ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on July 05, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
''NOW, IT IS TIME FOR CIVILIANS IN NSC''
National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said that they would appoint a civilian person as secretary general of the National Security Council (NSC) till the fall. In an interview with the Hurriyet, Gonul said, ''the European Union (EU) Commission has been preparing the Progress Report. Appointment of a civilian as secretary general of the NSC will be a significant step in our efforts to adjust Turkey to the EU norms. I believe that the EU would set a date for opening of accession talks with Turkey at its summit in December.''

''TURKISH CONTRACTORS TO REACH TARGET OF 5 BILLION USD''
State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said, ''Turkish contractors have undertaken 125 projects in 25 different countries including Romania, Russia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Algeria worth of 2.8 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of the year. I believe that we will reach our target of 5 billion U.S. dollars till the end of the year.'' He noted that number of projects of Turkish contractors abroad increased 150 percent to 3.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2003 over to the previous year.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
BACK TO JUSTICE
The administrative court in Istanbul ruled that the ministries of justice and interior should pay a compensation of 53 billion Turkish liras to the family of Alp Ata Akcayoz, who was killed in an operation launched to end death fasts in Umraniye prison. Akcayoz had been arrested in July of 2000 on charges of aiding and abetting to an illegal leftist organization. He died during the clash in Umraniye prison in December of 2000. His family filed a lawsuit in 2001. The court ruled that there were not any concrete evidence about Akcayoz is a member of an illegal organization and he resisted, arm in hand, to the security forces during the operation.

AHTISAARI CALLS ON EU TO BE FAIR
The Independent Turkey Commission formed by former politicians held a series of meetings in Istanbul on Turkey's accession to the European Union (EU). Martti Ahtisaari, the former president of Finland and the chairman of the Commission, said that they did not want the EU to do a favor to Turkey. Ahtisaari stressed that the EU should act against Turkey fairly as it did to other candidate states. During their visit to Istanbul, members of the Commission met Prime Minister Erdogan, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, top level bureaucrats, academicians, businessmen and leaders of non-governmental organizations.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
''GROWTH RATES ARE VERY IMPRESSIVE''
World Bank Turkey Director Andrew Vorkink said that the United States' increasing interest rates by 0.25 percent would have a minimum impact on Turkish economy. Noting that Turkey had a better economic growth tendency than the other developing countries, Vorkink described the growth rate of 12.4 percent in the first quarter of the year as very impressive.

''ECHR'S DECISION SHOULD BE QUESTIONED''
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said that the decision made by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) about the case of a woman wearing Islamic-style headscarf, should be questioned by jurists and politicians. Speaking at the airport after his arrival from the Netherlands where he had attended the European Union (EU) Parliament Speaker's Conference, Arinc said, ''freedoms should be lived freely as long as they do not have any link with acts of violence and terrorism.''

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
NIGHTMARE RETURNS
After 18 people died in a moderate earthquake in Dogubeyazit town of eastern province of Agri on Friday, quakes jolted western province of Afyon, Mugla and Kutahya. There were not any reports of casualties in the quakes, but people spend the night in the streets. Turkey's northwestern part was devastated by a massive quake in 1999.

PHILOSOPHY IN TURKEY
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of establishment of Turkish Philosophy Institute (TFK), a symposium was held on ''Education of Philosophy in Turkey''. Making the opening remarks of the symposium, TFK Chairperson Prof. Dr. Ioanna Kucuradi said that philosophical way of thinking should be the basis of education in Turkey.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
POLAND EXTENDS SUPPORT TO TURKEY'S EU PROCESS
In an interview with the German Welt am Sonntag Newspaper, Prime Minister Marek Belka of Poland extended his country's support to Turkey's European Union (EU) membership process. He stressed that Turkey's accession to the EU would create a great opportunity for stability of the whole region.

''WE WILL GET A DATE FOR MEMBERSHIP NEGOTIATIONS FROM EU''
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc expressed his belief that the European Union (EU) would set a date for opening of accession talks with Turkey at its summit in December. Arinc returned to Turkey after attending EU Parliament Speakers' Conference in The Hague, the Netherlands. Holding a press conference at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, Arinc said that he had held bilateral meetings with parliament speakers of the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Portugal and Bulgaria. Arinc said that he had some positive impressions about Turkey's getting a date in December for opening of accession talks with the EU.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
ERDOGAN RESEMBLES OZAL
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan charged a team led by Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy Mevlut Cavusoglu to examine elections in the United States. Prime Minister Erdogan is getting ready to open the issue of presidential system to discussion. The issue was first discussed by the deceased Turgut Ozal, one of the former presidents of Turkey. When he was first involved in politics, Erdogan said in an interview that his target was to establish the presidential or semi-presidential system in Turkey. The team lead by Cavusoglu will pay a visit to the United States between September 9 and 30.

35 TREMORS IN 15 DAYS
Anadolu University Satellite and Space Sciences Study Institute Director Prof. Dr. Can Ayday said that more than 35 tremors occurred in Tavsanli town of western province of Kutahya in the last 15 days. Noting that such tremors were defined as quake storms, Ayday highlighted importance of informing local residents on quakes.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
INDEPENDENT TURKEY COMMISSION EULOGIZES TURKEY'S REFORMS
The Independent Turkey Commission formed by former politicians held a series of meetings in Istanbul on Turkey's accession to the European Union (EU) prior to release of the EU Commission's Progress Report for Turkey on September 6, 2004. . Martti Ahtisaari, the former president of Finland and the chairman of the Commission, said that they were very impressed with the reforms performed in Turkey. During their visit to Istanbul, members of the Commission met Prime Minister Erdogan, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, bureaucrats, academicians, businessmen and leaders of non-governmental organizations.

(UK-ULG) 05.07.2004