GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON DEC 25

HURRIYET
-- CRISIS IS NOT REAL, IT'S PSYCHOLOGICAL
Premier Tayyip Erdogan who described the impact of the economic crisis on Turkey by saying "thank God, the crisis circumvented us," said yesterday that the crisis was psychological. Erdogan said, "We will continue to successfully pursue our goals in this term, because the issue in Turkey is psychological. And there are people in Turkey who are exerting efforts to fan the flames of this crisis."
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-- VILLIANOUS ATTACK IN CIZRE: THREE KILLED, NINE WOUNDED
PKK terrorists opened fire on a military vehicle carrying soldiers who were returning from border watch --on the Syrian border-- to the border battalion in Cizre district of the southeastern province of Sirnak. Three of the 17 soldiers in the vehicle, whose identities and ranks are yet unknown, were killed in the attack. Four soldiers were unharmed while four soldiers who were seriously wounded were helicopter lifted to Diyarbakir. A large number of troops were dispatched to the Cudi neighborhood where the terrorists, making the most of nightfall, had escaped. Security forces surrounded the neighborhood, and began a search of streets and houses.
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MILLIYET
-- ERDOGAN DIAGNOSES: CRISIS IN TURKEY IS PSYCHOLOGICAL
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who said last week that he was the doctor of Turkey, said that the dimension of the global crisis in Turkey was psychological. Erdogan said that the historic crisis should be turned into an opportunity. "There are some circles that want to trigger the crisis on purpose. We first have to reject it and change this psychological atmosphere," he said. Erdogan criticized that there was an understanding that was cutting ties with the real sector. "What is important is not to cut this tie, behave honestly and not to get distant from the real sector which has stood on its feet so far," Erdogan also said.
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-- BARZANI: RAPPROCHEMENT ON AGENDA
Massoud Barzani, the head of the regional administration in the north of Iraq, said that Turkey's stance on the region had changed. Barzani also said that a rapprochement between the sides was on the agenda to make the PKK to lay down arms. Barzani said he was ready to support all types of peaceful solutions.
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-- HEINOUS ATTACK OF PKK: THREE SOLDIERS DEAD
PKK terrorists laid an ambush and cross-fired at a vehicle carrying 17 soldiers who were returning from a guard duty in Cizre town of the southeastern province of Sirnak. Soldiers Emrah Karatas, Zeki Yolcu and Turan Damgaci lost their lives in the attack. Nine other soldiers, four of whom are in a serious condition, were wounded. The terrorists fled after the attack, taking advantage of the dark, where more security officers were sent to the region.
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SABAH
-- JOINT FIGHT AGAINST PKK
Prime Minister of Iraq, Nuri al-Maliki, held meetings with President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. Al-Maliki sent a message that they would take significant steps against the terrorist organization PKK and it should not be allowed to harm relations between Turkey and Iraq. Erdogan said that joint fight of the two countries against the terrorist organization PKK would continue.
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-- CRISIS IN TURKEY PSYCHOLOGICAL, NOT REAL, ERDOGAN
The economic crisis in the country was a psychological one and it did not have a basis in reality, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. Delivering a speech at a meeting of the Supreme Board of Science and Technology, Erdogan said that Turkey would keep advancing on the path of reaching its targets.

VATAN
-- 3 SOLDIERS KILLED IN TERRORIST ATTACK IN CIZRE
Three Turkish soldiers were killed and nine others were wounded after terrorists sprayed bullets on a military vehicle in the southeastern province of Sirnak's Cizre town on Wednesday evening. The soldiers were coming from their duties at the Turkish-Syrian border. Four of the wounded soldiers are in critical condition.
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-- TURKEY CLOSE TO AN AGREEMENT WITH IMF
State Minister Mehmet Simsek said that he would invite a delegation from the IMF to Turkey in January 2009. "We are close to an agreement with the IMF as a precautionary measure," Simsek said.
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CUMHURIYET
-- PREMIER ERDOGAN TARGETS SUPREME COURT
Premier Tayyip Erdogan criticized the Council of State who authorized closed municipalities to enter the local elections. Erdogan said, "Honestly, I have learned something new. A second constitutional court emerged in Turkey. I mean there is only one constitutional court, there isn't a second one. And only the constitutional court has the authority over the laws adopted by the legislative branch and the Higher Board of Elections has complied with the decision of the court."
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-- VILLIANOUS ATTACK IN CIZRE: THREE SOLDIERS KILLED
PKK terrorists opened crossfire using long range weapons on a military vehicle belonging to the Cizre tank battalion around the Ipekyolu mosque on Nusaybin street in Cizre town of the southeastern province of Sirnak. Three soldiers were killed and 13 others were wounded in the attack. Four soldiers, who were seriously injured, were transferred to Diyarbakir Military hospital.
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RADIKAL
-- AL-MALIKI WAS IN ANKARA: HOT PURSUIT AND RETURN HOME BARGAINING
After Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said that Iraq could work together with Turkey to make PKK to lay down arms, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki visited Ankara. "We will not let the (terrorist) organization to weaken our relations," he said. In the backstage, Ankara brought up the agreement covering "hot pursuit." Iraqi Kurds are telling Ankara to "create conditions for returning home."
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-- THREE SOLDIERS KILLED IN ATTACK IN CIZRE
The terrorist organization PKK staged an attack on soldiers returning from border guard duty in Cizre town of the southeastern province of Sirnak. Three soldiers lost their lives, and nine others, four seriously, were injured. Security forces launched a wide-scale operation in the region.

YENI SAFAK
-- PROSECUTOR RE-OPENS GARIH CASE
Yener Yermez, who was convicted of killing businessman Uzeyir Garih, sent a letter to Yeni Safak daily newspaper from prison. The shocking confessions he made urged prosecutor Zekeriya Oz to take action. In his letter, Yermez said, "they offered $1.5 million to me to say that I murdered Garih. I accepted the offer to protect myself and my family. I had no other choice." Upon these statements, Zekeriya Oz launched an investigation. In his letter, Yermez said, "we stayed at the same hotel with Meral, and I know where she can be found."

An operation has been launched to find the mystery woman. Authorities will also ask Associate Professor Dr. Umit Sayin, who is claimed to have darkened evidence at the Forensic Medicine Institute, to testify. Sayin is being held in prison as part of the Ergenekon probe.
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-- SNOW PARALYZES DAILY LIFE
Cold weather that influenced the Thrace negatively affected daily life. The first snow of the year fell on Istanbul. The strong storm hampered sea traffic. Many highways were closed to traffic in the east of Turkey due to snowfalls and ice.