ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on September 16, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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GUL: WE MAKE PROGRESS WITH U.S. IN ERADICATION OF PKK
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that they made important progress with the United States in the issue of eradication of PKK/KADEK terrorist organization from the north of Iraq. Replying questions of reporters while going to Georgia, Gul evaluated the meetings held between technical delegations of Turkey and the United States as an important step to destroy terrorism. Noting that he could not give very much details, Gul said that important progress was made and negotiations would continue.

CICEK: OCALAN WILL BE ALONE LIKE 40 THOUSAND PEOPLE IN GRAVE
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek, who attended unofficial meeting of the European Union (EU) justice and interior ministers in Rome, objected to transfer of terrorist Abdullah Ocalan from Imrali to F type prison. Cicek said that the transfer of Ocalan to F type prison was out of question for today. He added that such an initiative would cause a security problem and said, ''Ocalan, who left 40 thousand innocent people alone in their graves, should be left alone.''

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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DON'T GO TO IRAN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who insisted on paying an official visit to Iran in spite of negative view of Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, received a message from the United States as well. White House, through new Ambassador Eric Edelman, told Erdogan not to go to Iran in current period. Erdogan, who wanted to hold consultations in Iran prior to the decision of sending soldiers to Iraq, gave the instructions in August for preparation to the visit, but he suspended the visit upon U.S. pressure and the warning of Foreign Ministry.

CONGRATULATIONS TURKEY
Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio said that they would continue their support to Turkey in the European Union (EU) process and added, ''we are hopeful about Turkey's accession. I congratulate the administrators for the reforms. I congratulate your effort to put these reforms into practice.'' An official ceremony was held at Cankaya Presidential Palace for Sampaio who came to Ankara as the guest of Sezer. Noting that Turkey's EU membership was taken up during the meetings, Sezer said that however, many existing cooperation potentials between two countries could not be evaluated.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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NEGOTIATION DECISION SHOULD BE TAKEN AT LATEST IN THE END OF 2004
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said that Turkish nation was expecting the European Union (EU) to take a decision on starting membership negotiations in the end of 2004 at latest. Sezer hosted a meal at Cankaya Presidential Palace in honor of Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio and he recalled that Turkey and Portugal had a productive cooperation within NATO alliance for years and he said, ''we are in preparation to add an EU dimension to this beneficial cooperation in a close time.''

GUL: THE UNITED STATES CANNOT MAKE DIFFERENTIATION
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that they made important progress in the meetings with the United States regarding the eradication of PKK/KADEK, but he could not give very much detail about it. When asked whether a document would be signed with the United States in the end of meetings, Gul said, ''the important things is not to sign a document; it is to put forth the decisions. The United States cannot differentiate between its own terrorists and our terrorists. It cannot take the risk to weaken its own determination and reliability in fight against terrorism either. Thus, they take the meetings very serious.''

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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ANKARA'S IRAQ CONTRADICTION
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that Iraqi people had a warm attitude on Turkish soldiers while U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said that there was a serious sensitivity for Turkish soldiers in Iraq. Powell added that but they would continue to negotiate the issue. Gul said that they were carrying out studies on dispatch of soldiers to Iraq with great responsibility and stated that Iraqi people's facing with foreign soldiers who were unfamiliar to Iraqi culture caused problems. Gul added that Iraqi people had a warm attitude towards Turkish soldiers.

SCHOOLS OPEN WITH PROBLEMS
A total of 10,331,000 students in primary schools, 3,034,000 students in secondary schools and 557,000 teachers started the new academic year on Monday. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that curriculums would be renewed and stated that the number of teachers would be increased. National Education Ministry Undersecretary Nejat Birinci said that 106 schools were opened in Istanbul this year and stated that there was a need for about 4,000 teachers for those schools.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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ANKARA DGM REJECTS REQUEST OF FORMER DEPUTIES OF DEP FOR RELEASE FROM PRISON
Ankara State Security Court (DGM) rejected on Monday requests of former deputies of the Democracy Party (DEP), which was banned by the Constitutional Court, for release from prison. Hatip Dicle and Leyla Zana, the former deputies of the DEP from Diyarbakir province, Orhan Dogan and Selim Sadak, the former deputies of the DEP from Sirnak province, and their lawyers attended the seventh hearing at the Ankara DGM. Judge Sureyya Gonul rejected requests of former deputies of the Democracy Party (DEP) for release from prison and adjourned the hearing to a later date. The eighth hearing will take place on October 17, 2003.

VISIT FOR KAPLAN
German Interior Minister Otto Schily will come to Turkey on Tuesday to discuss extradition of Metin Kaplan, the administrator of the Union of Islamic Communities and Societies (ICCB) with Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu. A spokesman of German Interior Ministry said that Schily would leave for Turkey on Tuesday afternoon and was expected to return to Germany the same day after meeting with Aksu.
German Interior Minister Otto Schily in his earlier statements stressed that decision of the court would not be accepted, and that he would exert every kind of efforts for Kaplan's deportation.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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GUL: TERRORIST IS TERRORIST
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that negotiations regarding terrorism were continuing with the United States and he added that the United States could not differentiate between its own terrorists and Turkey's terrorists, or it would lose the confidence it gained.

ERDOGAN RECEIVES SPANISH BUSINESSMEN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Spanish businessmen delegation who visited Turkey within Turkey-Spain Joint Business Council. Bilateral economic and commercial relations were taken up in the meeting and sides also discussed the facilities for the third markets.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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IRAQI PEOPLE ARE POSITIVE TO TURKISH SOLDIERS
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that according to the report of Turkish delegation which returned from Iraq, Iraqi people were very positive about Turkey. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell emphasized that in spite of the ''sensitivities'' in Iraq, negotiations on sending soldiers with Turkey would continue.

TURKEY IS THE PARTNER OF EUROPEAN TEXTILE MANUFACTURERS
Turkey will be introduced as ''partner country'' in international fabric fair Texworld which will start today in Paris. This year's concept of the fair, which will be held between September 16 and 19, is ''Partner Country Turkey''. A total of 600 participants from 40 countries will attend the fair which is held twice in a year.

(EÖ-GC-AÖ) 16.09.2003