GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON SEPT 18

These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in the Turkish press on September 18, 2008. Hurriyet English does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET
--IT IS NOW TURKEY'S TURN
"This is the biggest charity corruption case (Deniz Feneri e.V fraud case) in Germany’s history, I have seen. Kanal 7 was controlling the all. Mehmet Gurhan and Mehmet Taskan move according to the instructions they received from Zeriya Karaman, Ismail Karahan and Mustafa Celik.The real responsible ones were in Turkey," the Judge Jochen Mueller, at the Supreme Court of Frankfurt said Wednesday when he announced the ruling.

--AND THEY WERE SENTENCED
Mehmet Gurhan, the director general of the private Kanal 7 TV station in Europe, was found guilty of using donations for other purposes, than charity and was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison. Gurhan has been in prison since April 23, 2007. The judge decided to keep Gurhan in prison, and said, "Gurhan still has a possibility to run away to Turkey."

Mehmet Taskan, the head of the Deniz Feneri Association in Germany, was sentenced to serve two years and nine months in prison. He has been in prison since August 13th, 2007, so the court ruled that he should be released from prison. He will be sent back to prison later to serve the remaining ninemonths. Firdevsi Ermis, an accountant, was sentenced to one-year-and-ten-month imprisonment. However, his sentence was suspended because he made confessions. He has been imprisoned since April 23rd, 2007, but was released on Wednesday.

The suspects were convicted of fraud. 17 million of 41 million euros, collected in five years, was sent to Turkey. 8 million Euro was given to the Deniz Feneri Association in Turkey. The whereabouts of 2.8 million euros is unknown.

--ERUYGUR SUFFERS FROM CEREBRAL HEMORRHAGE IN PRISON
Retired general Sener Eruygur, who was in Kandira prison, fell from stairs when he suffered from high blood pressure on Wednesday. Eruygur was hospitalized. Doctors said he had a cerebral hemorrhage and there was a fracture in his neck bone. Eruygur is now kept in intensive care unit.

MILLIYET
--ERUYGUR IN SERIOUS CONDITION AFTER FALLING DOWN IN PRISON
Former commander of the Gendermary Forces Ret. Gen. Sener Eruygur fell down from the stairs in prison Wednesday morning. A four-point fracture was diagnosed in his neck at the hospital. "The hemorrhage in his brain, increased by 10 percent in the evening. He is in critical condition. We are closely monitoring him," said Prof. Nazım Mutlu, head physician of the Kocaeli University Hospital where Eruygur was hospitalised.

--UNLUCKY BEGINNING IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Turkish soccer team Fenerbahce, which went on its first game in the Champions League against Porto, was shocked by two goals, in the first 13 minutes of the game. Fenerbahce, which started playing better in the rest of the first half, scored a goal with Guiza. Fenerbahce missed many goal opportunities in the second half. Porto scored another goal in the over time and won against Fenerbahce with a score of 3-1.

SABAH
--FENER'S LIGHT FADES AWAY
Fenerbahce soccer team of Turkey, which made a bad start to this football season, also started badly in the Champions League. Fenerbahce, who lost two of their three matches in the Turkish league, were also disappointed in Europe. Fenerbahce lost against Porto of Portugal 3-1 on Wednesday.

--TWO ASSOCIATIONS ARE PARTNERS
Mehmet Gurhan, the director general of the private Kanal 7 TV station in Europe, was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison in the Deniz Feneri Association case in Germany. Mehmet Taskin, the head of the Deniz Feneri Association in Germany, was sentenced to two-year-nine-month imprisonment, whereas accountant Firdevsi Ermis was sentenced to one years and ten months of prison term. German judge Johann Muller said the Deniz Feneri associations in Turkey and Germany were working together.

The judge said the case was the biggest charity scandal in Germany, and announced that investigation into Zekeriya Karaman (the head of the Executive Board of private Kanal 7 TV channel) and Zahid Akman (the head of Turkey's Supreme Board of Television and Radio) wouldcontinue.

--TURKEY LEG SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED
Regarding Deniz Feneri Association, State Minister Cemil Cicek said prosecutors should do what they had to do. Also, Deniz Baykal, the chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP), said, "the Turkey leg should be investigated. A judicial process should be launched regarding those who got the money."

