ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on June 23rd, 2007. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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PREMIER ASKS CROWDS FOR OVER 367 MPs, WARNS ON PRESIDENTIAL CRISIS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked during a party rally on Friday for a mandate with over 367 MPs and otherwise warned that a presidential crisis might emerge after the July 22nd elections. "Mr. Ozal was elected when this constitution was in force. Mr. Demirel and Mr. Sezer were elected too (accordingly). So, what's wrong now since they said 'no' while electing Mr. Gul (as president)?" Erdogan told the crowds in the eastern cities of Erzincan and Batman Erdogan.

TWIN GETS EARLY DISCHARGE AS BROTHER DIES IN TERRORIST ATTACK
Erden Erkacti, twin brother of private Erdem Erkacti, who was martyred by PKK terrorists in an attack two weeks ago on a gendarmerie post in the eastern city of Tunceli, was discharged from the army eleven months earlier before his duty ends. Erden was also a private serving in the Cemisgezek town of Tunceli.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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HAND GRENADES STALLED RULING
The court that is handling the case of "raid to the Council of State" on May 17th, did not announce its ruling. The court envisages that the hand grenades seized in a shanty house in Umraniye might have a connection with the case. Council of State investigation is expanding towards Umraniye.
Yesterday a court decision was expected in the case of an armed attack to the Council of State Second Chamber by Alparslan Arslan. However, the criminal court in Ankara decided to further investigate the case upon the recent developments after the seizure of 27 hand grenades in a house in Umraniye district of Istanbul.

BAYKAL: THERE IS NO HESITATION IN EU
Deniz Baykal who participated "Leaders Summit" in news channel CNN Turk, clarified why CHP gave so little space to the issue of European Union (EU) in its election manifesto: "this is like a British recipe book. It is not a very voluminous book. We wanted to speak of it in a positive manner, that is why we did not speak much. There is no hesitation in the issue of full membership to the EU."

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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GUL: "WE DON'T WANT TO USE CROSS BORDER OPERATION AS AN ELECTION BOOTY"
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul rejected accusations that the government avoided a cross border military operation into northern Iraq because it was "afraid of any taking action," telling the daily SABAH that the government did not want to make "an election fortune" out of such an incursion. "We do not want to create such a perception that the government would use the issue as an election booty, that is our sensitivity," Gul said.

"TURKEY IS A MODEL FOR REGIONAL COUNTRIES," BABACAN SAYS
Chief EU negotiator Ali Babacan said that regional countries were impressed by the progress Turkey had country made in its EU accession process and took the country as a model. "Turkey's EU membership process is closely followed by countries in north Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Caucasus," Babacan told Euronews channel.

VATAN (INDEPENDENT)
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WE HAVE SAID WHAT IS NECESSARY, WE ARE WAITING FOR AN ANSWER
"We have said what is necessary to the Ambassador of the U.S.A. Now we are waiting for an answer from Washington. Then, I will call Mr. Bush. We will take action accordingly," said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the issue of cross-border operation.
On his way back from the mass meeting in Batman, PM Erdogan told VATAN, "We are going through very eventful days. We are forcing all doors one by one. We invited Iraqi PM Maliki. It is important that we meet him. We are taking all necessary diplomatic steps so that they would not say ( you did not do this) afterwards."

LEADER OF THE SNOW MASKED GANG
The leader of a snow-masked gang that carried out 30 robberies, including 5 jewelry stores, is a former soldier who left Special Forces.
The gang first drew attention with the jewelry robberies it carried our in Kagithane in 2006. 19 members of the ring that uses Kalashnikovs and snow masks were captured the other day. Sources tell that the sergeant under custody, who is a former member of Special Forces, is the ring leader.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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WESTERN SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM
Foreign press publicizes the terrorist organization from Kandil.
Mountain of Kandil is haunted by significant press associations of the world. Members of the terrorist organization posed to French News Agency recently. German state television broadcast an interview with Ahmedi, one of the leaders of PJAK --a branch of the terrorist organization PKK.
As the discussions continue regarding a cross-border operation to northern Iraq, the terrorist organization gave pace to propaganda. The organization hosts well known newspapers, TVs and news agencies in Mountain Kandil, and tries to reflect itself as "innocent and strong."

