GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON JAN 16

HURRIYET
-- IMF: THERE IS PROGRESS TOWARDS AGREEMENT WITH TURKEY
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said there was positive progress towards a new agreement with Turkey. IMF spokesman David Hawley, speaking at a briefing in the IMF HQ in Washington D.C., said an IMF delegation was still in Turkey for talks.
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-- NEW MEASURES AGAINST CRISIS
Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan said several measures would be made public this month aiming to alleviate the impacts of the crisis. "Unemployment relief" to companies to prevent them from laying-off workers and financial assistance to the automotive sector are also in the package of measures.
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-- WOUNDS OF CRISIS GET DEEPER, 385,000 MORE PEOPLE ARE UNEMPLOYED
Under the figures of Turkish Statistics Institute, the number of unemployed people rose by 385,000 in October 2008 period and reached 2.6 million people. The institute also said the rate of unemployment grew 1.2 percent to 10.9 percent.
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MILLIYET
-- MOST RADICAL CUT FROM CENTRAL BANK
Turkey’s Central Bank's Monetary Policy Board made a significant decision that could pep up markets and cut benchmark interest rates. The bank lowered overnight borrowing rate from 15 percent to 13 percent and its lending rate from 17.5 percent to 15.5 percent.
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-- KARADAYI SPEAKS FOR FIRST TIME
As the chief of General Staff during the February 28 process (in 1997), retired Gen. Ismail Hakki Karadayi responded to claims for the first time that he was the head of the Ergenekon organization. "I have never seen such a scandal and sleight of hand in almost 50 years in my career," Karadayi said while talking about Tuncay Guney's statements. "When I first saw that guy on TV, I first thought that a lunatic was speaking from inside an asylum," he said. Karadayi said he heard about Ergenekon when it was first mentioned in public, adding that he asked about it to the then chief of General Staff, retired Gen. Yasar Buyukanit.
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SABAH
-- BABACAN: DO NOT GIVE GREEN LIGHT TO ISRAEL
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan sent a message to the United States, asking it not to give the green light to Israel and its attacks on Gaza. "As long as Israel is presented with the green light by certain countries, Israeli attacks on Gaza would continue," Babacan said. Babacan stressed that Turkey was actively involved in the process seeking a ceasefire in the region. "The Turkish delegation continues to hold talks in Cairo," Babacan also said.
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-- THESSALONIKI GETS CLOSER TO ISTANBUL
Thanks to a new highway being built, the Greek city of Thessaloniki will get closer to the Turkish province of Istanbul. A trip from Istanbul to Thessaloniki currently takes eight hours by car. With the new highway, it would take only five hours to reach Thessaloniki from Istanbul. The new highway cost Greece 6 billion euros. The total distance between Istanbul and Thessaloniki is approximately 600 kilometers.

VATAN
-- NUMBER OF PEOPLE APPLYING FOR UNEMPLOYMENT PAY RISES
According to the figures of Turkish Job Creating Agency, the number of people applying for unemployment benefits reached 175,684, a rise of 472.71 percent in December 2008 when compared to December of 2007. A total of 66.7 million liras of unemployment benefits were distributed to 193,000 people in December 2008 from the Unemployment Insurance Fund.
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-- TURKISH BLOODSTOPPER TO BLEEDING WOUNDS IN GAZA
Ankaferd Bloodstopper (ABS) that stops bleeding within seconds, a pomade developed by Turkish inventor Huseyin Firat, was among the medical equipment sent by Turkish Red Crescent to Gaza. Ankaferd Bloodstopper has a license from the Health Ministry.
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CUMHURIYET
-- CRISIS INCREASES JOBLESS RATE
The number of jobless in Turkey rose 385,000 in October 2008 to reach 2.687 million. The unemployment rate increased 1.2 points to 10.9 percent.
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-- BALL OF PARADOXES
Video footage of the interrogation of Tuncay Guney, the foundation of the Ergenekon probe, raised questions regarding the date. The footage was said to be recorded in 2001. However, in this interview, Guney tells about a conflict between Veli Kucuk and a local administration in 2005. Guney also talks about journalist Rusen Cakir and says, "He is in the United States now." Cakir said he stayed in the United States in 2005.
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RADIKAL
-- 385,000 MORE UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE
The number of unemployed Turks increased by 385,000 during the past year, announced the Turkish Board of Statistics (TUIK). The unemployment rate rose to 10.9 percent in 2008 in Turkey. A total of 2.7 million Turks are presently without jobs.
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-- MINISTER GETS ANGRY OVER DISCRIMINATION
Minister of Culture and Tourism Ertugrul Gunay was angered when a number of hotels in Antalya placed banners at their entrance that read: "No entry for Israelis". "We are trying to seek a peaceful solution. We can not feed enmity towards any people or government," Gunay stressed.

YENI SAFAK
-- AUSTRIAN GIANT TO INVEST IN TURKEY
Austrian Baomax AG, a company specializing in selling products related to the construction industry, will invest $1 billion in the Turkish market, the company announced. The company will construct a facility in the northern province of Samsun at a cost of $35 million. Baomax AG has 130 stores in eight European countries and total sales worth 2 billion euros in 2008.
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-- TURKS TO SPEND MORE WITH CREDIT CARDS IN 2009
A high level Turkish financial expert predicted that Turks will spend more with credit cards in 2009 when compared to last year. Director General of Turkish Card Center of Banks, Sertac Ozinal, said that credit card spending would increase 21 percent in 2009 in Turkey. Ozinal said that the credit cards transactions in Turkey in 2009 would reach a value of 221 billion liras.