RPT-PRESS DIGEST - Turkey - April 30
ISTANBUL, April 30 (Reuters) - These are the leading stories in the Turkish press on Thursday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
RADIKAL
- The Central Bank is very pessimistic: The minutes from the last interest-rate meeting say Turkey faces a record economic contraction and that any growth in the first quarter is only due to extraordinary measures. The bank urges the government to maintain fiscal discipline.
VATAN
- Industry Minister Zafer Caglayan criticises commercial banks for lowering interest rates on their deposit accounts while keeping lending rates high after the Central Bank's record rate cuts.
REFERANS
- Turkey faces a $40 billion bill: Property belonging to expatriates and Turkish Cypriots in northern Cyprus is at risk after the Court of Justice of the European Communities rules that Greek Cypriot courts can sue individuals to recover land.
- Otokar (OTKAR.IS), the vehicle manufacturer owned by Koc Holding (KCHOL.IS), posts an 18 percent decline in first-quarter net profit as demand in the automotive sector worldwide slumps. Sales fall 2 percent to 117.5 million lira.
- Turkish tour operators say they expect a rise in reservations as tourists avoid places like the U.S., Mexico, France and Spain because of a swine-flu outbreak.
MILLIYET
- Former Central Bank governor Sureyya Serdengecti says tax auditing has been "politicised" and that some companies are being fined unfairly.
- Chief of the military General Staff Ilker Basbug says coup plotters won't be able to shelter in the Turkish armed forces.
STAR
- Turkey must finish the fight against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) this year by changing laws to encourage militants to turn themselves in, Basbug tells a press conference in Ankara.
CUMHURIYET
- The United States has made no requests from Turkey on Iraq or Afghanistan, Basbug says. Turkey can only open the border with Armenia if it ends its occupation of Azeri land, he says.
HURRIYET
- Turkey and Armenia will begin a more intensive round of talks aimed at normalising relations over the next few weeks in meetings that will take place in Switzerland, the United States and Russia.
YENI SAFAK
- Mehmet Ali Agca, who attempted to kill Pope John Paul II in 1981 and is currently imprisoned in Turkey, converts to Catholicism and is seeking a Catholic wife.