VATAN
--GERMAN PROSECUTOR: WHY IS TURKEY STILL WAITING?
Kerstin Lotz, the prosecutor of the Deniz Feneri Association case in Germany, spoke to Vatan daily and said the court would prepare its reasoned verdict in six weeks. "Till then, we will expect Turkish Justice Ministry to demand the file. We will send them if they do not request the file," she said. The German prosecutor said that the court had a strong belief that the donations were used for political purposes in Turkey and said they had completed the Germany leg of the case. "We have also revealed the Turkey links. We have traced the donations till Zekeriya Karaman. The rest is Turkey's business," she also said.

--HIS BONE NECK WAS BROKEN, HE HAD CEREBRAL HEMORRHAGE
Retired general Sener Eruygur, who is in prison within the scope of the Ergenekon investigation, fell down from the stairs due to high blood pressure and hit his head. He was hospitalized immediately. Nazim Mutlu, the chief doctor of the Kocaeli Faculty of Medicine hospital, said that Eruygur had a neck fracture and cerebral hemorrhage. Mutlu said fortunately, Eruygur would not be paralyzed and said he was in critical condition.

--DALI EXHIBITION IN ISTANBUL
The Sabanci University's Sakip Sabanci Museum will host Salvador Dali, one of the most important painters of the 20th century, as of September 20. Suzan Sabanci Dincer, the head of the Executive Board of Akbank, personally launched initiatives to organize the most expensive artistic event in Turkey (worth 7 million YTL) and brought the exhibition to Turkey. Art centers in New York, Los Angeles and London were also eager to host the exhibition. 269 artifacts will be on display in the exhibition.

CUMHURIYET
--ERUYGUR IN INTENSIVE CARE
Ret. Gen. Sener Eruygur, who has been detained under the Ergenekon investigation, fell down from the stairs due to hyper-tension at the Kandira Penitentiary and had a brain stroke. Eruygur, who was hospitalised at the Kocaeli University Hospital, has four fractures in his neck. Eruygur is in critical condition. Nazim Mutlu, head physician of the hospital, said, "the hemorrhage in his brain increased by 10 percent. He may be paralysed. He has hyper-tension and diabetes which makes his situation more critical."

--NOW IT'S TURKEY'S TURN
The accused in the Germany leg of the Deniz Feneri, charity fraud, were convicted. The German court sentenced Mehmet Gurhan, a key name in the fraud who is said to work under Zekeriya Karaman and Zahid Akman, to five years and 10 months of imprisonment. The court sentenced Mehmet Taskan to 2 years and 9 months and Firdevsi Ermis to 1 year and 10 months of imprisonment. Judge Muller said though Gurhan was one of the directors of the Deniz Feneri foundation, he was directed from Turkey and was not the only decision maker.

After the verdict in the case all eyes were turned to Turkey. Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek said, "we will not be the protector of criminals. We will back the investigation wherever it may lead." Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said, "it is saddening for Turkish citizens to be convicted." Republican' People's Party, Turkey's main opposition, pointed out that the actual extension of the fraud incident was in Turkey, and said it was necessary to bring the perpetrators in Turkey before justice.

RADIKAL
--THREE CONVICTIONS IN "DENIZ FENERI" CASE
German authorities punished the perpetrators of the fraud of the century. All eyes are turned to Turkey now. Three of the defendants in the "Deniz Feneri e.V" case in Germany, Mehmet Gurhan, Mehmet Taskan and Firdevsi Ermis were sentenced to, respectively, five years 10 months, 2 years and 9 months and 1 year and 10 months of imprisonment. The judge regarded the case as "Germany's biggest charity scandal," while pointing out that Mehmet Gurhan was controlled from Turkey. He said Zekeriya Karaman had an important role in the incident

--ANOTHER WARNING TO PM ERDOGAN COMES FROM WAN
After World Press Institute, World Association of Newspapers sent a letter to Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan calling on him to stop threatening the press.

YENI SAFAK
--THREE SUSPECTS SENTENCED TO PRISON TERMS IN DENIZ FENERI CASE
In the Deniz Feneri Association case in Germany, Mehmet Gurhan was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison. Mehmet Taskan was sentenced to a two-year prison term and Firdevs Ermis to one year imprisonment. State Minister Cemil Cicek said, "we will not stand behind any criminal. Prosecutors are free to file lawsuits."

--HIGH INTEREST RATES LOCKING ECONOMY
The Monetary Policy Board will hold its ninth meeting on Thursday. The board kept the overnight interest rates constant at 16.75 percent. Experts think the board will reduce the interest rates this time. The markets think that the only solution is to reduce interest rates in days when economy is locked, growth rate is slowed down, oil prices fall down and budget has a surplus.