GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON NOV 20

HURRIYET
-- MAJOR CITIES BATTLE

Aid campaigns in Istanbul and Ankara have been stepped up ahead of the local elections. The municipality in Ankara, and articulated trucks owned by the province in Istanbul, are distributing tons of free coal to homes.

 

-- GUNDUZ AKTAN DEFEATED BY CANCER
Gunduz Aktan, a retired diplomat and member of parliament from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), was defeated by kidney cancer and passed away early on Wednesday at the age of 67. After a ceremony at parliament, Aktan's body will be carried to Ankara's Kocatepe Mosque, and sent to Istanbul where he will be laid to rest.
       Â
-- MAJOR KILLED, 5 SOLDIERS WOUNDED
A Gendarmerie major was killed, one sergeant and four privates were wounded in a clash which erupted between security forces and PKK terrorists in the eastern province of Agri. Soldiers, police officers and citizens rushed to Agri Military Hospital --where the wounded soldiers were taken-- to donate blood.
       Â
MILLIYET
-- SPECIAL NIGHT IN VIENNA
Turkey, who are preparing for the World Cup qualifying matches, defeated Austria 4-2 in an away friendly match, boosting morale. Tuncay Sanli was the star of the match scoring three goals in Vienna. Turkey's first goal was scored by Mehmet Aurelio.
       Â
-- DIPLOMACY AND POLITICS MOURNING
Retired ambassador and MHP's Istanbul deputy Gunduz Aktan passed away due to heart and liver failure in the hospital where he was under treatment for a kidney tumor. Aktan fulfilled important missions at the Foreign Ministry from 1967 until 1998 -- when he retired. Ceremonies will be held for Aktan at Parliament and the Foreign Ministry today.
       Â
SABAH
-- VALS LESSON IN 4 SESSIONS
Turkey showed off at Ernst Happel in the very stadium where it had advanced to the semi finals in Euro 2008. In a friendly match, though it fell behind one goal, the national team managed to beat their opponents (4-2). Mehmet Aurelio who shot a goal and Tuncay Sanli who scored a hat trick, were the stars of the night.

-- GUNDUZ AKTAN PASSES AWAY
Former ambassador, Istanbul MP of MHP Gunduz Aktan died Wednesday in the hospital where he was receiving treatment. Aktan, whose body will be brought to Istanbul after the ceremony to be held in his honor at the Parliament, will be buried on Buyukada.

VATAN
-- CLASH IN AGRI, ONE MAJOR KILLED
Security forces cornered a group of PKK terrorists -- who escaped from Iranian operation against PEJAK and crossed undetected into Turkey-- on Cemce mountain of the eastern province of Agri. Helicopters and gendarmerie commando teams were sent to the region. Gendarmerie Major Suleyman Can was killed, one sergeant and four privates were wounded in the clash which erupted at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

-- HACKER OF PKK CAPTURED
Police found top secret information about the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and the General Staff in the laptop of a person with initials "R.C." who was taken in as a suspect in a burglary in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir. Police learned that R.C. was a PKK terrorist, and had hacked into the MIT and General Staff and was transferring secret information to Murat Karayilan, head of the PKK who is now in Qandil.
       Â
CUMHURIYET
-- THREE SOLDIERS KILLED IN CLASHES
Gendarmerie Major Suleyman Can was killed in a clash with terrorists at the Sinek plateau in Agri. Two more soldiers lost their lives in a separate clash which erupted at the Lice district of Diyarbakir when terrorists tried to infiltrate into a Military Station. Twelve soldiers were wounded during those clashes.
       Â
-- GUNDUZ AKTAN PASSES AWAY
Retired diplomat, Istanbul Deputy of National Movement Party (MHP) Gunduz Suphi Aktan passed away at the private Akay Hospital in Istanbul where he was receiving treatment for coronary disease and a kidney tumor. Two ceremonies will be held for Aktan, one at the Foreign Ministry (10:00am), where he served for many years, and the other one at Parliament (11:00am). Aktan will be buried at the City Cemetery in Buyukada, Istanbul.
       Â
RADIKAL
-- ERDOGAN GIVES OUT FIGURES
Premier Tayyip Erdogan said, "Talks with the IMF continue. All differences are about to be settled, me may reach an agreement soon," at a Justice and Development Party (AKP) Central Executive Board meeting. When asked how much money would be received in the form of a loan from the IMF, Erdogan voiced actual figures and said "between 20 to 40 billion USD." During his speech at the International Investors' Association, he said, "Those who are against this, don't know what the IMF does."
       Â
-- 4 PERCENT LESS SMOKE
Health Ministry officials announced that the number of people who quit smoking rose by 4 percent since May 19, 2008, the date when the legislation restricting smoking areas was introduced.

YENI SAFAK
-- THEY GIVE THEIR LIFE FOR COUNTRY
Gendarmerie Major Suleyman Can was killed and five soldiers were injured in a clash with PKK terrorists in Sinek plateau in the eastern province of Agri. Agri Governor Mehmet Cetin said that one of the wounded soldiers was sergeant and four others were privates. Two soldiers were killed in a separate clash with PKK terrorists in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir.

-- STOCK EXCHANGE BACK TO FOUR YEARS AGO
The Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) lost $6.5 billion yesterday. Stocks lost 7 percent in value. The IMKB National-100 index dropped to 21,929 points, the same value of four years ago.