ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on May 8, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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HISTORICAL DIALOGUE IN ATHENS
There was a historical dialogue in Athens hosting a Turkish Prime Minister for the first time after 16 years. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Greek Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis. Greek Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis said that he extended full support to Turkey's reformist efforts. Greek Prime Minister Caramanlis said that he and Erdogan took up bilateral issues and regional and international developments in their meeting. Caramanlis noted that he and Erdogan were of the same opinion that current good bilateral relations should be further improved. Erdogan said that current process on solution of Aegean issue continued positively. Prime Minister Erdogan noted that problems regarding Aegean Sea should be solved one by one and Aegean Sea should be made a sea of peace.
BALANCE OF PAYMENTS
The current account deficit realized as 2 billion 66 million U.S. dollars in February 2004, while it is observed as 2 billion 849 million U.S. dollars in January-February 2004. The key factors underlying this development are: the increase of shuttle trade by 16,3 percent, realizing as 536 million U.S. dollars and the increase of import (CIF) expenditures including gold imports by 39,6 percent, realizing as 11 billion 844 million U.S. dollars. Investment income, which had shown a net outflow of 1 billion 68 million U.S. dollars in January-February 2003, also recorded a net outflow of 1 billion 82 million U.S. dollars during the same period of 2004.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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ERDOGAN'S INSTRUCTION FOR REMAINING SILENT
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave deputies an instruction to remain silent after the General Staff issued a statement on the draft Higher Education Board (YOK) law. Justice and Development Party (AK Party) will determine a strategy on Monday. A final decision is expected to be reached on this issue after Erdogan's return to the country. Erdogan is also expected to have a meeting Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok.

ONE MINUTE FOR CYPRUS ISSUE
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is currently paying a visit to Greece, had a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis. Cyprus issue which had a great influence on Turkish-Greek relations was assessed in a very short time in the meeting between Erdogan and Caramanlis.
Replying questions on lifting embargoes imposed on Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Caramanlis said that ''Cyprus Republic'' joined the European Union (EU) as a whole and stated that the north of the island had a special status.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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DRAFT YOK LAW TO BE EXPLAINED TO PEOPLE
The government is determined not to take a backward step on the draft Higher Education Board (YOK) law. Following the meeting of Council of Ministers on Monday, the government will tell the people that they would not take a backward step on the draft law. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who has a busy program in Athens continues to discuss this issue with Turkey.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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ATHENS PROPOSES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP
Greek Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis, who met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said they supported reform studies of Erdogan government on the way to the European Union (EU).
Replying to a question, Greek Prime Minister said the country which joined the EU was whole of Cyprus, but that the North had a special status.
Erdogan said Caramanlis proposed strategic partnership, stating that, ''we are ready for this.''

GOVERNMENT INSISTENT ON ESTABLISHMENT OF NUCLEAR ENERGY POWER PLANT
Government is still insistent on establishment of nuclear energy power plant.
Energy and Natural Resources Hilmi Guler said they reached to the stage of document listing the terms of a contract, and noted that they would soon start meetings with the producer countries.
Guler said, ''nuclear energy power plant that will be established in Turkey will not be the first in the world. There are hundreds of nuclear energy power plants giving services in many countries.''

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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HUGE STEP ON EU PATH
The Turkish Parliamentary General Assembly approved the constitutional amendments package. Deputies of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and Republican People's Party (CHP) cast their votes on the package including amendments to 10 articles of the Constitution. The amendments package was approved by 375 votes against 102 votes. There were one invalid and four abstaining votes. Under the constitutional amendments package's Article 9 on ''State Security Courts (DGMs)'', DGMs will be annulled and the Constitution's Article 143 on the foundation of DGMs will be no more in effect.

UNITED STATES SHOCKS GREEK CYPRIOTS
The U.S. government which hosted Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat as ''the leader of the country'' used clearly expression of ''Greek Cypriot government'' for the first time after 1960. Richard Boucher, the U.S. State Department spokesman, used the expression of ''Greek Cypriot government'' for the south of the island that is mentioned as ''Cyprus'' in the international plan.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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ERDOGAN AND CARAMANLIS SHAKE HANDS FOR A FUTURE ''FULL OF PEACE''
Peace and friendship messages were given from the meeting between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis.
Erdogan, who held a joint news conference with Greek Prime Minister, wanted those experienced in the past to be left aside.
Erdogan said, ''next generations should not see what we had seen and should not suffer which we had suffered.'' Caramanlis in his part said, ''we are starting to launch an initiative to further deepen relations. Our acquisitions in the future will be more than what we have lost in the past.''

CROWN PRINCE ALEXANDER OF NETHERLANDS TO VISIT TURKEY
Crown Prince Willem Alexander of the Netherlands and his wife Princess Maxima will pay a state visit to Turkey between May 25 and 28, 2004.
During his visit to Turkey, Crown Prince Willem Alexander will be received by Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Crown Prince Willem Alexander will visit Cappadocia region in central province of Nevsehir.
He will proceed to Istanbul on May 28 to meet with representatives of Turkish business circles.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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TWO LEADERS TAKE STEP FOR A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP
A new page has been opened in softening process between Turkey and Greece in the historical visit of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Greece.
Greek Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis proposed Turkey a strategic partnership and expressed a strong will that Turkey would reach its European Union (EU) full membership target. Erdogan was positive toward Caramanlis's proposal for strategic partnership.
The two leaders expressed joint will for solution of problems and gave messages for a ''secure joint future''.

PARLIAMENT DOES NOT MAKE DISCRIMINATION, WOMEN AND MEN ARE EQUAL
Parliament, after second round of talks, approved the 10-article Constitutional amendment package prepared within the framework of adjustment to the European Union (EU).
Republican People's Party (CHP) also supported the whole of the package. The ''positive discrimination'', which CHP wanted for women, was not accepted. Only seven parliamentarians from the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) supported CHP's proposal.
In the vote, 492 MPs of the 550-seat parliament cast their votes. The amendment was approved by 471 votes against 15 votes. There were 4 abstaining and 1 blank votes.
Under the amendment, expression saying ''woman and man have equal rights'' was added to the Constitution's Article 10 on ''Equality Before the Law''.

(EÖ-AY) 08.05.2004