ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on July 14, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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CELAL AKBULUT RESIGNS
Celal Akbulut who was appointed as the Chairman of the Cyprus Turkish Airlines (KTHY) resigned yesterday when Hurriyet newspaper found out that he was earlier charged of 65 crimes. Transportation Minister Binali Yýldýrým called Hurriyet yesterday saying that Akbulut presented his resignation. Yýldýrým said that Akbulut worked as an honorary consultant for him for a certain period of time and they decided to appoint him as a member of the Executive Board of KTHY. ''We didn't inquire his past, this would be done when he would be officially appointed,'' Yýldýrým added.

INCREASE IN WAGES OF WORKERS AND CIVIL SERVANTS
Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said that they proposed five percent increase in the wages of public servants for the first six months and an increase of 9 percent for the second six months. Sahin added that they decided to increase the wages of civil servants on equal terms.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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''IT WAS A WRONGFUL METHOD''
Turkey-the United States Joint Commission investigating the detention of Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq, has come to the level of completing its works. The Turkish side has satisfied with attitude of the United States. U.S. General Sylvester accepted that it was a totally wrongful method. Turkish soldiers were forced to the ground and handcuffed with plastic cuffs by U.S. soldiers. Then U.S. soldiers shoved plastic bags over their heads and nudged them out into the street and onto trucks. The United States is expected to launch and investigation against its soldiers.

GOVERNMENT TO LISTEN TO VIEWS OF SOLDIERS
The government will listen to views of the Turkish Armed Forces about the seventh European Union (EU) adjustment package. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has charged Justice Minister Cemil Cicek to inform leaders of political parties and other section on the program. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul will listen to views of the General Staff.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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BANKING SECTOR REVIVES
There is an activity in banking sector. People in banking sector who lost their jobs due to economic crisis in 2001 started to find jobs in banks again. Many banks started to hire people in their bodies. Finansbank has opened 15 new branches and hired 611 people since the beginning of 2003. Denizbank also opened 4 new branches since the new year. Finansbank Deputy Director General Hamdi Aydin said that they would provide people who graduated from universities and who did not have any work experiences with job opportunities and added that difficult days for people in banking sector ended.

SAHIN: ''WE WILL MAKE INCREASE IN WAGES OF CIVIL SERVANTS IN EQUAL AMOUNT''
Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said that they would make increase in wages of civil servants in equal amount and added that they would take a final decision on the issue in the meeting of Cabinet on Tuesday.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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EXPLOSION OF FIREDAMP KILLS THREE PEOPLE
Three workers died and five others were injured in an explosion of a firedamp in a private coal mine in northern province of Zonguldak. Four people who attended rescue works were poisoned. Zonguldak Governor Yavuz Erkmen said that explosion might take place due to smoking cigarette in the mine. Owner of the mine was taken under custody.

CRITICAL WEEK WITH IMF
IMF will not complete fifth review before the parliament passes the draft laws on Social Security Agency (SSK) and Social Security Agency for the Self Employed (Bag-Kur). The parliament will not recess before Parliamentary General Assembly passes those draft laws.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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TORTURE IN POLICE STATION
Implementations in police stations deny politicians who says that no one would be exposed to torture in Turkey any more. A total of nine people have denounced the same police station in western province of Izmir to chief prosecutor's office in the last one and an half months by claiming that they were tortured and maltreated.

NO APOLOGY
Turkey-the United States Joint Commission investigation the detention of Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq, prepared a declaration. The declaration was sent to Washington D.C. for approval. Meanwhile, U.S. General John Sylvester said that allegations saying that Turkish soldiers were planning to assassinate the governor of Kirkuk were totally wrongful.

OZPETEK'S FILM WINS THREE AWARDS
Famous Turkish director Ferzan Ozpetek's film ''The Window Opposite'' was presented with three awards including the best film and the best director at the 38th Karlovy Vary Film Festival.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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TURKEY STARTS TO SAVE ITSELF ECONOMICALLY
The Turkish economy which was devastated by two big economic crises in the last three years, seems to have returned to the old days. The paper says ''we are saving ourselves from the biggest economic and social crises of Turkey.'' Foreign exchange started to decrease, inflation rate started to be in minus percent and production started to increase. Secretary General of Transporters Association Susur said that ''a total of 8,000 vehicles started their journeys monthly all around the country in March, this number increased to 13,000 today. In the past, one lorry waited for one month to get the load it would carry, now companies don't find any lorries to send goods because all of the lorries are in Anatolia, which is a very good sign for economy.''

''RED CARD'' TO TALABANI
Turkey has assumed a tougher attitude towards Patriotic Union for Iraqi Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani who caused the detention of the Turkish special team in north of Iraq by American soldiers and whose son recorded the images of the detention. Turkey didn't accept the demand of Talabani who wanted to extend the period of his special Turkish (red) passport.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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'DEMOCRACY IS THE SOLE POLITICAL SYSTEM WHICH CAN BE ACCEPTED IN OUR CENTURY'
The sixth meeting of the Abant Platform ended after release of joint final statement. The issue of 'war and democracy' was discussed in detail in the platform where intellectuals from every circle in Turkey came together. Intellectuals sought an answer for the question 'how war and democracy can co-exist' that came onto the agenda after the U.S.-led military action against Iraq. In the final statement, it was stressed that democracy is the sole political system which can be accepted in the 21st century as an antidote for wars and clashes. Participants noted that the United States had become the dominant power without any control, and stressed that Turkey should be more effective in the issue of respect to international laws. It was mentioned that Turkey should adopt a new policy which defends its national interests and domestic dynamics at highest level without ignoring its relations with other power centers in addition to its close relations with the United States and the European Union. In their final statement, intellectuals said, ''export of democracy to oppressive regimes should not be used as a reason of war. Democracy should be interpreted in the light of modern values. There is not a contradiction between Islam and democracy. We believe that there is requirement for democratization in all Islamic countries. In settlement of peaceful order, Islamic thought which does not discriminate people who believe in other religions should be made use of. Upon proposal of State Minister Mehmet Aydin, the platform is envisaged to convene in Washington D.C. and Brussels in coming years.''
(EÖ-UK-ÖÞ-MS-AÖ) 14.07.2003