GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON JAN 27

HURRIYET
-- GAZA BOMB IN DAVOS
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan will meet Israeli President Shimon Peres in a surprising session on "Gaza: A Model for Middle East Peace" in Davos, where he will fly on Wednesday for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF). In the session, Erdogan will stress that his reaction is not against the Israeli people, but against the Israeli government and those who are approving the attacks on Gaza. Erdogan will say that anti-Semitism is a crime against humanity just like Islamophobia. Prime Minister Erdogan will meet Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Velez, and Swiss President Hans Rudolf Merz in Davos.
       Â
-- THERE IS 285,000 MEN ABUNDANCE IN TURKEY
The Turkish Board of Statistics announced that Turkey's population was up by 930,844 people and reached 71,517,100 as of Dec. 31, 2008. 35,901,154 of the Turkish population are comprised of men, and the rest 35,615,946 are women. Half of the population is below 28-1/2 years of age. Istanbul's population is 12,697,000, and that of Ankara is 4,548,000, while Izmir has a population of 3,795,000 people.
       Â
MILLIYET
-- ONE CYPRUS FOR CANKAYA
On the official website of the Cankaya Presidential Palace, there is a map showing where President Abdullah Gul currently is. The island of Cyprus is shown as one country on the map, while the names of the cities on the island are also in English. On the map, which was prepared using Google Map, the island is shown as a single country with the name "Cyprus". Neither the borders, nor the name of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) are mentioned on the map.
       Â
-- HAMAS SHOULD DECIDE: TERRORISM OR POLITICS?, BABACAN
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, who attended a meeting on Gaza in Brussels, said that Ankara, which was earlier "criticized for supporting Hamas", has taken a stance closer to the central administration. Babacan said that Turkey accepts Mahmoud Abbas as the head of the Palestinian National Authority. "We do not support the mistakes of Hamas. Hamas should now decide whether it would be an armed organization or a political movement," Babacan said.
       Â
SABAH
-- BUREAUCRACY MUST BE WILLING TO ADOPT REFORMS, FM BABACAN
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said that the year 2009 is full of risks for Turkey's foreign policy. If correct steps are taken, 2009 will be a year when results are achieved, Babacan said. Turkish bureaucracy must be willing to adopt reforms, Babacan also said.
       Â
-- TURKEY'S POPULATION RISES TO 71.5 MILLION PEOPLE
Turkey's population rose to 71.5 million people in 2008. Income per capita in Turkey reached $11,018. Taxes payable by each individual rose to 940 liras.

VATAN
-- CHP'S ISTANBUL MAYORAL CANDIDATE PROMISES 600 LIRAS TO EACH ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED FAMILY
Republican People's Party's (CHP) Istanbul mayoral candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu said that if elected, he would provide 600 liras ($364) of monthly financial assistance to economically disadvantaged families. Kilicdaroglu intends to provide social security benefits to at least one member of families living in Istanbul.
       Â
-- WE ARE AGAINST POLICY OF ISRAELI GOVERNMENT, SPOKESMAN
The spokesman for the Turkish government, Cemil Cicek, said that his government is against the policies of the Israeli government. Our stance on Israeli policies has nothing to do with either the people of Israel or our Jewish citizens, State Minister Cicek stressed. Turkey is against Israeli policies that have created a humanitarian drama, Cicek also said.
       Â
CUMHURIYET
-- REDUCTION IN TAX
The government is planning to cut junk car tax to revive the automotive industry, which has been affected the most by the economic crisis. The government will reduce internet tax from 15 percent to 5 percent, and the special communication tax taken from landlines to 15 percent.
       Â
-- TURKEY CLOSE TO A DEAL WITH IMF
State Minister Mehmet Simsek said that Turkey had agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the outlines of a number of issues regarding a new deal. Simsek said, "I will continue talks with the IMF in Davos."
       Â
RADIKAL
-- ERGENEKON CONNECTION IN DINK ASSASSINATION
The court asked the prosecutors of the Ergenekon probe to initiate an inquiry into retired Colonel Ali Oz, who is claimed to have covered up warnings ahead of the assassination of journalist Hrant Dink. The court said "The Ergenekon prosecutors shall be asked in writing to examine all the conversations and accounts of Oz in order to bring to light the structure behind the assassination".
       Â
-- WE DO NOT APPROVE HAMAS, BABACAN
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said that the ceasefire in Gaza was weak. "Palestine should be strong for a permanent ceasefire, therefore, Fatah and Hamas should reach an agreement," Babacan said. Babacan also said that Turkey did not approve of Hamas, however, peace without Hamas would be quite difficult.

YENI SAFAK
-- TURKISH BARBER RETURNING HOME
Sabri Bogday, a Turkish barber who was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia but was then pardoned, will return home. Bogday's sentence was overturned after he repented and asked God for forgiveness. "I will start a new life and a business," he said.
       Â
-- CREDIT INTEREST RATES STILL HIGH
Central Bank Governor Durmus Yilmaz said brave interest rate reductions partially reduced the pressure on credit market. Durmus said commercial credit interest rates were still high. "There is a tendency of decline in inflation rates," he also said.