GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON DEC 8

HURRIYET
-- ECONOMY SUMMIT FROM ERDOGAN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with ministers for economy at Prime Ministry Office in Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul. The meeting started at 2:00 p.m. and lasted for three hours. State ministers Nazim Ekren, Mehmet Simsek and Kursad Tuzmen as well as Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan and Industry & Trade Minister Zafer Caglayan attended the meeting.

-- PRIME MINISTER SUGGESTED, HE WILL BE TURKISH CITIZEN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met a U.S. medical company's foreign relations director, Jeffrey Kemprecos, and his wife; and when they spoke Turkish language fluently and showed their interest to Turkey, Erdogan suggested them to be Turkish citizens. Kemprecos, who has been living in Istanbul for three years, said, "we met with prime minister again a few months later. He said 'you have not applied for citizenship'. Now, I will apply for citizenship so that I won't have him ask one more time."

MILLIYET
-- RESEARCH ON TURKISH SCHINDLERS
Danny Rainer, vice president of the New York-based International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, said in a letter to the Los Angeles Times, "we are currently conducting research on the actions of Turkish diplomats who served in  France and Vichy, such as Ambassador Behic Erkin and Vice Consul Necdet Kent. Many believe they too saved Jews." The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation honored many people who saved many lives during the Nazi Germany era.

-- ALEVIS WANT EQUAL RIGHTS
Representatives of the Alevi community in the southern province of Mersin said that the prime minister should meet with all Alevi representatives. Alevi-Bekhtashi Federation Chairman Ali Balkiz said that they did not approve politicians' way of defining Alevi community. "We want equal rights," he said.   

 

SABAH
-- HALF OF TICKETS SOLD
Half of the new year tickets of National Lottery --which will give 25 million YTL of big prize-- were sold. Some firms, including fuel companies, bought 13 million YTL of tickets for promotion.

 

VATAN
-- TROOPS STAND SENTRY IN MOUNTAINS
After some circles criticized that troops were overcome by languor during the attacks on Daglica and Aktutun gendarmerie posts, the General Staff hosted a tour for press members. The first leg of the tour was Eruh town of the southeastern province of Siirt. Troops gave the message that they were standing sentry in mountains day-and-night, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

-- TURKEY RANKED LAST AMONG EU-COUNTRIES REGARDING NUMBER OF DOCTORS
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Turkey has been ranked the 52nd among 53 countries in Europe regarding number of doctors. Every year, some 4,500 people graduate from schools of medicine. But, this number should be 14,000 to meet Turkey's requirement.

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CUMHURIYET
-- LET'S KEEP HOPES ALIVE
While hundreds of thousands of people are starting to celebrate Feast of Sacrifice without having jobs, politicians tried to give morale to people. President Abdullah Gul stressed the importance of people's loving each other. Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan said that there was not any problem which people could not overcome, and said, "let's keep our hopes alive."

-- GALATASARAY ENTHUSIASTIC IN SECOND HALF
In the last match of the Day 14 of Turkcell Super League, Galatasaray defeated Ankaragucu in an away match 3-0, and climbed to third place. Galatasaray's Milan Baros (2) and Harry Kewell scored the goals in the second half of the game.

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RADIKAL
-- TURKISH LAWYER AWARDED
Seyran Ates, a Turkish lawyer and women's rights activist, has been presented with the Johann-Philipp-Palm Award in Germany. An award ceremony took place in the city of Schorndorf. Ates and Itai Mushekwe, a Zimbabwean journalist, were awarded for their efforts for freedom of expression.

-- GALATASARAY'S JOY IN CAPITAL CITY
Galatasaray soccer club of Turkey defeated Ankaragucu 3-0 in the capital city of Ankara and ranked third in the Turkcell Super League. Meanwhile, Trabzonspor are still on top of the Turkcell Super League after beating Kocaelispor 2-1.

YENI SAFAK
-- STANDING SENTRY
The General Staff opened gates of the gendarmerie posts in border regions to a group of journalists. Troops standing sentry with rifles in their hands gave the message to whole Turkey that they kept protecting Turkey during the religious holiday.

-- "OUR TARGET IS 50 MILLION TOURISTS"
Culture & Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay said that Turkey would host more than 25 million tourists by the end of 2008 and become one of the leading countries in the world tourism list. "I hope that Turkey would host 50 million tourists and gain at least 50 million dollars in the next five years," he said.