ISTANBUL
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Most Turkish dailies on Monday covered the story of four French journalists who were released after 10 months’ captivity in Syria.
Daily YENI SAFAK quotes one of the freed reporters, Nicolas Henin, saying they owe their freedom to Turkey.
“Our captors had directed us to the Turkish military base ... We were released thanks to Turkey. We thank Turkey and the Turkish army,” the daily quotes Henin as saying.
DAILY SABAH runs with the headline: 'Freed journalists back in France' – saying the four reporters arrived home on Sunday to be greeted by their families and French President Francois Hollande.
Daily AKSAM lead with: ‘Turkey saves us’ and quotes the French president thanking Turkey.
Nicolas Henin, Pierre Torres, Edouard Elias and Didier Francois were found in Turkey’s south-eastern province of Sanliurfa blindfolded with their hands bound. They arrived on Sunday at a military base in northern France from Turkey.
Most Turkish dailies also covered Istanbul football team Fenerbahce’s costly draw with city rivals Besiktas – a result which has delayed it from declaring the championship.
MILLIYET published the headline: “No championship at the derby match,” reporting on the 1-1 in draw on matchday 30 of the Turkish Spor Toto Super League on Sunday.
Daily RADIKAL ran with “One point to the championship” reporting that if Fenerbahce can win one point against Caykur Rizespor next week, it will declare victory in the Turkish league.
The Turkish dailies have also covered Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s campaign for the presidency, which will start in Germany.
Daily YENI SAFAK published the headline: 'First meeting in Europe,' adding around 2.6 million Turks living abroad will go to the polls for the first time in Turkish history. Erdogan’s first meeting will be in Germany’s fourth-largest city, Cologne.
The first round of the election will be held on August 10 and the second on August 24. The candidate securing 51 percent of the votes in the first round will be directly elected but if all candidates fail to reach that threshold, voting will go to a second round.
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