GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON DEC 20

HURRIYET

-- LUCKY DRAW FOR GALATASARAY

Galatasaray soccer team of Turkey will take on France's Bordoeaux team in the UEFA Cup third round. If Galatasaray defeats Bordoeaux in the games to be played in France on February 18 or 19, 2009 and in Turkey on February 29, 2009, it will play against the winner of NEC Nijmegen (the Netherlands)-Hamburg SV (Germany) game.

-- I DON'T LET PEOPLE TO SHROUD UNDEAD PATIENT

Replying to criticisms that measures were not taken against economic crisis, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "Have you ever seen or heard a family or a doctor who prepares shroud for a patient who does not even give signals of death?"

MILLIYET

-- PRESIDENT GUL AND TUSIAD LIKE-MINDED

High-level executives of Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) criticized Turkish government for not taking critical steps against the global financial crisis and for leaving the EU process out of the agenda. In a like-minded fashion, President Abdullah Gul expressed that the government had been slow in EU reforms and in making an agreement with the IMF.

-- AKBANK RECEIVES SYNDICATED LOAN OF 2 BLN USD IN 2008

Turkey's Akbank received a syndicated loan of 600 million USD on December 19 that would be paid back in a year. The bank has received a total syndicated loan of two billion USD in 2008. This amount is the biggest one received by any Turkish private bank in 2008.

SABAH

-- U.N. OFFICIAL: 2009 LAST CHANCE IN CYPRUS FOR PEACE

Alexander Downer, the special adviser of the UN Secretary General on Cyprus, said that the United Nations got tired of the Cyprus issue. "If no result is attained in 2009, we will stop seeking for a solution in Cyprus. Then, the island will definitely remain divided," Downer said.

VATAN

-- I AM THE DOCTOR OF THIS COUNTRY

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan --replying to criticisms that measures were not taken against economic crisis-- defined Turkey as 'a patient who does not give signals of death', and himself as 'a doctor keeping the patients' morale high'. Erdogan said, "have you ever seen or heard a family and a doctor who prepares shroud for a patient who does not even give signals of death?"

-- TERRORIST CAN CAST VOTE TOO

Regarding the claims that names of PKK terrorists are also recorded at electoral register, Higher Election Board (YSK) Chairman Muammer Aydin said, "everybody who is 18 years old is voter. For example, if a soldier captured a terrorist and put into prison, that terrorist uses his/her vote in the prison. There is no obstacle, because that terrorist is not a convict. But if he/she was a convict, then could not cast vote."

CUMHURIYET

-- BOTH WRONG AND HARMFUL

General Staff Communication Department Chief Metin Gurak said that the online apology campaign for the events of 1915 was both wrong and harmful. Gurak said, "we definitely do not consider the campaign right. This apology is wrongful and it may lead to harmful consequences."

-- ELECTION EXCITEMENT IN AKP

Several executives of AKP said during the central executive board meeting of the party that the price increase in natural gas would affect the number of AKP's votes negatively. They said that the high price increase should not be made at a single time; it should be extended to years.

RADIKAL

-- TWO MORE CHAPTERS

Two chapters, "Free Movement of Capital" and "Information Society and Media", were opened to negotiations within the scope of Turkey's EU accession process. The chapters were opened in an intergovernmental conference in Brussels. Earlier, eight chapters were opened.

-- SOLIDARITY WITH EVERYBODY IS NECESSARY

Regarding the economic crisis, President Abdullah Gul called on the government, business world and labor unions to make consensus. Gul said that claiming that the crisis would not affect countries like Turkey --which had high growth performance-- was not logical.

YENI SAFAK

-- GESTURE OF CENTRAL BANK PLEASES TURKISH MARKET

Turkish Central Bank has pleased the Turkish market after lowering interest rates 1.25 percent. The possibility that the interest rates would continue to go down has been a matter of morale for Turkish businessmen.

-- REFORMS ARE FOR TURKEY AND NOT EU, PRESIDENT GUL

Turkish President Abdullah Gul said that the reforms being made were not merely for the European Union but Turkey itself. Turkey should not abandon the reform process even though there might be some negative signals coming from some EU circles, Gul said.