GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON FEB 20

HURRIYET
-- JEWISH BUSINESSMAN IN SECRET MEDIATION BETWEEN TURKEY, ISRAEL
A Turkish businessman of Jewish descent has stepped in to act as a secret mediator to ease tensions between Turkey and Israel which were heightened after a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The 84-year-old businessman, Jak Kamhi, secretly traveled to Israel last week and met with President Peres, Premier Olmert and Foreign Minister Livni.
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-- NO NEED FOR VISA IN BUSINESS TRAVEL TO EU
the European Court of Justice ruled in favor of two Turkish lorry drivers who filed a suit in Berlin, Germany to enter European Union countries without a visa while traveling on business. The court ruled that "Turkish nationals who would travel to the EU for an exchange of services should not be subject to visa requirements."
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-- FINANCE MINISTER UNDERGOES TRIPLE BYPASS SURGERY
Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan underwent a triple bypass surgery in the United States after he was briefly hospitalized in Turkey. Unakitan had the surgery on Feb.16 in Cleveland Clinic.
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MILLIYET
-- SURPRISING INTEREST RATE CUT FROM CENTRAL BANK
The Turkish Central Bank reduced interest rates. The Central Bank decreased short-term interest rates by 1.5 points. The bank dropped overnight borrowing interest rates from 13 to 11.5 percent, and lending interest rates from 15.5 to 14 percent.
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-- GOOD NEWS FROM EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE
The European Court of Justice ruled that visas should not be required from Turkish nationals planning to enter the European Union (EU) member states to provide services. In a decision sent to a German court, the Court said the EU can not require visas from Turkish nationals based on Article 41 of an Additional Protocol signed by Turkey and the European Economic Community on Nov. 23, 1970.
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SABAH
-- FROM ERDOGAN TO OBAMA
During his phone conversation with U.S. President Barack Obama, Premier Tayyip Erdogan said that he expected Obama to be the voice of all those silent and destitute masses in the world. Erdogan also expressed that Obama's messages for peace and dialogue were quite effective.
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-- WE HAVE ENTERED EU WITH "LORRIES"
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that "visas should not be required from Turkish nationals". The EU's highest court found that the demands of Turkish lorry driver Mehmet Soysal and his two colleagues for the cancellation of the visa procedure was lawful and ruled that visas should not be required from Turkish nationals planning to enter the EU-member states to provide a service. The European Commission expressed concern over the ruling.

VATAN
-- FIRST STEP FOR A EUROPE WITHOUT VISA
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that visas would not be required from Turkish citizens planning to go to European Union (EU) member states to provide a service. EU governments are now expected to make a decision to put the ruling into practice.
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-- TEARFUL FAREWELL
Gazanfer Ozcan, a prominent actor who died at the age of 78, was laid to rest after a tearful memorial at the Haldun Taner Theatre Hall in Istanbul. A number of people including actors and politicians were in attendance at the memorial to pay their last tribute to one of the most significant actors in the history of theatre in Turkey.
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-- UNAKITAN UNDERGOES SURGERY IN THE UNITE STATES
Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan underwent successful bypass surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in the United States. The surgery was conducted by famous surgeon Bruce Lytle. His son, Abdullah Unakitan, said that his father was in good health after the surgery.
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CUMHURIYET
-- PRESSURE OVER MEDIA IS A MATTER OF REGIME, CHP LEADER
Commenting on the tax penalty given to the Dogan Group by the Finance Ministry, chairperson of Republican People's Party (CHP) Deniz Baykal said that the situation could not be interpreted solely as punishment given to a media group. "It is directly a matter of regime. It is a significant issue displaying the threats and dangers targeting Turkish democracy," Baykal said.
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-- TURKISH BUSINESSMEN TO ENTER EU WITHOUT VISA
European Union's (EU) Luxembourg-based judicial organ European Court of Justice has ruled, based on Article 41(1) of a 1970 dated Additional Protocol, that visas should not be required from Turkish nationals planning to enter EU member states to provide a service.
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RADIKAL
-- FAREWELL TO TURKISH THEATRE DOYEN
A funeral took place at Kadikoy Haldun Taner Theatre for prominent Turkish actor Gazanfer Ozcan who died at the age of 78. Ozcan's relatives were distraught during the funeral service. After the farewell ceremony to Gazanfer Ozcan, he was laid to rest at Karacaahmet cemetery. Ozcan played in many films, and be admired by the Turkish nation with his roles in two Turkish TV series, "Kuruntu Ailesi" (The Kuruntu Family) and "Avrupa Yakasi" (The European Side).
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-- DOGAN GROUP: "WE TRUST IN JUDICIARY"
Dogan Group released a statement regarding the tax fine of 826.2 million TL (1 USD is equal to 1.69 TL) against the group. The statement said democracy did not include such methods which aimed at oppressing independent media. There has been an escalation in bureaucratic pressure on the Dogan Group parallel to political accusations made by the ruling party against the group after the 2007 elections. The Dogan Group had great confidence in the judiciary, the statement said.

YENI SAFAK
-- TURKISH CENTRAL BANK CUTS INTEREST RATE BY 1.5 POINTS
The Turkish Central Bank decided to reduce short-term interest rates by 1.5 points in a meeting of its Monetary Policy Board on Thursday in its latest move to stimulate markets which have been shaken by the global financial crisis. The bank cut over-night borrowing rates to 11.5 percent from 13 percent, and lending rates down to 14 percent from 15.5 percent.      Â

-- BLAST IN PERFUME STORE WOUNDS 16 IN CENTRAL TURKEY
A powerful explosion rocked a perfume store in the central Eskisehir province, wounding 16 people. The store burst into flames after the blast which was caused by natural gas leak. Shops and parked cars nearby were severely damaged by the explosion.