GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON FEB 10

HURRIYET
-- HUGE SHRINKAGE IN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION
Turkish Board of Statistics (TURKSTAT) revised the figures of industrial production four hours after announcing them and a massive shrinkage appeared in industrial production. According to the new figures revised by TUIK, industrial output fell by 17.6 percent in December 2008 over the same month 2007. The figure became the highest shrinkage after the 2001 economic crisis. TUIK earlier announced that the industrial production dropped by 11.9 percent.
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-- YSK SAYS PROSECUTORS WILL DO WHAT IS NECESSARY REGARDING ASSISTANCE TO POOR
The Supreme Board of Elections (YSK) said that social assistance, like furniture and household appliances distributed to the poor people ahead of the local elections, did not comply with the Election Law and complaints should be filed against those who violated the law. YSK sent its decision to the provincial election boards. YSK Chairman Muammer Aydin said prosecutors would do what was necessary on this matter.
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MILLIYET
-- 4.5 MILLION TL WITHIN TWO HOURS
People showed great interest in the live broadcast of Kanal D and Star TV channels, which was jointly made by Dogan Group and Red Crescent, for an assistance campaign for Gaza. Dogan Group and Dogus Holding each donated 500,000 TL to the campaign. A total of 4.5 million TL was collected for the campaign. (1 USD = 1.609 TL)
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-- REACTION FROM ERDOGAN TO IMF
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey would not cut a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) if the country would not gain any benefits. "If the IMF does not agree, then we pay our $8 billion debt to it, and proceed on our way, by our own resources," he said.
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SABAH
-- ECONOMY SHRINKS IN FOUR HOURS
Early Monday at 10:00 a.m., the Turkish Board of Statistics (TURKSTAT) announced that industrial output was down by 11.9 percent in December 2008 and 0.4 percent in 2008. According to the initial figures, textiles production was up by 40 percent in December. However, the first announcement was revised in the afternoon. TURKSTAT Chairman Omer Toprak said it was a mistake due to a technical problem and apologized. Annual shrinkage rose to 0.9 percent from 0.4 percent. Textile production also dropped 23.7 percent.
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-- TURKEY TO EMBRACE ORPHANS
Turkey has taken action to bring Palestinian children who lost their parents in Gaza and are in need of nursing. Israel's permission is needed to bring those orphaned children to Turkey. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan plans to take on the guardianship of two children.

VATAN
-- IS UNAKITAN ON HIS WAY TO UNITED STATES?
Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan was released from Ankara's Hacettepe Hospital on Sunday. Unakitan has decided to undergo by-pass surgery, sources said. However, as his wife Ahsen Unakitan does not want him to undergo such a surgery in Turkey, the family has started to look for a hospital in the United States, sources claimed.
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-- "WE MAY PROCEED ON OUR WAY WITHOUT IMF"
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan responded to criticism that the IMF deal was delayed. "Sorry, but we will not cut a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) if Turkey would not gain any benefits. The IMF exists to ease countries hit by the crisis. If it brings a more distressing protocol, I do not sign it," Erdogan said. He said Turkey's debt to the IMF was around $23.5 billion in 2002 when his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power. "Now, this figure has dropped to $8 billion," Erdogan said. "We may proceed on our way with our own resources."
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CUMHURIYET
-- BAYKAL IN BELGIUM
Deniz Baykal, chairman of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), who is currently in Belgium for opening of CHP's representative office in Brussels, had a meeting with European Commissioner for enlargement Olli Rehn. Rehn said, "Our cooperation with Baykal will continue." "I told Rehn that new chapters should be opened (under the negotiation process between Turkey and EU)," Baykal said.
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-- INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION FALLS
Recession in the industrial sector which began in August 2008 due to global economic crisis also continued in December. Industrial production decreased by 17.6 percent in December 2008 compared to the same month of 2007. Production fell by 19.9 percent in the manufacturing industry.
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RADIKAL
-- SCARY SHRINKAGE IN INDUSTRY
According to the figures of the Turkish Board of Statistics (TURKSTAT), the gravest monthly shrinkage in eight years happened with a 17.6 percent fall in industrial output in December 2008. The course after the 3.6 percent shrinkage recorded in August, 2008 (when the global crisis started to be felt) is as follows: 4.3 percent in September, 6.8 percent in October, 13.3 percent in November.
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-- ERDOGAN: WE GO ON WITHOUT IMF
Agreement with the IMF may be made after the local elections. The statements of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan yesterday showed that a new progress was not recorded in talks with the IMF. Erdogan said, "If the IMF does not agree, then we pay our $8 billion debt to it, and proceed on our way by our own resources."

YENI SAFAK
-- ERDOGAN'S REACTION TO IMF
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said that if Turkey and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) did not reach a deal, Turkey would pay a debt of $8 billion to the IMF and move on its way. Erdogan said Turkey's debt to the IMF was around $23.5 billion in 2002 when his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power. "Now, this figure has dropped to $8 billion," Erdogan said. "We cut a deal, if it (IMF) comes to an agreement," he added.
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-- GENOCIDE WARNING
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said that any intervention by a third party into Turkey's ongoing talks with Armenia was not right. "The dialogue between our two countries aims at normalizing all bilateral relations and we make progress to that end in each contact. And I do not believe that the intervention of other countries would be constructive," Babacan told a joint press meeting with visiting Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin in Ankara.