ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on November 8, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
WE DO NOT GO TO IRAQ BUT WE HAVE THREE CONDITIONS
The government decided over the request of the United States not to send soldiers to Iraq. Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul laid down three conditions to U.S. State Secretary Colin Powell on the phone. The first one was that if the United States did not start a convincing operation against PKK/KADEK terrorist organization in Kandil mountain, Turkish soldiers would not be withdrawn from the north of Iraq. The second one was that new Iraq constitution would not protect only Arabian or Kurdish origin people and an arrangement depending on ethnic base would not be made. The final condition was that Turkey would have political voice in reconstruction of Iraq and would take share from tenders.

BUSH TO COME
U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney called Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the phone yesterday. He told Erdogan that U.S. President George W. Bush would come to Turkey for the NATO Summit next year.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
TURKISH PEOPLE IN NETHERLANDS TAKE ACTION
When European Commission's Progress Report openly criticized the nonpresence of some letters in Turkish alphabet like ''q,w,x'' Turks living in the Netherlands asked the Dutch government to include letters of ''ç,ğ,ö,ş,ü'' in the Dutch alphabet. The Trade Union of Old Migrants in Netherlands wrote a letter to the Dutch Prime Minister Balkanende saying that the correct reading and writing of Turkish names was a necessity of respect towards Turkish people living in the Netherlands. The union also asked the Netherlands which would become EU Term President in the second half of 2004 to bring the issue to EU agenda.

GUL'S HINTED MESSAGE Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul responded to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell who didn't want Turkish soldiers in Iraq: ''if you can ensure the stability in Iraq, we will be pleased with it.'' Gul reiterated that in case of a threat or attack against Turkey, Turkey's right to intervene was reserved.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
EU DOES NOT BARGAIN, IT REGISTERS
Hansjorg Kretschmer, the Head of European Union (EU) Commission's Representation to Turkey, said that the date December 2004 was set by the request of Turkey and thus, Turkey lessened the time by itself regarding complying with the conditions. Kretschmer recalled regarding Cyprus issue that it was Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who said Turkey could not enter EU without a solution in Cyprus issue.

ERDOGAN TO GO TO U.S. NEXT YEAR
Ankara conveyed the United States that it would not use the authority of dispatch of Turkish soldiers to Iraq. The United States thinks to overcome the shame of not meeting Turkey's motion gesture by giving share from construction activities in Iraq. U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, who phoned Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to say that U.S. President George Bush would come to Turkey on June 28 for NATO Summit, also invited Erdogan to White House. The visit would be paid possibly in January.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
BAD GAME FOR TEKEL
No good price was offered for privatization of State Monopolies of Tobacco and Liquor (TEKEL), which contributes significantly to the budget of the country with its old and ignored technology. TEKEL had a net sale of 1.3 quadrillion liras in 2002 and a net profit of 318.6 trillion liras. Despite the veto of President Sezer, the government adopted the tobacco law in line with the instructions of IMF and World Bank and it stroke a heavy blow on domestic tobacco producers.

AKP'S DIFFERENT ATTITUDE TOWARDS EU AND TURKEY
While the government seemed to have accepted Cyprus condition of the EU in foreign policy, it gave tough messages in domestic politics. EU circles said that the expression of ''the insolubility in Cyprus could constitute a serious obstacle for Turkey's EU expectations'' which was added to the Strategy Document would ease the government's task for finding a solution in Cyprus against some conservative circles which didn't want solution in Cyprus.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
CHAIRMAN OF SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS:''YOU CAN'T ENTER COURT
WITH HEAD SCARF''
The Chairman of the Supreme Court of Appeals Ozkaya supported taking out a suspect wearing head scarf from the court room. Ozkaya said that ''the court is a public sphere, you can't prevent the weakness that starts there from spreading to other places.''

ANKARA CLOSES IRAQ FILE
When the U.S. couldn't persuade the opposition in Iraq regarding transfer of Turkish soldiers, Turkey closed the Iraqi file for the time being. The government decided not to use the authority it got from the parliament about sending soldiers to Iraq.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
WORLD BANK SUPPORT TO REFORMS
World Bank started new assistance strategy for the practice of basic reforms which would make Turkey strong in economic aspect and provide balanced growth.

NEW TARGET IS USD 60 BILLION
State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said that Turkey's export amount exceeded 40 billion U.S. dollars in 2003. He added that they believed that Turkey would reach 60 billion dollars in 2004 and 100 billion dollars until 2010.

BUSH: TURKEY IS A GOOD MODEL
U.S. President George W. Bush said that there was not a contradiction between democracy and Islam. He added that Turkey was the country which proved harmonization of Islamic religion with democracy in the best way.


ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
GOVERNMENT SUSPENDS DECISION ON SENDING SOLDIERS
The government decided not to use its authority on sending soldiers to Iraq for the time being. The current condition of Iraq, Iraqi Governing Council and attitude of the United States became effective in taking this decision. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell called Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on the phone and said that they could not settle the necessary atmosphere regarding sending of Turkish soldiers and he thanked Turkish people, government and parliament.

EU SHOULD TAKE Ğ AND Ç ON ITS AGENDA
The European Union (EU) which criticized the ban on people's using letters q,w,x in Kurdish names as there were no such letters in Turkish alphabet, faced itself a similar demand. An official labor union in the Netherlands sent a letter to government and demanded Turkish letters to be included in alphabet. The union also wanted the Netherlands, which would be EU term president in the second half of 2004, to carry the issue to EU level.

(GC-ÖŞ) 08.11.2003