ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on May 10, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
ARGUMENT ON ''SUNDAY''
Sundays will not be compulsory holidays any more according to a decision which was taken during the debates at the parliament on the Labor Law. MPs of the Republican People's Party (CHP) accused the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) of attempting to make Fridays holidays. Meanwhile, under the arrangements made in the Labor Law, workers will have to work on Saturdays.

TRNC TAKES ANOTHER PEACEFUL STEP
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) government has taken another peaceful step during Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit. The TRNC government, which earlier allowed mutual passages, decided to provide Greek Cypriot students, who want to study at universities in the TRNC, with scholarship.

GUL: ''TURKEY RESPECTS ALL RELIGIOUS BELIEFS''
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul gave a response to European Union (EU) Commissioner Guenter Verheugen for enlargement, who claimed that there was not freedom of religion in Turkey. Gul said, ''there have been tolerance and respect in our history and traditions. Turkey respects all religious beliefs.''

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
DEBATE ON ''OFF DAY'' ON FRIDAYS
When the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) gave employers the opportunity of closing their business places on any day of the week, the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) criticized them: ''your aim is to make Friday an off day''. In the revised Labor bill which caused serious argument in the parliament, it was mentioned that 'weekend is a continuous time of 24 hours in seven days period'. Any specific day was not mentioned. And CHP deputies opposed to this change by saying, ''you want to pave the way for Islamic model about weekend and your aim is to make Friday an off day.'' CHP deputies submitted two motions to have Sundays remained to be one of the days of the weekend but those motions were rejected. Meanwhile, AK Party deputies said it was not about Fridays. However, AK Party deputy Mahfuz Guler replied CHP deputies who asked, ''do you want to make Friday an off day?'' by saying, ''what happens if it is Friday?'' Under the new arrangement approved by votes of the AK Party deputies, Saturdays will be considered working days.

''WE WOULD BE NEITHER IRAN NOR TURKEY''
Newspaper's correspondent Hasan Cemal spoke to students and teachers of the Technology University which was looted after the Iraq war. According to notes of Cemal, all of them are very pessimistic. 22-year-old student Can Selim said, ''I don't care what would happen to Iraq. There has been war since I was born.'' Firat Zehavi, son of a Turkmen family, said, ''you did not live in this country. This is not human life.'' According to a Shiite tutor, Iraq would never be a country like Iran. Another one said, ''we wouldn't be a country like Iran but we wouldn't be a country like Turkey, too. Because, there should be something from Islam in the regime.''

OZKOK ATTACKS WITH F-16
General Staff Chief General Hilmi Ozkok became the first General Staff Chief flying with an F-16 war plane. Ozkok who put on a ''G-suit'' against high pressure attacked on enemy planes according to scenario after getting fuel from a tanker plane. General Ozkok flied for nearly one hour.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
A NEW REPENTANCE LAW TO BE PREPARED
The Ministry of Interior Affairs has been preparing a new repentance law. According to the bill, those who participate in demonstrations will be included in the scope of amnesty. However, leading names of organizations will be excluded. The draft is expected to be submitted to the government in coming days. Meanwhile, General Staff Deputy Chief General Yasar Buyukanit said about the draft, ''the Repentance Law can become more comprehensive. But it should not be turned into a general amnesty.''

DIFFICULT MOMENTS OF GUL
The European Day was overshadowed by the security forces' raid to the Human Rights Association (IHD) upon directives of State Security Court (DGM) Prosecutor Cengiz Koksal. Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul experienced difficult moments when ambassadors of the European Union (EU) countries asked him questions about the raid.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
TENSION BETWEEN CANKAYA AND GOVERNMENT CONTINUES
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer denied Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's claims by giving figures and names. President Sezer said that he had appointed only four people to the administration of the Cankaya Presidential Palace on his own preference. He noted that 181 appointments made by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) were rejected.

GUARANTEE FROM UNITED STATES
Cofer J. Black, the U.S. coordinator for Counterterrorism, claimed that they would solve the problem of the terrorist organization PKK and stressed that they would not allow the organization to threat anyone. Meanwhile, Black said that the United States wanted Turkey to put diplomatic pressure both on Syria and Iran which support terrorism.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
ERDOGAN MELTS ICE
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid a visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on the anniversary of foundation of the European Union (EU) and gave the message that the Greek Cypriot side's becoming a member of the EU was wrongful. Stressing that embargoes imposed on the TRNC should be lifted, Prime Minister Erdogan said that Turkey would continue to support President Rauf Denktas of the TRNC.

CHANGES IN SEXUAL CRIMES
According to the bill envisaging amendments to the Turkish Penal Code, imprisonment sentence between 5 and 10 years will be given for the crime of rape. Sexual intercourse with people, who are under 18, will be punished with an imprisonment sentence of 3 years. Women will be considered suspects in cases of rape and harassment. However, sexual intercourse by force between married couples will not be punished.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
''WE WILL RECOVER THE COUNTRY''
Addressing the nation on television channels last night, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that they would bring Turkey to contemporary level. He said, ''our target is to remove the obstacles in front of our people and dismantle all bureaucratic chains that make our people unable to do something and outdated heavy iron chains shackled to our people's ankles. Turkey ship has started to sail despite the war and external and domestic sabotages. Coming days will be more brilliant.''

RESPONSE TO VERHEUGEN
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul gave a response to EU Commissioner for enlargement Guenter Verheugen's accusation: ''there is not freedom of religion in Turkey'' by saying, ''we are a nation that tolerates every religion.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
''EMBARGO IS LIFTED IF ATHENS SHOWS COURAGE''
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey was ready for lifting of every embargo on Cyprus, and they expected the same courage from Greece regarding this issue. Noting that efforts for a solution on Cyprus should be based on the reality of existence of two sovereign states on the island, Erdogan stressed that the EU should take into account that the Turkish side would be an equal founder of a partnership to be established on Cyprus. Erdogan said that the EU should develop a realistic point of view about Cyprus and be a part of a solution. Athens made a quick reply to the Prime Minister's statement. Greek government spokesman Hristos Protopapas defended that principle of existence of single state was essential to a solution on the island.

''WOLFOWITZ'S REMARKS AND ATTITUDE ARE INSOLENT''
U.S. Congressman Robert Wexler, one of the founders of the Turkish friendship group at the U.S. Congress, criticized remarks of U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. Wexler said that also Turkey should undertake the responsibility of recovering relations with the United States. He defended that Wolfowitz's words about Turkey symbolized ''insolent attitude'' that the U.S. administration followed in foreign policy. Recommending Ankara to 'visit Israel' to ease the tension, Wexler said, ''messages of democracy should again be conveyed to Syria and Iran. It should clearly display its position through methods like setting up relations with the new Palestinian government.''

(UK-MS) 10.05.2003