ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on October 29th, 2004. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
ERDOGAN IN ROME TO SIGN EU CONSTITUTION
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul will attend the signing ceremony for EU Constitution in Italian capital Rome later today. Turkey, together with the two other candidate states Bulgaria and Romania, will sign the final part of the Constitution. While in Rome, Erdogan and Gul are expected to hold a series of bilateral talks with EU heads of state and government to discuss Turkey-EU relations prior to December 17th when the EU would make a decision whether to open entry talks with Turkey.
ANNUAL IMPORTS EXCEEDS USD 90 BILLION
As of end-September, Turkey's annual imports rose to 90.2 billion U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, exports from Turkey increased to 58.2 billion U.S. dollars. In parallel to increase in imports, foreign trade deficit climbed to 32 billion U.S. dollars.
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
AFTER 81 YEARS
The 81st anniversary of foundation of Republic of Turkey will be celebrated throughout Turkey. Today, Turkey is closer to its target of EU membership. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will attend the signing ceremony for EU Constitution in Italian capital Rome later today.
TEN DEV-SOL MEMBERS SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
Ten members of the illegal, extreme leftist Dev-Sol organization were sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of being involved in attacks in which six policemen were killed and eight others were injured. The court dropped the case regarding Osman Osmanagaoglu, Mustafa Yilmaz, Safinur Teyzen and Mehmet Salgi as they had died, while ruled for ''lapse of time'' regarding 20 other suspects.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
AGRICULTURAL COOPERATION WITH SOUTH AFRICA
State Minister Kursad Tuzmen proposed South African officials to establish a joint company to export agricultural products. South African officials welcomed the proposal.
GREEN PASSPORT AGAIN
Haluk Kirci who was sentenced to death penalty for killing seven young members of a labor party in Bahcelievler neighborhood of Ankara in 1978, had a green passport when he was captured in a town near Ukrainian capital Kiev last week. According to the Constitution, only high level civil servants can have green passport.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
C-4 EXPLOSIVES SEIZED IN BATMAN
Security forces seized 3.1 kilograms of C-4 explosives in southeastern city of Batman. Security forces, acting on a tip-off, confiscated 3.1 kilograms of C-4 explosives, and some other equipment used in making bombs. Two people were detained in the operation.
VERDICT IN CASE OF DEV-SOL
Ten out of 35 members of illegal, extreme leftist Dev-Sol organization were sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of being involved in attacks in which six policemen were killed and eight others were injured. The court dropped the case regarding Osman Osmanagaoglu, Mustafa Yilmaz, Safinur Teyzen and Mehmet Salgi as they had died, while ruled for ''lapse of time'' regarding 20 other suspects.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
TURKISH-SYRIAN BORDER TO BE CLEARED FROM LANDMINES
State Minister Kursad Tuzmen, who is currently paying a visit to South Africa, said that Denel, one of the leading South African defense industry firms, was interested in the project to clear Turkish-Syrian border from landmines. Tuzmen said that landmines had earlier been planted around 450 kilometers of land along Turkish-Syrian border. ''We want to clear the landmines and start organic agriculture in this region,'' he added.
PARLIAMENT MOBILIZED FOR DECEMBER 17TH
Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and parliamentary commissions will have a busy diplomacy traffic till December 17th when the EU would make a decision whether to open entry talks with Turkey. In this regard Arinc will host Belgian House of Representatives Speaker Hermann de Core and the accompanying delegation between November 28th and December 1st. A delegation of Italian Senate will also visit Ankara between November 30th and December 3rd. European Parliament President Josep Borrell Fontelles will come to Turkey on December 2nd as the guest of Arinc. Meanwhile, Arinc will pay a state visit to Spain between November 17th and 21st. Besides the bilateral relations between Turkey and Spain, Turkey's EU membership will be high on agenda of Arinc's meetings.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
WORLD BANK TO MODERNIZE RAILWAYS
The World Bank will extend technical and financial support to Turkey for modernization of railways. A World Bank delegation will come to Turkey next week to carry out preliminary studies on modernization of the railways. World Bank will raise its assistance gradually in parallel with the progress in the project. The project aims to upgrade the infrastructure of the rails, making the railways be more secure and safe.
ANKARA ART HOUSE DUE TO TATAR AUTONOMOUS REPUBLIC
Ankara Art House will go to Tatar Autonomous Republic to stage six theatre plays. Ankara Art House society will leave for Tatar Autonomous Republic tomorrow.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
ANKARA INVITES ARAFAT TO TURKEY
Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that Turkey was ready to meet all medical requirements of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
IMF: YTL WILL AFFECT FOREIGN INVESTORS POSITIVELY
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that the New Turkish Lira (YTL) would have a positive impact on foreign investors who were planning to invest in Turkey.
YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
-------------------------
GREEK ISLANDS WITHOUT VISA
Governors of Greek islands said that they would apply to Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs to allow Turkish citizens to visit the islands without visa for 48 hours.
(UK-AÖ) 29.10.2004