ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on July 20, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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LAST-MINUTE CHANGE
Although Mrs. Erdogan was among the delegation that accompanies Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during visit to France that aims to persuade it about the European Union, she decided not to join the entourage in the last minute. Emine Erdogan who was referred as ''Madam'' and wives of ministers who were included in the entourage decided to stay in Ankara, and causing question marks to stir minds whether they made such a decision due to ''France's sensitivity towards Islamic-style headscarf''. Asked why his wife and wives of ministers did not come to France, Erdogan said, ''others did not come after one of them decided not to join.'' On his way to France, Erdogan warned the EU: ''There are twenty-seven countries which are EU full members or have been carrying out negotiation process. Such an implementation has never happened. It is impossible for us to accept an understanding of imposing a principle, which does not exist in the EU acquis, on Turkey.''

SCANDAL IN PARIS
A Renault automobile of which back glass was broken was allocated to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his critical visit to France. Erdogan went to meet French Prime Minister Raffarin with this car. French bodyguards did not allow reporters to take photos of the broken right back glass. However, they took the pictures after Erdogan's meeting with Raffarin.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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SURPRISE FROM EMINE ERDOGAN
Emine Erdogan and wives of four other ministers, who were expected to accompany Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to France, decided not to join the tour in the last minute. Erdogan had planned to pay his visit to France with his wife and four ministers, and their wives. However, Emine Erdogan, Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan's wife Ahsen Unakitan, Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim's wife Semiha Yildirim, State Minister Mehmet Aydin's wife Nihal Aydin and State Minister Ali Babacan's wife Zeynep Babacan did not check in at the last moment. It was claimed that Erdogan decided not to include his and four ministers' wives in his tour to France, taking into consideration suggestion of the Foreign Ministry. Ankara did not want a visit of importance for European Union (EU) membership process to be overshadowed by headscarf issue. Because, there is a serious headscarf discussion in France. French President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Raffarin did not include a lunch or dinner with spouses in Erdogan's tour program. This decision of French officials was also influential in Erdogan's decision not to take the wives with them to France.

NEW TCK FORESEES IMPRISONMENT FOR STUDENTS WEARING HEADSCARVES
If the parliament approves, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) will be the first Turkish government sentencing students wearing headscarves to imprisonment. According to the draft Turkish Penal Code (TCK) adopted by the Parliamentary Justice Commission, students who are given demerit for wearing headscarves in schools, may be sentenced to one-year imprisonment. AK Party continues talks with the Republican People's Party (CHP) to change the draft which was sent to the parliament without being read carefully.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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CIGARETTE COMPANIES CONTINUE TO INSIST ON REDUCING PRICES
After British-American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco will reduce price of Winston, one of its cigarette brands, by 100,000 Turkish liras (TL). Officials of the company claimed that their sales would increase after they reduced the prices of the cigarettes while Turkish Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan said, ''we will compensate if there is a tax loss.''

THIRTY YEARS FOR ALISTAIR
Daimi Akyuz, who killed one of his friends at a coffee house in western Foca hamlet and a 2.5-year-old Scottish baby named Alistair sitting on the next table, was sentenced to serve 58 years in prison. But, his punishment was reduced to 36 years. Akyuz was sentenced to 58-year imprisonment for killing his friend Ali Bektas and Scottish baby Alistair, who was on holiday with his family. The court gave 30 years of this 58 years of imprisonment term for killing Alistair. The Grimsons, family of Alistair, said that this punishment was in fact given to armament.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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OZKOK: TSK IS GUARANTOR OF CYPRUS
The 30th anniversary of the July 20th Cyprus Peace Operation, staged by Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) who used its rights under international treaties, is being celebrated in the north of Cyprus. Turkish Chief of General Staff Hilmi Ozkok sent a message to Rauf Denktas, the President of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), and said, ''TSK will continue acting as the most powerful guarantor of security of Turkish Cypriot people.''

ONE MORE TURK KILLED IN MOSUL
A Turkish driver Abdulcelil Bayik died as a bomb attack hit the convoy of Turkish drivers in Iraq. Another Turkish driver Mehmet Deyar was taken hostage. Ridvan Bayik, who survived the attack, said, ''drivers who bring diesel oil for the United States are being protected while the others are not.''

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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AK PARTY SENTENCES ISLAMIC-STYLE HEADSCARF TO 3 MONTHS
Surprise in the bill on amendments to the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) ( Article 224). The article which envisages punishment of those who violated revolutionary laws caused trouble within the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). Article 224 of the bill which was approved by the Parliamentary Justice Commission, envisages imprisonment sentence for women wearing Islamic-style headscarf, under specific circumstances. Those who violate the Hat Law and Law on Ban on Some Apparels will be sentenced to imprisonment terms up to one year. Justice Commission Chairman Koksal Toptan, a deputy of AK Party, said that university students who have been imposed disciplinary punishments so far due to Islamic-style headscarf might now face imprisonment sentences. He said, ''the bill should be modified in the general assembly.''

IMF: NOW IT'S TIME FOR MEDIUM TERM
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Senior Resident Representative Odd Per Brekk who is preparing to hand over his job said that the Turkish government should look to the future and use its economic potential in full; medium term reforms should also start.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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TOUR OF PERSUASION Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is paying a visit to Paris to consolidate Turkey's procession on the EU path. Erdogan who is on a three-day visit to France, which is generally considered as one of the opponents of Turkey's EU membership, sent clear messages to French officials and said that Turkey had almost fulfilled its responsibilities. He added, ''France's support to Turkey as regards to give Turkey a firm start date for entry talks at the end of this year is very important for us.''

CAKICI WILL BE EXTRADITED IN TWO WEEKS Vienna Supreme Court officials said that interrogation of underworld boss Alaattin Cakici had finished and stressed, ''we will extradite him in two weeks at the latest after we receive his file from Ankara.''

INTERESTING INVITATION FROM POWELL
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell invited women parliamentarians from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) to the United States for three weeks to join several activities.

YOU CELEBRATE IT WITHOUT ME NEXT YEAR
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas announced that he would not run in the next presidential election. ''I am going to attend the Peace Operation anniversary celebrations for the last time as the TRNC President. Another person who will be elected by the people will attend these celebrations next year.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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ERDOGAN FLIES TO FRANCE WITH A MESSAGE ''WE CAN'T ACCEPT CONDITIONED YES''
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan started his visit to France by reacting to statements that the European Union (EU) might take a ''conditioned yes'' position about Turkey. Erdogan told reporters aboard the plane that the EU did not assume such an attitude towards 27 countries which had become full member or which were currently continuing negotiations with the Union. Erdogan said, ''it is impossible for us to say yes to attempts to impose on Turkey an obligation which isn't conform to the EU acquis.''

LAST OTTOMAN BECOMES TURKISH CITIZEN
Osman Ertugrul, the most senior member of the Ottoman dynasty, came to his own country with a Turkish passport which he has got for the first time. When showing his passport, Ertugrul said, ''I never had a passport from any other foreign country.''

(MS-BRC-ULG) 20.07.2004