GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON NOV 23

These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on Nov. 23, 2009. The Hürriyet Daily News does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET

-- VISIT TO ANKARA DIVIDES ISRAEL

Turkey's mediation in the Israeli-Syrian issue caused a debate in the Israeli Cabinet. Israeli Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, who arrived in Turkey on Sunday evening, said, "If it normalizes relations, Turkey can be a mediator." Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who is a rightist, responded to Eliezer: "Turkey cannot be a mediator after it insulted Israel that much."

-- SNOW SLAVERY ON OVIT

Seventeen passengers and the driver of a van that was stranded on Mount Ovit between the Rize and Erzurum provinces because of an avalanche were rescued 39 hours later. Mountaineers reached the 18 people who were in the van on Saturday night. Then, the driver and passengers of the van walked to the rescue vehicles on foot with the mountaineers. They were then taken to a crisis center.

-- LOUVRE, GIVE BACK JUPITER!

Izmir Mayor Aziz Kocaoglu wrote a letter to Henri Loyrette, a high-level administrator of the Louvre Museum in Paris. In his letter, Kocaoglu asked the museum to give back artifacts that belonged to the city of Izmir, particularly the statues of Apollo and Jupiter of Smyrna.

MILLIYET

-- LAST THREE WEEKS FOR VACCINATION

Health Minister Recep Akdag said that December 15 was the critical threshold for the vaccination against swine flu. "We know that the H1N1 virus can spread rapidly in the next two months. The vaccine provides 90 percent protection. If number of vaccinated people increases, the virus will spread more slowly," he said.

-- ESCAPE FROM WHITE HELL

Eighteen people, who were stranded in a valley on their way from the eastern province of Erzurum to the northern province of Rize were rescued after some 40 hours. They waited for rescue teams in a minibus. When teams arrived, they were about to freeze.

-- A GOLDEN TOUCH

Turkish scientists and American experts at Ankara's Gazi University have made a breakthrough discovery in their search for treating cancer. They sent golden nano-capsules filled with medicine into malignant tumors. With this procedure, medicine can directly reach cancerous cells without harming healthy ones.

SABAH

-- ‘NO ONE CAN PUT TURKEY IN A CAGE’

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke at a meeting of his ruling Justice and Development Party. "Turkey will always give the necessary answer to those who want to put it in a cage. There are MPs from the opposition who back the government's democratic initiative but cannot express it," Erdogan said.

-- ‘LARGER GROUPS OF 200-300 WILL COME’

Interior Minister Besir Atalay announced that new groups would come to Turkey from the Makhmour camp in northern Iraq. However, this time only their relatives will welcome these groups, Atalay said. Atalay also said that Turkey's Housing Administration would build waiting halls at the Habur border gate between Turkey and Iraq for those coming back home and for their relatives.

-- NEW DEMAND FOR MEDIATION

The Israeli press wrote that the Israeli industry minister, who is visiting Turkey, would ask Turkey to mediate between Israel and Syria for a second time.

VATAN

-- WAITING FOR HIS NEW CATCH

Six years ago in Taksim, Istanbul, Emrah Eraydin, a homeless person, killed Zeki Sen, captain of an underwater demolition team with the Turkish Armed Forces, just because he did not give him money. Now he is free and he has returned to his former life. He inhales thinner and asks for money from passersby. "I had nowhere to go so I came back to streets. We go to a hardware store when we wake up in the morning in order to buy some thinner. It gives courage. Then we go to streets to collect some money from people, and we split the money," Eraydin told Vatan.

-- TWO TURKS IN INTERNATIONAL GAME-FIXING GANG

The number of Turkish teams allegedly involved in game-fixing scandal uncovered in Germany rose to six. Two Turkish gang members were arrested. According to the probe carried out in Germany, Ankaraspor players were paid 10,000 euros for a two-goal defeat. The gang made 18,000 euros after Ankaraspor was defeated 2-0 by Bursaspor in April 2009. The match between Antalyaspor and Trabzonspor, which ended 3-3, and the game between Kocaelispor and Hacettepe are also under investigation. Hacettepe was beaten 4-0.

