GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON OCT 31

HURRIYET
--"WHO FABRICATED" DISCUSSIONÂ
The context of the briefing presented to cabinet, also attended by chief of General Staff, Ilker Basbug, was published in three pro-government newspapers three days after the meeting. The Prime Ministry denied the newspaper reports and said "the reports were fabricated from the same false source".

EVEN NATO COULD NOT STOP THE RUBBER BOAT
"Neslihan" ship of YA/SA maritime, belonging to shipping agent, Yalcin Sabanci, was hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden. The pirates of Somalia approached the ship in speed boats and rendered the crew members ineffective after climbing aboard the ship. The ships captain, Ibrahim Ornekoglu, was able to only send the message, "We are being hijacked." The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on NATO security forces to intervene to rescue the 20 Turkish crew members. However, NATO could not intervene directly as the crew were still aboard the ship.

--$640 MILLION FOUNDATION IN MIAMI
As the world is dealing with the financial crisis, Mehmet Bayraktar, the Group President and CEO of Flagstone Property Group, laid the foundation of the massive tender that he won seven years ago in Miami. The $640 million Island Gardens Project is described as the symbol of Miami’s future.

MILLIYET
--HEADING FOR IMF
Turkish State Minister for Economy Mehmet Simsek gave the first signal of whether the government would sign a new deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or not. Simsek told the World Economic Forum meeting that the government was positive about a possible precautionary stand-by deal that would serve as insurance. "If the differences between us can be overcome, a program could come onto the agenda," Simsek said.

--PIRATES HIJACK TURKISH SHIP OFF SOMALIA
A Turkish freighter ship "M/V Yasa Neslihan" was hijacked by pirates off the Somali coast. There are 20 Turkish crew members aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged ship that was carrying 77,000 tons of iron ore. NATO forces stepped in to rescue the ship. The ship, which was on en route from Canada to China, sailed to an unknown location.

SABAH
--TURKEY WILL BE STRONGER FOLLOWING GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS, SCHWAB
Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Klaus Schwab said that Turkey, most likely, will be stronger following the global financial crisis. "The global crisis is not the end of the world. A crisis is an opportunity that we must use," Schwab said.

--TURKISH BUSINESS WORLD EXPECTS GOVERNMENT TO MAKE REFORMS
President of Sabanci Holding, Guler Sabanci, said that the Turkish business world has succeeded in integrating with the European Union (EU). Speaking at the meeting of the World Economic Forum in Istanbul, Sabanci stressed that "there are reforms that the Turkish business world expects from the Turkish government. Among the reforms expected are the prevention of the unregistered sector and unfair competition. The Turkish business world supports Turkey's bid to join the EU."

VATAN
--THE MOST FORTUNATE PERSON IN THE UNITED STATES IS A TURKISH CITIZEN
Banker Kenan Altunis, a Turkish citizen living in London, went to New York to visit his family. He was affected by an advertisement for a new lottery, "One Million Dollars a Year for Life". His mother bought four tickets for him and one of the tickets won the major prize. Altunis will get $1 million for the rest of his life. He said, "I did not need money but this was a good investment".

--PIRATES OF SOMALIA HIJACK TURKISH SHIP
Pirates carrying heavy weapons attacked the ship YA/SA Neslihan in Gulf of Aden and captured 20 crew members. The location of the ship and the demands of pirates are not known. The ship belonging to Yalcın Sabanci from the Sabanci family, was carrying 77,000 tons of iron ore to China. The pirates came upon the ship by speed boats and climbed aboard. The captain sent a message informing that they were being hijacked.

The pirates patrolling the shores of Somalia have hijacked 73 ships this year. The crew members can not resist the pirates weapons are illegal on commercial ships. Patrolling NATO ships can not intervene directly in order to prevent harm coming to crew members.

CUMHURIYET
--EU MAKES TURKEY WAIT
An enlargement strategy document of the European Union (EU) said that Croatia is expected to conclude entry negotiations with the EU by the end of 2009 and join the EU as a full member. The EU document did not set a date for Turkey’s full membership, thus making Turkey wait for an exact date.

--WE ARE NO LONGER ALLIES WITH TURKEY, CIA OFFICIAL
A former high ranking official of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Graham Fuller, said that Turkey is no longer an ally of the United States. "Turkey wants to act independently from the United States. Turkey's and the U.S.'s foreign policy interests contradict each other," Fuller stressed.

RADIKAL
--CICEK GIVES HOPE
Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek spoke promisingly against torture. He said torture was the heaviest violation of human rights and added that the recent tragic incidents were not acceptable for anyone. "The first priority is to solve the problem with the laws. But there is a second phase which is a crucial obstacle caused by the general mentality. The understanding of hiding what is going on inside is so wrong," he said.

--WHAT A GLOBAL TURMOIL
The global financial turmoil took a break after measures taken by the United States and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The fast recovery of the global markets was also seen in Turkey. The Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) rose 7.38 percent and closed at 26,733 points. Interest rate fell to 22.9 percent.

--GREEN LIGHT TO IMF
Turkish State Minister for Economy Mehmet Simsek said that the government was at a point not to need the IMF. However, he said his government was positive about a possible precautionary stand-by deal to anchor the economy.

YENI SAFAK
--SAME GAME FROM DEUTSCHE BANK
Deutsche Bank, which triggered the economic crisis in 2001, is on the stage again. The German bank warned that a crisis was looming for Turkey, which was described by the world as the "safest port". The bank claimed that Turkey might need $90 billion to be rid of the crisis.

"TURKEY IS A SUPER POWER"
Graham Fuller, the CIA's analyst specialized on the Middle East, said that Turkey has succeeded in becoming a "regional super power" after a hundred years. Fuller said Turkey has good relations with the United States but is no long an ally of the United States.