GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON JUNE 16

HURRIYET
-- I SAW CEM IN MONTERREY
Unal Matsu, a Turkish retired gendarmerie officer who is working as a security guard in Monterrey town of northern California, U.S., said that he spoke to Cem Garipoglu, the suspect in the killing of Munevver Karabulut. Matsu said that, although he had heard about the murder before, he does not recognize Garipoglu as the same man he spoke to. "When I saw the guy I had spoken to on morning television I was shocked. His English was better than mine. He told me that he had been traveling around the world. He said he had traveled to Moscow, Prague, Thailand, Bangkok, Burma, Laos and finally Los Angeles," Matsu said.
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-- CREDIT CARD DEBTS TO BE PAID IN INSTALLMENTS
State Minister Ali Babacan said that new regulations would be adopted for citizens who are having difficulties with banks due to their credit card debts. Accordingly, consumers who are in default as of May 31st will be able to pay their credit card debts in installments. Owners of credit cards with limits up to 3,500 Turkish lira, or TL, will pay a user's fee of 35 TL and minimum payment rates will be decreased to 10 percent.
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MILLIYET
-- GOOD NEWS FOR CREDIT CARD DEBTORS
The government has prepared a new payment plan for credit card debtors who have failed to meet financial obligations and are pursued by banks. Accordingly, a credit card debtor will be able to pay his/her debt in installments up to 36 months at low interest rates. State Minister Ali Babacan said this was a one-time a payment plan and warned people: "A credit card is the most expensive loan if you are unable to repay on time."
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-- "LEAFLET DISTRIBUTION PUNISHMENT IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN A FINE"
Aslihan Limon, the only judge in Arac town of the northern province of Kastamonu, still receives congratulations from across Turkey after she sentenced a man for distributing leaflets that read, "I apologize to my wife and all the residents of Arac for beating my wife." The 28-year-old judge said she protected the honor of women, adding, "I think this punishment is more effective than a fine."
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SABAH
-- WE WILL WATCH CLOSELY, GENERAL STAFF
A Turkish newspaper wrote several days ago that the General Staff prepared an action plan against fundamentalists in Turkey. Upon such news, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said that his government would file a lawsuit against those responsible for the action plan. The General Staff announced that they were watching closely the developments regarding the "action plan".       Â

-- REDUCED TAX RATES TO CONTINUE
The date of June 15 was the last day for the implemented reduced Special Consumption Tax, or OTV, and Value Added Tax, or KDV, in Turkey. However, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and four ministers in charge of the economy decided that reduced tax rates should continue. The government's decision to lower tax rates was designed to help the economy deal with the ongoing global economic crisis. The sale of many goods in Turkey increased after the tax rate cuts.

VATAN
-- EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT
Premier Tayyip Erdogan will meet with General Staff Chief Gen. Ilker Basbug in Ankara. Erdogan's meeting with Gen. Basbug comes after speculations that an action plan was prepared by the General Staff against fundamentalists in Turkey. Erdogan's regular meeting with Gen. Basbug normally takes place on Thursdays but after allegations that the General Staff prepared an "action plan against fundamentalists in Turkey" the meeting between the two leaders will take place today.
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-- GREAT PARDON FOR CREDIT CARD HOLDERS
State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said that new payment plan would be implemented for those with credit card debts overdue as of May 31, 2009. According to Babacan, a new arrangement would be made so that outstanding credit card debts could be repaid with more convenient payment terms. Around 874,657 Turkish citizens will make use of the new payment plans.
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CUMHURIYET
-- GOOD NEWS FOR CREDIT CARD HOLDERS
The government has decided to take a step that will help nearly two million credit card holders who struggle and fail to pay their debts. A total of 1.3 million citizens with credit card debt and 874,657 credit card holders, who are in default as of May 31st, will be given the opportunity to repay their debt either in a single payment or through installments.
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-- NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED INCREASE BY 1.2 MILLION IN A YEAR
Although unemployment figures dropped in March 2009 compared to February, the number of unemployed people increased by 1.2 million during the same period of last year. The unemployment rate reached 15.8 percent in March 2009, a 4.8 percent increase compared to last year's figures.
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RADIKAL
-- BUDGET DEFICIT ON RISE
Economic crisis continues to cause negative impact on the budget. Turkey's budget deficit increased 903.9 percent year-on-year from 2.060 million Turkish lira, or TL, to 20.683 million TL in the first five months of 2009. Budget expenses grew 24.3 percent and budget incomes increased by 2.7 percent between January and May 2009. The budget deficit reached 610 million TL in May 2009. In May 2008, the budget yielded a surplus of 3.3 billion TL.
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-- ILISU DAM TO BE COMPLETED
Environment and Forestry Minister Veysel Eroglu is resolute on the completion of Ilisu Dam in the southeastern Anatolia. Eroglu criticized those who are against the construction of Ilisu Dam planned over the ancient city of Hasankeyf. Eroglu said the construction of Ilisu Dam would not be stopped. Residence living in Hasankeyf, which will be flooded by the dam water, will move to another location. The groundbreaking for the 'New Hasankeyf' dam project will take place on July 30.

YENI SAFAK
-- CAPKIN TO BE POLICE CHIEF OF ISTANBUL
Police chiefs of 20 provinces including Istanbul, Bursa, Tekirdag, Canakkale and Corum will be replaced. Izmir Police Chief Huseyin Capkin will be appointed as the chief of the Istanbul Police Department.
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-- HARVARD IN ISTANBUL
Leading universities of the world will be established in Istanbul. Universities such as Cambridge and Harvard will open in Istanbul under a model of the Dubai Academic City which is a base for schools, colleges and universities. Turkish youth will receive education at the world's best universities in Turkey.