GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON NOV 15

HURRIYET
-- TURKISH DIPLOMATS HOLD SECRET TALKS
Neslihan, a Turkish ship hijacked by pirates off Somalia late October, is anchored at the port of Eyl, where the most of the hijacked vessels are kept by the armed pirates and white people are not allowed. Pirates are expected to bring here another Turkish vessel "Karagol" which was hijacked three days ago. A group of Turkish diplomats has arrived in the region via Djibouti and they are now holding secret talks, officials said.

-- MILITARY TO BE ABLE TO GET ANY ARM WITHOUT TENDER
In a midnight operation in the parliament, the government has met first part of demands made by Turkish military after the deadly attack on an outpost in Aktutun, Hakkari. Some of the important defence industry procurements and tenders, especially for the construction of outpost buildings, to be made by the Turkish Armed Forces, were kept out of the public procurement law.

MILLIYET
-- FAREWELL TO 'LAST VETERAN'
Retired Colonel Mustafa Sekip Birgol, the last veteran of the War of Independence, was laid to rest with a state ceremony in Istanbul yesterday. The funeral was brought to the cemetery with carriage, and thousands of people escorted the cortege by applauding.

-- NUCLEAR WEAPON CRITICISM TO THE U.S.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan gave a message to the United States in Washington where he delivered a speech at Brookings Institute. Erdogan said that those, who were against Iran's producing nuclear weapons, should not have nuclear weapons too.

SABAH
-- COUNTRY GRATEFUL TO YOU
Thousands of people participated in the funeral ceremony of retired Colonel Mustafa Sekip Birgol, the last veteran of the War of Independence, in Istanbul. High-level state officials, relatives of Birgol and thousands of citizens attended the state ceremony.

-- WHAT A RATING
Credit rating institution Standard & Poor's changed Turkey's outlook from stable to negative. The institution considers Iceland, which is about to go bankrupt, sounder than Turkey. The rating of the U.S. which is on the threshold of crisis is still the highest.

VATAN
-- ERDOGAN'S POLLYANNA
Economists, behind the scenes, speak of the rosy picture drawn by the State Minister for economy Mehmet Simsek as the cause of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's remarks that underestimated the global financial crisis. "Thank God, we firmly stand on our feet... Crisis went off on a tangent to us... We weathered the crisis thanks to TOKI (Housing Development Administration of Turkey)... I will not let IMF throttle us." These statements made by Erdogan have surprised economists and businessmen. Economists at the backstage of Ankara bureaucracy say there are two reasons for Erdogan's calm stance. First, none of the bureaucrats or ministers can not tell him the actual situation and they fear because the "boss may get mad." Second is the rosy picture drawn by Mehmet Simsek, State Minister for economy.

STANDARD & POOR'S DOWNGRADES TURKEY'S RATING
-- International credit rating agency Standard & Poor's revised Turkey's credit rating outlook to negative from stable due to difficulties in external financing.

CUMHURIYET
-- MILD TO IRAN, HARSH TO EU
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said that those, who were against Iran's producing nuclear weapons, should not have nuclear weapons too. Erdogan also said that the EU continuously brought obstacles (before Turkey), and said, "if it is not going to happen, then say it."

-- FAREWELL TO THE LAST VETERAN
The funeral of retired Colonel Mustafa Sekip Birgol (105),the last veteran of the War of Independence, was carried to Karacaahmet Cemetery after a prayer at Selimiye Mosque and a military ceremony at First Army Command in Istanbul yesterday. Citizens escorted the funeral of Birgol with applause and carnations.

RADIKAL
-- BANKERS AND BUSINNESMEN: INTERVENTION IN CRISIS SHOULD NOT BE LATE
Bankers and real sector demand urgent measures against the crisis just like economists. Dominating argument is that the government should support banks, and banks should give a hand to real sector.

-- ARMENIA MESSAGES
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has sent a messageto U.S. president-elect Barack Obama to stop congress resolution on Armenian allegations. "It is not fair to make a judgement about a country upon cheap political lobbying," he said.