Turkish Press Review

ISTANBUL (AA) - Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

Turkish newspapers on Thursday reported on the goodwill expressed for normalizing ties between Russia and Turkey, a relationship which soured after the downing of a Russian jet in November last year.

Daily newspaper Milliyet covered the story with the headline: "Let’s protect humanity together," quoting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaking at a fast-breaking iftar dinner at the Presidential Palace in Ankara Wednesday.

Milliyet said Russian Ambassador in Ankara, Andrey Karlov, attended the iftar during which Erdogan called on world powers to take a joint position against terrorism.

Daily newspaper HABERTURK ran the story with the headline: "A Counter Gesture from Russia".

The paper said that following a letter by Erdogan to Russian President Vladimir Putin to congratulate him on Russian Nation Day on June 12, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said his country "wants a normalization of ties with Turkey.”

Daily newspaper Vatan also ran a similar headline: "Gesture for Gesture".

The paper said tension between the two countries was "softening," as Kremlin responded to Erdogan’s hopes for "relations to reach the level they deserve in the future."

However, Moscow said the normalization of relations depended on "steps taken by Ankara," Vatan newspaper reported.

Daily newspaper Sabah ran the headline: "Mobilization to Normalization". It also quoted Kremlin spokesman Peskov as saying: "We want good relations again with Turkey."

Yeni Safak daily newspaper ran the headline: "Both Countries Are Willing," next to images of the Turkish and Russian flags posted side-by-side.

The paper also quoted Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus as saying: "An important step has been taken in the normalization process with the letters sent by our president and prime minister."

Star daily newspaper ran a headline quoting Erdogan as saying: "We will never allow the formation of the PYD [the Syrian affiliate of the PKK terror group] in our [southern borders]."

The second most covered story in Turkish press on Thursday was about three men being handed down life sentences over the first terrorist Daesh attack in the central city of Nigde in Turkey in 2014.

Turkish daily newspaper Cumhuriyet ran the headline: "10 life sentences".

The newspaper reported that German national Benjamin Xu received four life sentences, Swiss citizen Cendrim Ramadani five life sentences and Macedonian national Muhammed Zakri one life sentence over the Daesh terrorist attack that killed a military officer, a police officer and a truck driver.

Hurriyet daily newspaper quoted the lawyer of the killed truck driver’s family as saying: "It was the right decision. Justice has been served."