ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their summaries in Turkish press on February 18th, 2005. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
''WHY DID I JOIN TV SERIAL?''
President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) plays a key role in enlightening the secret in famous TV serial ''Valley of Wolves (Kurtlar Vadisi)''. President Denktas will explain the struggle of Turkish Cypriots and Turkey's Peace Operation. ''I have kept explaining the Cyprus issue, but the Turkish media did not cover my statements. The TV serial gave me a great opportunity,'' he said.
TURKEY TO SIGN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WITH JORDAN
State Minister Kursad Tuzmen, who is currently in Jordan on an official visit, submitted the text of a free trade agreement to Prime Minister Faisal al-Fayez of Jordan. ''Turkish and Jordanian delegations will start holding formal talks on March 10th. They will carry out all preparatory efforts for signing of a free trade agreement between Turkey and Jordan,'' he said.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
''I MAY REACH AN AGREEMENT WITH DERVIS''
Erkan Mumcu, who resigned as Culture and Tourism Minister and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy last Tuesday, shed green light to a new political formation with former State Minister Kemal Dervis from Republican People's Party (CHP). ''I may reach an agreement with Dervis,'' he said.
CLASHES IN MERSIN
A group of nearly 50 members of the Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) held a demonstration in southern city of Mersin on the sixth anniversary of capture of Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the terrorist organization PKK. Clash erupted between security forces and the demonstrators. Police detained 15 of them including Halis Deger, the provincial chairman of DEHAP.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
DENIAL FROM U.S. EMBASSY IN ANKARA
The U.S. Embassy in Ankara denied news reports claiming that U.S. military activity in northern Iraq was directed against Turkey. However, expressions in the denial caused uneasiness in Ankara. The U.S. Embassy said in its denial, ''military intervention by any of Iraq's neighbors would be destabilizing, and could only lead to wider conflict. Turkey knows this well, and we have no reason to think that Turkey would undertake such action.'' A high-level diplomatic source said, ''the target of the statement was to deny report of the British newspaper The Guardian. There was no need to use such an expression. The United States' making comments on behalf of Turkey is totally wrongful.''
ERDOGAN QUESTIONS UN'S FUNCTION
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the United Nations failed in both Iraq and Cyprus. Replying to questions of journalists in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Erdogan said, ''the United Nations could not pass the exam in both Iraq and Cyprus. Criticizing the European Union, Prime Minister Erdogan said, ''the referenda were held in Cyprus last year. Turkish Cypriots supported the United Nations Cyprus Plan while the Greek Cypriots rejected it. However, the European Union failed to fulfil its commitments to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.''

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
''SECULARISM IS ESSENTIAL''
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said, ''reforms and principles of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk are the building stones of preservation of democratic and secular Republic of Turkey. Secularism, the most important difference between the old and the new world order, is essential.''
CHP APPLIES TO CONSTITUTIONAL COURT AGAIN
The Republican People's Party (CHP) applied to the Constitutional Court for annulment of the Municipalities Law and the Law envisaging closure of Directorate General of Rural Affairs.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
GUL VISITS FAMILY OF HARIRI
Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and his wife Hayrunisa Gul paid a visit of condolence on Thursday to family of Rafik Hariri, former Prime Minister of Lebanon who was assassinated last Monday. Gul met Hariri's wife Nazik Hariri and his son Sadettin Hariri, and offered his condolences. He expressed profound sorrow over assassination of Hariri.
SUNGAR: ''EU LAW IS NECESSARY''
Turkey's Secretary General for the EU Murat Sungar briefed members of the Parliamentary EU Adjustment Commission on their efforts in Turkey's EU membership process. During yesterday's meeting, Sungar proposed to enact a ''Frame Law for EU Full Membership Negotiations''. The law aims to decrease impacts of a government change on Turkey's entry negotiations with the EU.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
PUNISHMENT FOR ACTS OF VIOLENCE
The government is getting prepared to declare 2005 as the year of preventing acts of violence upon directives of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Those who commit acts of violence against others will be sentenced to highest punishment. Meanwhile, ''schools for parents'' will be established by state and private sector for parents having problems with their family life.
WORLD GIANTS TO CONVENE IN ISTANBUL
The second meeting of the Investment Consultative Board is expected to take place in Istanbul on April 29th, 2005. A number of foreign officials including International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato and presidents of international companies will attend the meeting.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
PARLIAMENT TAKES ACTION TO ENLIGHTEN UNSOLVED MURDERS
The Parliamentary Human Rights Inquiry Commission has taken action to enlighten all unsolved murders in Turkey. The commission included 420 unsolved murders in its agenda.
CONSTITUTIONAL COURT REJECTS REQUEST ABOUT SSK HOSPITALS
The Constitutional Court rejected a request about the suspension of the implementation of the law envisaging the transfer of the Social Security Agency (SSK) hospitals to the Ministry of Health. Constitutional Court Deputy Chief Judge Hasim Kilic said that the court, with majority of vote, rejected the request of the Republican People's Party (CHP) for suspension of the implementation of the law.

YENI SAFAK (CONSERVATIVE)
-------------------------
U.S. DELEGATION IN TRNC
Representatives of some U.S. companies met Turkish businessmen in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The meeting focused on opportunities of setting up mutual business ties. Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce Chairman Ali Erel said following the meeting, ''there is a global economic system in the world. We want to set up business ties with multi-national U.S. companies.'' Meanwhile, Amar Kayani, the attache of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara for trade, became the first U.S. diplomat having the seal of TRNC in his passport.