ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on July 23, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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SERIAL KILLING
High-speed train services which were initiated despite infrastructural deficiencies and all warnings caused a disaster, killing 36. Train driver told the Director General of Turkish State Railways (TCDD), ''we were going with normal speed. We couldn't understand what happened.'' There were 234 passengers and 11 personnel on the high-speed train which left Istanbul for Ankara at 6.00 p.m. A train also overturned in the same place 25 years ago.

PASSENGER CLAIMS: TRAIN WAS TRAVELLING AT 132 KM/HR
Abdulkadir Cagriguler, one of passengers who miraculously survived the train crash, said, ''I saw in the speedometer that the train was travelling at 132 kilometers per hour. This was 15 minutes before the crash.'' Orcun Acabey, a passenger in the third car who survived the crash with slight bruises, said, ''I had traveled with the high-speed train before. This time, it was different. It was shaking when passing through curves.''

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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HIGH-SPEED TRAIN ACCIDENT KILLING 37
High-speed train started its first trip on June 4th, 2004. High-speed train left Haydarpasa train station, Istanbul for Ankara with a ceremony in which Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also participated on June 4th, 2004. On July 7th, Turkish State Railways (TCDD) launched a study whether or not high-speed train trips are safe. On July 22, High-speed train derailed en route from Istanbul to Ankara, killing 37 people. Speedometer of the train caused some discussions. TCDD Director General Suleyman Karaman that high-speed train was travelling at around 80 kilometers per hour.

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT RETURNS DECISION ABOUT SENDING OZKAN AND ONAL TO HIGH COURT
The Constitutional Court returned to parliament a general assembly decision to send former State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan and former State Minister Recep Onal to the High Court, since it was not conform to judicial procedure. Constitutional Court Deputy Chief Judge Hasim Kilic recalled that the parliament decided on June 15, 2004 to send Ozkan and Onal to the High Court for wrongdoing and abusing their authorities. ''The Constitutional Court unanimously decided to return it to the parliament since it was not conform to judicial procedure. There should have been separate voting for Ozkan and Onal. However, the decision was made as a result of a single vote,'' he said.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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SPEEDED UP CARNAGE
Officials didn't listen to what experts said, and disaster happened. High-speed train derailed, killing 36. Experts warned just 15 days ago that a disaster was on the way. Nobody listened to this warning, and 36 innocent passengers paid the price of this ignorance with their lives.

DEATH TOLL SCANDAL
The death toll in the train derailment was firstly announced as 14, then was raised to 30, 70, 100, 128 and 139. The international press reported all these numbers. But, at midnight, the death toll was announced as 36, and the number of injured as 79.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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SPEEDED UP CARNAGE
Train services, initiated by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) despite warning about infrastructural deficiencies, resulted in a disaster. The high-speed train en route from Istanbul to Ankara derailed near Pamukova town of northwestern Sakarya province. Four passenger cars and one dining car of the high-speed train which was made operational by the AK Party government by some political shows, went off the tracks. The crisis desk formed after the train crash announced that 139 people died and 74 others were injured. At midnight, Turkish Health Ministry and Transportation Ministry announced the death toll as 37. As a technical team went to the scene of the train crash to investigate the cause of the derailment, some survivors said that the train was travelling fast. Abdulkadir Cagri Guler, a passenger who survived, said that the digital speedometer showed that the train was travelling at 132 kilometers per hour. Turkish State Railways (TCDD) Director General Karaman said that the train should be at a sped of 80 kilometers per hour when passing through that region.

CHP: GOVERNMENT SHOULD RESIGN
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal stressed that ''decisions and moves aiming to deceive'' people with temporary measures started to claim lives. Baykal said, ''it has been understood that a train doesn't become fast when you call it 'high-speed'. What hasn't been understood is that officials can't remember they have responsibilities.''

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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SPEEDED UP DISASTER
High-speed train which started its first regular trip from Istanbul to Ankara on June 4th derailed (last evening) near Pamukova town of northwestern Sakarya province. At least four cars overturned near the small, rural village of Mekece, with most of the damage in two cars that crashed into each other. Bodies lay near the tracks as people climbed on the overturned cars looking for survivors. Darkness hindered rescue operations, with soldiers searching the wreckage by flashlight and treating the injured . According to the latest information, 36 people died and 55 others were injured in the accident.
EREL: ''IT HAPPENED AS I SAID EARLIER''
Aydin Erel, professor of engineering at Istanbul's Yildiz Technical University, said he had warned the government as recently as July 14 that the tracks were not up to standard. Erel earlier told Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim that high-speed trips should be stopped. After the high-speed train accident which occurred in Pamukova town of northwestern Sakarya province on Thursday, Erel stated that the infrastructure was not suitable for such speed and noted, ''our warnings were ignored.'' Stating that he was deeply sad over the accident, Erel added, ''it happened as I said earlier.''

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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''HIGH-SPEED'' DISASTER
The high-speed train derailed en route from Istanbul to Ankara. The train which left Istanbul for Ankara at 6.00 p.m. yesterday derailed near Pamukova town of northwestern Sakarya province around 8.00 p.m. Train's cars overturned and crashed into each other. Train services were cancelled after the crash. Turkish Health Ministry announced the death toll as 139 while the Transportation Ministry and the crisis desk announced it as 37.

ERDOGAN AT SCENE OF TRAIN CRASH
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the scene of the train crash. Erdogan cancelled his visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina, where he was scheduled to go on Friday to attend the inauguration of the Mostar Bridge.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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BAD NEWS FROM HIGH-SPEED TRAIN
The high-speed train en route from Istanbul to Ankara derailed near Pamukova town of northwestern Sakarya province yesterday. The high-speed train was made operational on June 4th. The preliminary reports announced the death toll as 139 while later, the reports put the death toll as 37 and the number of injured as 60.

RAILWAY WAS CONTROLLED A DAY BEFORE TRAIN CRASH
The train disaster in Pamukova town of northwestern Sakarya province deeply hurt every Turkish citizen. But, we should handle the issue calmly instead of producing conspiracy theories. Official sources said that the railway on which the train derailed was controlled by Bilecik train department. The same sources said that there was not any problem in the railway but noted, ''we are experiencing the hottest day of the season. Railways become more expanded in hot days. Therefore, conditions may change each day.''

(EÖ-BRC-ULG) 23.07.2004