GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON DEC 9

HURRIYET
-- A BAD MARK FROM EUROPE
Despite all warnings and so-called deterrent punishments, the first day of the feast of sacrifice has passed as usual. Once again, Europeans gave a bad mark. A delegation from Europe accompanied by Professor Tahsin Yesildere, president of the Istanbul Chamber of Veterinarians, said that there were quite saddening scenes everywhere in the megacity. Christine Hafner, head of the delegation, said that animals suffered much during the whole sacrificing process.

"TURKEY IS DETERMINED"
Iraqi Army Chief of Gen. Babaker Zebari has said that Turkey would maintain its counter-terrorism operations against the PKK despite the agreement reached between Iraq and the United States. Zebari in an interview with the press organ of the local administration in north of Iraq said that Turkey was determined to eradicate PKK's presence in the region.
       Â
MILLIYET
-- BAYKAL: WE SHOULD UNITE EVEN IF WE ARE DIFFERENT
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) chairman Deniz Baykal said, "we may have different ethnical origins and beliefs. But these differences should not prevent us from being in integrity and solidarity as a nation."   Â

-- TEMPERATURES TO DROP 6-10 DEGREES
Turkey, as of today, will have rainy and cold weather. Temperatures will drop 6-10 degrees Celsius all across the country.
       Â

SABAH
-- VISIT TO GULF AFTER FEAST OF SACRIFICE
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that it was important to draw global capital, and added that they held meetings with actors of global capital. Erdogan said that after Feast of Sacrifice, they would continue activities about elections and also would hold talks in Gulf and neighboring countries.  Â

1 YTL COIN TO BE RENEWED IN NEW YEAR
1 Turkish lira coin was firstly produced in 1934. It will be 75 years old in January 1, 2009; and its form will be changed. 1 Turkish lira --which was removed from circulation on January 31, 2005--  will be put into circulation again on January 1, 2009 as transition from YTL (new Turkish lira) to TL (Turkish lira) will end.

VATAN
-- "OTTOMAN LITE"
The Christian Science Monitor, one of dailies in the United States, has eulogized Turkey's recent mediation efforts in the region, and called that diplomatic and economic expansion "Ottoman Lite".
"Ankara, the capital, has taken on the ambitious goal of 'zero problems' on its borders and is trying to become a neighborhood troubleshooter. After Moscow rolled over Georgia in August, for instance, Ankara proposed a regional dialogue, but Georgia wasn't interested in talking to the Russian bear that nearly swallowed it whole," the daily wrote.
It read, "Turkey has brought Syria and Israel together to negotiate over the Golan Heights. Last week, it hosted the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan for antiterrorism talks. It is at long last reaching out to Armenia. Now it's offering to mediate between the US and Iran, and has been elected to a temporary seat on the UN Security Council; center stage for the Iran stalemate."
"Turkey has offered its land for an alternative gas pipeline network for Europe and the Middle East, has greatly increased trade with its neighbors, and is opening about a dozen embassies in Africa. Call this diplomatic and economic expansion 'Ottoman Lite.' The US has much to gain from Turkey's emerging role, including a region-altering breakthrough in talks between Israel and Syria that need a big push from a President Obama. And Turkey will be an important player as the US pulls out of Iraq. The incoming Obama administration would do well to repair ties with this secular Muslim democracy, and take greater advantage of Turkey's role in a tense region where the countries' interests overlap," it added.
       Â
CUMHURIYET
-- ERDOGAN STILL HOPEFUL
While U.S. and European economies are expected to shrink by 2010 despite the measure packages, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is insisting that Turkey will be the country which will be least influenced from crisis. Erdogan said, "we are assertive about this. I expect finance sector to support real sector."Â

-- CYPRUS PRESSURE FROM EU
EU foreign ministers hardened their warning tone against Turkey. In a declaration, the foreign ministers wanted Turkey to avoid of a threatening attitude which is deteriorating good neighborhood relations.
       Â

RADIKAL
-- IS SOMEBODY TRICKING US?
According to Mahfi Egilmez, one of columnists of the Radikal daily, the requests of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in fact, contradicted statements of the fund. "Either IMF nurtures enmity against us or somebody tricks us," Egilmez says.

-- EU WANTS CHANGE
The EU General Affairs and Foreign Relations Council has called on Turkey to step up its reforms and change laws about political parties. Foreign ministers meeting in Brussels also said that Turkey needed to redouble its efforts.

YENI SAFAK
-- ISTANBUL LEADING IN EXPORTS
There are 45,346 exporter and 54,672 importer firms in Turkey as of the January-October period of 2008. The average export by per firm is about 2.5 million dollars while the average import is nearly 3.2 million dollars. Istanbul makes 55.6 percent of total exports and 55.3 percent of total imports. In Istanbul, 24,482 firms made exports of 63.8 billion dollars and 32,301 firms made imports of 98.6 billion dollars.