GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON APR 17

HURRIYET

-- SAYLAN: I HAVE TO LIVE FOR A WHILE

Professor Turkan Saylan, the chairwoman of the Association for Supporting Contemporary Living, or CYDD, who has been treated at Istanbul University Medicine Faculty Oncology Institute, said she had to live for a while when she was discharged from the hospital. Saylan said if necessary they could apply to the European Court of Human Rights. CYDD and Saylan have been included in the Ergenekon probe. Saylan's house was raided and her personal documents were seized.

-- INTEREST RATES DROP TO SINGLE DIGIT

The Turkish Central Bank's Monetary Policy Board has taken a historic step. The board cut borrowing interest rates by 0.75 point to 9.75 percent.

MILLIYET

-- 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE LOSE JOBS IN 8 MONTHS

The unemployment rate in Turkey has been increasing since last June. In May 2008, the unemployment rate was 8.9 percent and more than 2.1 million people were "officially unemployed” and nearly 1.5 million have been added to this figure in the last eight months.

-- ONE SOLDIER KILLED IN DIYARBAKIR

Three soldiers were wounded in a clash with PKK terrorists in Dicle town of the southeastern province of Diyarbakir. Injured sergeant Berkant Sara, 34, died in hospital. Sara was laid to rest in the western province of Mugla.

-- AKP TAKES ACTION IN CYPRUS

Prior to the upcoming April 19 general elections in Turkish Cyprus, AKP deputies Veysi Kaynak, Fatos Gurkan and Istanbul Deputy Governor Feyzullah Ozcan have started exerting efforts for the Freedom & Prosperity Party on the island. A recent visit from State Minister Egemen Bagis to northern Cyprus was also interesting.

SABAH

-- ‘WE ALMOST AGREED’

Positive winds blew during a meeting between Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers, who met within the scope of the 20th meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, or BSEC, in Yerevan, the Armenian capital. Armenia's Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said they almost reached an agreement on opening the border.

-- HEAVY BILL FOR QUARRELLING

After the eventful Super League soccer match between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, the Professional Football Disciplinary Board closed the Galatasaray stadium for one game and decided that Galatasaray would play one game behind closed doors. Fenerbahce defender Diego Lugano was punished for five matches, Fenerbahce goalkeeper Volkan Demirel and striker Semih Senturk and Galatasaray midfielder Arda Turan were each punished for three matches, Galatasaray midfielder Sabri Sarioglu and defender Emre Asik were each punished for two matches.

VATAN

-- ERDOGAN IS GOING TO SCHROEDER

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan will leave for Hanover on Saturday to attend the birthday party of former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Schroeder, who said that he would celebrate his 65th birthday with his close friends, also invited Vladimir Putin and Jacques Chirac to the party.

-- CABIN PRESSURE DROPS, LANDS IN LONDON

A Turkish Airlines Airbus A-340 plane named "Diyarbakir," which took off from New York for Istanbul made an emergency landing at Heathrow Airport in London due to a failure in cabin pressure. The problem was solved after four and a half hours, and the plane flew to Istanbul.

CUMHURIYET

-- CENTRAL BANK CUTS INTEREST RATES BY 0.75 POINT

The Turkish Central Bank reduced short-term interest rates by 0.75 point. According to the bank’s decision, overnight borrowing interest rates were dropped from 10.5 percent to 9.75 percent.

-- NALBANDIAN SAYS BORDER AGREEMENT IS NEAR

Foreign Minister Ali Babacan paid a visit to Armenian capital of Yerevan for a meeting of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. Babacan met with leaders from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said negotiations were under way and that the border crossing between Turkey and Armenia could be opened soon.

RADIKAL

-- CLINTON FULLY SUPPORTS TALAT

President Mehmet Ali Talat of the northern Cyprus had his first meeting with the Obama administration in Washington, D.C. Talat met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Talat said the meeting was fruitful. "Mrs. Clinton expressed the United States' support (to a solution regarding the Cyprus issue) for several times," Talat said.

-- THY PLANE MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING IN LONDON

A Turkish Airlines, or THY, plane en route from New York to Istanbul made an emergency landing in London. Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association, or TUSIAD, Chairperson Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag, who was on board the plane, said, "We felt a little uneasiness, but pilots managed the incident well."

YENI SAFAK

-- SINGLE DIGIT ERA BEGINS

The Turkish Central Bank's Monetary Policy Board decided to cut interest rates by 0.75 point at the fourth meeting of this year. The board dropped borrowing interest rates from 10.5 percent to 9.75 percent, beginning the era of single-digit interest rates. A statement released after the meeting said that if global economic problems continued, there might be new cuts.

-- NEFTCI, WELL-KNOWN ECONOMIST, DIES

Professor Salih Neftci, who was one of the leading economists of Turkey, died in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday. Neftci was receiving treatment for cancer at a hospital in Geneva.