ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on April 17, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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FIRST APOLOGY IN THEIR HISTORY
Amnesty International (AI), which started a campaign that ''former Democracy Party (DEP) deputy Leyla Zana was face to face with torture and death sentence threat'', had to apologize to Turkey when Hurriyet's columnist Oktay Eksi proved that AI's claim was not true. William F. Schulz, the Director of the Branch of AI in the United States, sent a message to Eksi in which he accepted that AI made mistakes in its letter regarding Leyla Zana and promised that such a thing would never occur again. Upon article of Eksi, Zana also sent a letter to Hurriyet and stressed that AI's claims were not true. Zana also wrote a letter to Schulz and pointed to AI's mistakes.

OUR RELATIONS WILL CHANGE
U.S. State Secretary Colin Powell did not reply to question if Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) would be recognized if the Greek Cypriots voted ''no'' to the United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan for Cyprus in the simultaneous referenda to be held in the island on April 24. On the other hand, U.S. State Department Undersecretary Marc Grossman gave the message that their relations would change. According to possible plans, Turkish territory will be defined as a special zone like Taiwan. Thus, groundwork will be laid to enable the United States to establish relationship with the Turkish Cypriot side.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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IT WON'T BE WISE TO SAY ''NO'' TO U.N. PLAN
U.S. State Secretary Colin Powell gave his message about Cyprus issue through Milliyet daily. Powell, who defined United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan for Cyprus as ''a golden opportunity'', said that if the Greek Cypriots joined the European Union (EU) on their own, everything would be messed up in international arena. Calling on Cypriot people to say ''yes'' to the plan in the simultaneous referenda to be held in the island on April 24, Powell said that Cyprus issue would be ''shelved'' if solution was not reached in Cyprus on April 24. Powell noted that such an opportunity could not be seized for tens of years and stated that there would not be a second chance.

THIS IS A MURDER!
A disaster occurred as a train crashed into a bus carrying students in Temelli hamlet of Ankara's Polatli town. Izzet Guler, the driver of the bus, tried to drive through the grade crossing although he saw the train. The train crashed into the car in the rear. Seven students died and eight students were injured in the accident.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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HEAVIEST PUNISHMENT
Driver of minibus, who did not listen warnings and caused death of seven students by driving the minibus into train, caused death of his son as well. Izzet Guler, the driver of the minibus which was carrying students of a school in Polatli town of Ankara, was faced with the heaviest punishment. Guler's son died and his daughter was injured in the crash.

POWELL: CHANCE SHALL NOT BE MISSED IN CYPRUS
U.S. State Secretary Colin Powell called Cypriots to say ''yes'' in referendums on Annan Plan. He said that the plan was protecting interests of both sides, adding that this chance would not be caught again after long years of separation.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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PREPARATION FOR HOT JUNE
Turkish security forces have been ''red alarmed'' for the NATO summit, which is expected to cost 33 trillion Turkish liras (TL) for Turkey, while more than 30 thousand policemen, gendarme forces, and commandos have been charged to protect 62 high-level heads of state and government, including U.S. President George Bush, who will be in Turkey to attend the NATO summit. Meanwhile, anti-war, anti-capitalist and environmentalist groups, university students, anarchists and several leftist groups have started to get prepared for demonstrations during NATO summit. The Turkish Interior Ministry sent notes to universities and proposed the university administrations to recess earlier than the foreseen dates.

ESTIMATIONS FOR APRIL 25
The simultaneous referenda to be held in Cyprus on April 24 will change all parameters of the 40-year Cyprus issue and will have a strong impact on parties to follow new policies. Currently, most people think that Turkish Cypriot side will vote ''yes'' and the Greek Cypriot side will say ''no'' to the United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan for a comprehensive settlement of Cyprus problem in the referenda. In this case, Turkish side will demand that embargoes should be lifted and it should be recognized while the Greek Cypriot side may make a call to the Turkish Cypriots to join the European Union (EU) as a part of the ''Republic of Cyprus.''

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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USD 495 MILLION RELEASED
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board released 495 million U.S. dollars of loan for Turkey. IMF wanted recovery in banking sector to be completed. The program ends in February 2005.

PRESSURE ON GREEK CYPRIOTS INCREASES
The officials of the European Union (EU) and the United States, who stated that Cyprus policy would change if Greek Cypriots say ''no'' in referendum, continue their pressure. U.S. State Department Undersecretary Marc Grossman repeated his views to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas on the phone yesterday.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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ERDOGAN: WE DID NOR MAKE CONCESSIONS
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that meetings in Switzerland were carried on within the scope of the decisions taken in National Security Council (NSC) and added, ''we have increased the number of TRNC citizens of Turkish Republic origin from 33 thousand to 45 thousand. We have applied 29 positive things which Denktas had expressed regarding territory issue. We did not make concessions, we were made concessions.''

SERVICE FOR DEATH
Izzet Guler, the driver of the bus which was carrying students in Polatli town of Ankara, tried to drive through the grade crossing although he saw the train. The disaster occurred when he insisted to drive. Seven students, including the son of Guler, died and ten others were injured.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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ERDOGAN HARSHLY REACTS TO DENKTAS AGAIN
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan harshly responded to statement of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas. Erdogan also pressed on the opposition regarding Cyprus issue. Speaking in the meeting of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in southern Antalya province, Erdogan stressed that personalities known as dean in politics were in an effort to play with time. Erdogan noted that those who were keeping Turkey busy would be ''pressed under the status quo.'' Erdogan said, ''nobody can see AK Party governments as governments which ignore sublime interests of Turkey and TRNC.'' Touching on speech made by Denktas as Turkish parliament, Erdogan said, ''Denktas should have carried out his campaign in Cyprus. Speaking in Turkey doesn't make him win. Instead, it makes him lose.''

TURKEY OPENS FIRST MUSEUM IN LANDS OF ITS ANCESTORS
Turkish Cooperation and Development Administration opened its first abroad museum in Mongolia. Four thousand artifacts found in excavations in Bilge Kagan, Kul Tigin and Tonyukuk monumental sights are being exhibited in the museum.

(GC-BRC) 17.04.2004