ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on July 18, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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GUL'S CALL TO BUSINESSMEN
Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul recalled that Greek Cypriot side could import Turkish goods duty free as the side became full member of the European Union (EU). Gul stated that most of Turkish businessmen did not know this important development, stressing that Greek Cypriot side was a big potential. Foreign Minister Gul added that businessmen could market their goods in the Greek Cypriot side.

OIL AND NATURAL GAS TO BE STRUCK FROM AKCAKOCA
Turkish Petroleum Corp. (TPAO) and Norwegian Madison Oil company started drilling for oil 9 km offshore Akcakoca town of Duzce province in Black Sea region. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler also visited Prometeus Platform where petroleum and natural gas will be struck in the Black Sea.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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ONE PASSPORT FROM CONSULATE
It was revealed that head of an organized crime gang Alaattin Cakici, who was captured by a red (diplomatic) passport in France and then by a green passport (a passport given to civil servants) in Austria in the name of Faik Meral of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), got a blue passport (a passport given to all citizens) in the name of Talip Ciftci from Turkey's Consulate General in Dusseldorf.

THEY VISITED THEIR NEIGHBORS
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and his family visited the house he lived in Ankara 52 years ago and had a coffee at his friends' house. Musharraf's mother Zohra told about her best memories in Ankara. Zohra said, ''borek (flaky pastry filled with thin layers of a food) made by Mrs. Fatma helping us with the housework, her dolma (vegetable filled with stuffing or dressing), and beans. And, the dance parties I used to go together my husband who was a military attache.''

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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STUDENTS WHO DON'T LEARN ABOUT NAZIM CAN'T GET DIPLOMAS
Turkish National Education Ministry named the ''100 main books'' students will have to read at the elementary and secondary schools. Students are obliged to read a list of books including books of famous Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet as of the ninth grade. It was learned that books of two important poets of the leftist and rightist ideologies, Nazim Hikmet and Necip Fazil Kisakurek were included in this list.

PARLIAMENT RECESSES WITH A RECORD
Turkish parliament completed ten months of a busy legislative year by working till the morning on the last day. Parliamentarians who were impatient to go on a holiday worked till yesterday morning and passed the last laws which were brought onto the agenda of the parliament. Parliamentarians, who broke a record by working 600 hours and passed 261 laws in ten months, hardly endured the busy agenda of the last day.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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SPORTS CIRCLES SAY NO TO SHARIAH
Turkey was invited to 2005 Islamic Games that will take place in Saudi Arabia. Turkish sports circles, administrations and federation reacted to the condition that sportswomen should wear headscarf, if they want to participate in 2005 Islamic Games.

TURKISH NSC SECRETARY GENERAL DUE IN TRNC
Turkish National Security Council (NSC) Secretary General Sukru Sariisik will visit Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) next week to join celebrations to mark July 20th Peace and Freedom Day.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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MOSTAR RE-BUILT
Mostar Bridge, built by architect Hayreddin during the rule of Kanuni Sultan Suleyman, Suleyman The Magnificent, was restored with the support of ten countries including Turkey. Historical stones were used to restore the bridge which will be opened on July 23rd. The bridge survived for 427 years after it was built on Neretva River during the time of Kanuni and till it was demolished by a Croatian artilleryman in 1993. Companies of Bosnia-Herzegovina restored the towers while a Turkish company restored the arch of the bridge under a project launched in 1997 with the support of Turkey and European countries. About 30 leaders including Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan have been invited to the inauguration. Everybody wishes that the Mostar should be a bridge of peace from now on.

''BEGINNING OF NEGOTIATIONS IS SUFFICIENT''
Commenting on German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's statement that ''the European Union (EU) leaders would say 'conditioned yes' to Turkey's membership'', Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, ''negotiations are important. It won't matter if we become a member ten years later.''

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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EARLY ELECTION MUST BE HELD IN TRNC
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said that early election was inevitable since there was no other remedy. After TRNC parliament rejected the censure motion to unseat Republican Turkish Party (CTP)-Democrat Party (DP) coalition government, Talat told reporters that the censure motion was rejected by 25 affirmative and 25 negative votes. Noting that the government did not have majority at the parliament, Talat said that therefore, the government could not last long. Talat stated that government partners would discuss when to hold an early election.

BRAVO TO PARLIAMENT
Turkish parliament which started to work on October 1st, 2003 completed legislative year by working till the morning on the last day. Parliament worked like ''a factory of laws''. Parliamentarians passed 261 laws in ten months.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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KURDISH COURSES WHICH CAN'T FIND STUDENTS ASKS STATE TO GIVE THEM SUBVENTION
Kurdish language courses, opened after the law was passed, are facing economic crisis due to lack of students and expect the state to find a solution. Owners of these courses stress that they will have to close the courses if they aren't able to get the support of the state. Hasan Guven, the administrator of special Kurdish language course in eastern Van province, said, ''it is not possible for a nation to learn its mother tongue by courses. Great deal of money is needed for this project.'' Guven asked the state to allocate fund for these courses if it was not possible to include Kurdish language education as an elective course in curriculum of schools.

SADDAM TOPPLED, WE STARTED TO EARN MONEY
Iraq, which can't be heard in any of sportive events, in fact has a national basketball team. The team which was deprived of international experiences since it was banned from going abroad during the Saddam Hussein rule, came to Istanbul for camp the previous day. Iraqi national basketball team, the players of which are all Muslim, is trained by a Christian coach Fikret Toma. Iraqi basketball players, who said that they were amazed by Istanbul, noted that they started to earn 150 U.S. dollars a month now. They said that they used to earn only 2 U.S. dollars a month during the Saddam Hussein rule.

(EÖ-BRC) 18.07.2004