ANKARA (A.A) - 24.05.2002 - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on May 24, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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EU SUMMIT FROM SEZER
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer announced that he would hold a summit with the leaders of the ruling parties and the leaders of the political parties represented at the parliament in order to set the state policy about the European Union (EU). After Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli assumed a rigid attitude towards EU at the coalition summit, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer launched initiatives to overcome the pressure on time imposed for the efforts to be carried out for EU accession. Prior to his departure for Albania, Sezer said that he thought of holding a meeting with coalition leaders and the leaders of the political parties represented at the parliament about the EU in coming days. Party spokesmen said that they found the idea very positive.

IMF RETOUCH DOES NOT MADE
The Draft Luxurious Consumption Tax was adopted at the Parliamentary Planning and Budget Commission without the expected two significant amendments. These two amendments were said to the demands of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The issues expected to be amended were related with the limitation of the authority of the Council of Ministers to increase tax rates and the share to be allocated from Luxurious Consumption Tax revenues to institutions.

ALBANIAN SURPRIZE
Albanian President Rexhep Mejdani made a proposal which surprized President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who is paying an official visit to Albania. Mejdani said that they wanted to send soldiers to the Turkish unit to be deployed in Afghanistan. Sezer said that he appreciated this proposal and noted that this proposal would be evaluated.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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DERVIS DUE TO BRITAIN AND UNITED STATES
State Minister Kemal Dervis will give a conference at the London School of Economics, of which he is a graduate, on May 29. Then, Dervis will proceed to the United States. Dervis will attend the Bilderberg Meetings to be held in Virginia State of the United States on June 2.

TELEKOM TO BE PRIVATIZED IN SIX COMPANIES
Transportation Minister Oktay Vural said that the value would be estimated again and the road map necessary for privatization would be completed in June. Vural said that they thought of privatizing Turk Telekom in six companies.

ILLNESS MELTS ICE
Tension between Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and President Ahmet Necdet Sezer started to be overcome after Ecevit had become ill. Ecevit called Sezer on the phone before Sezer's trip to Albania and wished a good journey.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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TAYYIP-MUMCU FLIRTATION
As early election discussions continue, political flirtation between two important personalities in the right wing reached top of the agenda. It is claimed that Motherland Party (ANAP) deputy leader Erkan Mumcu, who was deprived of his deputyship and later of his deputy leadership after he broke out a revolt against ANAP leader Mesut Yilmaz, and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan meet to take joint action and that cooperation was locked on bargaining on leadership. Erdogan obviously called Mumcu to join his party. Mumcu said, ''they will not pay the way for your leadership. I am luckier for leadership.'' It is said that Erdogan did not welcome Mumcu's proposal but that the two did not reach a definite result. Erdogan is said to have a meeting with Mumcu again after he sees the course of his cases.

TIME FOR LAST CHANCE
The frame agreement on Istanbul Approach, which has become one of the most important problems of the real sector and on which relevant people have been working for months, has been given the final shape. The frame agreement debated by Ira Libermann, the World Bank Asia-Europe Private Sector Director, will be announced today by the Banks Association of Turkey.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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EVIL ALLIANCE AT BORDER
According to intelligence reports, the terrorist organization PKK-KADEK is backed by Iran, Armenia and Syria. It was learned that the terrorist organization PKK-KADEK is trying to send a group of 60 supporters from several European countries to Northern Iraq via Iran. It was also learned that PKK applied to carry out legal activities in Syria under the name KADEK and was getting prepared to continue its activities under the name ''Kurdish-Armenian Friendship Committee'' in Armenia. According to the intelligence units, armed and political training of the terrorists continue in Iran, where almost 700 members of the terrorist organization PKK-KADEK are living.

IMPORTANT VISIT FROM CEM TO ISLAND
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem will go to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) next weekend. Cem, who will attend the graduation ceremony at Girne American University, will be presented with honorary doctorate. Cem will be received by TRNC President Rauf Denktas. Cem's visit to TRNC is of vital importance for evaluation of results of contacts of United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan in the island.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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CANKAYA DOES NOT MAKE AMNESTY PASSABLE
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer applied to the Constitutional Court for the annulment of the Amnesty Law which he had to approve under the laws. In the petition he sent to the Constitutional Court, Sezer asked for the annulment of the article which foresaw ten years of reduction from the total imprisonment term.

TWO MODERATE TREMORS
An earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale jolted offshore western Izmir province the previous morning. In the meantime, another earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale rocked southern Kahramanmaras province. No casualties were recorded in the two earthquakes.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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AGAIN TELEPHONE TAPPING
Parliamentary Telephone Tapping Commission determined that cell phones could be tapped very easily. The report of the Commission said, ''the mafia tapped phones by taking people working at the tapping service of Telekom under pressure.''

BAHCELI BECOMES ANGRY
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli said, ''we are not an obstacle to the European Union (EU). Leaking out the information note that we presented at the leaders' summit is intentional. This attitude has made things more complicated.''

EARLY ELECTION SECRET OF DERVIS
State Minister Kemal Dervis for Economy explained the reason of his early election demand to his friends. According to the information gained from private NTV channel, Dervis thinks that Turkey will save 30 billion U.S. dollars in five years if it holds an early election. Dervis calculates the probable cost of an early election as 2.5 billion U.S. dollars.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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WOMEN CAN GET RETIRED AT 40 AND MEN AT 44
The draft law which increased the retirement age and regulated graded transition to new retirement system was legalized with some amendments. According to the draft law which took effect on May 23, 2002, women who are currently working and has only two years left for retirement under the former law, can get retired at the age of 40 while men in the same status can get retired at 44.

LIVE BOMB ALARM AT SECURITY DEPARTMENTS
After a live bomb panic was experienced in the Bakirkoy Police Department, the photographs of two live bombs, including one woman who have entered in Istanbul, were distributed to the relevant units. Security departments gave alarm after they learned that Songul Kocyigit and selahattin Yavuz, the members of the terrorist DHKP-C organization, came to Istanbul. Photographs of Kocyigit and Yavuz were distributed to all security units. The live bombs were said to plan suicide attacks in Istanbul. Efforts are under way to capture Kocyigit and Yavuz.