ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on May 30, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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TURKEY WILL ENTER EU
General Yasar Buyukanit, Deputy Chief of General Staff said yesterday that the Turkish Armed Forces was not against the EU membership of Turkey. Noting that Turkey was part of Europe, Buyukanit said during the symposium held in War Academies that Turkish Armed Forces couldn't be against the EU. ''Turkey will join the EU,'' said General Buyukanýt, noting that the Turkish Armed Forces became the target of an unjust attack regarding the EU issue. Gen. Buyukanýt stressed that EU membership was the requirement of modernization target foreseen by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk for Turkey in geopolitic and geostrategic respect.

ANKARA ASSESSES POLAND'S MILITARY DEMAND
Turkey assesses the military demand of Poland, which ensures security in Iraq together with the U.S and Britain, from Turkey for the multinational force to be formed in Turkey. Speaking to reporters after returning from Tehran about the issue, Gul said that ''we'll speak about it and assess it. But it is early to say something now.'' Reiterating that Turkey was not that eager to send soldiers to Iraq, Gul stressed that Turkey was ready to do all kinds of contributions for the stability of Iraq.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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WHO IS RESISTING AGAINST 'ADJUSTMENT'?
Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said that the sixth adjustment package which would be taken up in Council of Ministers meeting could be presented to Parliament before June meeting of National Security Council (NSC), while Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that they were determined to adopt the package as government. Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that this issue would be left after the preparation of National Program. Different voices are coming from cabinet, although it was announced that NSC would convene with special European Union (EU) agenda in June. Gul said that it was normal that some people showed resistance against the reform package and added, ''habits cannot be broken easily.''

BAYKAL: ''EU SHOULD NOT BE A TOOL FOR DOMESTIC POLITICS''
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that the European Union (EU) issue should not be used as a tool for domestic politics. Attending the monthly meeting of Ankara Trade Chamber (ATO), Baykal said that EU issue should be considered as a national problem and nobody should give the impression of using the issue for his own favor and against others. He added, ''economy is being affected by politics and foreign policy. Economy cannot recover while state institutions are contradicting with each other.''

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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LAST DECISION IS PARLIAMENT'S IN SIXTH ADJUSTMENT
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he disagreed with those who considered ''strange'' to discuss the European Union (EU) issue in National Security Council (NSC). He added that Parliament would give the last decision. Erdogan replied to discussions in public opinion regarding NSC's taking up EU issue, while a joint declaration could not be released after the general debate on EU issue at Parliament. Erdogan emphasized that it was normal to discuss EU issue in NSC and said, ''Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) is the beginning of Turkey's modernization and democratization process.''

SPRING ATMOSPHERE WITH THE UNITED STATES
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell in NATO Foreign Ministers meeting which will be held in Madrid next week. Gul and Powell are expected to soften the atmosphere between two countries. Gul received Canadian Foreign Minister Bill Graham in Foreign Ministry Residence yesterday. He replied to questions of reporters after the meeting and said regarding his meeting with Powell, ''it is very normal, there is not any extraordinary situation.''

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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CHP WARNS GOVERNMENT ABOUT EU ISSUE
Republican People's Party (CHP) was not warm to the idea of issuing a general statement after the general debate in the parliament on EU yesterday, as CHP was concerned that the government tried to manipulate EU membership issue in domestic policy. CHP deputy Onur Oymen said that ''if regulations regarding the military are necessary, they will be done. But it is wrong to take the whole Turkish Armed Forces as the target.''

DOUBLE TAXATION TO BE PREVENTED
Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commission adopted the bills which foresaw approval of agreements made with six countries to prevent double taxation. The bill foresees approval of the agreements made with Czech Republic, Iran, Latvia, Bangladesh, Slovenia, and Sudan to prevent double taxation.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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PACKAGE WILL BE ACCEPTED IN JULY
Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said that National Security Council (NSC) would convene with the European Union (EU) agenda on June 26 and he implied that the sixth adjustment package, which was aimed to be adopted in the end of May, would remain to July. Thus, National Program, which should be delivered before EU summit on June 21, could not be given its final shape.

WARNING FOR KAPLAN
Turkey expressed its uneasiness about the decision of the German court to release Metin Kaplan, the leader of the Islamic Community-Denominational Vision. Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Nabi Sensoy conveyed the uneasiness to German Ambassador to Turkey Rudolf Schmidt who was summoned to the Foreign Ministry yesterday.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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ERDOGAN:BEGINNING OF DEMOCRACY IS TURKISH ARMED FORCES
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that it was not strange to discuss the EU issue in National Security Council (NSC). ''The decisions taken in NSC are recommendatory decisions. NSC will never take decisions above the decisions of the parliament. All the members of NSC are aware of this and have this understanding.'' Regarding EU membership, Erdogan said that the government wanted to discuss the EU issue in full transparency.

FM GUL:''WE ARE DETERMINED ON ADOPTION OF SIXTH ADJUSTMENT PACKAGE''
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that the government was resolved to adopt the sixth adjustment package. Speaking in a news conference after returning from Tehran, Iran, Gul said that ''information was given to all ministries about the package, the views of all ministries and concerned state institutions were taken about it.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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EU MEMBERSHIP IS A GEOPOLITICAL OBLIGATION
General Staff Deputy Chief General Yasar Buyukanit emphasized that Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) was not against the European Union (EU). Noting that EU was the geopolitical and geostrategic obligation of modernization target which was put forth by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Buyukanit said, ''this obligation overlaps with Turkey's social, political, economic and security targets at the same time.''

MILITARY IS NOT AN OBSTACLE TO EU
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that it was not strange to discuss the European Union (EU) adjustment package in National Security Council (NSC). Noting that Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) was the beginning of modernization and democratization process, Erdogan said that discussing EU issue in NSC was not strange. He added that NSC took recommendatory decisions and final decision was taken by Parliament.

(GC-ÖS) 30.05.2003