Turks remember victims of Islamist attack

A crowd of 10,000 people gathered in the Turkish city of Sivas on Monday (July 2nd) to remember 37 secular intellectuals who were killed by Islamic extremists in 1993. Poets, singers, dancers and journalists died on July 2, 1993, when their hotel was set on fire. They had gathered to honour the memory of a16th century poet hanged for opposing religious oppression.In other news, the World Bank announced that it had granted a loan of $500m to promote economic growth and reduce unemployment in Turkey. The money will be spent under a special programme aimed at improving the investment climate, curbing the grey sector of the economy, and helping the country sustain its high growth rates.