ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on July 14, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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WHAT HAS CHANGED IN FOUR DAYS
Republican People's Party (CHP) Parliamentarian Atilla Basoglu, who on July 9 said he would follow Ataturk's path and he would not join Justice and Development Party (AK Party), joined AK Party four days later.
Basoglu and Necdet Budak, who resigned from CHP, joined AK Party on July 13.
On July 9, Basoglu said, ''I will be with those who pursue Ataturk's path''.
On July 13, Basoglu said, ''AK Party also follows Ataturk's path.''

CAMOUFLAGE TO CRISIS
Ankara found an interim formula to Erdogan's not giving an appointment to Israeli First Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Government did not want to give the impression that there is a crisis between the two countries. Acting on the fact that Olmert's interlocutor was Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul who was at the same time Deputy Foreign Minister, Gul will host Olmert.
Erdogan denied the news reports that he did not give an appointment to Israeli Minister. Erdogan said, ''I have given him appointment but our programs did not coincide. They asked for an appointment from me for Wednesday morning. My program was not appropriate so I gave an appointment for Tuesday. However, this date did not suit to their program.''

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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''FICKLE'' POLITICS
Atilla Basoglu and Necdet Budak, two parliamentarians who won seats of the parliament from the Republican People's Party (CHP), resigned from this party and joined the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) which defines itself as ''conservative democrat party''. When resigning from CHP, Basoglu stressed that he was a firm Kemalist. Thus, the number of seats occupied by AK Party at the parliament rose to 369. And, AK Party exceeded the required number (367) to amend the Constitution without holding a referendum. Basoglu and Budak resigned from CHP after the general congress in which CHP leader Deniz Baykal re-built confidence. Two parliamentarians had stated that they were ''loyal to CHP'' till the very end. But, this loyalty lasted only a few days. They both joined the AK Party with a decision which re-opened discussions on ''ethics in politics.''

SYRIAN PRIME MINISTER SAYS SYRIAN TEAMS READY TO BE BEATEN BY FENERBAHCE
Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-Utri invited Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to inauguration of a stadium for 70,000 people in his country. Al-Utri also requested Erdogan to bring Fenerbahce soccer team with him to Syria for a friendly match with a Syrian team. Al-Utri said that what they wanted was to play with Fenerbahce, adding that they were ready to be beaten by Fenerbahce.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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DEATH DISCOUNT
Cigarette companies reduced prices of their products. This reduction in prices not only increase the number of young cigarette-smokers, but also increase health expenditures. Viceroy and Pall Mall reduced prices of their products by 20 percent. Other cigarette companies are also planning such reductions. Cigarette companies which are fed up with high taxes in the United States aim to hold control of the Turkish market. The reduction in cigarette prices costs 2 quadrillion Turkish liras (TL) of loss to the Finance Ministry. And, health expenditures will rise by 2 billion U.S. dollars.

AND YILMAZ TO BE TRIED IN HIGH TRIBUNAL
Turkish parliament decided to send former Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and former State Minister Gunes Taner to the High Tribunal with 429 votes. Yilmaz will be the first prime minister to be tried in the Supreme Court.

AMBUSH IN SIIRT: TWO SOLDIERS KILLED
Two soldiers were killed and nine others were injured in a clash between security forces and terrorists in Eruh town of southeastern Siirt province.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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LONG MEETING WITH GEN. OZKOK
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a tete-a-tete meeting with Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok prior to Supreme Military Council meeting.
General Staff asked for the meeting.
Prime Ministry said decisions taken in NATO summit, developments in Cyprus and Iraq, Afghanistan and activities of the terrorist organization were discussed at the meeting that lasted for two hours ten minutes.

RAIN HITS ISTANBUL
Several houses were inundated in some districts of Istanbul due to heavy rain which started in the evening hours. Electricity was cut in many regions as the transformers were damaged because of the rain.
Four people, who were fishing in Bakirkoy coast, were injured when a lightning hit them.

CLASH IN ERUH: TWO SOLDIERS DIE
Two security officials died and nine others were injured in a clash between security forces and a group of terrorists in Eruh town of southeastern province of Siirt. A terrorist also died in the clash.
Meanwhile, three terrorists were killed in an operation against terrorist PKK/Kongra Gel organization.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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LET'S MAKE DERVIS NEGOTIATOR
Ankara, which is waiting for a negotiation date from the European Union (EU), has been discussing ''who should be the chief negotiator'' in case EU started negotiations with Turkey at the end of this year. Most circles think that Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul should conduct the process. Economic Development Foundation (IKV) Chairperson Eris, Turkey's Ambassador in Madrid Vural and Ambassador in Seoul Kuneralp are possible names proposed for the head of the negotiation team under Gul's conduct. Negotiations will mainly focus on economy. An influential person in the Foreign Ministry proposed Gul such a model: ''Dervis of Republican People's Party (CHP) and State Minister Babacan should be the negotiators.''

FIRSTLY SOLDIERS TO ENTER EU
Ankara will send troops to European Union (EU) force which will take over the peace force in Bosnia from NATO in days when the European leaders discuss whether or not to start negotiations with Turkey. Turkey's decision to keep its 1,000-soldier unit in Bosnia relieved the EU, which is facing troop problems.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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DECISION: HIGH TRIBUNAL
A historical decision was issued from yesterday's voting in the Parliament. Parliament, which decided that Mesut Yilmaz and Gunes Taner made fraud in tender for sale of Turkbank, for the first time sent a Prime Minister to High Tribunal.
Files of former ministers Zeki Cakan and Cumhur Ersumer were also discussed in the Parliament.

FULL AGREEMENT WITH IRAN
Turkey and Iran agreed to fight against terrorist PKK organization. Signing of the agreement regarding the details of the compromise, was left to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's scheduled visit to Iran next month.

PRIVATIZATION FIASCO
Turkey was always disrupted by legal obstacles on privatization which even the former socialist countries solved for years.
Around 100 studies have been made about privatization and all of them were rejected by the courts as there was not a provision in the constitution about privatization.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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TORTURE DROPS DOWN IN HUMAN RIGHTS COMPLAINTS
Turkey recorded an important progress in human rights area which Europe always criticized. Torture dropped down among complaints filed to the prime ministry. Human Rights organizations confirm this decrease.
Government, which included fight against torture among its primary targets, started to get the results of its efforts.

ERDOGAN CALLS ON FLEXIBILITY FOR VISA IMPLEMENTATION FOR TURKISH BUSINESSMEN
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan wanted flexibility from Syrian delegation for visa implementation for the Turkish businessmen.
Syrian side said bureaucratic procedures were completed regarding opening of Consulate General in Gaziantep, stating that there would not be any problem about visa.

(AY-BRC-AÖ) 14.07.2004