Turkish Press Review

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



The Turkish press on Thursday covered Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's speech at the inauguration of a high-speed train between the cities of Konya and Istanbul.



SABAH leads with Erdogan's criticism of the European Union for its stance on the ongoing investigation on senior media and police officials in Turkey.



The newspaper "es Erdogan as saying: "You (the EU) were silent on Egypt, Syria, Ukraine. You are supporting coup attempts in Turkey."



A police operation was launched Sunday against 31 people in 13 provinces across Turkey for allegedly being affiliated with what the Turkish government described as the "parallel state," an alleged group of bureaucrats - led by U.S.-based preacher Fethullah Gulen - embedded in the country's institutions, including the judiciary and the police. More than 20 suspects were taken into custody in the operation, including the editor-in-chief of Turkey's Zaman daily, Ekrem Dumanli.



HURRIYET adds that Erdogan harshly criticized Gulen on the anniversary of the "December 17 probe," in which a number of high-profile figures, including the sons of three former government ministers and leading Turkish businessmen were accused of corruption in 2013 - a move the government believes to be the work of what it calls the "parallel state."



Turkish dailies also covered the latest development between the U.S. and Cuba.



"The U.S. and Cuba make peace," reads VATAN's front page. The newspaper notes that after over 50 years of diplomatic silence, Cuba and the U.S. are set on normalizing diplomatic relations.



"Surprise kiss with Cuba," headlines MILLIYET, referring to U.S President Barack Obama and Cuban leader Raul Castro's unexpected announcement. 



"USA-Cuba 'solution process' started,"  reads HABERTURK's front page, in reference to the name attributed to Turkey's own normalization negotiations with the outlawed PKK to end a 40-year conflict. 



 Meanwhile, the Turkish Supreme Court decided that a field in Istanbul's wealthy Fenerbahce district would be registered officially under the name of the descendant of its former Greek owners. 



"An exemplary verdict from Turkey's supreme court," said MILLIYET.



A 1964 court verdict had restricted minorities' rights to ownership, said the newspaper.



The field, which today houses the Fenerbahce Mosque, was confiscated by the Turkish state that same year.



Following the Supreme Court's decision, reports the daily, the field, valued at $12 million, will be returned to 92-year-old Greek Stamatis Papamanolaki, a descendant of a former Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Phanar (Fener in Turkish), traditionally the Greek minority's spiritual leader.



www.aa.com.tr/en - İstanbul