GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON FEB 4

HURRIYET
-- INFLATION RATE STARTS YEAR WITH SINGLE-DIGIT FIGURE
Consumer prices index (TUFE) was up by 0.29 percent in January and producer prices index (UFE) also rose by 0.23 percent. Annual inflation in the same month, based on a 12 months average, was 10.54 percent for consumer prices and 12.81 percent for producer prices.

-- "I WARNED HAMAS THREE YEARS AGO"
President Abdullah Gul, who left Turkey for Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, said if a chance had been given to Turkey, Gaza would have been different today. "I warned Hamas three years ago. Some comprehended my warnings, some did not," Gul told reporters. President Gul said that Turkey always assumed a transparent attitude and acted honestly.
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MILLIYET
-- "IF I HAD NOT BEEN DIPLOMATIC...," PM ERDOGAN
Replying to those who did not consider Premier Tayyip Erdogan's reaction at Davos "diplomatic", Erdogan said that he was a politician, not a diplomat. "If I had not been diplomatic there, I should have done something else," Erdogan said.
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-- CRISIS ONLY HELPS INFLATION
As the demand narrowed down due to global economic crisis, inflation's speed slowed down as well. Consumer prices index (TUFE) increased by 0.29 percent while producer prices index (UFE) rose by 0.23 in January 2009. After an eight-month period, annual inflation in TUFE dropped to a single-digit figure and reached 9.5 percent.
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SABAH
-- BROTHERHOOD MESSAGE TO JEWISH COMMUNITY
Turkish state authorities gave the Jewish community a message that "you are safe." President Abdullah Gul said, "all people living on this land have equal rights." There can not be discrimination against any citizen," he said. Gul also said, "Israel and Jewish people of Turkey are separate issues." Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said, "safety and faith of Jewish community are under guarantee of us."

-- INFLATION RATE DROPS TO SINGLE-DIGIT FIGURE
Inflation rate decreased to single-digit figure for the first time after nine months. Consumer prices index (TUFE) rose by 0.29 percent in January and producer prices index (UFE) also rose by 0.23 percent. According to TUIK (Turkish Board of Statistics), annual inflation as of January was 9.5 percent in TUFE and 7.9 percent in UFE.

VATAN
-- "I SHOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING ELSE TO MODERATOR," ERDOGAN
During Justice and Development Party's (AKP) group meeting, Premier Tayyip Erdogan commented on his recent reaction at a session in Davos. "A moderator cannot hold a prime minister's shoulder in an international meeting. This is an act of immorality. If I had not acted in a diplomatic manner there, I should have acted differently, but I did not," Erdogan said.
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-- KING WELCOMES GUL AT AIRPORT
President Abdullah Gul, who began his 3-day visit to Saudi Arabia together with his wife, was welcomed by King Abdallah bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud at the Riyadh airport. Gul had also left aside protocol rules and waited for the Saudi Arabian King's arrival at Ankara's Esenboga airport two years ago.
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CUMHURIYET
-- GUL IN SAUDI ARABIA
President Abdullah Gul went to Saudi Arabia on a formal visit. Gul was welcomed by King Abdallah of Saudi Arabia with a ceremony. State Minister Kursad Tuzmen, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim, Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu and a number of Turkish businessmen are accompanying President Gul. Before his departure from Ankara, President Gul reacted to a reporter who asked about gifts given by King Abdallah during his visit to the Turkish capital.
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-- LOTS OF EXPLOSIVES IN BEYKOZ
After receiving a tip, gendarmerie teams found 13.5 kg of TNT explosives, 100 grams of C4 explosives, 1.5 meters of detonation cord, 3 detonators and an adaptor in Beykoz town of Istanbul.
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RADIKAL
-- "WE ARE ALL SAME," GUL
President Abdullah Gul said Jewish people living in Turkey would not be affected by the heated exchange that happened between Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli President Shimon Peres in Davos, Switzerland. Prior to his departure for Saudi Arabia, Gul told reporters at the airport, "no one should assume a wrong attitude towards each other. We should warn those who assume a wrong attitude. All people living in Turkey are the same."
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-- THERE IS NO CERTAIN DATE OF IMF'S VISIT TO TURKEY, SIMSEK
State Minister Mehmet Simsek said he could not give a certain date regarding the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) visit to Turkey. Replying to questions on the talks with the IMF, Simsek said, "there is not any new statement at the moment."

YENI SAFAK
-- CIA CHASES FOR STOFFEL
It was revealed that retired Gen. Levent Ersoz, who was arrested under Ergenekon probe, was under "special protection" for years. CIA has been chasing Ersoz after Dale Stoffel, an American arms dealer, was killed in Iraq's Green Zone. Following the mysterious murder in Baghdad in 2004, murderers of Stoffel uncovered his relations thanks to documents they found in his suitcase. It was claimed that information about the 40-billion-USD arms market, in which everything is traded including lost U.S. weapons, was seized by Ersoz. Stoffel was a CIA agent, who could easily reach U.S. President George W. Bush and a kingpin of the giant arms dealing market from Washington to Lebanon and Turkey. He served as CIA station chief and then began running his own arms dealing business. Stoffel was also known as the "Lawrence of Arabia", and his secrets passed to Russian agents after his death.
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-- TURKISH GIRL CANDIDATE FOR EUROVISION FOR GREEK CYPRIOTS
Zelis Senol, a Turkish girl, has become one of the ten candidates to represent Greek Cypriot administration in Eurovision song contest. Zelis will sing the song "I'm gonna break up with you" and represent Greek Cypriots if she is chosen.