Turkish Press Review

ANKARA (A.A) - November 3, 2011 - Turkish dailies mostly covered in their Thursday editions Turkish premier's visit to Germany and his meeting with the German chancellor, a controversial top court decision over a rape case as well as a French court ruling to sentence several PKK members to prison terms. "PKK has collected 6 million euros in Germany alone which goes to the terrorist organization. I hope my German counterpart and German authorities will act more sensitively on this issue," daily HURRIYET quoted Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as telling a Berlin ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the migration of Turkish guest workers to Germany. Touching on discussions over integration of Turks in the German society Erdogan said Turkey and Germany agreed that assimilation was a crime against humanity as much as racism and discrimination. "We agree on the need for integration. Turkey supports it and encourages it. We call on Turks living in Germany to become German citizens," he said. Daily CUMHURIYET quoted German Chancellor Angela Merkel as saying, "I am the chancellor of all people living in Germany." She said Germany was "doing its best" against activities of the terrorist PKK organization. Daily VATAN headlined "Scream of N.C." when telling a ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeals that upheld a lower court decision to reduce the sentences of 26 rapists convicted of unlawful sex with a 13-year-old saying that the victim with initials N.C. "consented" to sexual intercourse. Daily MILLIYET said the top court ruling had drawn fierce reaction from politicians as Family Minister Fatma Sahin was first to lash out at the ruling: "This is just horrible." Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin said courts would never pass such judgements again. "This ruling shows the decay in the judiciary," said Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of Turkey's main opposition party. Daily ZAMAN quoted a press release by the Supreme Court of Appeals that its ruling was not final, adding that a higher chamber within the court could overrule the decision.  Daily SABAH said a court in Paris on Wednesday sentenced 17 PKK members to prison terms of one up to five years in a case over the terrorist group's activities in France, adding that the convicts included PKK top operative in Europe Ali Riza Altun and Nedim Seven, the group's financial coordinator. SABAH said the court also ruled in favor of shutting down a "culture center" which it saw as an operation base for PKK in France.