ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on July 17, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
MERAL BROUGHT TO ISTANBUL
A passport was earlier found on Cakici arranged in the name of Faik Meral who retired from the National Intelligence Agency (MIT). Meral was detained in Izmir on Thursday night. Meral told the police that he might have dropped the passport when he visited Cakici. Meral was brought to Istanbul on Friday. On the other hand, releasing a statement, the MIT said that there had not been any direct or indirect relations between the agency and Meral since he retired on October 18, 1999.
UNAKITAN SAYS NO RAISE IN WAGES TILL 2005
After Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), security department personnel and lecturers demanded raise in their wages, Turkish Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan said that it was not possible to meet demands on raise in pays till 2005.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
THY TO PAY COMPENSATION FOR FLIGHT DELAYS
Turkish Airlines (THY) will pay compensation to a passenger who missed the plane en route to the United States due to a delay in domestic lines. Nuray Yalcinkaya missed her flight from Istanbul to New York via Amsterdam in 1999 due to a six-hour delay in THY flight from Ankara to Istanbul. Yacinkaya filed a lawsuit against THY, and the court fined THY to pay 1 billion Turkish liras (TL) to Yalcinkaya. THY appealed the verdict saying that ''weather conditions caused the delay.'' But, the Supreme Court of Appeals upheld the verdict.

SUPER LEAGUE TO BEGIN ON AUGUST 6TH
Super league will begin on August 6th with a match between Rizespor and Fenerbahce soccer teams. According to the fixture, the first match between two big soccer teams will be played in the sixth week between Besiktas and Galatasaray. Besiktas will take on Fenerbahce in the 11th week while Galatasaray will play with Fenerbahce in the 16th week.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
NO RISE TO ANYBODY
Turkish Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan refused rise in salaries of soldiers, police and imams in order not to harm the budgetary discipline, but he forgot the rise given to gas stations. Unakitan opposed to the demand of civil servants for a rise in their salaries with a ''rightful'' reason. He said that he could not harm the budgetary discipline, and therefore there would not be any rise in salaries till 2005. However, he could not remember the rise in profit of the gas stations which was made at the beginning of this week. Gas stations achieved to increase their profit by 1.5 cents at the beginning of this week. This rise brought 115 trillion Turkish liras (TL) of burden on the budget.

PRIVATE CONSUMPTION TAX BRINGS BURDEN ON ''LUXURIOUS''
The new tax law reduced the private consumption tax from 20 to 10 percent for commercial vehicles which were converted into passenger cars, while it imposed 75 percent tax on luxurious vehicles. The new law broadened the scope of communication tax.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
GREEK CYPRIOTS REJECTED
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) withdrew the proposal of the Greek Cypriots to give them Maras and to operate the Gazimagusa port together. The Greek Cypriot administration announced confidence-building measures in order to ease tension in military zones. The Greek Cypriots demanded that Maras be opened under United Nations (UN) control and Gazimagusa port be operated by the two sides. The Greek Cypriot side also proposed that exercises near the Green Line should be ended and military units should be sent away from the Green Line. TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said that the Greek Cypriots who were facing a difficult situation after April 24th referenda were deflecting attention. Defining proposal of the Greek Cypriots as too funny, Talat said that the Greek Cypriots would gain Maras and at the same time operate the Gazimagusa port together with the Turkish Cypriots. Ankara also supported TRNC's statements.

GERMAN CHANCELLOR SAYS EU MAY SET A CONDITIONED DATE
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who used clear expressions for Turkey's negotiation date, changed his attitude. Schroeder said that leaders of European Union (EU) member countries might set a ''conditioned'' negotiation date for Turkey. EU sources said that there were three possibilities about Turkey's membership process. All the three possibilities include ''yes, but'' form.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
SUPREME COURT IN GREAT HARMONY
The Supreme Court of Appeals upheld the punishment given to a doctor who insulted Kurds. After it extended full support to freedom of thought with historic reasons, the court brought ''equality in punishing those who make discrimination.'' This was the first time that a person was punished under the Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) on charges of ''making discrimination against Kurds.''

EDUCATIONAL REFORM HAS FIVE REFERENCES
Reform planned to be made in curriculum of the elementary school will inspire ''national culture'' to students. There are five references in the new curriculum, including principles of the Republic, Constitution, National Education Law, scientific innovations and international developments.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
GREEK CYPRIOT MANEUVER
Greek Cypriots who panicked due to developments in favor of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) developed a new tactic. Greek Cypriot administration presented a package of ''confidence building measures''. European Commission earlier took a significant step by ratifying a package of proposals to save Turkish Cypriots from economic isolation. TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat described the proposals of the Greek Cypriot side ''to decrease tension in military area and build confidence in Turkish Cypriot side'' as an attempt to deflect attention.

KORAY AYDIN SENT TO HIGH TRIBUNAL
Turkish Parliamentary Inquiry Commission decided to send former Turkish Public Works and Settlement Minister Koray Aydin to the High Tribunal on charges of ''corruption in tenders opened by his ministry''.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
ANKARA TRAIN TO REACTIVATE SILK ROAD
Silk Road will be reactivated after 550 years. Turkish Foreign Trade Undersecretary's Office launched a new project to promote Turkish exports in the countries on the route of historical Silk Road, overland connection between China and Europe. Under the project which aims to reactivate a part of the road, a train will start its journey from Istanbul with a magnificent ceremony. After Ankara, the train will visit Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. It will finish its journey within 41 days.

ECEVIT: ''THEY WANT TO BE LEADER OF DSP FOR 40 TRILLION TL''
Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit who has been getting prepared to transfer his office said that some people wanted to be leader of DSP for 40 trillion Turkish liras (TL) in the cashbox of the party.

(EÖ-BRC) 17.07.2004