GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON DEC 26

HURRIYET
-- ELECTRICITY: PRICE HIKE IN HOUSEHOLDS, REDUCTION IN INDUSTRY
Government said it would make a price increase in electricity for household consumption while reducing the price for industrial use. The increase for households would be 1.18 percent and reduction in industrial consumption would be 1.57 percent. The new tariffs will be valid as of January 1, 2009.
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-- MINIMUM WAGE SET FOR 2009
Minimum wage was set as 666 YTL gross (net 527.13 YTL) for the first half of 2009 for workers under 16. The increase was 4.3 percent for the first half of 2009. For the second half of the year it will increase by 4.1 percent to become 693 YTL gross (net 546.48 YTL).
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MILLIYET
-- TALABANI SHOULD INFORM THOSE AT MOUNTAINS ON ARTICLE 221, CICEK
Upon the Iraqi president's remarks on a plan aiming to eliminate terrorist organization PKK, Deputy Premier Cemil Cicek said that Turkey did not consider to grant an amnesty. "Article 221 of the Turkish Criminal Code regulates effective remorse. I informed Talabani on this issue. If he wants, he can inform those at mountains on such article as well," Cicek said.
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-- WOUNDED SOLDIER'S RESISTANCE SAVES 14 MORE
It was revealed that private Recep Tan, driver of the military vehicle which was ambushed by PKK terrorists in Cizre town of the southeastern province of Sirnak, prevented more loss of lives. Although he was wounded, Tan accelerated the speed and managed to take the vehicle out of the range of the terrorists' rifles. Thanks to Tan's efforts, the number of soldiers killed in the attack did not increase and remained at 3.
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SABAH
-- GOING TO BE EXHUMED
The Chief Prosecutor's Office is getting ready to reopen the case regarding the murder of leading businessman Uzeyir Garih seven years ago. Prosecutor Zekeriya Oz, who is carrying out the Ergenekon case, will investigate the murder. Garih's body will be exhumed under the new investigation to find out how many people were involved in the killing. A commission to be established by the Ministry of Justice will interrogate Yener Yemez, who was convicted of the murder, at prison where he has been serving his life imprisonment term. Garih was stabbed to death while visiting a cemetery in Istanbul in 2001.
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-- JUDICIAL ROW
Eight members of the Constitutional Court have objected to views of Hasim Kilic, chief judge of the court, for the first time in history of Turkey's top judici1al organ. Kilic criticized the Council of State for enabling hamlet municipalities which were closed earlier, to join the upcoming local elections.

VATAN
-- NEW MINIMUM WAGE
Minimum wage has been set as 666 YTL gross (net 527.13 YTL) with an increase of 4.3 percent for workers over the age of 16 for the first half of 2009. It will increase by 4.1 percent for the second half and become 693 YTL gross (net 546.48 YTL). For workers under 16, minimum wage was set as 567 YTL gross (net 456.21 YTL) for the first half of 2009 and 567 YTL gross (net 456.21YTL) in the second half.
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-- TO BE ELECTED LEADER WHILE IN PRISON
The first regular congress of the New Party, which was founded by former deputy Yasar Okuyan, will be held in Ankara this weekend. During the congress, delegates will name journalist Tuncay Ozkan, who has been under arrest under the Ergenekon case, as their candidate for chairman of the political party. If elected, Ozkan will be leader of the political party while in prison.
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CUMHURIYET
-- DISAPPOINTMENT AGAIN IN MINIMUM WAGE
New minimum wage has been set as net 527.13 YTL during the meeting from which the Confederation of Labor Unions of Turkey (Turk-Is) had withdrawn. Delivering a statement, Turk-Is said that officials tried to set a minimum wage which was far from providing a decent life standard, using the economic crisis as an excuse.
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-- PROBLEM IN REGISTERS IS A SIGN OF RECKLESSNESS, DEMIREL
Turkey's 9th President Suleyman Demirel commented on the 6-million increase in the number of voters. "If there are repeated votes, then there will be fraud in the elections. This may overshadow the previous elections as well," Demirel said. "It is claimed that registers were not kept properly up to now. This cannot be true, this is a sign of recklessness," he also said.
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RADIKAL
-- ERDOGAN: "WEEPING WILL NOT SOLVE CRISIS"
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said "opportunities" should be exploited in order to overcome the fallout from a global financial malady. "We cannot achieve success only by fighting against the inflation or focusing on growth. Lamenting and accusing are not the way out of the crisis. We need to carve an opportunity out of the crisis. And it is our task and businessmen's task to do it," Erdogan said.
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-- KURDISH TV BEGINS TEST BROADCASTING
Turkey's state-run radio and television network TRT has started test broadcast of its new TV channel, TRT 6, which will broadcast in Kurdish. The channel will begin its regular broadcasting as of January 1, 2009.

YENI SAFAK
-- ERGENEKON'S NUMBER ONE IN FRONT OF JUDGE
National Intelligence Organization (MIT) introduced the organizational structure of Ergenekon to the court with a "confidential" note. The name on the top of the organizational structure is now in front of the judge. Names will be made public if deemed necessary.
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-- MINIMUM WAGE 527 YTL
Minimum wage has been set as net 527 YTL for workers over the age of 16 for the first half of 2009. The net wages will increase to net 546 YTL with a 4.1 percent rise in July.