GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON SEPT 1

These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in the Turkish press on September 29, 2008. Hurriyet English does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET

--LET TWO FRIENDS LAY HANDS ON THIS

Turkish companies have started to suffer losses as Turkish goods are counted one by one at Russian customs gates. Exporters called on Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to sit at table urgently to resolve the problem as soon as possible.

Russia does not allow Turkish trucks to pass the border as a reaction to Turkey's permission to passage of NATO ships from the straits to the Black Sea, implementing a heavy blow to Turkish exports to Russia amounting to $4.7 billion.

Turkish Exporters' Assembly Chairman, Oguz Satici, said this crisis could not be overcome by leaving it to the bureaucrats or ministers. "The matter is at boiling point. The two prime ministers should lay hands on the matter and solve the problem."

--ATTACK ON MILITARY OUTPOST: 4 SOLDIERS KILLED

Around 40 PKK terrorists attacked with rocket launchers a military outpost of the Yedisu Gendarmerie Command in the eastern province of Bingol on Saturday night.

Four soldiers died and four others were injured in the terrorist attack. Two terrorists were killed in an ensuing clash that lasted for 1.5 hours.

MILLIYET

--FOUR MARTYRS

Four Turkish troops have been killed in a PKK ambush in the eastern province of Bingol. PKK terrorists staged a midnight attack on a gendarmerie outpost in Yedisu town. Four troops were killed in the attack and four others were injured. Security forces killed two PKK terrorists as they were trying to escape.

--"CRISIS IN USA IS IN EUROPE NOW"

Aka Gunduz Ozdemir from the leading Turkish company Koc Holding has said that the mortgage crisis in the United States had begun affecting Europe recently. "Impacts of the crisis will spread to the east. Therefore, we need to take urgent measures to minimize those impacts," Ozdemir said.

--"ATATURK'S SUSPORTERS BETRAY HIM"

In an interview with German Der Spiegel magazine, Nobel laureate novelist Orhan Pamuk has said, "Ataturk would have been proud of Turkey's becoming a member of the EU. Now, his so-called supporters are betraying him. I am in favor of democracy, freedom of expression and Europe," Pamuk said.

SABAH

--TURKEY OFFERS FREE TRADE AGREEMENT TO CHINA

Turkey offered China, a prospective super power, to sign a free trade agreement. State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said that President Abdullah Gul would visit China soon with a large group of Turkish entrepreneurs. "We want a free trade agreement with China so that we can reach a trade volume of $20 billion," Tuzmen said. According to Tuzmen, Turkey would open a commercial office in China in November, 2008. Tuzmen offered China to work together in Iraq on oil projects.

--I WOULD PREFER TO WATCH A GAME IN BAKU INSTEAD OF YEREVAN

In regard to President Abdullah Gul's plans to go to Yerevan to watch a soccer game between the national teams of Turkey and Armenia, chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Deniz Baykal said that he would prefer to watch a game in Baku instead of Yerevan. Baykal warned the Turkish government to stay away from all acts that would hurt Azerbaijan.

Baykal said, "Armenia still does not recognize Turkey's borders, insists on its claims of genocide and continues occupation of Azerbaijani territory. Azerbaijan carries economic, political and cultural importance for Turkey. As such, the Turkish government should stay away from steps that would hurt Azerbaijan," Baykal added.

VATAN

--VISIT TO ARMENIA WILL NOT BE RIGHT

Republican People's Party (CHP) chairman Deniz Baykal reacted against the plan of President Abdullah Gul to travel to Armenia to watch a match of Turkish national soccer team.

Baykal said such a visit would contradict Turkey's foreign policy. "Armenia does not accept Turkey's legal borders. It supports allegations for so-called genocide. It has occupied Azerbaijan's territory, Upper Karabakh. Turkey should not make a step that would damage relations with Azerbaijan. I would like to go to Baku instead of Yerevan to watch the match."

--CONDITIONAL PERMISSION TO MNG

Commenting on MNG Holding's filling the sea in Bodrum's Pina Peninsula with soil to build a hotel, Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay said, "The company has been ordered to make the coasts natural. Otherwise, their project will not be approved, they can't build a quay and they can't be able to use the beach."

CUMHURIYET

--MOSCOW GETTING TOUGHER

After raising obstacles to the entrance of Turkish products coming from Turkey, the Russian Federation now applies obstacles to Turkish products coming from Europe. State Minister Kursad Tuzmen described the implementation of Russia as "one totally out of regulations".

--30 RULING AKP DEPUTIES ON WAY TO YEREVAN

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said that President Abdullah Gul would attend a soccer game between the national teams of Turkey and Armenia in Yerevan on Sept. 6. The soccer game would be part of qualification games for the upcoming World Cup. Thirty Turkish deputies would accompany Gul in Yerevan. The Turkish delegation would stay in Yerevan for a total of three hours.

RADIKAL

--NOT FIRE BUT NEGLIGENCE

The Chamber of Forestry Engineers has prepared a detailed report about the forest fire in the southern Turkish province of Antalya on July 31. According to the report, nearly 17 thousand hectares of wooded area was burnt down to ashes in the fire, the second biggest of the history of the Republic. Earlier, the Ministry of Forestry said that only 4 thousand hectares were destroyed.

The report also indicated that the fire spread because of lack of preventive measures. Engineers ruled out that the fire was mishandled.

--TURKISH DELEGATION DUE TO ARMENIA

A Turkish delegation will pay a visit to Armenia to check the atmosphere prior to a likely visit of President Abdullah Gul to Yerevan to watch the soccer game between Turkish and Armenian national teams on Sept. 6. The visit is considered a significant step for the settlement of peace in the Caucasus. The issue of Upper Karabakh will be high on agenda of the delegation's talks.

--TURKISH SOAPS AGAINST IRAN

The Tehran Times of Iran has claimed that Turkish TV series are drawing attention, especially that of women in the Middle East, were meant to both raise Turkey's profile in the region and reduce Iran's political and cultural influence. The daily said that it was a pan-Turkism.

YENI SAFAK

--GEORGIAN MINISTER LEAVES, RUSSIAN MINISTER COMES

Georgian Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili, who paid a visit to Istanbul, said, "Turkey is Georgia's approved friend." Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will come to Ankara on Tuesday.

--HEINOUS ATTACK IN BINGOL

Terrorists opened gunfire on the Yedisu gendarmerie outpost in the eastern province of Bingol killing four soldiers and injuring four others.