GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON FEB 19

HURRIYET
-- PKK CANNOT RUIN OUR PARTNERSHIP, IRAQI PRESIDENT TELLS TURKISH ENVOY
"Turkey and Iraq are two important countries of the region and they are strategic partners. Nobody, including the PKK, can ruin our partnership," Iraqi President Jalal Talabani told a Turkish envoy in Iraq's north. Talabani said, "We would like to see Turkish President Abdullah Gul in Iraq."

-- FRAUD DOSSIER EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN TURKEY
A spokesman for Frankfurt's chief prosecutor's office said a dossier regarding a fraud case on a charity organization in Germany, Deniz Feneri e.V., had been delivered to Turkish officials. The dossier is expected to arrive at the Turkish Justice Ministry next week.     

-- PROSECUTOR SEARCHING FOR BODIES IN ACID WELLS
A chief prosecutor in the southeastern town of Silopi, and other officials, looked for traces of people who were allegedly buried in acid wells after they were killed in the1990s. The prosecutor moved to launch the investigation after an alleged former intelligence agent and a former PKK informant claimed that the infamous gendarmerie intelligence unit, JITEM, had killed many people and dumped their bodies in the acid wells of BOTAS, Turkey's oil pipeline company, in Silopi. 

MILLIYET
-- JIHAD SUMMIT IN ISTANBUL
Leaders of Hamas and 200 Sunni religious authorities convened in Istanbul last weekend. Participants at the meeting wanted a "Third Jihad Front" to be opened against Israel. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan received praise from the participants at the summit.

-- GOVERNMENT DROPS AMOUNT OF TAXATION ON TEXTILE PRODUCTS
The Turkish parliament approved a package of economic precautionary measures. Based on the package, the amount of taxation on textile products dropped and a tax pardon on scrapping vehicles has been implemented. The economic package gives tax incentives to companies investing in research and development.

SABAH
-- 826 MILLION TL FINE TO DOGAN GROUP
The Ministry of Finance fined the Dogan Group 826 million TL (approximately $488 million) based on tax reports of 2004, 2005 and 2006. The Dogan Group was fined because it did not pay Value Added Tax for transactions of its shares. The Dogan Group responded by saying the laws were being misinterpreted.

-- DENIZ FENERI FILE PUZZLE
The Deniz Feneri file turned into a real puzzle. While Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin claims that the file was not yet sent to Turkey, German authorities claim that it had been handed over to the Turkish authorities.

VATAN
-- WE ARE WAITING FOR A NEW PERSPECTIVE FROM IMF, STATE MINISTER SIMSEK
State Minister Mehmet Simsek said that the Turkish government was waiting for a new perspective from the IMF on issues that were brought up earlier. "At the very least, we expect the IMF to convey its view points. It is possible that the IMF will let us know its perspective in the next few days," Simsek said.

-- ZIRAAT BANKASI OPENS SECOND BRANCH IN NEIGHBOR
State-run Ziraat Bankasi has opened its second branch in Greece. The second branch was opened in Komotini. Ziraat Bankasi opened its first branch in Athens the other day. Director General of Ziraat Bankasi, Can Akin Caglar, said that they were in Greece to contribute to cooperation between Turkey and Greece.

CUMHURIYET
-- U.S. DOLLAR OVER 1.7 AGAINST TURKISH CURRENCY

The U.S. dollar climbed well above 1.7 against the Turkish lira and it was traded at 1.7055 TL on the free market, the highest in three months. The U.S. currency last saw such a hike in November 2008. The Turkish lira has lost 40 percent in its value since September 2008.

-- GALATASARAY DRAW 0-0 WITH BORDEAUX IN UEFA GAME
The first leg of the UEFA Cup round of 32 between Turkish soccer team Galatasaray and Girondins De Bordeaux of France in Bordeaux drew 0-0. The second leg will be played at Istanbul's Ali Sami Yen Stadium next week.

RADIKAL
-- OLMERT ANSWERS: WHY WOULD I TELL ERDOGAN?
Isreali Premier Ehud Olmert, whom Premier Tayyip Erdogan scorned as he had not informed him on the upcoming offensive on Gaza during Olmert's visit to Ankara, finally responded to Erdogan. Olmert gave two answers, "There are two reasons. Firstly, I did not know that we were going to strike. I did not even call my friend Bush. Besides why would I tell about Israel's military plans?"

-- GOVERNMENT DOES NOT WANT AN INDEPENDENT PRESS
The government's pressure campaign on the Dogan Group --housing Turkey's biggest media institutions-- carried out by Premier Tayyip Erdogan in person, entered a new phase with the issuing of a record fine. The Ministry of Finance fined the Dogan Group 826 million TL. Some 772 million TL of the fine is related to the sale of 25 percent of shares in Dogan TV to German media giant, Axel Springer Group. Though the sale was finalized on Jan. 2, 2007 and the taxes were paid in the same year, the Ministry of Finance fathomlessly judged that the sales took place in 2006 and issued a fine. "According to the Turkish Commercial Code, the sale of shares are completed when the shares are endorsed and handed over. This fine was given regardless of the laws. Besides, even if the sale was completed in 2006, the same amount of tax would be paid. We are going to use our legal rights," said Dogan Press Group.

YENI SAFAK
-- ERGENEKON INTERROGATION TO KARAMEHMET
Mehmet Emin Karamehmet, the head of the Cukurova Group, testified to the Ergenekon investigation’s prosecutor, Zekeriya Oz. Karamehmet's name was mentioned in the testimony of ret. Gen. Levent Ersoz.

Voice records of Karamehmet's visit in 2003, to retired Gen. Sener Eruygur --who was the Gendarmerie Commander at the time-- and head of Gendarmerie Intelligence Gen. Levent Ersoz were leaked to the media.

-- GALATASARAY OPEN DOOR FOR NEXT ROUND
Galatasaray tied (0-0) with Bordeaux in France, and opened the door for the fourth round in UEFA Cup. Galatasaray who played better than their opponents, missed a win. Galatasaray will advance to the next round if they win the second leg in Istanbul on Jan. 26. The UEFA Cup final will be played in Istanbul at the Sukru Saracoglu Arena.