-- CHRISTOFIAS SAYS TURKISH TROOPS TO WITHDRAW

Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias said he agreed with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat on a federation with one sovereignty and one citizenship. Christofias also said he agreed with Talat on withdrawing Turkish troops from the island. Talat remained quiet after all those statements.

CUMHURIYET

-- ‘TURKEY SHOULD COOPERATE WITH EVERYONE’

Iraqi Shiite leader al-Hakim said that Turkey should cooperate with everyone. "All religious and ethnic groups in Iraq need each other. Everyone learned that a single party cannot carry out a project successfully. Each of us needs each other. Turkey should cooperate with all religious and ethnic groups," said al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council.

-- DIFFERENT STATEMENTS FROM TWO MINISTERS

Israeli Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, who came to Turkey, said that Turkey-Israel relations were back to normal. It was claimed that Ben-Eliezer would ask Turkey to act as a mediator between Syria and Israel in return for normalization of Turkey-Israel relations. On the other hand, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Turkey could not be a mediator after its harsh statements against Israel.

RADIKAL

-- SENTENCE THAT TRIGGERED INITIATIVE

The question Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked Parliament on November 13 is used by everyone in Diyarbakir, and has raised both hopes and expectations. In Parliament, Erdogan said, "I am addressing those who say let mothers cry. Have you ever lost a child, or has your village ever been set on fire?" A developmentalist, Nurcan Baysal, said, "I could not believe in my ears that day. I looked at the TV to see who was saying it and it was the prime minister. That moment, I believed Turkey has started to change itself."

-- ATTACK ON DTP CONVOY IN IZMIR

A row occurred between the members of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) and the convoy who welcomed DTP Chairman Ahmet Turk in Izmir's Hatay neighborhood. Some people hung Turkish flags on their houses when the DTP convoy was passing, and some threw stones at the vehicles. Eleven people, including four police officers and a journalist, were injured in the incidents.

TURKIYE

-- ‘SOLUTION WILL MAKE TURKEY A WORLD LEADER’

Murat Karayilan, leader of the PKK terrorist organization, said that if the Kurdish issue was resolved, Turkey would grow rapidly and become a full member of the EU. "Turkey will then become the only ruler of the Middle East. It does not serve the benefits of many countries. It is clear that some foreign forces want us to clash. Therefore, we need to find a solution on our own," he said.

-- RESCUED AFTER 39 HOURS

Eighteen people who were stranded in a minibus on Mount Ovit on their way from the eastern province of Erzurum to the northern province of Rize were rescued after 39 hours. They managed to walk 2 kilometers and reach rescue teams.

ZAMAN

-- I AM WAITING FOR 15 YEARS

Great agonies were experienced in the Southeast in the 1990s. Missing people, unsolved murders and evacuated villages darkened the lives of hundreds of families. Dilber Bulut is a woman whose husband was taken to a police station 15 years ago on charges of aiding and abetting the terrorist organization PKK. Police officers told her to go home and that her husband would be freed in three hours. But her husband, Mustafa was not released. She has been waiting for her husband for 15 years. She said, "Can a state lose its citizen?" and burst into tears.

-- TOKI TO BUILD HOUSE AT HABUR FOR THOSE WHO SURRENDER

Interior Minister Besir Atalay announced that a house would be constructed at the Habur border crossing for the PKK members who will come back to Turkey within the scope of the "homecoming" project. Atalay said 200 more people would come to Turkey after the Feast of Sacrifice, and would be kept at Habur for a short time. Atalay said Makhmour camp would be evacuated, and some of the people there would come to Turkey and some of them would be sent to Europe and Syria.

YENI SAFAK

-- "I'M READY TO PICK UP MY BAGS"

Daily YENI SAFAK spoke with Osman Ocalan, head terrorist Abdullah Ocalan's brother, who had a contact with Turkish secret service MIT through Nechirvan Barzani to come back home.

He said he was ready to return to Turkey together with hundreds of PKK members.

"I can come in a month if an official step is taken," he said.

-- RIFT IN ISRAEL

Israel pushed to restore relations after losing Turkey's support with the "one minute" crisis in Davos. Israeli Industry Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer will visit Ankara together with several Israeli businessmen.

Turkey was also asked to mediate between Syria and Israel again. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman denied such claims.