Turkish press review

The Sabah daily wrote that nine military officers -- including Col. Lokman Ekinci, Col. İsmail Hakkı Önder, Gen. Fevzi Türkeri and Gen. Yıldırım Türker -- were arrested in the third wave of the Feb. 28, 1997 postmodern coup investigation. The paper also wrote that the court released three officers.

The second most widely reported story was an oil drilling initiative in the KKTC. The Zaman daily stated that the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) launched a land drilling initiative in the KKTC in response to the Greek Cypriot administration's drilling for natural gas in the south. According to the paper, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yıldız said drilling would be the reason for peace on the island.

Several dailies also wrote on the anniversary of the April 27 e-memorandum. Zaman interviewed Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chairman Hüseyin Çelik, who was the national education minister in 2007 when the e-memorandum was posted on the General Staff's website. Çelik told Zaman that the AK Party decided it would not follow the example of the Refah-Yol coalition government, which resigned after the post-modern military intervention in 1997. Çelik added that the AK Party decided to stand firm on its feet and do what it had to do.

Another popular topic was Erdoğan's meeting with his Australian counterpart, Julia Gillard. Yeni Şafak wrote that Erdoğan had a two-hour meeting with Gillard, who was visiting Turkey for the annual commemoration service held at Anzac Cove in memory of troops from Australia and New Zealand who died during World War I. According to the paper, Gillard presented a ball signed by footballers from the Australian national team as a gift to Erdoğan, and he headed the ball against the wall.