GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON MAR 10

HURRIYET
-- RED ALERT FOR ECONOMY
It is a red alert for the Turkish economy as the U.S. dollar broke a historic record against the Turkish lira on Monday, reaching as high as 1.82, forcing the country's central bank to declare that it would sell foreign currency. Industrial output dropped 21.3 percent in January. The decrease was just 14 percent when a crippling domestic economic crisis hit the economy. Over 130,000 people applied to Turkey's employment agency in February, a 7.39 percent increase.
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-- TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER TO PARTICIPATE MEETING IN ARMENIA
As Ankara searches for ways to prevent U.S. President Barrack Obama from using the word "genocide" in the annual presidential speech on April 24, the Armenian commemoration day of the incidents of 1915, Turkey had taken an important step. Foreign Minister Ali Babacan has accepted an invitation by his Armenian counterpart Eduard Nalbandian to participate in a meeting of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation in Yerevan on April 16-17.
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MILLIYET
-- DARWIN CENSURE OF TUBITAK
Dr. Cigdem Atakuman, the editor of the science and technology magazine of the Scientific and Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), made Charles Darwin, the father of the theory of evolution, the cover story of the magazine. Later, she was taken from the office by TUBITAK's deputy chairman, Professor Omer Cebeci. The cover of the magazine was changed. Professor Cebeci excluded the related story from the magazine before it was published. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared 2009 as the "Year of Darwin" because of his 200th birthday. After Cebeci's intervention, the magazine was published with the cover story on "global climate change". Dr. Atakuman told Milliyet that she did not know how Milliyet had learned about the incident, but confirmed the developments.
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-- YALCINDAG MEETS VERHEUGEN
Mehmet Ali Yalcindag, the chairman of Dogan Publication Holding, met Guenter Verheugen, the vice president of the European Commission for European Union (EU) affairs, in Berlin on Monday. During their meeting, Verheugen and Yalcindag discussed recent political and economic developments and Turkey-EU relations.
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-- INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION DROPS SHARPLY
Turkey’s industrial production, which has been falling down since July 2008, was down 21.3 percent in January 2009. The biggest drop was in the automotive industry with 60.3 percent, whereas production of radio, TV, and communication devices was down 55.7 percent. Chairman of the Istanbul Chamber of Industry, Tanil Kucuk, asked the government to develop serious policies as soon as possible.
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SABAH
-- CENTRAL BANK TO INTERVENE IN U.S. DOLLAR
The Turkish Central Bank announced on Monday that the bank would begin to hold foreign exchange sale auctions after the U.S. dollar exceeded 1.8 Turkish lira (TL). The central bank issued a statement and said the bank decided to hold foreign exchange sale auctions as of Tuesday and it would provide foreign exchange liquidity to the market through auctions.
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-- HERE IS NEW TURKISH SOLDIER
Turkish soldier will become "Rambo" of the 21st century with "smart" technology. Modernization works have been under way to boost war power of Turkish soldiers. Turkish soldiers will have the most effective firepower in the fight against terrorism. New uniform of soldiers will be made of smart composite fiber, in which the soldiers’ psychical and psychological situation can be monitored through sensors placed in them.

VATAN
-- "EVERYWHERE HAS DRIED"
According to Ahmet Nazif Zorlu, one of Turkey’s leading industrialists, economic crisis is hitting every one. "I haven't seen such stagnation inside or outside before. Turkey was late in realizing how serious the situation is," Zorlu said. Zorlu, who sold Denizbank for $2.4 billion and is the boss of Vestel, the biggest electronics and durable house goods manufacturer in Europe, is concerned about the future. "I want to be optimistic, but unfortunately the situation is very serious. We should not ignore the facts. Whoever says we are not affected by the crisis is lying," he said.

Zorlu also said, "Domestic sales are down by one-third. Durable house goods manufacturers have been suffering much from the crisis. Today, no one is buying anything although they need things. When consumers prevent themselves from buying things, every market has dried up. There are people who have closed factories and who have become unemployed due to the crisis. Everything will be more difficult after the elections (local elections on March 29)."
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-- US DOLLAR REACHES 1.82 TL, INDUSTRY HALTS
The U.S. dollar reached 1.825 Turkish lira (TL) and climbed to a record peak on Monday. Then, the Turkish Central Bank announced that it would start selling foreign exchange to markets, and the dollar dropped slightly,closing the day at 1.807 against the lira. Industrial production figures in January caused the sharp rise in the dollar. The Turkish Board of Statistics (TURKSTAT) said industrial output was down 21.3 percent in January 2009 over January 2008.
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CUMHURIYET
-- U.S. DOLLAR EXCEEDS 1.8 TL
The dollar reached 1.82 Turkish liras (TL) in the free market due to foreign banks' demand for the U.S. currency on Monday morning. The Turkish Central Bank announced that it would begin holding auctions to sell foreign exchange. After the announcement, the dollar dropped to 1.81 TL.
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-- DECREASE IN INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT CONTINUES
Turkey's industrial output fell by 21.3 percent in January 2009 over January 2008. The mining industry index dropped by 3.8 percent while manufacturing industry shrank 24.2 percent in January. Turkey's power, gas and water industry also fell by 6 percent. Tanil Kucuk, chairman of the executive board of Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, said that the government should comprehend the seriousness of situation as quickly as possible.
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RADIKAL
-- CRISIS HITS TURKEY WORSE THAN IT DOES U.S.
A global financial malady hit Turkey hard in January as country's industrial output plummeted 24.2 percent, almost six times more than the worst fall in production recorded in September 2008 in the U.S., ground zero of the crisis. The Turkish currency fell further against the U.S. dollar on Monday as the foreign currency reached as high as 1.82 Turkish liras. The Turkish Central Bank said it would step in and begin selling U.S. dollar if the currency becomes too volatile.
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-- SCIENCE COUNCIL CENSURES DARWIN ON MAGAZINE COVER
Deputy head of Turkey's official science council changed the cover story of its science and technology magazine on Charles Darwin. Deputy Chairman of the Scientific and Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) Omer Cebeci ordered a new cover story for the magazine after its editor Cigdem Atakuman prepared a special story for the Darwin Year in the world. The March issue of the magazine was published a week later than usual. There were rumors that Atakuman was relieved from her post at TUBITAK.

YENI SAFAK
-- ROUTE CHANGES, WORLD BEWILDERED
Contrary to former U.S. presidents who visited Turkey years after they were elected, Barack Obama will pay a visit to Turkey shortly after taken office, shocking the world. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said when she was in Ankara on Saturday that Obama would visit Turkey within a month; remarks caused widespread repercussions. The European and U.S. media commented on Obama's decision as saying, "Turkey's importance has been revealed." The U.S. media stressed that Obama would be the first U.S. president who would visit Turkey so soon after their inauguration.
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-- INTERVENTION SIGNAL BRAKES US DOLLAR
When the foreign funds that have changed their course due to the global economic crisis triggered by the U.S. dollar rate, the dollar made a historic rise and reached 1.82 Turkish lira (TL) on Monday. The Turkish Central Bank announced that it would launch daily $50 million foreign exchange sale tenders beginning on Tuesday, and the dollar fell to 1.8 TL.