GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON OCT 27

HURRIYET
- DEVIANT WITH HELMET IS A TENOR
Thirty-one-year-old, awarded tenor, Sahin O., was arrested after raping 10 young girls in the past five months after chasing them on his motorcycle. Sahin O., was a past member of the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet. Sahin O, earlier denied the accusations but later accepted his crime on fingerprints and DNA report evidence.

--SECRETARY AND DRIVER DETAINED IN ERGENEKON

Four people, close to journalist Tuncay Ozkan who was earlier detained, were detained under the Ergenekon probe. Anet Sahakyan, who was Ozkan's assistant before he sold Kanalturk TV station; his driver Sener Ozturk; and Fuat Garip who was working at the data processing unit of the TV station, were taken into custody in Istanbul. Merdan Yanardag, a program producer at Kanalturk station, was detained in Ankara.

--TORRENTIAL RAINS AND FLOOD IN ISTANBUL
Around 70 kg/m2 rain fell in the metropolis of Istanbul in two days, above the October rainfall average. Many streets, roads, underpasses and workplaces were flooded. Tavukcu brook in Bagcilar district and Ayamama brook in Sefakoy were flooded. Basin Ekspres street was flooded and traffic was brought to a standstill

MILLIYET
--ARE WE GOING TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT WITH IMF UNDER YOUR ORDERS, PREMIER ERDOGAN
Premier Tayyip Erdogan said there were circles who were trying to give counseling to the government about talks with the IMF. "Are we going to hold talks with the IMF and reach an agreement under orders from you? We will make an agreement only if it is to our benefit," said Erdogan. "If you sign a flexible agreement with us, that's fine, we will sign it. But if you want to seize this opportunity to 'ram it down our throat', we will not let that happen," said Erdogan to the IMF.

TURKISH AIRLINES BACK IN BAGHDAD AFTER 17 YEARS
Turkish Airlines resumed flights to Baghdad, which were halted in 1991 during the 1st Gulf crisis. It will make three flights to Baghdad weekly: Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

SABAH
--THY STARTS FLIGHTS TO BAGHDAD
Turkish Airlines (THY), which stopped its Istanbul-Baghdad flights during Gulf War in 1991, restarted the flights after a hiatus of 17 years. Return flights will cost 2,000 YTL and will be held three times a week.

--RAINFALL NIGHTMARE IN THREE CITIES
Heavy rainfall paralyzed daily life in Istanbul, the eastern province of Van and the southeastern province of Sanliurfa. Houses were flooded and cars were stranded in the streets in Umraniye and Arnavutkoy districts of Istanbul. Water levels at dams rose one percent in one day.

VATAN
--I WILL AGREE WITH IMF IF THEY DO NOT STRANGLE US
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan sent messages to both the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation, which is currently visiting Turkey, and the business world that wants a new agreement with the fund. Erdogan said, "They are giving us advice. Are we going to sit at a table with the IMF under your instructions? We are actually having talks with the IMF, and it (the relationship) is based on mutual interests. I will sign a deal if it is in line with my interests. However, we will not darken our future by giving in to the IMF's demands in such a medium of crisis."

--BOTH DAMS AND GROUND FLOORS FLOODED
Some 530 workplaces and dwellings were flooded and hundreds of traffic accidents happened following torrential rains in Istanbul. Ayamama and Bagcilar brooks overflowed due to torrential rain while customers and employees were stranded inside a supermarket in Bagcilar district. Around 65 kg/m2 rain fell in Istanbul. Authorities will measure the level of water at Istanbul's dams on Monday.

CUMHURIYET
--FOUR NEW ARRESTS IN ERGENEKON PROBE
Police made new arrests in Ankara and Istanbul under orders from prosecutor Zekeriya Oz, who is carrying out the Ergenekon investigation. Former Kanalturk executive Merdan Yanardag was taken into police custody along with another accused Tuncay Ozkan's assistants Anet Sahakyan, Fuat Garip and his driver Sener Ozturk.

--SUSPECT WANTED UNDER DENIZ FENERI INVESTIGATION, HAPPENS TO BE PARTNERS WITH INTERIOR MINISTER
Another connection in "Deniz Deneri e.v" case was brought to light. Justice and Development Party member Veli Korkmaz, who was in the wanted list of a corruption investigation in Germany in 2004, had co-founded a company together with Interior Minister Besir Atalay, head of Turkey's Radio and Television Supreme Council, Zahid Akman, and Kanal 7 Executive Zekeriya Karaman.

RADIKAL
--ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION DROPPED
The increase in electricity consumption, which was 8.3 percent in 2006 and 8.9 percent in 2007, remained at 2.4 percent in September this year.

--FOUR MORE PEOPLE DETAINED IN ERGENEKON
Merdan Yanardag, who is producing a program for Kanalturk TV channel, as well as two people with the channel's data processing unit and the driver of Tuncay Ozkan, who is still being held, were taken into custody within the scope of Ergenekon inquiry.

--THY ON ITS WAY TO BAGHDAD
Turkish Airlines (THY), which stopped its flights to Baghdad during the Gulf war in 1991, restarted them after a hiatus of 17 years. Three mutual flights will be held in a week. THY is also planning to schedule flights to some other cities of Iraq.

YENI SAFAK
--FLIES TO BAGHDAD 17 YEARS LATER
The Turkish Airlines (THY) resumed its flights to Baghdad 17 years later. The company suspended its flights to the Iraqi capital due to war in the country. State Minister Kursad Tuzmen and Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim were aboard the aircraft that flew to Baghdad for the first time in 17 years. There will be three flights between Istanbul and Baghdad a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

--CHEAP INTEREST AND FUEL OIL TO ALLEVIATE CRISIS
Representatives of the real sector have proposed two remedies against the global crisis: The central bank should cut interest rates, and energy costs should be diminished. When all countries are taking different measures to overcome the economic crisis with the least loss, the Turkish real sector expresses concern over high interest rates. Representatives of the real sector think that the impact of crisis that has not been fully seen in the markets yet and can be lessened by implementing a low interest rate policy and reducing energy and labor costs.