ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on April 4, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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SHOCKING STATEMENT OF BELGIAN OFFICIALS
The evil agreement between Belgium and the terrorist organization of Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) has been confirmed by Belgian authorities. While the statement of DHKP-C spokesman saying, ''we have an agreement with the Belgian Ministry of Internal Affairs on the basis of confidence'', created uneasiness in Ankara, another shocking statement came from Belgium. An official from the Belgian Ministry of Justice speaking on the condition of anonymity said that Fehriye Erdal, a member of the DHKP-C and one of suspects of killing of businessman Ozdemir Sabanci in 1996, was released by the Belgian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

INFLATION RATES CONTINUE TO DROP
The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) has announced that annual inflation rate became 7.97 percent in wholesale prices and 11.83 percent in consumer prices in March of 2004. Wholesale prices rose by 2.10 percent and consumer prices increased by 0.89 percent in March over to the same month of 2003. In the first three months of 2004, inflation rate became 6.50 percent in wholesale prices and 2.19 percent in consumer prices. Meanwhile, according to 12-month averages as of March 2004, annual inflation rate was 19.8 percent in wholesale prices and 21.67 percent in consumer prices.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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EDUCATION BAN ON 75 THOUSAND GIRLS
Istanbul is not different from the East...75 thousand girls aged between 6-14 are not allowed to go to school. Officials will tour the pillar to post and persuade their parents. The Ministry of National Education and the UNICEF initiated a campaign last year in the eastern and southeastern Anatolia to have the girls go to school. This year Istanbul was included in the campaign where there are more than 1.5 million primary school students. Because, according to surveys, there are 75 thousand girls aged between 6-14 in Istanbul who either have never gone to school or left off primary education. On proportional basis, the worst in the eastern province of Van where 34 percent of girls does not go to school. On numerical basis, Istanbul is ranked first and it is followed by southeastern province of Sanliurfa. Bagcilar, Gaziosmanpasa and Umraniye are the leading problematic districts of Istanbul. Voluntary people will tour such districts from pillar to post to persuade parents to allow their girls to go to school.

FIRST ''YES'' IN GREECE COMES FROM SIMITIS
Former Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis deployed a position in favor of saying ''yes'' in the referendum. Besides, Simitis warned Greek Cypriots that they might face eight serious dangers in international arena in case they say ''no'' in the referendum on April 24:
1- Can the Greek Cypriot administration again request U.N. support?
2- Can the Greek Cypriot administration again refer to resolutions of U.N. Security Council?
3- Can Greece oppose to Turkey's EU membership due to Cyprus?
4- How long will the EU continue imposing embargo on the TRNC?
5- How long will not the international community recognize the TRNC?
6- Won't a divided Cyprus be a much serious matter of tension than a united Cyprus?
7- Won't the EU give response to negative attitudes of Athens and Greek Cypriot side about Cyprus?
8- Won't be the soil envisaged to be handed over to Greek Cypriots under Annan Plan lost completely if division becomes formal?

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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GENERAL TOLON REACTS HARSHLY TO POWELL
Aegean Army Commander Gen. Hursit Tolon has said, ''those who are not aware of the state form of the eighty-year-old Republic of Turkey, will learn it now.'' General Tolon and an accompanying delegation paid a visit to Bozcayaka village in Odemis town of western province of Izmir on Saturday under activities to support social development. When recalled of by a journalist that U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell had described Turkey as an Islamic state like Pakistan and Afghanistan, General Tolon said, ''those who do not know the state form of the eighty-year-old Republic of Turkey, will learn it now. Turkey is a democratic, secular and social state of law.''

SUPPORT TO TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP
Former President Richard von Weizsaecker of Germany has said that he was in favor of opening of accession talks between Turkey and the European Union (EU). Weizsaecker stressed that the EU's rejecting Turkey's membership would constitute a serious blow on Turkey's bridgelike role between the eastern and the western worlds.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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''OUR ALLY SHOULD LEARN ABOUT SECULARISM HENCEFORTH''
Aegean Army Commander General Hursit Tolon has reacted harshly to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell who described Turkey as an Islamic Republic like Pakistan. General Tolon stressed, ''those who do not know the state form of the eighty-year-old Republic of Turkey, will learn it now. Turkey is a democratic, secular and social state of law.''

''THEIR TARGET IS TO ENCOURAGE AK PARTY''
Istanbul University Strategic Studies Center Executive Board member Associate Professor Yasar Hacisalihoglu has said, ''U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's describing Turkey as an Islamic Republic was not a blunder. In fact, he intended to say so. Powell's statement aimed to encourage the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government for its concessions from Cyprus.''

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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ERDOGAN LISTENS TO COMPLAINTS OF CRIMEAN TATARS
Under his official visit to Ukraine, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has visited Crimeans who were sent into exile in 1944 by the former Soviet Union, and have tried hard to return their homeland for years. He met with representatives of autonomous Republic of Crimea and pledged to support Crimean Tatars' efforts to return to their homeland.

UNITED STATES: ''WE ARE YOUR SOLE FRIEND''
The U.S. administration has been trying to correct Secretary of State Colin Powell's blunder. U.S. President George W. Bush's National Security Council declared that Turkey did not have any closer friend than the United States. Council Spokesman Sean McCormack said that Turkey and the United States had a long history of co-operation.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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AID TO HEAP ON UNITED CYPRUS
Fifteen billion euros of investment will be made in Cyprus if peoples say 'yes' in the referendum. Not only Turkey and Greece but also the whole world are getting ready to help Cyprus where the process of solution has started. If the referendum on April 24 ends positively, an international Donors Conference will be held under control of the United Nations. Amount of financial aid to the United Cyprus will be discussed at the conference. The United Nations which considers that also the Greek Cypriots will migrate to the TRNC will ask for assurances of rich countries to prevent any problem. A campaign of 15 billion euros will be initiated for rebuilding of the TRNC which is poor of investments. With this money, infrastructure investments will be completed and new employment fields will be opened.

THREE TOUGH DAYS FOR GOVERNMENT
The Council of Ministers and the National Security Council will make the final decision on Monday. The parliament will discuss the Annan Plan on Tuesday. And an answer will be given to the United Nations on Wednesday.

CRIMEAN TURKS SHOULD RETURN TO THEIR HOMELAND
On the second day of his visit to Ukraine, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Autonomous Republic of Crimea. He said they wished Crimean Turks would safely return to their homeland, ''the time has come to leave aside racist mentalities which the world already abandoned.''

ONE ACCIDENT PER MINUTE
According to the Security Department statistics, more than 400 thousand traffic accidents happen in Turkey each year, killing almost 3 thousand people. Annual cost of accidents reach 500 trillion Turkish liras.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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DENKTAS TO SAY ''NO''
After United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has submitted his latest plan to the sides in Switzerland, people in Cyprus are waiting for the referendum to be held on April 24. President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said that he would say ''no'' in the referendum. TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat and his Republican Turkish Party (CTP) will support the plan while former Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu and his National Unity Party (UBP) will reject it in the referendum.

(UK-MS) 04.04.2004