ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on March 5, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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METROPOLITAN CRISIS
Greek-Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew's decision to appoint six foreign metropolitans to the Sen Sinod Assembly of the Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate instead of six Turkish citizens has given rise to a crisis. There has not been any Turkish citizens in the 12-member assembly, which takes the highest level decisions for the patriarchate, for the first time in 81 years.

DENKTAS: ''WE CAN WITHDRAW''
President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has said that he could withdraw from the negotiation table whenever it was necessary. Speaking at an international conference organized by the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO), President Denktas said, ''if changes are not made in the plan of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan for Cyprus, I will withdraw from the negotiation table, and do my utmost to prevent approval of the plan.'' He added, ''I said in the past that the plan of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan for Cyprus meant nothing but destruction of Turkish Cypriots. I have still been advocating this view.''

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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COALITION FOR DENKTAS
Representatives of political parties, which have been criticizing Cyprus policy of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, has welcomed President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in Ankara. President Denktas said prior to his meeting with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, ''if we cannot get what we want, we should withdraw from the negotiation table and prevent approval of the plan of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan for Cyprus.'' President Denktas implied that he would not join the AK Party which accepted United Nations Secretary General Annan's filling the blanks.

GUL: ''DO NOT WITHDRAW TILL THE END OF NEGOTIATION PROCESS''
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul has called on President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) not to withdraw till the end of the negotiation process in Cyprus. He told President Denktas that the international public opinion was in favor of Turkey and TRNC. Meanwhile, President Denktas rejected an offer of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to partake in dinner.

DE SOTO DUE IN ANKARA
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Spokesman Namik Tan has said that United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro de Soto would come to Turkey on Friday. Tan said, ''de Soto will hold talks with MFA Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal and MFA Cyprus Department officials. He can be received by Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul. De Soto is expected to depart from Turkey on Saturday.''

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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PARLIAMENT TO RECESS FOR 15 DAYS
As a result of a joint motion submitted to the parliament by Salih Kapusuz of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and Ali Topuz of the opposing Republican People's Party (CHP), the parliament will recess for 15 days beginning from March 9, 2004. During the 15-day period, deputies will visit their election districts for the upcoming local elections. The parliament will be re-opened after the local elections to be held on March 28.

TUSIAD TO INAUGURATE ITS BUREAU IN PARIS
Inauguration of Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association's (TUSIAD) bureau in French capital Paris will be held on March 9. Besides TUSIAD Executive Board Chairman Omer Sabanci, State Minister Ali Babacan; Economy, Finance and Industry Minister Francis Mer of France and Movement of Enterprises of France (MEDEF) Chairman Antoine Selliere will attend the inauguration.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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DENKTAS: ''I CAN WITHDRAW''
President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has described the plan of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan as a destruction plan against Turkish Cypriot people. ''In fact, the plan should have not been negotiated at all. However, we had to sit at the negotiation table because of the pressure on Turkey. The Turkish side has been working for inclusion of its sine qua non in the plan. If our sine qua non is not included in the plan, we will withdraw and call on our people not to accept the plan in the referendum.''

MESSAGES TO WASHINGTON D.C.
Turkish officials have conveyed their messages to Washington D.C. through U.S. State Department's Special Coordinator to Cyprus Thomas Weston. Weston was told that the most important thing was the two side's reaching an agreement till March 22. Ankara stressed that the Turkish side wanted to find a solution till May 1 while the Greek Cypriot side did not adopted this target.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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ANKARA WARNS DENKTAS
The government has felt uneasy about statement of President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) at an international conference organized by the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO). Both Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul warned President Denktas to solve the Cyprus issue peacefully. They told President Denktas that it was meaningless to encourage those who were opposed to solution. Meanwhile, President Denktas complained that Ankara had not extended sufficient support to him.

GENCLERBIRLIGI TO TAKE ON VALENCIA CF OF SPAIN
The draw for the fourth round of the UEFA Cup, quarter-finals and semi-finals was made in Nyon, Switzerland. Genclerbirligi of Turkey will take on Valencia CF of Spain in the fourth round. The first leg tie will be played in Ankara on March 11, and the second leg tie will be played in Spain, on March 25.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC GIVES PLACE HEINOUS INSULTS AGAINST TURKEY
Turkish people living in the United States has reacted to the recent issue of the National Geographic magazine which gave place heinous insults against Turkey. Publishing an article about the so-called Armenian genocide, the magazine made extremely partial political comments including unbelievable insults against Turkey. Recalling that tens of Turkish diplomats were killed in 1970s, the magazine defended that Turkey had claimed that Armenians had committed these killings. The magazine also gave place to baseless and nonsense allegations saying that the Agri Mountain was included within borders of ''enemy Turkey'' instead of the Republic of Armenia.

EUROPE SLAPS ARMENIANS
The European Court of Justice has decided to reject requests of the plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by an Armenian association in France and two Armenian people against Turkey. The lawsuit in question was filed by two real persons of Armenian origin living in France and a legal entity at the First Chamber of the European Court of Justice on October 9, 2003. The plaintiff claimed that the European Union's (EU) granting Turkey candidacy status at the Helsinki Summit of 1999 was against the decision of the European Parliament (EP) dated June 18, 1987 about the so-called Armenian genocide. They also claimed that the EU had harmed Armenian society by taking such a decision, and requested the court that Turkey's candidacy status should be annulled and the harm should be compensated. In its decision, the Court said that the application of Armenian plaintiff did not have any legal base.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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ANKARA OFFERS HELP TO SHIITE VICTIMS OF TERRORISM
Turkey has offered Iraq to undertake medical treatment of people, who were injured in a series of coordinated bomb attacks on Shiite Muslim shrines in Karbala and Baghdad cities of Iraq on March 2. Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul extended his condolences to families of those who were killed in the attacks. Meanwhile, Turkish Ambassador to Iraq Osman Paksut conveyed Turkey's proposal to undertake medical treatment of the injured people to Iraqi officials. Iraqi officials welcomed the proposal. Nearly 180 people were killed and 573 wounded in the attacks.

(UK-AY) 05.03.2004