ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on April 16, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
''WE ARE LOSING CYPRUS COMPLETELY''
President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has harshly criticized United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan and described it as an insult. Addressing the Turkish parliament, President Denktas stressed, ''the Turkish parliament will celebrate the 84th anniversary of its foundation on April 24. On the following day, Turkish Cypriot people will cast their votes in the referendum to determine their future. The TRNC may be destroyed. The Greek Cypriot side will throw the so-called agreement into rubbish soon. In that case, we will lose Cyprus completely.''

PACKAGE OF CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS TO BE OPENED TO SIGNATURE
A package of constitutional amendment prepared by the government under efforts to adjust to the European Union (EU) will be opened to signature of ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputies as of Monday. The package envisages amendments to 10 articles of the Constitution. Under the package, gender equality will become a rule of the Constitution. Paragraphs in Articles 15, 17, 38 and 87 of the Constitution will be removed in order to erase the death penalty completely. The package envisages to enable the Turkish citizens to apply to the Constitutional Court.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
''GREEN LINE CAN BECOME BORDER OF THE EU''
European Union Commissioner Guenter Verheugen has warned the Greek Cypriot side for the first time to assume a positive attitude about United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan. Verheugen said that if the Greek Cypriot people said 'no' in the referendum to be held in the island on April 24, he would do everything in his power to overcome the isolation in the northern part of the island.

EVERYONE LISTENS TO PRESIDENT DENKTAS EXCEPT FOR ERDOGAN
President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has delivered an emotional speech at the Turkish parliamentary general assembly upon invitation of Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc. President Denktas said that TRNC would be destroyed, and asked Turkish deputies to save Turkish Cypriot people from experiencing such a pain. Most of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputies were in attendance at the parliament to listen to President Denktas except for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Despite all efforts of the opposing Republican People's Party (CHP), the parliament did not release a statement to support President Denktas and TRNC.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
''AZERBAIJAN WILL BE ONE OF FIRST COUNTRIES RECOGNIZING TRNC''
President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, who paid an state visit to Turkey as the guest of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, has given an important message about Cyprus. At a meeting with representatives of Turkish press organs, President Aliyev said that if the Turkish Cypriots said ''yes'' and the Greek Cypriots said ''no'' in the referendum, Azerbaijan would be one of the first countries recognizing Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

TUSIAD DUE TO TRNC
Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) will hold a joint seminar together with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Businessmen's Association (ISAD) in Lefkosa on April 10 on ''Cyprus Economy and Investment Opportunities''. TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat will attend the seminar as the honorary guest. TUSIAD Executive Board Chairman Omer Sabanci will make the opening remarks of the seminar.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
AK PARTY GOVERNMENT GOES BEYOND LIMITS
Statements of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and General Staff Chief General Hilmi Ozkok have denied the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government which claimed that they had done everything in harmony with state institutions. The statements revealed that the government's policy in the last three months had gone beyond state policy.

''OUR TARGET IS RECOGNITION OF TRNC''
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul has said, ''Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) should be recognized if the Turkish Cypriot side votes in favor of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan, and the Greek Cypriot side votes against in the referendum on April 24, 2004.'' Gul said that such an initiative would be launched in friendly countries first. ''In that case, all embargoes and obstacles should be lifted. The TRNC should be recognized finally. We will pay visits to friendly countries first and the European Union (EU) member countries and the rest of the world later to explain the Cyprus issue to everyone,'' he added.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
EU SAYS IT CAN LIFT EMBARGO ON TRNC
European Union (EU) Commissioner for enlargement Guenter Verheugen has said that saying ''no'' to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan in the referendum in Cyprus on April 24 could yield serious consequences. Speaking at the International Donors' Conference on Cyprus in Brussels, Verheugen said that if the Greek Cypriots said ''no'' and the Turkish Cypriots said ''yes'' in the referendum, the green line would become the border of the EU. He stressed that the EU would not allow any punishment to the Turkish Cypriot side and lift embargoes imposed on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

RESIDENTS LEAVE BOLU
Residents have still been engulfed in panic in northwestern province of Bolu after Tuesday's earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale. While most of residents spent the second night in the streets, exams at the Abant Izzet Baysal University were cancelled. Most of students returned to their homes.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
''WE SHOULD NOT BETRAY TURKEY''
Prime Minister Goran Persson of Sweden has said that Turkey had made many important reforms to adjust itself to the European Union (EU). Noting that if Turkey was rejected by the EU after fulfilling the Copenhagen political criteria, tension would escalate in Turkey, Prime Minister Persson added that any betrayal would lead to a political crisis in the EU.

TURKISH-GERMAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY TO BE INAUGURATED
Turkish-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry will be inaugurated on April 27. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will attend the inauguration of the chamber established jointly by the Union of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce and the Union of Turkish Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) on October 23, 2003.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
TURKEY TO UNDERTAKE A PIONEERING ROLE IN TRANSFORMATION PROCESS
Women who attended the Democracy Congress of Islam countries in Istanbul, have said that Turkey would undertake a pioneering role in transformation process of Islam communities. Princess Besme Bint Talal of Jordan, Moroccan Justice and Development Party deputy Sumeyye Bint Haldun and Mali Female Jurists' Association Chairperson Zouboye Fatima Dicko stressed that Islam did not contradict democracy.

(UK-AY) 16.04.2004