ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on February 27, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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MERKEL: IF NEGOTIATIONS START, WE WON'T IMPEDE IT
Opposition leader Deniz Baykal said that Angela Merkel, the leader of the German Christian Democrat Union Party (CDU) would not impede the EU membership of Turkey. Baykal said that deputy CHP leader Onur Oymen took a promise from Merkel who said that ''if negotiations with Turkey start, we won't impede the process.'' Merkel noted that ''if the negotiations between EU and Turkey starts before CDU comes to power in Germany, CDU will abide by the promise given by EU to Turkey.''

DENKTAS SAYS MIDDLE WAY HAS TO BE FOUND
While explaining the fourth meeting with the Greek Cypriot side, TRNC President Rauf Denktas said that they were locked on the issue of bizonality. ''Greek Cypriots are firm, and we are also firm, but a middle way has to be found,'' he said. Greek Cypriot side asked for more authority and majority rights by saying that the united state has to work effectively, Denktas said, adding that Turkish Cypriot side insisted on bizonality.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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GUL: ''YES, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM POWELL''
Confirming that he received a letter from U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, Abdullah Gul who held a press conference in Moscow, said that ''there was only one line in the letter about the case of Birtan Altinbas.'' Gul said that the letter he received from U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell was related to the visit of Turkish side to Washington D.C., adding that ''the letter was generally positive. There was only one sentence about claims of human rights violations in Turkey. The case about the death of Birtan Altinbas, claimed to be tortured, continues. There is no intervention in the trial process. We had earlier announced that no tolerance would be shown towards torture.''

TURKEY MOVES TOWARDS EU STEP BY STEP
In a report submitted to the Council of Europe (COE), it was stated that Turkey should be taken out from the inspections made in countries which had problems in fulfilling Copenhagen criteria. COE gave good news to Turkey for its EU bid. In a COE report, it was concluded that there was no need for Turkey to be in inspection mechanism. This means that Turkey will not be anymore in the list of countries whose democracies are not at the European standards. So this will be a good advantage for Turkey in its EU membership bid.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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GUL WARNS RTUK ABOUT BROADCASTING IN KURDISH
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul has warned the Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK), which punished the private ATV Channel for broadcasting a news story about a Kurdish song, saying that deficiencies in efforts to apply reforms put Turkey in a more difficult position. Gul asked RTUK to explain its reason for punishing the ATV Channel which broadcast a news story about a singer who has become famous by singing popular songs in Kurdish. In the document he sent to the RTUK, Gul said, ''Turkey has fulfilled political criteria in its EU membership process. Now, we should put these reforms into practice. The regulation about broadcasting in different languages and dialects is a requirement of the adjustment to the European Union.''

TRNC COUNCIL OF MINISTERS DENATURALIZES 1,563 PEOPLE
The Council of Ministers of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has decided to denaturalize 1,563 people who took up TRNC citizenship during the period of the former coalition government of the National United Party (UBP) and the Democrat Party (DP). TRNC Health and Social Assistance Minister and Council of Ministers Spokesman Huseyin Celal said following yesterday's meeting of TRNC Council of Ministers, ''these people took up TRNC citizenship against the relevant laws. Therefore, we have decided to denaturalize them.''

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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ERDOGAN: ''I DID NOT TALK ABOUT CENSORSHIP''
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who asked Turkish and Turkish Cypriot press to implement censorship about the ongoing negotiation process in Cyprus, said upon reactions of the public opinion, ''I asked press members to display an understanding of self-control instead of censorship.''

THREAT OF SUGOZU
The Sugozu Thermic Power Plant constructed jointly by Turkish and German firms in Iskenderun town of southern province of Hatay, will pose a direct threat against human health by producing some hazardous gases. The power plant will destroy all endemic plants in the region. Experts said that any agricultural production could not be made in the region after a decade due to hazardous waste of the power plant. Meanwhile, the plant will also cause extinction of nearly 30 animal species in the gulf.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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COPENHAGEN VISA FOR TURKEY
An important report was prepared by Council of Europe (COE) regarding the fact that Turkey abided by Copenhagen criteria. According to the report, there is no need for Turkey to be in the inspection mechanism. If this positive view of the report which was prepared by COE Parliamentary Assembly members Mady Delvaux Stehres and Luc Van Den Brande, is accepted in the whole approval process, another excuse that could be used by EU not to give a negotiation date to Turkey will be removed. The report will be announced on March 3.

EDELMAN: DENKTAS TO BE SUCCESSFUL
The U.S. thinks that tension in Cyprus negotiations is natural. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Edelman said that ''the attitude of TRNC leader Rauf Denktas in New York was promising. I am neither pessimistic nor optimistic. But I am very hopeful about Denktas.''

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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TERRORISM BARGAINING
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that he warned Russian officials to take PKK into their list of terrorist organizations, adding ''the Russian side promised to fight with terrorism. They submitted the names of Turks who were allegedly involved in acts of terrorism in Russia. Both sides will examine the issue.''

TALAT: NO RETURN BACK
TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said that ''we have the same goal with TRNC President Rauf Denktas, but our points of view are different. This is natural. But it is for sure that we have entered a road from which we can't turn back.'' Talat said that Cyprus negotiations continued and at the same time they continued the EU accession studies.

VERHEUGEN: SO MANY THINGS CHANGED IN TURKEY
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen said that Turkey became a very different country after the membership process started for Turkey in 1999. Verheugen responded to those who ask ''privileged partnership'' for Turkey that ''Turkey's full membership perspective was given in the agreement signed in 1963.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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TURKEY COMES CLOSER TO EU
The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (COEPA) will debate and put to vote a report and a recommendatory decision envisaging annulment of inspection mechanism against Turkey next week. The Council of Europe's lifting screening process was considered a very positive signal in regard to the EU's setting a date for opening of accession talks with Turkey. Diplomatic sources said that Turkey could not get a date technically for opening of accession talks while the screening process was continuing.

(UK-Öª-AÖ) 27.02.2004