ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on June 18, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
APOLOGY FROM NATO TO PEOPLE OF ISTANBUL
Extraordinary measures will be taken during NATO Summit which will be held in Istanbul between June 28 and 29. Hundreds of streets will be closed to traffic and even fishing will be forbidden. Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler, who held a press conference prior to the Summit in which heads of states and governments, defense ministers, foreign ministers and chief of general staffs of 46 NATO member countries will attend, said that the city is ready for the Summit.

ERDOGAN: EU NEGOTIATIONS CAN START IN THE END OF MARCH
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave good news regarding Turkey's receiving a negotiation date from the European Union (EU) in the end of December. Erdogan, who held meetings during the first session of EU Summit in Brussels, said that negotiations with Turkey could start in the end of March if positive expressions about Turkey takes place in Progress Report of the EU Commission that will be released on October 6.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
VERHEUGEN: CRITICAL THRESHOLD IS EXCEEDED
Dosage of positive messages from Brussels is increasing as December is closing. The European Union (EU) will take a decision whether or not to give a negotiation date to Turkey in December. EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen said that critical threshold was exceeded regarding the negotiation issue. He added that Turkey's accession to the EU would mean a radical change.

ISTANBUL'S HEART TO STOP FOR THREE DAYS
Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler announced the security measures which will be taken during NATO Summit in Istanbul between June 28 and 29. People in Istanbul will have a big difficulty especially in transportation during the summit. The measures will start on June 27 when delegations will arrive in Istanbul and will end on June 30. Noting that Istanbul was ready for NATO Summit, Guler said that a serious terrorist threat was out of question and added, ''we have the power to prevent such a threat. The organizer of this summit is Turkish Republic.''

SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
PLANE BARGAINING WITH AIRBUS IN BRUSSELS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan made bargaining with the officials of Airbus firm regarding the planes which will be bought for Turkish Airlines. Turkish Airlines is planning to buy planes rapidly from Airbus and Boeing to increase the number of planes from 65 to 100.

TERRORISM IN SIRNAK AND MUS
One soldier died when terrorists opened fire in Guclukonak town of eastern Sirnak province. During the operation in eastern Mus province, two village guards were injured. Operations are continuing in the region.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
SIEGE OF ACCOUNTING BUREAU
The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is planning to appoint persons close to its perspective instead of Kemalist and secular persons chosen for eight vacant seats in the General Assembly of the Accounting Bureau. And, AK Party wants to invalidate the choice of the general assembly by amending the concerned law. AK Party aims to add an article to the public management bill and pave the way for parliament to choose members of the general assembly of the Accounting Bureau, and increase authorities of the Accounting Bureau as a second step.

WASHINGTON INSISTENT
The United States, which wants to give a new role to Turkey, continues its insistence on using Turkish territory. The Washington administration laid down its demands from Turkey and informed Ankara about the global defense strategy through Lincoln Bloomfield, the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. State Department for Political and Military Affairs.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
FROM EU TO TURKEY: YOU HAVE PASSED CRITICAL STAGE
European Union (EU) Commissioner for enlargement Guenter Verheugen said that what was important was Turkey's passing the critical stage in practice and noted that full membership negotiations with Turkey would start after Turkey met all the criteria. When Turkey is only thinking about December, the month when it expects to get a negotiation date from the EU, Brussels increases its positive signals. In the conference on ''Turkey's EU End-Game?'', Verheugen said that those who did not think that Turkey was ready were wrong. Verheugen noted that when all criteria were met, negotiations would start and stated that what was important was to pass the critical stage. Verheugen said that positive signs were increasing rapidly. However, Verheugen pointed to shortcomings like freedom of expression and religion and detention conditions.

A CITY CRIED
Izmir Mayor Ahmet Piristina, who died on Tuesday and who was known as ''a lover of Izmir'', was laid to rest yesterday. Thousands of people from Izmir cried after him.

SIGNIFICANT VISIT FOR TRNC
The United States added a new step to its steps towards Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). U.S. State Department's Special Coordinator for Cyprus Thomas Weston visited TRNC's representative to Washington at his office for the first time.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
TUZMEN: WE ARE CLOSE TO END
State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said that Turkey was close to the end with the steps it took in relations with the European Union (EU). Replying questions of reporters during his meetings in Brussels, Tuzmen said that Turkey has fulfilled its responsibilities regarding the EU and it is now in a more comfortable situation. He added that Turkey showed an extraordinary performance in the last 1.5 years.

BULENT YANIK RELEASED
Turkish truck driver Bulent Yanik, who was kidnapped in Iraq two weeks ago, was released yesterday. Egyptian truck driver Victor Tevfik Gerges, who was abducted together with Yanik, was also released. Yanik will return to Turkey today.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
4.5 QUADRILLION TL OF RECEIVABLES OF STATE BANKS TO BE COLLECTED BY POLICE FORCE
State banks like Ziraat, Vakif and Halk banks can collect their receivables from sunken banks by police force. State banks will use methods of the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (SDIF) to collect sunken loans which amount to about 4.5 quadrillion Turkish liras (TL). According to experts interpreting the decision of the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA), Ziraat Bankasi, Halkbank and Vakifbank can knock on doors of their debtors, accompanied by police.

LIFE TO STOP IN ISTANBUL DURING NATO SUMMIT
All preparations have been completed for NATO summit to be held in Istanbul at the end of this month. The summit will paralyze Istanbul's traffic. During the summit, every move will be under control in the region called NATO Valley between Cumhuriyet Street, Taksim Park, Inonu Stadium, Kucuk Ciftlik Park, and Abdi Ipekci Street. The highway from the airport to the Ciragan Palace will be closed to traffic. Barricades will be placed on this street and streets near NATO Valley. Taksim-Macka-Dolmabahce triangle will be closed to traffic. Subway will also be closed. Traffic on Istanbul Strait will also be paralyzed. Some ship services won't be made. Officials ask citizens to use mass transportation vehicles instead of private cars.

(BRC-GC-AÖ) 18.06.2004