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

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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TRNC COMMUNITY BECOMES STATE
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was earlier attending meetings of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) as ''Cyprus Muslim Community''. TRNC will attend following OIC meetings as ''Turkish Cypriot State'', but its status will not change. OIC has decided that TRNC would be represented in OIC meetings as ''Turkish Cypriot State'' as it was foreseen in U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan on Cyprus. A joint communique was issued at the end of the 31st Session of the Islamic Conference of the Foreign Ministers in Istanbul calling on OIC members to improve their relations with TRNC.

THREE AWACS AIRCRAFT TO BE SENT TO TURKEY FOR NATO SUMMIT
NATO has decided to send three Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft (AWACS) to Turkey due to NATO Summit that would be held in Istanbul between June 28 and 29, 2004. Aircraft will fly over Istanbul and assist security measures to be taken during the summit.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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STATE FUNERAL FOR PIRISTINA
Izmir Governor Yusuf Ziya Goksu said that a state funeral would be held for Izmir Mayor Ahmet Piristina who died of a heart attack on Tuesday. A state funeral will be held for Piristina in Izmir on Thursday. Piristina was born in Izmir on April 8, 1952. He was elected as mayor in local elections in 1999. He was re-elected in the local elections on March 28, 2004.
TSK NOT TO BE DETERRED BY TERRORISM
First Army Commander General Yasar Buyukanit said that there were terrorists on mountains and also beyond Turkish borders currently. Buyukanit noted that Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) was not deterred by terrorism. Buyukanit noted that TSK would continue to fight against separatist terrorist organization and fundamentalist circles which continued insistently their sneaky actions.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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ISTANBUL READY FOR NATO SUMMIT
NATO Summit Organization Committee Chairman Umur Apaydin said that they have been working very hard for NATO Summit to be held in Istanbul between June 28 and 29 and noted that they aimed to host a summit that would be remembered. Apaydin has been working for the NATO Summit for eight months. Apaydin works day and night with nearly 70 people including also personnel of travel agencies; Visi Tur, Zed Tur and Setur. Apaydin said that NATO Summit was the biggest organization held in Turkey so far and recalled that 46 heads of state and government, foreign ministers, defense ministers and many other officials would participate in the NATO Summit.

LOAN TO SMES WITH ZERO INTEREST
Turkish Industry and Trade Minister Ali Coskun said that they would provide small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) with loans with zero interest rate. Coskun stated that they would extend more support to SMEs.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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STATE FUNERAL FOR PIRISTINA
Izmir Governor Yusuf Ziya Goksu said that a state funeral would be held on Thursday for Izmir Mayor Ahmet Piristina who died of a heart attack on Tuesday. Piristina was born in Izmir on April 8, 1952, was elected as mayor in local elections in 1999. He was re-elected in the local elections on March 28, 2004.

20-YEAR DGMS ABOLISHED IN ONE HOUR
Turkish parliament adopted on Wednesday the law on abolition of State Security Courts (DGMs). DGMs were abolished in the Parliamentary General Assembly also with support of Republican People's Party (CHP) in one hour. Under the new law, heavy criminal courts will from now on be responsible for hearing some cases which were under the authority of the DGMs.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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SUPPORT TO CYPRUS
Diplomatic initiative that has been launched by Turkey on recognition of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in international field has yielded favorable result in the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). OIC decided on Wednesday in the 31st Session of the Islamic Conference of the Foreign Ministers that TRNC would be represented in following meetings of OIC as ''Turkish Cypriot State'' as foreseen in U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan on Cyprus. Bosnia-Herzegovina and Thailand were the only observer states till the 31st session of OIC Foreign Ministers. According the decision taken in this meeting, the number of observer states reached three with ''Turkish Cypriot State''.

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH PRAISES TURKEY
Human Rights Watch said that Turkey took very important steps on human rights. Releasing a statement, Human Rights Watch stated that Turkey fulfilled significant reforms, but it should record more progress on freedom of expression and fight against torture and maltreatment. Human Rights Watch said that Turkey made a good beginning in development of human rights, but additional steps were needed to show that this positive change would continue.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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BUYUKANIT SAYS TSK NOT TO BE DETERRED BY TERRORISM
First Army Commander General Yasar Buyukanit said that Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) fought against terrorism for years and if necessary, TSK would fight against terrorism again. Buyukanit noted that TSK would not allow terrorist actions, noting that there were terrorists on mountains and also beyond Turkish borders. Buyukanit stressed that TSK was not deterred by terrorism.

GREAT ACTIVITY IN TOURISM SECTOR
The number of tourists visiting Turkey rose by 50 percent in the first five months of 2004 when compared to same period last year. Promotion campaign that has been launched by Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry contributed to great activity in tourism sector. A total of 153,842 Iranian tourists came to Turkey to spend their holiday, while 72,562 Syrian tourists visited the country in the five months of this year.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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BUSINESS WORLD TO WORK IN SUMMER FOR EU MEMBERSHIP
There is little time left for the European Union (EU) Summit in which a decision whether or not Turkey will start its membership negotiations with EU will be taken. Turkish business world has started to work very hard and improved its lobby activities to contribute to Turkey's getting a date to start membership negotiations with EU. Business world will inform EU circles about legal reforms that Turkey fulfilled and progress that the country recorded to meet Copenhagen political criteria.

(EÖ-AÖ) 17.06.2004