ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on June 30, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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NO TO HEADSCARF UNANIMOUSLY
European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Turkish state universities had the right to ban the headscarf.
In an unanimous judgment, the seven judges said headscarf ban was appropriate when issued to protect the secular nature of the state, especially against extremist demands.
ECHR said Article 9 of European Convention on Human Rights, safeguarding ''freedom of religion and conscience'' was not violated, and that banning headscarf in universities did not limit this freedom.
''The principle of secularism was surely one of the founding principles of the Turkish state,'' they added. ''Safeguarding this principle can be considered necessary for the protection of the democratic system in Turkey'' it said.
THEY LIKED THE DEMONSTRATIONS AND RELEASED THE HOSTAGES
Three Turkish citizens kidnapped in Iraq by Islamic militants were released.
Al Jazeera television, based in Qatar, said three Turkish hostages Mustafa Bal, Mehmet Bakir and Abdulselam Bakir were released ''for the sake of Muslims in Turkey'' and because of the demonstrations held in Turkey against U.S. President George Bush.
A masked member of the al Qaeda operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi read out a statement and said, ''we will release those hostages for the sake of Muslims in Turkey and after they promised that they would not cooperate with those infidels.''

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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BRAKE FROM ECHR TO HEADSCARF
European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) approved Turkey's policy which bans headscarf at universities. ECHR, which considered the lawsuit only under freedom of belief, decided that Turkey did not violate European Convention on Human Rights. According to the verdict, which will constitute a precedent, ban on headscarf can be considered as a requirement in a democratic society.

BOOBY TRAP IN PLANE
An explosion occurred in the plane of Turkish Airlines at Ataturk Airport during the departure of leaders who attended NATO Summit. Chemical materials in a bag which was left in the plane caused the explosion. Three people were injured after the explosion and experts started investigation on how the bomb was put in the plane.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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MINISTER GUL THANKED TO DEMONSTRATORS AGAINST NATO
Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul thanked non-governmental organizations which contributed to the release of three Turkish drivers who were kidnapped in Iraq. Three Turkish people who were kidnapped in Iraq by a group led by suspected al Qaeda operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi were released as Turkish people showed that they were against NATO. Gul confirmed the news on release and thanked for the efforts of non-governmental organizations which contributed in this development.

EXCITEMENT ON AIR
Passengers convinced a Turk to renounce his hijacking plan of the Munich-Istanbul plane. A Turk tried to hijack an Airbus 320 assuring Munich to Istanbul flight. After the passengers convinced the hijacker, who is a former police and claimed that he was carrying a bomb, the plane returned to Munich.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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ECHR GAVE DEMOCRACY AND LAW LESSON
The answer came from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to those who try to bring headscarf to public area and state protocol and those who applause these initiatives. ECHR said that Turkey is right in banning the headscarf in public areas.

EXPLOSION AT THY PLANE
A booby trapped bomb which was put in a wallet exploded after Turkish Airlines plane landed in Istanbul. The bomb injured three cleaning personnel.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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DOPING TO TURKEY FOR EU
Bush said: the United States would not accept separation of Europe and Turkey by artificial borders.
Schroeder said: this country should get an engagement from the European Union (EU) to start full membership negotiations.
Chirac said: Report of Commission is important but Turkey's path to EU is irreversible.
Giving information about Greater Middle East Initiative, Bush said the United States undertook a mission to bring peace and democracy to the Middle East after Europe. He said Turkey was vital for Europe and broader Middle East.
Without paying attention to the warnings of Chirac ''not to interfere'', Bush insisted on Turkey-EU relations and said separation of Europe and Turkey by artificial borders would not be accepted. He reaffirmed that Turkey's place was in Europe.
ERDOGAN IS HAPPY: TRANSFORMATION ACCELERATED
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who evaluated NATO summit at a news conference, said Istanbul became the symbol of transformation of the Alliance with the decisions taken at the summit.
Erdogan also apologized from residents of Istanbul who felt uneasy because of the security measures and because of restrictive measures especially in traffic.
Erdogan added, ''in line with all these decisions, we clearly see that the NATO's transformation process that is built on new capabilities, new partnerships and operations has gained a new horizon and been accelerated at Istanbul summit. This vision of the Istanbul summit was also reflected to the Istanbul Declaration that was adopted at the summit. Releasing of such a statement, as well as its content, affirms the importance of the Istanbul summit.''

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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WE GAINED PRESTIGE
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey accomplished a very difficult mission by hosting NATO Summit in Istanbul.
Erdogan who held a news conference following the NATO Summit stated that heads of state and government who attended the summit shared a similar view as well.
Erdogan said that Turkey represented a synthesis between Islamic culture and democracy, between traditionality and modernism and between the past and the future, and stressed that this summit showed once again that Turkey was a powerful light of hope for dialogue between civilizations and cultures.
Underlining that Istanbul Summit pointed to a critical aspect in NATO's transformation process, he said that decisions taken in the summit would be a historical turning point for the future, world peace and stability.
Erdogan said that decisions on extension of NATO mandate in Afghanistan to areas beyond Kabul, upon the demand of central government to support elections that would be held in this country, were confirmed in the NATO Summit.

BUSH: YOU ARE AN IDEAL COUNTRY
U.S. President George Bush, who delivered a speech in Galatasaray University, both supported and appreciated Turkey.
Bush said Turkey constituted an example for other countries after a 150-year old democratic and social reform period.
Bush said accepting Turkey to the European Union (EU) would prove that Europe is not a one religion club.
Giving important messages in his speech to the EU and Islam countries, Bush said he was honored to visit this beautiful country located in a region where two continents united and this nation having excellent traditions. He said the United States was honored to be a friend and ally of Turkey.
Bush strongly supported Turkey's European Union (EU) membership and said that Turkey, as a Muslim, secular and tolerant country, is very important for the future of broader Middle East region.
Bush said that Turkey's historical significance was now greater than ever. He added that a tolerant Turkish society is a bridge between Europe, Asia and Middle East and said that Turkey's success is very important for Middle East and Europe.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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BUSH: TURKEY PREVENTS CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS
U.S. President George W. Bush completed his visit to Turkey with a speech at Bogazici. Bush praised Turkey and showed it as a model to Middle East countries. He said that Turkey is the only country which would rebut the thesis of clash of civilizations with its membership to the European Union (EU).
GUL THANKED NGOs FOR RELEASE OF KIDNAPPED TURKS IN IRAQ
Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul spoke to TRT during NATO Summit and said that the demonstrations which were held in Istanbul influenced the decision to release three Turkish citizens taken hostage. Gul said, ''I hope such events will not occur again. This development pleased us. Non-governmental organizations expressed the wish for release of Turkish citizens and I think it has become very effective and I thank for this.''

(AY-GC-ULG) 30.06.2004