ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on May 12, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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U.S. AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY PEARSON SAYS TURKEY AND UNITED STATES SHOULD LOOK AT FUTURE
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Robert Pearson said that unfortunately, most of dispute regarding the future of relations between Turkey and the United States focused on events in the past and stated that friendship between the two countries would continue and this friendship should be a cooperation toward the future. Stating that coalition forces' operation aiming to collapse Saddam Hussein regime ended successfully, Pearson said that Saddam regime's threat against neighboring countries of Iraq and Iraqi people ended. Pearson said that the aim was to rebuild a democratic and prosperous Iraq which would live peacefully with itself and its neighbors. He stated that a stable and prosperous Iraq would also contribute to security of Turkey.

BABACAN: ''TURKEY WILL NOT HAVE ECONOMIC CRISIS AGAIN''
State Minister Ali Babacan said that Turkey reached political stability and stated that if economy policies were implemented in a stable way, Turkey would not have any economic crisis again. Ali Babacan who spoke at a tv channel said that what was important was political stability and its preservation. When reporter said that Turkish investors went to foreign countries, Babacan said that the most important reason of it was political instabilities which took place in Turkey for 10 years and added that Turkey reached political stability now.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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NO TAX TO POOR CITY
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that cities where the income per capita was below 1,500 U.S. dollars would be exempted from tax. Erdogan said that they would search for solutions to encourage investments in the eastern and southeastern regions of Turkey and added, ''businessmen will rush to make investments here. We will give them the necessary support. The cities where the income per capita is below 1,500 U.S. dollars will be exempted from tax. We will reduce SSK premiums. We will facilitate land appropriation.'' According to figures of the State Institute of Statistics (SIS), there are 21 provinces in Turkey where the national income per capita is below 1,500 U.S. dollars. Ten of these provinces are in the Eastern Anatolia Region while five of them are in the Southeastern Anatolia Region.

HE RETURNED FIVE YEARS LATER
Necmettin Erbakan was chosen as the leader of the Felicity Party (SP) in the congress which was held yesterday. Erbakan, who entered the hall with a big show, pressed on the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in his speech. Erbakan said, ''everybody will return to his beginning point. They will say that they are the members of the SP as soon as possible.''

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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BERLUSCONI: ''EU GEAR IS FROM ME''
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said, ''there are problems which we have to solve.'' Berlusconi who will come to Ankara today said that their aim was to speed up the accession date of Turkey to the European Union (EU). Berlusconi said, ''We have problems with Turkey to solve. Common interests require some issues. We will take up how Turkey's relations with EU will be in my term presidency and what Italy's role will be. It is important for me to increase relations between two countries in every field. There is already an intensive economic cooperation between Turkey and Italy. Taking up those and develop them are in question.''

RIGHT TO FILE LAWSUIT FOR GREEK CYPRIOTS IN TRNC
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas announced that Greek Cypriots would be given the right to file lawsuit in TRNC courts for their properties in TRNC. Denktas said that legal arrangement would be made to provide the facilities to Greek Cypriot side citizens, who had earlier lived in TRNC, to file lawsuit in TRNC courts regarding property issues. Replying to questions of reporters in Antalya, Denktas said that Greek Cypriots could not pass to TRNC in the past and so they could not apply to TRNC courts and they had filed lawsuit against Turkey to European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) by skipping justice institutions in TRNC. He added, ''since there is free passage now, they can come to our courts as well. Thus, we think that issues are solved more justly.''

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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NEW ATTACK FROM DENKTAS
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said that new openings would continue after the opening of free passages for solution in Cyprus. Noting that Greek Cypriots would file lawsuit in TRNC courts, Denktas said that a new process was needed except Annan Plan for a permanent solution. Denktas said that there was no situation to discuss the Annan Plan and he added that the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro De Soto did not have reliability any more.

BERLUSCONI IS COMING
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who gives strong support to Turkey's membership to the European Union (EU), is coming to Ankara today. Berlusconi, who will share the required things that Turkey has to do to receive negotiation date in 2004 with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will also have meetings to develop commercial relations. Turkish-Italian relations will be discussed during Berlusconi's Ankara and Istanbul contacts.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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STATE MINISTER BABACAN SAYS TURKEY REACHED STABILITY
State Minister Ali Babacan said that Turkey reached political stability and stated that tension would not negatively affect economy from now on. Babacan who replied to questions on a tv channel stressed that the government took very important steps, Babacan added, ''impacts of the Iraq crisis on our economy are not so serious. This is a very important development.'' Babacan said that disapproval of the motion disappointed the United States and stated, ''Turkish-U.S. relations are delicate. No one should make statements which may form an anti-American understanding.''

SPRING ACROSS COUNTRY
After cold and harsh winter, there is a very nice weather across the country. Meteorology officials said that there will be warm weather across Turkey during this week. There will be a warm weather in Thrace, Marmara, Aegean, Mediterranean and Southeastern Anatolia regions on Monday while rainy weather will be influential in Eastern Anatolia region.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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FINANCE BRAKE ON FORCED DONATION
When people rebelled due to the money collected for the associations and foundations as they had some state affairs, the Finance Ministry decided to stop these moves. The complaints start with the sentence saying ''they are robbing us when we have some business with the state.'' Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, who is fed up with the complaints, launched initiatives and decided to stop the forced donations. In accordance with the newly-prepared bill, associations and foundations can't gain income ''in a forced way'' by collecting ''donations'' from now on.

NEW STEP FROM DENKTAS
The Greek Cypriots will be enable to file lawsuits in the courts of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) regarding their properties in Turkish Cypriot territories. Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said that they would make a legal arrangement which would enable the Greek Cypriots who had lived in the north of the island previously to file lawsuits in TRNC courts regarding their properties.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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''YOU PAVED THE WAY FOR DEMOCRACY, WE ARE OPENING YOUR ROADS NOW''
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan went to southeastern Siirt province, from where he was elected as a deputy, to thank the voters two months after the by-election. Erdogan, who laid the foundation of a highway and distributed title deeds of disaster dwellings, made some promises to his voters and referred to the by-election which was held on March 9: ''You paved the way for democracy.''

(GC-EÖ-BRC-AÖ) 12.05.2003