GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON FEB 21

HURRIYET

-- FENER E.V FILE TO BE IN TURKEY ON MONDAY

Speaking to reporters who asked for the Deniz Feneri e. V file, Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said, "the file will be in Turkey on Monday. It has been delayed for a long time. Turkish Justice Ministry asked for the file from German authorities for three times."

-- TURKISH-GERMAN MEDIA MEET IN ISTANBUL

Istanbul Bilgi University hosted a conference jointly organized by Netzwerk-Turkei, Goether Institude and German Meets Turkey. Ghristiane Schlotzer from Suddeutsche Zeitung and Hurriyet's foreign news desk director Bulent Mumay, discussed Turkey image in Germany and Germany reflected in Turkey.

MILLIYET

-- MAJOR MAIN OPPOSITION FIGURE STEPS DOWN AFTER CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS

A senior figure with the main opposition party in Turkey resigned from his posts over corruption allegations. Mehmet Sevigen stepped down as secretary general of the Republican People's Party (CHP) after it has been revealed that he acted as an intermediary in a land sale deal, which has caused a great deal of intra-party controversy.

-- LETTER FROM ISRAEL TO TOP TURKISH GENERAL

Israeli Chief of General Staff Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi telephoned his Turkish counterpart Gen. Ilker Basbug last Monday and he sent a letter on Thursday. "I attach great importance to the relations with the Turkish Armed Forces and remarks made by the Land Forces Commander are his own views and they do not reflect the official position of the Israeli Defense Forces," Ashkenazi said. "I am disappointed and very sorry. And I will do what needs to be done," Ashkenazi said. Turkish spokesman Brigadier General Metin Gurak said Ashkenazi's letter sent on Thursday also confirmed his remarks he made on the phone.

SABAH

-- "APOLOGY" FROM ISRAEL TO GENERAL STAFF

Israeli Chief of General Staff Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi telephoned Turkish Chief of General Staff Ilker Basbug and said he was sorry for the remarks of Israeli Land Forces Commander Mizrahi towards Turkey. Israel at the same time sent a formal letter and relayed the message that, "what is necessary has been done about commander Mizrahi".

-- NEW TENDER IN ELECTRICITY

Privatization Administration Board chairman Metin Kilci said they were planning to start an auction process within 15-20 days for two distribution zones in electricity. Kilci said the two zones in question were the Western Anatolia region and the East Anatolia region.

-- WELCOMED WITH LOCAL DANCE SHOW

President Abdullah Gul left for Kenya on Friday. A local dance show was organized for Gul and his wife Hayrunisa who were welcomed with a formal ceremony.

VATAN

-- TURKISH PRESIDENT IN KENYA

President Abdullah Gul and his wife arrived in Kenya for a two-day formal visit. Gul said Turkey received votes of almost all African countries in for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council. "It is very big deal to win the trust of all Africa and that is why we have some responsibilities for Africa," Gul said. The Turkish president will proceed to Tanzania as the official guest of President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete.

-- ISRAELI GENERAL: WE ARE SORRY

Turkish military spokesman Brigadier General Metin Gural said Israeli Chief of General Staff Gabi Ashkenazi telephoned last Monday his Turkish counterpart Gen. Ilker Basbug and apologized for the remarks made by Israeli Land Forces Commander Avi Mizrahi. It has been reported that Ashkenazi had severely lashed out at Mizrahi who had accused Turkey of the incidents of 1915 and criticized Turkish troop presence in northern Cyprus.

CUMHURIYET

-- DENIZ FENERI FILE TO BE IN TURKEY ON MONDAY

Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said file of Deniz Feneri case will be in Turkey on Monday, while speaking at a press conference. Defending that the file which the Republican People's Party (CHP) chairman Deniz Baykal showed was not real. "I am very clearly saying that this file is not real. We have written to German authorities for three times to ask for the file. The file will be in Turkey on Monday."

-- PRESIDENT GUL IN KENYA

President Abdullah Gul, currently on a formal visit to Kenya, met Kenya's President Mwai Kıbaki. Turkey and Kenya signed cooperation agreements on civil aviation, health, and visa exemption in formal passports.

-- IDIL BIRET GIVES CONCERT IN NEW YORK

Renowned Turkish pianist Idil Biret gave concert in New York on the occasion of 50th anniversary of Turkish Women Union in the United States.

RADIKAL

-- MEDIA GROUP REACTS AGAINST TAX PENALTY

Deputy chairman of the Dogan Media Holding criticized a 826 million TL penalty for an alleged tax fraud, saying that the holding had not made "the slightest irregularity." "The tax penalty, which amounts to some 1 billion TL with the interests, is passed on a report by a single expert against the laws and the rulings of the the Council of State," Soner Gedik told a press briefing.

-- OPPOSITION FIGURE RESIGNS FROM POST ON CORRUPTION ALLEGATION

Mehmet Sevigen, deputy secretary general of the main opposition Republican People's Party, resigned from office on Friday after an intense pressure had grown on him to step down for his alleged involvement in a land sale deal in Istanbul.

YENI SAFAK

-- KAMHI: PERES WANTS RELATIONS TO GO BACK TO NORMAL

84-year-old Jewish businessman Kamhi, the Executive Board Director of Profilo Holding, who intervened for normalization of relations between Turkey and Israel, spoke to Yeni Safak newspaper. Kamhi said, "My visit to Israel is not a secret. I went to Israel for peace to prevail in the region. Mr. Peres is my close friend. Israeli President Peres wants normalization of relations soon. He knows everything would be harder in the region without Turkey. He is an admirer of Tayyip Erdogan. He thinks Erdogan is a very big chance for the region. He supports Erdogan's initiatives."

-- LETTER OF APOLOGY

Turkish-Israeli relations, which have become tense after Davos, started to be normalized with a telephone call from Israeli Chief of General Staff Gabi Ashkenazi. Ashkenazi told Gen. Ilker Basbug, Chief of Turkish General Staff, that he was sorry for the remarks of Israeli Land forces Commander.