GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON MAR 17

HURRIYET

-- UNEMPLOYMENT BREAKS RECORD

Turkish Board of Statistics (TUIK) announced the unemployment rate in December 2008 as 13.6 percent and the number of unemployed people as 3,274,000. These are the record rates and numbers in the history of the Republic. The unemployment rate is three points higher than it was during the economic crisis in 2001. The number of unemployed has increased by 838,000 in a year. Employment increased from 20,443,000 to 20,736,000. The number of unemployed people increased from 1,726,000 to 2,306,000 in cities, and from 710,000 to 967,000 in rural areas. The rate of unemployment among young population is 25.7 percent.

-- 20 BONES UNEARTHED IN CIZRE

Excavations, which started upon claims that several people were killed and dumped into wells in the 1990s in Silopi town in the southeastern province of Sirnak, continued in Cizre town in the province yesterday. Nearly 20 pieces of bones in various sizes were unearthed in the excavations made in three different spots near Kustepe village. The bones will be sent to an Istanbul forensic medicine institution.

MILLIYET

-- HISTORICAL RECORD IN UNEMPLOYMENT

Turkey is facing the biggest danger to harm its social structure: The rate of unemployment climbed to 13.6 percent. This is a record that was not seen in earlier crises. One in every four youngster is unemployed. The number of unemployed for the first time exceeded 3,000,000, reaching 3,274,000 people.

-- 34-YEAR-OLD TARIS "STOPS"

Taris Fabrics and Textile Factory, established 34 years ago as the biggest facility of the Balkans, suspended its manufacturing for six months because of the economic crisis. 600 people work for the factory, which is now shown among the top 10 in the Balkans.

SABAH

-- RECORD PARTICIPATION IN WATER FORUM

The 5th World Water Forum, held at a congress center ashore the Istanbul strait, began with the participation of 28,000 people. Leaders of 11 countries attended the opening of the forum. More than 29,000 people applied to attend the forum organized in Istanbul to attract the attention to the water disaster that may drastically affect the world. The executives had to stop accepting applications after the number of people attending the forum reached 23,273. The leaders who went to the congress center with boats made a call for "urgent measures" in a statement they released.

-- PARTY CLOSURE TO BE A HISTORY

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan made public the constitutional amendment package, which will come to the agenda after the local elections on March 29. Erdogan said the closure of political parties will be in line with Venice criteria. Only those who resort to violence or incite violence will be punished.

-- OZAL WANTED MOSUL

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said they would make a call to the PKK in April to lay down arms. Talabani said defunct Turkish President Turgut Ozal wanted Massoud Barzani and him to give Mosul back. "We said we could think of giving it back if Turkey was ready to accept the autonomy of the Kurds."

VATAN

-- DISCOUNT ABUNDANCE IN AUTO SALES

There was a significant revival in auto sale markets on the first day of Private Consumption Tax (OTV) reduction. Gallery owners who are selling new automobiles said that the tax reduction, which was reflected in the prices of automobiles under 1,600 cc as 14 percent, was like a remedy to the market after months of stagnation.

-- HISTORIC RECORD IN UNEMPLOYMENT

The unemployment rate exceeded the figures of the economic crises in 1994 and 2001, increasing to 13.6 percent. The total number of unemployed is 3,274,000. In the November- December 2008 and January 2009 period, 533,000 people became unemployed.

-- TWO LOTTERY WINNERS GET THEIR MONEY

Both of the lottery winners – each guessing the correct six numbers to win 24,900,000 Turkish Liras in the Super Loto – are around 50 years old. A banker who received the money of the winner from the Nilufer district of the northwestern province of Bursa, said that the winner was married and middle classed. The winner in the Beylikduzu district of Istanbul is also a man in his 50s.

CUMHURIYET

-- WATER IS AGENDA OF WORLD

The 5th World Water Forum began in Istanbul. President Abdullah Gul warned that Turkey might be a country facing a water shortage in the future. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and some other leaders wanted a cooperation statement on "Waters crossing borders" to be added to the statement that was adopted at the summit.

-- UNEMPLOYMENT IS FEARSOME

Figures of the Turkish Statistical Institute for December 2008 showed that unemployment reached fearsome dimensions. According to the research, unemployment also broke the previous record of 12.4 percent, which was seen in the first quarter of 2004, and climbed to 13.6 percent.

RADIKAL

-- RUSH TO AUTOMOBILE

Customers made preliminary contracts because of three months of private consumption tax (OTV) which will drop automobile prices by 14 percent. It seems that the arrangement reducing the OTV rate until June 15 will enliven automotive sector sales, which almost came to a halt.

-- EVENTFUL WATER FORUM

The 5th World Water Forum has started in Istanbul. The previous World Water Forum took place in Mexico in 2006. A group protesting the forum managed to enter the congress center, holding protesting banners. They were detained.

YENI SAFAK

-- DAMPING IN AUTO

Cheap automobile season, which will last for 90 days, has started. Companies have updated their lists. Daihatsu Terios and Ford Focus prices have decreased by 5,000 TL while VW Passat prices dropped by 6,000 TL.

--THE MATTER OF THE WORLD IS WATER

A total of 23,000 people from 192 countries checked in to attend the world's biggest gathering on water issues, which is taking place at Sutluce Congress Center in Istanbul. President Abdullah Gul said that mistakes regarding the environment could not be compensated. He said, "Today, we all have to be environmentalists."

-- WE’LL NOT SHRINK, WE'LL OPEN 70 MORE STORES

Sabanci Holding's chairperson Guler Sabanci said that the retail chain CarrefourSA would make a new investment worth $135 million. "We will open 70 stores this year," said.