GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON DEC 13

HURRIYET
--ALLEGED HISTORICAL VISIT TO KIRKUK
It was asserted that President Abdullah Gul might also travel to the northern part of Iraq within the framework of the visit he was planning to pay to this country. It was alleged that Kirkuk would be included in the program of Gul's historical trip, if his health problems allow him to pay such visit.,

Turkmen representative Ali Mehdi said Iraqi President Jalal Talabani told him that he was planning to travel to Kirkuk together with Gul on December 20, after the Turkish president completed his talks in Baghdad.

--TURKS WORK WHILE AMERICANS SLEEP
American basketball player Kobe Bryant praised Turkish basketball stars during the promotion of a sneaker named after him. The star of the U.S. basketball team Los Angeles Lakers said that Mehmet Okur and Hidayet Turkoglu, Turkish sportsmen playing in the NBA league, were great players and especially Hidayet made a great progress during the last 2 years.

MILLIYET
--ANKARA FEELS UNEASY OVER TALABANI'S STATEMENT
Ankara did not welcome the statement of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani that he and Turkish President Abdullah Gul would travel to Kirkuk. This was interpreted as efforts of Iraqi party to include Kirkuk to Baghdad visit. Sources said the visit may be postponed in case problem in Turkish President Abdullah Gul's ear does not get well.

--ONE-DAY OUTLET TOUR FROM EGYPT TO ISTANBUL
Planes at Sabiha Gokcen Airport coming from countries like Egypt, Bahrain, and Qatar are full of the Arabic customers of Viaport shopping center at Kurtkoy district. Arabic customers come to Istanbul for the day and directly go Viaport where famous brand marks are sold for cheap prices. Some of them return to their countries in the same day, some of them go back after staying in Istanbul for one day.

SABAH
--DOCTOR PERMISSION FOR KIRKUK
President Abdullah Gul's visit to Iraq planned to take place this month seems to be difficult because of a problem in his ear. Final decision will be given after doctor control. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani announced the day of the visit as December 20.

--GIANT PLANES TO THY
Turkish Airlines Company (THY) rented three 312-passenger capacity Boeing 777 planes from India. Indian pilots will use the planes till Turkish pilots learn to operate it.

VATAN
--HISTORICAL STEP FROM GUL
President Abdullah Gul included the northern part of Iraq in the program of the visit he was planning to pay to this country on December 20. If there are not any last-minute changes, after completing his talks in Baghdad, Gul will go to Kirkuk, the most problematic region in the north of Iraq, together with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

--HE SAID "NO" TO PEACE, BUT COULD NOT DEFEAT "ANGEL OF DEATH"
Former Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos, who rejected the Annan Plan in 2004 and made Cyprus miss a historical opportunity, died of cancer at the age of 74. Papadopoulos was receiving treatment in an intensive care unit since November due to restrictive pulmonary syndrome.

CUMHURIYET
--TURKEY IS A "REGIONAL" COUNTRY
Officials said during the recent EU summit that "regional players" should be brought together in order to solve the problems in regions close to EU. "Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar play remarkable roles in the region. Working with Turkey, including the cooperation carried out through the Alliance of Civilizations initiative, offers a special opportunity," EU officials said.

--HASANKEYF TO BE SAVED
Austria, one of the sponsors of the construction process of Ilisu Dam that would leave the archeological site of Hasankeyf under water, said that it would withdraw its support from the project. Austria said it would act so as the 153 criteria envisaging the protection of the historical, cultural and social structure of the region could not be met.

RADIKAL
--TALABANI: GUL AND ME WILL BE IN KIRKUK ON DECEMBER 20
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said, "Turkish President Abdullah Gul and me will visit Kirkuk on December 20." A conditional confirmation came from Cankaya Palace: President Abdullah Gul who has ear problem will go on the tour in case doctors allow him.

--20,000 WORKERS RETURN FROM RUSSIA IN TWO MONTHS
Investments of Turkish contractors came to a halt in Russia which was one of the countries that was affected the most from global financial crisis. Number of Turkish workers returning to Turkey reached 20,000 in two months as contractor services slowed down or completely ended.

YENI SAFAK
--OBAMA TO DELIVER SPEECH IN ISTANBUL
It was alleged that U.S. president-elect Barack Obama, who desires to improve USA's image in the Islam world, will deliver the "great speech" he promissed in Istanbul. U.S. press claimed that Istanbul was the most appropriate place to deliver such speech as it was located in a region connecting the East and the West.

--DEFEATED BY CANCER
Former Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos, who was suffering from lung cancer, lost his life in Lefkosa.  Papadopoulos had been in the intensive care unit of the Lefkosa Greek Hospital since November 22.