Press Roundup

Bugün: “Internet inhibits brain development by two years,” was the headline of a front-page story reporting that with frequent Internet usage, children’s brains have not been developing in recent years as fast as in the past, according to the head of a parliamentary commission on research of information and the Internet, Professor Necdet Ünüvar. He said the number of virtual and technological devices in the world was 500 million in 2003, which has increased to 12.5 billion today. Ünüvar suggested that we should train specialists in software and cyber warfare. “Only 1 percent of Internet users can write software,” he said.

Akşam: “The victory of a citizen,” read the headline of the paper’s major story, reporting that Samet Yıldız, who has been saving money to buy a house but still needs TL 20,000 more to have enough, decided to ask Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan for the money. When Yıldız heard about a meeting that Çağlayan would be attending and the hotel at which it would be held, he waited until the end of the meeting and managed to get Çağlayan to listen to his problem. Listening to Yıldız, Çağlayan asked for TL 15,000 from two other businessmen and provided the rest of the money himself.

Taraf: “Muslims become Kemalists,” quoted the headline of a front-page story covering an interview with poet Hilmi Yavuz. “Muslims have become Kemalists without noticing it. Just like Kemalism is wrongly thought to be only about wearing European-style hats and ties, Islam is regarded as being only about wearing the headscarf,” said Yavuz. Also commenting on a recent debate over the independence of theaters, the poet said art should be left to artists. “There cannot be such a thing as bureaucrats interfering with art. This is the rule of the game,” he said.