TOURISM CONCERN IN ATHENS
Greece faced a significant risk of fall in tourism income as a result of the tension with Turkey over Aegean Sea. As a result of this, it decided not to take fighter aircraft to Aegean throughout this summer. According to the moratorium announced by Athens and officially communicated to Ankara, Greek fighter aircraft will not fly in Aegean except compulsory situations.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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INVESTIGATION ON ATTACK AGAINST TOP ADMINISTRATIVE COURT
EXPENDS AFTER SEIZURE OF HAND GRENADES
A criminal court in Ankara expended its investigation over a May 2006 attack on the Council of State to include two former non-commissioned officers Oktay Yildirim and Mahmut Ozturk, and retired captain Muzaffer Tekin after police seized 27 hand grenades in a house in the Umraniye district of Istanbul on June 12th. Yildirim was taken under custody as police belived that the hand grenades belonged to Yildirim. Ozturk and Tekin were also detained.

LA SCALA TO OPEN SEASON WITH RENOWNED TURKISH NOVELIST YASAR KEMAL
Italy's famous opera house La scala is set to open its season with "The Tin Pan," the libretto of which is based on a novel by acclaimed Turkish writer Yasar Kemal. Italian poet Franco Marcoaldi adopted Kemal's work for the libretto of the opera.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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ERDOGAN LASHES OUT AT MAIN OPPOSITION
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan severely criticized the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) at a public rally in the eastern cities of Erzincan and Batman, saying that it disregarded the law to prevent Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul presidential bid. "They said 'two times two does not make four' and they admitted it temporarily. They can do it by sidestepping the law but they cannot convince the people that this is the truth," Erdogan told the crowd.

COURT ORDERS INVESTIGATION OVER SEIZED HAND GRENADES, SEES
POSSIBLE LINK WITK 2006 ATTACK ON COUNCIL OF STATE
A criminal court in Ankara expended its investigation over a deadly 2006 attack on the Council of State which left one senior judge dead and several others wounded after police seized more than two dozens of hand grenades in the Umraniye district of Istanbul two weeks ago. The court ordered separate investigation into the incident to search for any possible links with the attack on the top administrative court.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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BAYKAL: THERE WOULD NOT BE A CRISIS IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, WE WOULD RECONCILE
Deniz Baykal was the guest of the Leaders Summit TV program broadcast in CNN Turk yesterday. Chairman of Republican People's Party said he does not agree with PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan who said there will be a crisis in presidential election following the general elections in July 22nd. Baykal repeated the condition of consensus in presidential election and said "it is the duty of the politicians to prevent crisis."

ACOUSTIC CURTAIN FOR HIGHWAY NOISE
Turkey once considered the highways as a luxury. Now it allocates big budgets in order to prevent noise from the vehicles.
After Kavacik in Istanbul, acoustic walls for isolation were placed in roadside in Izmir as well. Regional Directorate of Highways placed 2.55 meter high transparent fiber walls at crossroads in Bornova and Balcova districts of Izmir.

YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
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"THEY SOURED THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY DAUGHTER'S LIFE"
Council of Higher Education (YOK) has started an investigation after Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul's daughter attended the graduation ceremony at Bilkent University with a headscarf.
Gul reacted against the investigation saying that "they see it as their duty to sour the happiest day of a young girl."

AVOID A CANKAYA CRISIS AFTER THE ELECTIONS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reminded that a presidency crisis might occur following the elections due to the "367 votes" condition. He asked for more than 367 MPs.
"Ozal, Demirel and Sezer were elected with this constitution. They said 'no' when it came to Gul. They said 2 plus 2 is 5. You will show how much justice you want," said Erdogan.