GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON FEB 13

HURRIYET
-- "THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS"
Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) Chairperson Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag said after her meeting with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan that there had been a significant progress in talks between Turkish government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). "Our thoughts and proposals are in parallel with it but we need to make more progress," Yalcindag added.
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-- GENERAL STAFF'S HARSH REACTION
The General Staff said that some news reports about statements of Ibrahim Sahin, one of suspects of the Ergenekon probe, could not be taken seriously. Earlier, Sahin said that he was working together with the General Staff to create S-1 teams of 150-300 police and army officers. "It is quite ridiculous and unserious that commander of an army of 700 thousand personnel was in need of a 300-member illegal organization," the army said.
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-- "LIFE IMPRISONMENT DOES NOT ENOUGH FOR HONOR KILLING"
The Supreme Court of Appeals overruled a sentence of life imprisonment given to Fuat Karadag who murdered his pregnant niece in an honor killing on the ground that life imprisonment was not an enough verdict for honor killing. The court said that the convict should be sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment. If sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment, the convict will not be able to benefit from amnesty.
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MILLIYET
-- THERE IS PROOF, BUT RELEASED DUE TO AGE
Prosecutors, who are carrying out the Ergenekon investigation, objected to retired Gen. Hursit Tolon's release by the court on duty of the 12th High Criminal Court of Istanbul. Officials from the same court, who processed the appeal, rejected the request for detention and said "there were still strong reasons requiring Tolon's detention, however, it should be decided that he should be tried without arrest due to his age and health condition".
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-- ARE YOU GOING TO DIRECT THE MEDIA?
Republican People's Party (CHP) chairperson Deniz Baykal commented on Premier Tayyip Erdogan's remarks asking for a boycott against several newspapers. Baykal said that Erdogan should clearly express what had been written wrong about himself by the media, adding that the prime minister was not in a position to direct the press.
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SABAH
-- COURT REJECTS OBJECTION TO FORMER GENERAL'S RELEASE IN ERGENEKON PROBE
A criminal court rejected an appeal by prosecutors for the cancellation of the release of a former general in the probe into Ergenekon case, an alleged criminal network with suspected links to the military and bureaucracy. Prosecutors objected to the release of Hursit Tolon, who was accused of plotting to overthrow the government. "Strong doubt and arrest reasons are still in place. But the age and health condition of the suspect need trial without arrest," court said in its rejection.
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-- LANDSLIDE KILLS ONE IN ISTANBUL
One person was killed when landslide hit two houses in a shanty town area in Istanbul's Seyrantepe district. Fire fighters pulled out four people from under debris to safety. Heavy rain caused the landslide.

VATAN
-- "WE WILL NOT BE AN INSTRUMENT OF INSTIGATIONS"
The General Staff reacted harshly to the statements of Ibrahim Sahin, who was under arrest within the scope of the Ergenekon probe. Earlier, Sahin said that he was working to form S-1 teams with 150-300 police and army officers upon directives of Gen. Metin Gurak. "It is quite ridiculous and unserious that commander of an army of 700 thousand personnel was in need of a 300-member illegal organization. It is also serious that some people and institutions actually believed him," the army said.
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-- OBJECTION TO TOLON'S RELEASE
The High Criminal Court in Istanbul changed its reason to release retired Gen. Hursit Tolon while rejecting an objection of the prosecutors carrying out the Ergenekon probe to his release. The court indicated that the suspect should be tried without detention because of his age and health conditions. Earlier, the court on duty released Tolon on the ground of lack of evidence.
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CUMHURIYET
-- COURT REJECTS OBJECTION TO RELEASE OF FORMER GENERAL
A criminal court in Istanbul rejected an objection by prosecutors to the release of former general Hursit Tolon in the Ergenekon case, citing the suspect's health condition and his age. Court said "strong doubt and arrest reasons remained in place" for Tolon, who was accused of plotting to overthrow the government.
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-- UNEMPLOYMENT BOOM
Applications to Turkey's state-run employment agency skyrocketed in January as unemployment rate boomed due to a global financial malady. The number of applications increased by 94.9 percent, reaching slightly over 1 million in total. 156,411 people applied to the agency in January alone.
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RADIKAL
-- SOCIAL STATE ON RISE
The amount of the "social aid" given to citizens in January 2009 is equal to the total amount given throughout 2007. Social transfers rose significantly in July 2008 and are reaching the peak point as the local elections gets closer. The figures provided by the Ministry of Finance reveal that the government has started to fulfill the requirements of being a social state better than ever as the date for local elections draws near.
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-- NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED INCREASES BY 95 PERCENT IN JANUARY
According to the figures of Turkish employment agency, applications made by unemployed citizens increased by 94.9 percent in January 2009 compared to the same month of last year. Officials said that the number of applications reached 151,530 in January. On the other hand, job placements in the private sector dropped by 30 percent while it increased by 214 percent in the public sector.

YENI SAFAK
-- WE DO NOT HAVE ANY RELATIONS WITH THE OUTLAWED
General Staff reacted harshly upon the recent statements of Ergenekon detainee Ibrahim Sahin. Releasing a statement, General Staff said that Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) could not have any relations with outlawed persons or institutions. "We will not give in to those provoking us," the statement also said.
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-- INCENTIVE SURPRISE FROM SIMSEK
Despite Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan's harsh statements regarding IMF, State Minister Mehmet Simsek said that the studies carried out with the fund would continue. Speaking at a conference on investments, Simsek also said that the confidence of investors should be kept alive. Simsek said several special incentives would be offered to investors soon.