ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on January 20, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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TELL US WHO IS THE TRAITOR
The statements of Aegean Army Commander Gen. Hursit Tolon, who said that this country has started to bring up traitors, caused reactions. Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Acting Group Chairman Haluk Ipek invited Gen. Tolon to clarify who he had spoken about. When asked his evaluations about Gen. Tolon's statements, Ipek said that AK Party did not determine its policy by acting as if problems did not exist and added that if Gen. Tolon wanted to blame someone with his expressions, he should clearly reveal this person.

NEW MOTION NOT NECESSARY FOR INCIRLIK
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc who had hesitations about the motion issue has talked clearly now. He said that it was decided that there was no need for a permit from parliament for the transfer of U.S. soldiers via Incirlik Base. Arinc had said last week that he made legal officials prepare a report on whether a motion was necessary or not and he had expressed his hesitations about this issues.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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IMF ASKS FOR NEW TAX
The IMF delegation which continues its studies in Ankara for the seventh review of the stand-by agreement, has asked Turkey to take additional measures to reach the tax income target in the year 2004. Among the measures which the IMF has asked from Turkey, there is also increase foreseen for special consumption tax in fuel oil. IMF wants these measures to meet the 3 quadrillion liras of burden caused by the increase in wages of retired persons.

ARINC:TSK IS SINCERE ABOUT TURKEY'S EU BID
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said that nobody could say that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) was against EU membership of Turkey. ''Turkish Armed Forces is sincere about this issue and it supports membership to the EU,'' he said. Meeting with representatives of Turkish society living in Austria, Arinc said that 75 percent of the Turkish people supported EU membership of Turkey.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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REPROACH FROM AK PARTY TO GEN. TOLON
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Antalya deputy and Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commission Chairman Mehmet Dulger said that the statements of Aegean Army Commander Gen. Hursit Tolon about Cyprus issue were distressing. Upon a question about the statements of Gen. Tolon, Dulger said that he considered the intervention of Gen. Tolon inappropriate, adding that he was sad that such statements were made in a period during which Cyprus issue was taken up on the highest level of state.

ASAD: ''WE'VE MADE MUCH PROGRESS IN LESS TIME''
President Bashar Al-Asad of Syria evaluated his visit to Ankara and Istanbul and the developments to an Arabian newspaper published in London. Asad said that they have made much progress in a short time and added that Turkey and Syria had many common points and the situation in Iraq has become a danger for both countries. Asad stressed that he wished that Turkey and Syria should undertake joint role in the issues that concerned the security of region, noting that this could be provided only with dialogue and coordination.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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NO SOLUTION NO MEMBERSHIP
Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis said that if Cyprus issue was not solved, Turkey's European Union (EU) membership could not be possible. He added that solution key for Cyprus question was on the hands of Turkey. Meanwhile, EU Commissioner on Enlargement Guenter Verheugen said that accession negotiations could not be started with a country that did not recognize Cyprus. He stressed that there was still a strong resistance against solution.

DIPLOMATIC TRAFFIC GAINS SPEED
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer will come to Ankara tomorrow. Turkey's EU process, Cyprus issue and fight against terrorism will be taken up and the preparations for the visit of German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to Turkey in February will be revised. Also, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf had come to Ankara yesterday. He is expected to sign agreements on economy and fight against terrorism.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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ERDOGAN TO WARN BUSH
Foreign Ministry officials prepared the file of issues to which Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will refer during his meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush on January 28. Erdogan will tell Bush that the support given to Kurds who favoured foundation of an ethnic federation in north of Iraq makes Turkey uneasy. Erdogan is also expected to bring onto agenda the communication problem caused by U.S. Colonel Mayville in Kirkuk and the uneasiness caused by U.S. soldiers' having calling cards with Kurdish flags on them.

CRITICAL WEEK FOR CYPRUS
A critical period has started regarding the solution of Cyprus problem. Efforts are underway to overcome the differences between the documents prepared by Foreign Ministry and General Staff about the attitude which Turkey would assume in Cyprus. In National Security Council (NSC) meeting on January 23, the attitude of the state will be determined. Prime Minister Erdogan will explain this attitude to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan when he meets with him in Davos on January 24 and give Annan the message that ''the Turkish side is ready for negotiations.'' Before Jan. 23, TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat and Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas will come to Ankara. After NSC meeting, Turkey will host TRNC President Rauf Denktas.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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HEAVY CRITICISM ON JURISDICTION
Human Rights Commission Chairman Mehmet Elkatmis said that he disagreed with those who claimed that jurisdiction in Turkey was not independent. He added that the jurisdiction was independent but the problem was that it was biased and getting more political, noting that jurisdiction should solve this problem in its own mechanism.

DECISION SUMMIT IN ANKARA FOR CYPRUS ISSUE
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas is planned to visit Ankara after the National Security Council (NSC) meeting which will be held on Friday. Turkish side will shape its final attitude in the last summit meeting prior to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's meeting with the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan in Davos. The summit to be held with Denktas in Ankara will probably be held after NSC meeting.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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105,600 TAXPAYERS BARRED FROM GOING ABROAD
Finance Ministry barred 105,600 tax payers to go abroad in the year 2003 to take under guarantee the collection of tax debts. The ban which was brought for tax payers who owed 15 billion or more tax to the Ministry, is expected to be brought for 150,000 persons in 2004. Businessmen who don't approve the ban say that ''we are obliged to make our business connections abroad through mediators. The application causes serious problems in business world.''

SPECIAL PASSPORT TO BE GIVEN TO TAX RECORD-HOLDERS
The government plans to change the Passport Law and it has submitted a draft about it to the parliament. The draft increases the duration of normal passports from five to ten years and it brings new criteria for Red (Diplomatic) and Green (special) passports. Tax record-holders (businessmen) will have the right to have green passports. The passports given to citizens of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will be valid for ten years.

(GC-Öª-AY) 20.01.2004