ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey`s press on May 22, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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SEZER RATIFIES CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer ratified constitutional amendment package. Sezer ratified constitutional amendment package and sent it to the Prime Ministry to be issued in the Official Gazette. Under the package, expression saying ``woman and man have equal rights`` was added to the Constitution`s Article 10 on ``Equality Before the Law``. In accordance with the package, expression saying ``execution of death sentence`` was excluded from the Constitution`s Article 15 on ``Suspension of the Exercise of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms``. The package envisages exclusion of expression saying ``in case of fulfillment of death sentences ruled out by courts...`` from the Constitution`s Article 17 on ``Personal Inviolability, Material and Spiritual Entity of the individual``. In accordance with the package, State Security Courts (DGMs) will be annulled and the Constitution`s Article 143 on the foundation of DGMs will be no more in effect.
ONE BILLION USD OF LOAN FROM WORLD BANK
The World Bank and Turkey completed negotiations on 1 billion U.S. dollars third programmatic financial and public sector adjustment loan (PFPSAL III). The loan, called the PFPSAL III, is expected to be submitted to the board of Executive Directors of the World Bank in Washington for consideration in June. The main objective of PFPSAL III is to provide support during 2004 to the Government of Turkey`s financial and public sector reform priorities. State Minister Ali Babacan said that the first tranche of loan of 500 million U.S. dollars would be released in June.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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HE IS BEATEN, SO HE IS RETURNING
Nejat Das, illicit drug smuggler, applied to return to Turkey when he was beaten by the police in Spanish capital Madrid. Das escaped from a prison vehicle when he was being tried on charges of Lucky-S case in 1994 and went abroad. Turkey requested that Das, who was sentenced to 30 years and 6 months imprisonment in two cases, be extradited. Das, who served six years in prison in Spain, prevented his extradition to Turkey saying that he was tortured and beaten in Turkey. Now, Das wants to return to Turkey. The petition presented to Istanbul State Security Court (DGM) by Das` lawyer said that Das, who was beaten by police in front of children in the streets of Madrid, decided to return to Turkey. When Das` wife tried to prevent police from beating her husband, policemen said that Das was a drug smuggler and they could beat him.

EVCIL SHOULD NOT BE PERMITTED TO RUN AWAY
Bursa Second Heavy Criminal Court sentenced businessman Erol Evcil to life imprisonment on charges of solicitation in Nesim Malki assassination. But, a warrant of arrest was not issued. Evcil was taken into custody in connection with escape of mafia boss Alaattin Cakici and released after he testified. If the Supreme Court upholds the verdict, Evcil will serve three years in prison.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT EXCEEDS USD 5 BILLION
Current account deficit realized as 2 billion 29 million U.S. dollars in March 2004, while it is observed as 5 billion 35 million U.S. dollars in January-March 2004. The foreign trade balance recorded a deficit of 5 billion 131 million U.S. dollars in January-March 2004. In comparison with January-March 2003, services surplus increased by 41,4 percent to 966 million U.S. dollars in the same period of 2004. Among the important sub-items, the tourism revenues increased by 42,6 percent, realizing as 1 billion 713 million U.S. dollars in January-March 2004. As a result, the net tourism revenues amounted to 1 billion 158 million U.S. dollars increasing by 63,1 percent.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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SECOND VETO RIGHT FOR SEZER
As President Ahmet Necdet Sezer ratified the constitutional amendment package, the Higher Education Board (YOK) law, which is before Sezer to be evaluated, became contrary to the constitution. Under the constitutional amendment package, the General Staff will no more elect a representative for the YOK. But, this article was preserved in the YOK law. In case the government changes the law and re-sends it to the Presidential Palace, Sezer can once more veto the law.

``INDIRECT`` CALL FOR ANKARA TO SEND SOLDIERS
Sources said that the United States and Britain, who face difficulties in Iraq, informed Turkey about their plans to form a multi-national force under the umbrella of the United Nations (UN) through British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The sources said that Turkish government was evaluating the issue. Diplomatic sources said that intense meetings among UN Security Council member countries continued.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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BLANK CHECK FROM ATHENS
Greek Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis said that Greece was supporting Turkey`s European Union (EU) process. Caramanlis noted that solution of Aegean issues before December, when the EU would decide whether or not to start full membership negotiations with Turkey, was not obligatory.

``THERE IS NOT ANY REGIME PROBLEM``
Supreme Court Chief Prosecutor Nuri Ok said, ``there is not any regime problem but, the small group of fundamentalists should not be ignored. Democracy can`t be changed.``

ONE BILLION USD ``ACTION`` LOAN
World Bank is giving Turkey one billion U.S. dollars of public and financial sector adjustment loan. World Bank`s Turkey Director Vorkink said that the loan was given to Turkey for the initiatives it had made not for the promises it had made.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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PARLIAMENT SPEAKER ARINC: UNITED STATES IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc condemned Israeli attacks in Gaza and said, ``the United States is as responsible as Israel for these incidents.``

RED BULLETIN FOR CAKICI
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that concerned departments were making necessary investigation and inquiries about mafia boss Alaattin Cakici, who escaped abroad. Cicek said that an international search warrant had been issued for Cakici, adding, ``issuing a red bulletin will be the next step.``

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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GUL SAYS SOLDIERS TO GO TO AFGHANISTAN FOR TURKEY`S INTERESTS
Turkey will send about 1,500 soldiers to Afghanistan next April. The final decision on this issue will be taken at NATO Summit which will be held in Istanbul in June. Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul told Zaman that they would send soldiers to Afghanistan for Turkey`s interests and the policy of the government. Gul noted that Turkey earlier sent soldiers to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Africa and added that they wanted to show Turkish flag, protect Turkey`s presence there and have leadership on many issues.

(EÖ-BRC) 22.05.2004