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

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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SIX TRILLION TL BRIBE PROPOSAL BY CELL PHONE
Istanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah announced that drug traffickers proposed 3.5 million Euro (6.5 trillion Turkish liras) of bribe to the police when the police staged an operation to seize the drug. Drug traffickers laid down the proposals for one tons of heroin and four tons of morphine. These operations had been staged in January and March. Drug traffickers spoke to a detective by cell phone and said, ''forget about this operation. One million Euro is ready. We can give you the money in one hour.'' When the police replied negatively to them, the drug traffickers asked the police to determine the amount of the bribe by themselves. But, the police once more returned the bribe proposal.

SINGLE-DIGIT INFLATION SINCE 32 YEARS
Consumer prices rose by 0.38 percent and the rise in wholesale prices was -0.03 in May. Thus, the annual inflation in wholesale prices index (WPI) and consumer prices index (CPI) fell to a single-digit figure for the first time since 32 years and was calculated as 8.88 percent.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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DEMOCRACY LESSON FROM ISTANBUL
France does not allow any demonstration in Paris during the visit of U.S. President George W. Bush, whom France invited to attend the ceremonies to mark 60th anniversary of Normandy Landing. However, Turkey did not ban the demonstrations to protest NATO Summit in which Bush would also attend.
Istanbul Security Department Chief earlier said a place was determined in every township for the protests in Istanbul.

AND HERE IS THE KURDISH NEWS
Another historic step has been taken on the way to European Union (EU). Turkish Radio and Television Corp. (TRT) will start broadcast in different languages and dialects on Monday in case there is not any change.
The programs, whose texts have been prepared, will include news, music and documentary.
Under the regulations, the period of the broadcast from the radio will not be more than 60 minutes a day and five hours a week. The broadcast from the television will not be more than 45 minutes a day and four hours a week.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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NATO SEIZES
''Radio controlled missiles'' unloaded in Ambarli, Istanbul by a Portuguese-flagged ship coming from Ukraine saying that the load was comprised of spare parts were found by satellites. Turkey's neighbors are being closely followed through satellites since Turkey will host NATO summit at the end of June. Turkish intelligence units are informed about every extraordinary development in the region. This is how the smuggled weapons were seized at Ambarli Customs Gate. Officials learned through satellite that a Portuguese-flagged ship was loaded with weapons in Ukraine. The ship headed towards Ambarli, Istanbul although it was expected to pass through Marmara Sea and go to Egypt. Turkish intelligence units were informed about the change in route of the ship. Security officials waited until they had learned which ship would load back two containers which were unloaded from the Ukrainian-flagged ship at Ambarli Customs. Security officials confiscated radio controlled missiles and weapons when they staged an operation.

HARD BRAKE ON TUPRAS SALE
Three different decisions have been taken about privatization of Turkish Oil Refineries Corp. (Tupras) within a week. The court firstly decided to stop any execution, reversed this decision three days later, and cancelled the sale of Tupras' shares yesterday. Sources said Privatization Administration Board will object to the decision. Turkish Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, who met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said, ''we won't change our target. We will do what is necessary.''

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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IMF'S EYES ON SALARIES
Eyes of International Monetary Fund (IMF) are on the salaries and pensions. The report on revision of public expenditures claimed that salaries and pensions in Turkey were above the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average. The report asked for rise in retirement age, limitation of public personnel expenditures, and rise in salaries under inflation targets.

KEY: POLITICAL CRITERIA
The resolution of the summit of European Union (EU) heads of state and government held in Brussels stated that the EU would decide to start full membership negotiations with Turkey if Turkey met Copenhagen political criteria. Diplomatic sources said that EU heads of state and government commented that the European Commission would not express any contrary view in the report it would unveil about Turkey in October.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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EU: TURKEY TAKES A BIG STEP
Turkey, which was expecting a date from the European Union (EU) to start full membership negotiations, got an appreciation: Constitutional amendment is a very big step. Negotiation process will start soon in case Turkey meets Copenhagen criteria.

ARINC IS CHAIRMAN OF BSECPA
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc took over the Term Presidency of Black Sea Economic Cooperation Parliamentary Assembly (BSECPA) in the the 23rd session of BSECPA.
Arinc addressed the general assembly after taking over the term presidency from Sergey Mironov, the Chairman of the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.
Arinc said regional cooperation organizations gradually gained importance.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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NEW TRIPARTITE GOVERNMENT IN TRNC
Republican Turkish Party/ United Forces (CTP/BG) and Peace and Democracy Movement (BDH) agreed to form a government in the Parliament soon having the vision of solution. The two parties said they were in consensus to complete this study in the possible shortest time but did not set a definite date.

JAPANESE CREDIT TO MARMARAY
Interest of Japanese credit institutions continues in Marmaray Project- Railway Tube Passage which will link Asia and Europe through the Istanbul Strait.
Foundation of Marmaray laid on May 9, 2004.
Japanese JBIC delegation, which came to Ankara a while ago for talks regarding finance of Marmaray, started discussions with officials of Treasury and DLH Construction General Directorate about the loan.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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UKRAINE: THE WEAPONS DESTINED FOR EGYPT
Efforts are underway to determine to which country the weapons, found in a ship in Istanbul's Ambarli Port, destined for.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister said the shipment was appropriate to the rules, and stated that the ship was destined for Egypt. However, Cairo has not yet said it was the owner of the military equipment. Experts claimed that Egypt may have obtained the weapons secretly.
Meanwhile, Ahmet Fathalla, the Egyptian Ambassador in Ankara, said he did not have information about the ship loaded with weapons.

OZINCE: THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE DISCUSS MEDIUM TERM DEVELOPMENTS WITH IMF
Banks Association of Turkey Chairman Ersin Ozince said that International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation, headed by Turkey Desk Chief Reza Moghadam, told them that the delegation rather wanted to share medium term with them.
Following the meeting which lasted for about two hours, Ozince said, ''IMF delegation told us that they rather want to share medium term with us,'' and added that it was a very positive development.
Ozince noted, ''we have earlier discussed short term... We discussed medium term in today's meeting. We also exchanged views on fluctuation that have taken place in financial markets near past. We also assessed medium term in the meeting.''

(BRC-AY) 04.06.2004