GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON DEC 7

HURRIYET
-- F-TYPE SEX IN JAIL
Turkish Parliament's Human Rights Committee Chairman Zafer Uskul reacted positively to demands from prisoners about having sex and children in jail. The parliamentary committee has sent applications to the Ministry of Justice. A newly married prisoner, whose initials are M.T., wrote in his letter that he was about to get divorced due to lack of physical contact. "The right to have a child is a natural right such as breathing," he wrote in his letter.
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-- ERDOGAN MEETS DOGAN TO DISCUSS ALEVIS
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan had a meeting with Izzettin Dogan, chairman of the Cem Foundation, an Alevi organization. Dogan said he had chance to discuss with Prime Minister face to face demands of Alevis. "Mr. Prime Minister did not make any promises for the upcoming elections," Dogan told reporters. "We will make progress in this issue after the elections," Erdogan was quoted as saying by Dogan.
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MILLIYET
-- ALEVI SUMMIT AT DOLMABAHCE
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan had a surprise meeting with representatives of Alevis before the Feast of Sacrifice (Eid al-Adha). Professor Izzettin Dogan, the chairman of the Cem Foundation; Dogan Bermek, the chairman of the Alevi Foundations Federation; Ali Riza Ugurlu, the chairman of the Alevi Islam Religious Services; and Metin Tarhan, the chairman of Alevi Association; participated in the summit at Erdogan's office in Dolmabahce, Istanbul. The summit came after the news stories that the government was preparing a package regarding the Alevis. It lasted for two hours. After the summit, Professor Dogan said, "the meeting was held at a very sincere atmosphere. We laid down our demands, and we had the opportunity to learn about each other and express our views to each other." Dogan said they agreed to continue holding talk. "We will most probably come to a result after (local) elections (due in March)," he said.
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-- PATRIARCH CELEBRATES FEAST
Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew celebrated the Feast of Sacrifice. Bartholomew said, "we are celebrating the Eid al-Adha of the Muslims in our country and the world and sharing their joy and wish that people of monotheist religions to live in peace and order and around common goals."
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SABAH
-- DISREGARDED CRITICAL ARTICLE
The opposition parties that objected to creation of electoral rolls according to population registers, did not say anything when a related law was being passed from the parliament nine months ago. The law that was prepared to simplify procedures for Turkish citizens who are living abroad but who want to cast votes in elections, was enacted on March 13, 2008. The fourth article of the law said, "the electoral roll is re-arranged every year by taking into consideration the data in the address registration system", which has caused the current discussions. Muammer Aydin, the chairman of the Higher Board of Election, said, "we have to implement this law." The Republican People's Party (CHP) has appealed to the Constitutional Court, demanding annulment of the article 10 of the law that enables Turkish citizens living abroad to cast votes through mail, however it has not done anything regarding the fourth article. Therefore, the high court discussed only the tenth article and annulled it. The opposition that has not taken action for the cancellation of this legal arrangement is now claiming that the elections will be controversial.
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-- 5 BLN YTL IN 5 YEARS
The Justice and Development Party (AKP) government has allocated 5 billion new Turkish liras (YTL) for social assistance and projects between 2003 and 2005.

VATAN
-- "WHY DO WE CRITICIZE ERDOGAN?"
Amberin Zaman, who wrote a harsh criticism about Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in the notable British magazine The Economist, answered this question. "It is quite simple. He put aside reforms, he performed a poor management about the process to amend the constitution, he behaves insensitive about the economy and he gradually becomes more nationalist. Not only The Economist, all media organs would appreciate what he would do once he regained his past performance," Zaman said.
 
-- CRITICAL DECISIONS IN ERGENEKON CASE
Upon demands by lawyers, the court in charge of Ergenekon case decided to ask the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) to answer how long and in which position Tuncay Guney worked for the organization, and how the Ergenekon chart was drawn. The court will also ask the Police Department to give the list of organizations related to Ergenekon.
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CUMHURIYET
-- PERCUSSION BOMB WOUNDS THREE IN FATIH
A percussion bomb, left in front of a bank office in Fatih district of Istanbul, went off and wounded three people. The injured were hospitalized. The explosion occurred in front of a Vakifbank branch on Fatih Fevzipasa Street around 7 p.m. on Saturday. A loud noise was heard in the vicinity after the blast, while three people were injured and taken under medical care.
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-- AWARD FROM RUSSIA TO BEKO
Beko LLC, a Turkish home appliances maker and Arcelik's affiliate in Russia, has been announced as the "fastest growing and the most dynamic company" in a competition in Russia. The company was awarded at the competition titled "company of the year" organized every year by the Russian information agency RosBusinessConsulting (RBC).
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RADIKAL
-- COOPERATION WITH TURKEY WILL BE ENHANCED
It was revealed that some Turkish officers objected to undergo an x-ray security check during a reception of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara. A Pentagon executive apologized to the Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Hasan Igsiz immediately. No crisis occurred thanks to the atmosphere of spring in bilateral relations. Mary Beth Long, the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, said Turkey and the United States would boost their cooperation against terrorism.
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-- COLD WEATHER ON THE WAY
The west of Turkey will be under the influence of a rainy weather coming from the Mediterranean as of Sunday. Another cold weather wave will come from the Balkans on Monday. Temperatures will drop by eight degrees Celsius.

YENI SAFAK
-- HE LISTENED TO DEMANDS OF ALEVIS
Premier Tayyip Erdogan met Izzettin Dogan, the chairman of the Cem Foundation, to listen to demands of the Alevis. Dogan said that the foundation found sincere the initiatives of the government regarding the Alevis.