ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on May 27, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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DON'T WEAR ME OUT!
Chief of General Staff Hilmi Ozkok denied the news that ''young soldiers are uneasy'' which has disturbed the public opinion for days and said, ''don't wear me out!'' Ozkok said, ''there is not any discrimination in Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) between the young and old soldiers. There are not any eagles or pigeons among the commanders or commanders. I condemn such allegations not only deny them.'' Ozkok held a press conference which was attended by the representatives of newspapers in Ankara and reacted to the news that ''young soldiers are uneasy.'' Ozkok said, ''the news is not only inaccurate but also leaked on purpose.''

PILOTAGE FAULT: 74 DEAD
A plane carrying Spanish Peace Force soldiers in Afghanistan crashed into Pilav Mountain in northern Trabzon province yesterday morning. Sixty-two soldiers and 12 crew members died in the plane crash.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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NO DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN YOUNG AND OLD
Chief of General Staff Hilmi Ozkok, referring to the news that young soldiers were uneasy about the acts of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), said, ''if there is uneasiness, this is the uneasiness of whole Turkish Armed Forces not only uneasiness of a part of it. We have deep concerns and sensitivities. Appointment of persons who have links with fundamentalist activities to certain positions in the state increases our concerns. We are watching all these.''

WELCOME SERTAB
Sertab Erener, Turkish singer who won the Eurovision Song Contest who was welcomed at the Ataturk Airport of Istanbul like the national football team who became the third in the World Cup, said that she cried during her phone talk by singer Sezen Aksu.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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OZKOK:I CURSE GOSSIPS
Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok used strong words during his meeting with journalists yesterday: ''I didn't tell Prime Minister Erdogan that young officers were uneasy about AKP. I curse such gossips and claims.'' General Ozkok responded strongly to the claims telling that ''the gossip is not true, such words are total lies and they are said on purpose. I would like to tell that I curse such lies and gossips. There are no differences among young and old officers in the Turkish Army. There aren't commanders in the army who favour peace and who favour fight.'' General Ozkok, nevertheless noted that the army was concerned by the replacement of top bureaucratic officials with those close to the governing party and those who had earlier been accused of their fundamentalist views.

GUL:EMBARGO TO BE LIFTED
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul gave good news in Crete and said that EU's embargo on TRNC would be lifted. ''The embargoes on TRNC will be lifted, the studies about it continue,'' he said. Recalling that he earlier brought this onto agenda during the EU meeting in Rhodes island of Greece, Gul said that ''this issue was later taken up in Brussels. The studies will be completed in a positive way and the embargoes on TRNC will be lifted.'' Meanwhile Gul and his Greek counterpart George Papandreou signed three agreements in Crete yesterday. After EURO-MED meeting, Gul and Papandreou signed a package of confidence building measures including three agreements after their meeting in which they assessed the recent steps taken within the scope of Turkish-Greek relations. Gul said that a series of high-level military exchange visits, exchange programmes between war academies and cooperation between military hospitals of two countries were foreseen by the agreements.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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GENERAL OZKOK: LET'S JOIN EU IN AN HONOURABLE WAY
Speaking with journalists yesterday, Chief of General Staff General Hilmi Ozkok also gave important messages. He said that the Turkish Armed Forces had always been the pioneer of modernization and accession to the EU would be the most important means of it. ''Turkish Armed Forces is not against the EU, on the contrary it is an experienced intermediary of harmony with the EU. But we believe that Turkey should join the EU not despite everything, but with honour, under equal conditions and by protecting the national and geographical unity.''

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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OZKOK: I AM DEMOCRAT
Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok said that there can't be differences among the commanders of Turkish Armed Forces like old-young, and falcon-pigeon. ''There is uneasiness about certain basic issues among all circles, no only in certain circles, for instance everybody in military is uneasy about favoritism towards officials who were earlier involved in fundamentalist activities and their appointment to key positions,'' Gen. Ozkok said. Ozkok noted that the military was not against the EU membership of Turkey, because it was a national target.

TREASURY CAN'T PLAY WITH INTERESTS
Treasury Deputy Undersecretary Hakan Ozyýldýz said that there was no problem in rolling over the debts except the possibility of an internal or external shock. Ozyýldýz gave information about the public debt administration report which was prepared in April. Ozyýldýz noted that the Treasury can't play with the interests. ''We don't believe in non-market solutions,'' he noted.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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OUR ARMY WILL BE PIONEER IN ACCESSION TO EU
Chief of General Staff Hilmi Ozkok was angry at the rumors in the foreign press regarding a military intervention and said, ''it is imaginary. They don't have any information about the point Turkey has reached. Turkish Armed Forces will be a pioneer in accession to the European Union (EU).''

''EVERYTHING IS NORMAL''
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, commenting on the statement of Chief of General Staff Hilmi Ozkok, said, ''as you see, everything continues in the normal and democratic process.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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GUL AND PAPANDREOU BUILD CONFIDENCE ON ROAD TO TURKISH-GREEK FRIENDSHIP
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and his Greek counterpart George Papandreou, who attended the Europe-Mediterranean Foreign Ministers Meeting held in Crete, announced that they reached a compromise on three-article ''confidence building measures'' package. In accordance with the package, high-level land, sea and air force commanders of the two countries will hold regular reciprocal visits, there will be regular exchange of students between war academies of the two countries, and cooperation in diagnosis and treatment will be made among military hospitals of the two countries.

DENKTAS ANNOUNCES U.N. PLAN CAN NO MORE COME ONTO TABLE
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said that bringing the Annan Plan onto the table again was no more possible. Denktas held a press conference and responded to the recent statements of United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Envoy for Cyprus Alvaro De Soto. Denktas said that De Soto still supported the Annan Plan which was said to need alterations and have deficiencies by the two sides. Denktas noted that that issue was continuously brought in front of them and as De Soto did so, he was losing his credibility and reliability.

(BRC-ÖÞ) 27.05.2003