These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on March 24, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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PARLIAMENTARIANS WHO PASS BILL BANNING SMOKING IN CLOSED AREAS
SMOKE IN PARLIAMENT
Parliament passed a bill banning smoking in closed areas five years ago but this rule is not obeyed within Parliament. It's possible to see people smoking almost everywhere in Parliament. Therefore a group of parliamentarians presented a proposal to ban smoking in the Turkish Parliament but the proposal was rejected by Parliament Chairmanship. The proposal was later sent to General Documents section but nothing so far has been done to enforce this ban in the Turkish Parliament.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry will start a campaign to quit smoking on May 2.

HISARCIKLIOGLU:''THE ECONOMIC CRISIS IS OUR LAST CHANCE''
Turkey Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu has said that economic crises are an opportunity for countries to realize their structural handicaps and correct them. ''This crises is a last chance for our country to implement structural changes,'' he said. Hisarciklioglu said that the economic crisis was still continuing in Turkey.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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GOOD NEWS FROM ISTANBUL'S STRAITS
The studies carried out by Highways General Directorate showed that Istanbul's Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridge would survive a possible earthquake. Bogazici Bridge which is older could suffer some damage but not at a life threatening level.

WORLD BANK TO GIVE MONEY TO MOTHERS INSTEAD OF FATHERS
The World Bank has given 50 million TL to one million and fifty students from the poorest families in Turkey, however it observed that some fathers who were so far given the money didn't use it for the children's education expenses. Therefore, the bank decided to deposit the money in mothers' bank accounts in the future.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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NIL LILJEGREN:''WE'RE RETURNING TO TURKEY''
Wife of the former Swedish Ambassador Nil Liljegren has announced their decision to return to Turkey with her husband. Nil Liljegren is getting ready to join Yekta Gungor Ozden's political party and her husband fully supports her efforts. Henrik Liljegren, the former Swedish Ambassador was offered to work in a think tank.

WORLD BANK GIVES ONE BILLION USD TO ISTANBUL TO
TAKE MEASURES FOR A POSSIBLE EARTHQUAKE
Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz has said that Turkey provided over one bilion USD earthquake credit from the World Bank. ''The government cannot effort to fortify all the buildings but people who have the means should strengthen their buildings with their own resources,'' Yilmaz said at a meeting in Istanbul on Saturday. Yilmaz also indicated that the Housing and Public Works Ministry reached the last stage of the tests on Istanbul's bridges and viaducts.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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EUROPE SABOTAGES CYPRUS TALKS
Rauf Denktas, the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) criticized those who say ''let's give Cyprus and join the EU,'' by telling that ''how can Turkey protect its most rightful cause if it can't protect Cyprus?'' Noting that EU membership is the right of Turkey, Denktas said that ''yet the Cyprus issue is put forward as a condition to Turkey in an illegal way. It was Greek Cypriots who started the Cyprus problem, shed blood in Cyprus, and the Greek Cypriots put the embargo in Cyprus,'' said Denktas. Denktas added that Cyprus is a strategic place for EU.

RETIRED AMBASSADOR LILJEGRENE SAYS TURKEY CAN'T BE CLOSELY WATCHED
The previous Swedish Ambassador to Turkey Henrik Liljegren expressed uneasiness over the speech of Swedish Foreign Minister Lindh, adding that the Swedish press does not cover the positive developments in Turkey. ''The Swedish media does not regularly follow the developments in Turkey, the leading Swedish newspapers don't have the chance to have regular correspondents working in Turkey,'' he added.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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KURDISH INSTITUTE SHUT DOWN
While the discussions on education in Kurdish language continue, the ten year old Kurdish Institute in Istanbul was shut down for allegedly offering education without official permission from the state. The Institute had acquitted from an earlier case opened for the same reason.

HEAVY RAINS AND STORM PARALYZES LIFE IN BODRUM, KONYA,
ANTALYA AND KAYSERI
Strong southwest winds and rain paralyzed life in Bodrum, Konya, Antalya and Kayseri on Saturday. The rain damaged telephone and power lines in Bodrum. Tables and chairs in restaurants flew into the sea because of the strong winds. The southwinds which will last for another two days were mostly felt in Torba, Rukbuku, Gumbet and Bitez. Konya also suffered from southwest winds and a sand storm on Saturday. In Antalya, hundreds of houses and work places flooded. Ferry tours between Canakkale and Gokceada was cancelled.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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WHO WILL STOP THIS BUREAUCRACY?
Bursa Trade and Industry Chamber Executive Board Acting President Ali Hazir said that the Turkish businessmen who are bored with bureaucracy, taxes and insurance in Turkey, want to invest in the Balkans rather than Turkey. ''Bulgaria gives a tax exemption of five years. Recently a Spanish company came to Turkey to make investment, but it later left for Romania as it could not get the permission to set up a factory for two years,'' said Hazir.

ANOTHER QUAKE IN MARMARA
A quake measuring 4,8 on the Richter scale took place in Marmara Sea early on Saturday. Bogazici University Kandilli Observatory and Seismology Centre said that the quake took place at 4.36 a.m. The quake, whose epicentre was off northwestern Tekirdag province was also felt in Istanbul.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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YUCELEN:CHILDREN CAN'T BE HANDCUFFED
Interior Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen said that police can't handcuff children. Speaking in the panel discussion held by the Foundation to Protect Children From Crime, Yucelen said that secrecy is very important in the judiciary proceedings that are carried out related to children. Yucelen stated that children can't be handcuffed according to the legal rules.