Turkish Press Review

Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.



Most Turkish newspapers on Thursday covered ongoing claims that Germany's foreign intelligence agency has been spying on Turkey.



HURRIYET runs the headline, "Shocking detail in the document," referring to an apparent 2009 order that German Chancellor Angela Merkel charged the country's intelligence service with spying "not only on some part of Turkey but the whole country."



According to newspaper, the allegations are based on documents which a former German intelligence officer – identified only as Markus R – leaked to the U.S. 



German weekly Der Spiegel reported on Saturday that Germany's foreign intelligence agency – the BND – has been spying on Turkey since 2009.



The front page of today's YENI SAFAK reads: "Peace process was spied on." The daily claims that German intelligence spied on activities of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and energy meetings regarding Kurdish oil.



In other news, most Turkish dailies also covered Turkey's ruling AK Party Central Executive Board meeting on Thursday.



"AK Party leadership meets to nominate new chairmen, PM," said DAILY SABAH. The newspaper reported that Turkey's foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu's name "shines among possible candidates" to succeed Recep Tayyip Erdogan as prime minister.



However, in a story headlined "Judgment day," HABERTURK said that the new prime minister could be former transport minister Binali Yildirim, who is known for launching mega projects for infrastructure and transportation during his term.



Turkish dailies also covered U.S. president Barack Obama's speech on Wednesday about the murder of American journalist James Foley.



"Difficult decision," headlined VATAN. The newspaper cited President Obama describing the Islamic State militant organization as a "cancer." Obama said the U.S. will continue to do everything to protect its citizens.



Foley had been missing since November 2012 when he was seized by armed men. He had previously covered conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, where he also had been captured in 2011 and held for 44 days. 



STAR covered the story of Anadolu Agency correspondent Bilgin Sasmaz who was wounded and detained by police late Tuesday while covering protests in Ferguson, Missouri. The newspaper reported that AA started broadcasting live in Ferguson after the incident.



"Guard for Ataturk," says MILLLIYET, reporting that police officers in Turkey's south-east province of Hakkari are protecting a statue of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk – founder of the Turkish Republic – with armored cars. The move comes after a 24-year-old man died on Tuesday in clashes with security forces over the demolition of a statue to a founder of the outlawed PKK in the Lice district of Diyarbakir in Turkey's southeast.



The newspaper reported claims that pictures of vandalized Ataturk statues had been shared on social media. 



www.aa.com.tr/en - İstanbul