. Turkey will compete in 12 events for the first time in its history. Sixty-eight athletes including 20 women, will vie for medal in the events of athletics, wrestling, weight-lifting, taekwondo, boxing, swimming, sailing, table tennis, archery, shooting, judo and cycling.

SABAH

--PROVOCATION WITH MORTAR IN ISTANBUL

Assailants attempted to hit military barracks where 1st Army Command is located in Istanbul. Four mortar shells fired from a device in Karacaahmet Cemetery, which is 300 meters away from the barracks, could not hit their targets as they were damp and old. Three of them fell in the cemetery and one of them fell near a garbage truck at a municipality building parking lot. Four people were slightly injured.

Police teams are now searching for two people, one of whom is a woman.

--SECRET WITNESS SCANDAL

One of the 12 secret witnesses of the Ergenekon case was uncovered when a document, including his name, was added to the case file.

The witness with the code name "Galip", who is one of the leading names of the terrorist organization PKK, testified regarding the assassination of prominent journalist Ugur Mumcu.

"(Terrorist head) Ocalan told me that Mumcu was killed because he disclosed my relation with pilot Necati," the secret witness said in his testimony.

VATAN

--POSSIBILITY OF A GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLE

It was claimed that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was getting ready to make a reshuffle in the cabinet in August and give place to new names. According to allegations, the Ministry of Culture & Tourism will be divided into two. Ertugrul Gunay will remain in the office as culture minister. Either Nimet Cubukcu or Omer Celik is expected to be appointed as tourism minister.

National Education Minister Huseyin Celik will be transferred to another ministry. Mehmet Saglam, Eyup Fatsa or Besir Atalay will replace Celik. If Atalay is appointed as new education minister, Idrim Naim Sahin can become the new interior minister. Former Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc is expected to take place in the cabinet as a deputy prime minister.

--MORTAR ATTACK ON MILITARY BARRACKS

Four mortars were fired from Karacaahmet graveyard in Istanbul at nearby military barracks in Uskudar district of Istanbul. The mortars fell short of their intended target and went off outside a municipal building. Four people were slightly injured in the blasts.

CUMHURIYET

--TARGET: SELIMIYE

Three people were slightly injured in explosions occurred near a municipality building in Istanbul. Assailants tried to hit Selimiye barracks with mortar shells from Karacaahmet Cemetery near the barracks but they failed as shells blew up before reaching the barracks, officials said.

One of the shells hit a garbage truck in the municipality parking lot 500 meters near the barracks, other 3 shells exploded in the cemetery.

--TUSIAD CRITICIZES TOO

Business circles, who objected to political interference in education, reacted to rector appointments made by President Abdullah Gul.

Turkish Industrialists' & Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) said in statement that education should be taken out of political reach.

"There is no doubt that authorized bodies would use their authorities. However, this authority has not changed the problematic structure of the higher education system, and almost every appointment or decision has caused controversies. It is obvious that the higher education should be re-structured," TUSIAD said.

RADIKAL

--MORTAR SHELL ATTACK IN USKUDAR

A mortar shell attack took place in Uskudar district of Turkish metropolis of Istanbul. Four mortar shells crashed into garden of a municipal building in Uskudar. Three people were slightly injured. Officials from the police department said mortar shells which were fired from Karacaahmet Cemetery targeted Selimiye Barracks, headquarters of the First Army.

--HARSH STATEMENT FROM AKP TO IMF

The ruling AKP made a harsh statement to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which made some warnings to the Turkish government in regard to high current deficit and economic stability the previous day. State Minister Mehmet Simsek who paid a visit to Anadolu Agency (A.A) HQ said IMF program could not solve current account deficit problem of Turkey, in fact it was a by-product of IMF program.

YENI SAFAK

--WAS KOCMAN PASHA TARGET OF MORTAR ATTACK?

A mortar attack has been staged on a municipal building in Uskudar district on Istanbul's Asian side. The mortars fired from the nearby graveyard, went off outside the building slightly injuring three workers. Police found firing device in the graveyard. Since the mortars were old and damp, they could not reach the indented target of military barracks.

During the attack, First Army Commander Gen. Ismail Kocman was visiting the barracks.

--ISRAEL LOOKS FOR TURKISH HEROES

Israel has launched a new and comprehensive initiative regarding Turkish people who saved many Jewish people from being sent to concentration and death camps of Nazi Germany during the World War II. The Wallenberg Foundation and Association of Turks in Israel will conduct a research about Turkish people who saved Jews from the Holocaust. Behic Erkin, Necdet Kent, Namik Kemal Yolga, Fikret Sefik Ozdoganci, Bedii Arbel and Fuad Carim will be introduced to the world as the saviors.

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