GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON SEPT 17

These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in the Turkish press on September 17, 2008. Hurriyet English does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET
-I AM SORRY. WE SPENT THE DONATED FUNDS.
"We were aiming to help more people who were poor an in need of aid. This is why, I am sorry for spending the received funds for some activities without asking to those contributors," Mehmet Gurhan, vice president of Kanal 7 Europe said in his arguments, at Deniz Feneri Fraud case, in Germany.

--DO NOT TRY TO INVOLVE US IN POLITICS
In his first meeting with the media, Gen, Ilker Basbug, the chief of Turkish General Staff, said, "nobody, including the media, should not make politics over the Armed Forces. Please do not include the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in daily incidents." Basbug said, "we are sensitive about this matter and we are uneasy about those making politics over the TSK and including the armed forces in daily incidents. Otherwise, we will have to use our own defense mechanism."

--24 YEAR BALANCE SHEET OF TERRORISM
Gen. Ilker Basbug, the chief of Turkish General Staff, talked about the figures related to 24-year fight against terrorism. Basbug said, "the number of terrorists taken out of action is 32,000. The number of civilian casualties is 5,560 and the number of soldiers lost in the fight is 6,482." Basbug said, "nobody should try to make cheap politics over our martyrs. We are uneasy about the questions as to why we are still losing our sons. Who would want to lose sons?"

--ERDOGAN REPROACH TO EU
Turkish Premier Tayyip Erdogan talked reproachful during the fast-breaking dinner he hosted in honor of ambassadors of the European Union (EU) member states in Ankara. Erdogan said the EU was slowing down Turkey's EU membership process. "You should not open the door in the first place, why did you open the door then," he said.

MILLIYET
--LINES OF GENERAL BASBUG
Chief of Turkish General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug's "communication meeting" on Tuesday broke a record based on its duration. The meeting lasted 3.5 hours and was divided into three parts. Gen. Basbug drew a "new line" with the meeting that dealt with expectations from the press, suggestions from the media and question-answers.

--DIGITAL HOSPITALS TO DECREASE COSTS
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Nasuh Ozmen said that information on patients would soon be stored in a digital atmosphere. Keeping patient information on "digital hospitals" would decrease costs, Ozmen stressed.

SABAH
--BASBUG CRITERIA
Gen. Ilker Basbug, the chief of Turkish General Staff, talked about many issues from the EU to Georgia, from terrorism to the motion enabling cross-border operation during his three-and-a-half-hour meeting with media executives. On the EU, Basbug said, "for the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), EU full membership is an important means to climb above the level of contemporary civilizations, an aim of Ataturk. Do not play with our nation state structure, and do not weaken our unitary state structure."

On politics, Basbug said, "none of the institutions should try to make politics over TSK. Do not include the TSK in daily matters. Martyrs should not be used as a tool for cheap politics."

Regarding terrorism, Gen. Basbug said, "the separatist terrorist organization is coming to a breaking point. Only people from Syria, Iran and Europe are joining the organization. Those joining the terrorist organization are around 14 and 18 years old. It is an important thing to save these people from the terrorist organization." Basbug did not comment on the April 21st statement, but said the armed forces would reduce press statements.

On social state, Basbug said, "religion is used as a tool for economicinterests. You are pushing people to become a social group in places where social state is not implemented, whether you call it a community or a society."

--FIRST STEP FOR ROME AT 9:45 P.M.
Fenerbahce soccer team of Turkey, who played a Champions League quarter final last football season, aim to play the final this year in Rome. Their first match is against Porto on Wednesday. Semih could not fly to Portugal due to his injuries. Eyes are on Alex, Emre and Guiza.

VATAN
--KURDISH PROGRAMS TO BE BROADCAST ON TRT
Turkey's national tv station, TRT, would soon begin broadcasting programs in Kurdish, Zazaki, Persian and Arabic. These programs would begin in March 2009.

--IF ISTANBUL BECOMES A FINANCIAL CENTER WHOLE WORLD WOULD BE SAVED, MINISTER

Turkish State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Nazim Ekren said that Turkey had taken precautions against the global food, energy and financial crisis. "If Istanbul became a financial center, the whole world would be saved," Ekren said.

CUMHURIYET
--"OUR STANCE WILL NOT CHANGE"
Gen. Ilker Basbug, the chief of Turkish General Staff, assessed secularism, unitary structure, European Union (EU), terrorism and regional developments in his meeting with the editors-in-chief of newspapers and their representatives in Ankara. Gen. Basbug said that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) did not have an opposite view about Turkey's EU membership, and said that EU membership was a means, not a goal in Turkey's modernization path. Basbug said, "we expect the EU to behave equally and not to lay down demands regarding nation and unitary state structures. We will not find it appropriate if the EU makes such demands. What we are telling the EU is that if it does not admit Turkey as a member, this will be the end of the union in the Balkans."

--DEFENSE WITH ATATURK FROM DTP
Ahmet Turk, the chairman of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) making a verbal defense at the Constitutional Court regarding the closure case against the party, recalled Ataturk's remarks in 1923. Ataturk had said, "any province with a population of Kurds shall rule themselves autonomously." Turk said that the PKK "was formed due to the denial and assimilation policy" pursued in later years, and "developed with torture after the September 12th military intervention."

RADIKAL
--NOBODY SHOULD MAKE TSK A TOOL FOR POLITICS
Gen. Ilker Basbug, the chief of Turkish General Staff, spoke to the media on Tuesday. "None of institutions, including the media should not make politics over the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). Nobody should make cheap politics over martyrs."

--STOCK EXCHANGE DOWN, FOREIGN EXCHANGE UP
Giant insurance company AIG was seeking $40 billion to stand on its feet but could only acquire half of this amount. Therefore, it is in a life-and-death struggle. If AIG bankrupts, there will be a "disaster" in markets. Also financial companies Washington Mutual and Wachovia Bank are in a difficult situation. Also markets are shattered in Turkey. The two-day loss of Turkey's Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) is 8.9 percent, whereas one U.S. dollar rose to 1.5 YTL.

YENI SAFAK
--NOBODY SHOULD MAKE POLITICS OVER TURKISH MILITARY
Gen. Ilker Basbug, the chief of Turkish General Staff, gave important messages in an informative meeting with the media executives and representatives of media in Ankara. Basbug said that none of institutions, including the media, should make politics over the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). Basbug said, "nobody can use the TSK for his/her own interests. Nobody should make cheap politics over martyrs."

--ITALIAN MEDAL TO OZPETEK
Turkish film director Ferzan Ozpetek will be presented with an Italian state medal of merit. Ozpetek, who has directed successful Turkish-Italian co-productions, will be honored with a medal for the constructive role he plays in cultural relations between the two countries.