ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on October 28, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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LOOK WHO IS TALKING ABOUT COLONIALISM?
Paul Bremer, the top U.S. administrator in Iraq, described the Ottoman Empire, which had ruled Iraq for 400 years, as an occupier force without thinking about his country's position in Iraq. His statement created uneasiness in Turkey. Turkish politicians reacted harshly to his words.

BAYKAL ELECTED DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal was elected deputy chairman of the Socialist International. Earlier, Baykal, who is currently in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to attend the 22nd Congress of the Socialist International, was presented as a candidate for the Socialist International deputy chairmanship unanimously. Baykal will perform this duty together with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Prime Minister Costas Simitis of Greece, Israeli Labor Party leader Shimon Peres and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

A MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT SEZER FOR RESIGNATION
In an invitation letter, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer asked deputies not to attend the reception to be hosted at the Cankaya Presidential Palace on October 29 to mark the 80th anniversary of foundation of the Republic of Turkey with their wives wearing Islamic-style headscarf. His attitude caused reaction of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputies. While some deputies returned the invitation to the Cankaya Presidential Palace, Mehmet Melik Ozmen, a deputy of the AK Party from Agri province, said, ''Mr. President, I would like you to think about fulfilling a last service for our country.''

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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UNITED STATES TELLS TURKEY YOU CANNOT GO TO IRAQ NOW
The United States conveyed the message that ''Turkish soldiers could not have a mission in Iraq currently'' to Ankara through military canals. A high-level military official conveyed the message to Ankara nearly 10 days ago. Turkish government which got prepared for sending soldiers to Iraq with the motion which was approved in the parliament on October 7 has been trying to take its position upon ''cautious'' statements of the United States. The message said that Turkish soldiers could not have a mission in Iraq in that period as conjuncture was not appropriate now.

ERDOGAN SAYS POINT REACHED IS DISTRESSING
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the United States which wanted Turkey to send soldiers to Iraq and also which could not have a grip on Kurdish groups in Iraq in the meeting of Council of Ministers. Erdogan said that developments were distressing and stated that they did not expect such a thing. Erdogan said that the United States first asked Turkey to send soldiers to Iraq and then they reached this point.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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TERRORISM IN BAGHDAD CAUSES CONCERNS IN ANKARA
Consecutive bomb attacks in Iraqi capital Baghdad have caused a change in Ankara's plans to dispatch soldiers to Iraq to join the U.S.-led international coalition. Diplomats at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have begun making comments that dispatch of Turkish soldiers to Iraq would mean involvement in war.

2004 DECLARED AS YEAR OF FIGHT AGAINST UNRECORDED ECONOMY
Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan submitted the draft budget for the year 2004 to the parliament yesterday. In the draft budget of 160.6 quadrillion Turkish liras, 2004 was declared as the year of fight against unrecorded economy.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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DIRIOZ: ''TRADE WITH IRAQ WILL REVIVE''
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Huseyin Dirioz said that the trade between Turkey and Iraq would further revive after lifting of the limitation about outflow of cash more than 10 thousand U.S. dollars from Iraq to Turkey. Releasing a written statement, Dirioz recalled that the mentioned limitation was lifted as of October 24, 2003 as a result of Turkey's initiatives.

SAFAYEV IN ANKARA
Foreign Minister Sodiq Safayev of Uzbekistan came to Ankara on an official visit. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Safayev and accompanying delegation. During the meeting, besides political, economic and commercial relations between Turkey and Uzbekistan, regional and international issues were brought onto agenda. Safayev became the first Uzbek foreign minister paying an official visit to Turkey.

GREAT HONOR FOR BAYKAL
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal was presented as a candidate for the Socialist International deputy chairmanship. Baykal, who is currently in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to attend the 22nd Congress of the Socialist International, was presented as a candidate for the Socialist International deputy chairmanship unanimously. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Prime Minister Costas Simitis of Greece, Israeli Labor Party leader Shimon Peres and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are the other candidates for deputy chairmanship.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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ANKARA GETS ANGRY
Referring to plans of dispatching Turkish soldiers to Iraq, Paul Bremer, the top U.S. administrator in Iraq, said that Turkey and the Iraqi interim government should deal with the issue together. Noting that Iraqi people were sensitive about dispatch of Turkish soldiers, Bremer claimed that Turkey had been an occupier force in Iraq for 400 years during the Ottoman Empire era. His statement caused harsh reactions among Turkish politicians. Ankara asked him, ''you described Turkey as an occupier force in Iraq. So, what was Britain?''

MANGO PRESENTED WITH ATATURK AWARD
Ataturk Society of America (ASA) presented Andrew Mango, an expert of Turkish history, with the Ataturk Award on the 80th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey under the heading of 'universality of civilization'. An award ceremony took place at the Turkish Embassy in Washington D.C. with the participation of ASA Chairman Metin Camcigil and Mango. Speaking at the ceremony Camcigil described Mango as one of experts understanding Ataturk in the best way.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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STATE MINISTER BABACAN SAYS DRAFT SUPPLEMENTARY LETTER OF INTENT IN HIS BAG
State Minister Ali Babacan said that the draft letter of intent to be sent to International Monetary Fund (IMF) was in his bag. Babacan, who is in Morelia, Mexico to attend G-20 meeting, said that some steps should be taken to send the supplementary letter of intent to IMF. There was not any delay in their program and everything was normal, Babacan said. Babacan noted that he thought that IMF Executive Board would convene in November and make a decision on release of loan to Turkey and stressed that relations with IMF were based on a consensus. He said, ''we don't put into practice some recipes just because some of their experts give those recipes. We are telling this in every occasion and opportunity. We say that we will fulfil an initiative if it is for the benefit of Turkey, otherwise we won't do it. IMF has also seen that this approach have yielded positive result and IMF's confidence in us has increased. When we say something, they are saying okay.''

COLD WEATHER TO COME
There will be cold and rainy weather in Turkey as of Tuesday. State Meteorology Affairs Directorate General said that there would be cold and rainy weather coming from Balkans as of Tuesday and stated that temperatures would decrease 8-10 degrees Celsius across the country. Snow is also expected in Black Sea, Central Anatolia and Eastern Anatolia regions on Wednesday. Temperatures will increase again with southwester on Thursday.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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ANKARA TELLS BREMER IRAQ IS NOT OUR INTERLOCUTOR, BUT UNITED STATES
Ankara reacted to the statements of Paul Bremer, U.S. administrator in Iraq, who said that Turkey should discuss dispatch of soldiers to Iraq with the Iraqi Interim Governing Council. Ankara said that no invitation was made to Turkey to come to Iraq by the Iraqi Interim Governing Council and stated that Turkey was not warm towards sitting at a table with the Council even if there would be such an invitation. Ankara stressed that in case of such an invitation, Turkey's interlocutor would be the United States, which had demanded soldiers from Turkey.

GUL TO MEET WITH ZEBARI IN SYRIA
Foreign ministers of countries neighboring Iraq will meet with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari in Damascus, Syria. Zebari will inform neighbor countries about the latest situation and his views on the future of Iraq in a meeting on Sunday. Turkey's decision on dispatch of soldiers will also be discussed in the meeting. Foreign Minister Gul is expected to participate in the meeting.

(UK-EÖ-AÖ) 28.10.2003