ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on December 5, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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AGREEMENT WITH U.S. IS TRIPARTITE BLOW AGAINST PKK
During the visit of General Peter Pace, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, Washington undertook commitments for fight against PKK. In the tripartite action plan which U.S. presented, period of Reassociation Law will be waited. Military action will follow financial and political fight.
Turkey and U.S. agreed to fight against PKK elements in north of Iraq.
Pace, who visited National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, gave messages that the fight covered ''financial, political and military'' methods.

SOLIDARITY FROM ILIESCU IN FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM
Romanian President Ion Iliescu arrived in Ankara with a 79-people delegation comprised of officials, journalists and businessmen.
Iliescu said Romanian people shared the sorrows caused by bomb attacks in Istanbul. Iliescu described the bomb attacks as ''barbarous.''
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who addressed the welcoming ceremony held for Iliescu, stated that, ''we are willing to further improve cooperation with Romania in bilateral and international sense.''

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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FAMILY OF SUICIDE BOMBER TELLS: ''OUR FATHER REACTED AGAINST THOSE HAPPENING IN IRAQ''
Hubeyda, the daughter of Ilyas Kuncak, the suicide bomber, who staged the attack on HSBC bank, said, ''we don't want to discuss whether what our father did was right or wrong. We love our father even if he is a terrorist. He loved us very much. We are also sorry for those who lost their lives.''
Hubeyda said ''they raped many women in Iraq. My father reacted to what was done in Iraq. We also react against it.''
Fulya, wife of Kuncak, said, ''my husband knew Habib Aktas, Gurcan Bac and others. Ilyas went to Syria with them. I had full confidence in him. Whatever he does is right. I wore headscarf when I was 13, and I began to wear the chador for the first time when I got married.''
Nurullah, the son of Kuncak said, ''my father was a leftist in 1980s. But later he started to become conservative. There was gladness in our house after attacks on synagogues because the attack was made on Jews. But we also felt sorrow as some Muslims also lost their lives. We had the same feelings in attacks on HSBC. British people also caused Muslims to suffer.''

ILIESCU SAYS EU PUTS PRESSURE ON THEM TO IMPOSE VISA ON TURKEY
Romanian President Ion Iliescu said Romania would be a member of the European Union (EU) in 2007, stressing that pressure was put on them to impose visa on Turkey starting as of next year.
Iliescu said they would search for ways to facilitate visa implementation.
Supporting Turkey's EU membership bid, Iliescu said they expected full membership negotiations to start between Turkey and the EU next year.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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TWO SOLDIERS DISMISSED
The Supreme Military Council meeting was held yesterday. During the meeting, the Council decided to dismiss two soldiers from the Turkish Armed Forces as they were involved in fundamentalist activities. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul again put reservations on the decision of the Council which dismissed the two personnel from the army due to lack of disciplinary behaviour.

THY TICKETS GET CHEAPER
Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim announced that the special tax and tax allocated for education would be cancelled for the Turkish Airlines (THY) tickets. Yildirim said that each ticket would become cheaper by 15-20 million Turkish Liras.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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MILITARY'S TOUGH WARNING TO GOVERNMENT
During the Supreme Military Council meeting, military warned the AK Party government about its attitude towards terrorism and its applications. Commanders told Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the government didn't want to see and understand the acts of terrorism referring to words of Erdogan who didn't want to accept the definition of 'Islamic terrorism.' Commanders said that ''favouritism continues, party administrators in provinces and towns encourage fundamentalist activities.''

CONSENSUS OF OPINION ABOUT TERRORISM
Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Basbug and U.S. Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Pace took up military relations during their meeting. During the meeting Turkey and the U.S. reached consensus of opinion on fight with all terrorist organizations. Turkey accepted the helicopter demand of NATO. Turkey will send three helicopters to Afghanistan.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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KORAN COURSES TO BE GIVEN IN SCHOOLS IN SUMMER
National Education Ministry allocates schools for Koran courses during the summer holiday. The government amended the regulation regarding Koran courses. According to the new regulation which caused discussion, courses can be held in the evenings, Koran courses can have boarding students and graduates of imam-hatip schools can be teachers in those courses.

GUL SORTS OUT CRISIS
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that Turkey would send three Black Hawk type helicopters to Afghanistan to meet the needs of the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) there. The decision sorted out the crisis that came out in NATO's Brussels summit as term in office of Germany in Afghanistan ended.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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AGREEMENT WITH U.S.
U.S. Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace said they understood the importance of fight against PKK for Turkey. Pace said they would cooperate with Turkey in fight against this terror organization.
Turkey, which could not take full support from U.S., this time reached a broad agreement with Washington.
Pace said they knew Turkey's sensitivity about terrorist PKK/KADEK organization. He stressed that they accepted PKK/KADEK as a terrorist organization even if its name is changed.
Pace said they would continue to search for ways to fight against terrorism stating that their leaders are terrorists even if they change their names.

GUL: WE WILL BE CALM AND DETERMINED
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, who is currently in Brussels to attend meetings of NATO foreign ministers, said, ''Turkey, which has a 40-year history of relations with the European Union (EU), has entered the most critical period in its EU membership process. We will preserve our determination about the EU membership.''
Speaking at a news conference, Gul said they would do their best to meet what was envisaged in Copenhagen summit, noting that the EU should do the same.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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TURKISH COMPANIES SHOULD GET READY FOR TENDERS IN IRAQ
Turkish companies can also directly compete in the giant tenders worth of 18.7 billion dollars which U.S. allocated for reconstruction of Iraq. The U.S. administration works on the updated list in which coalition countries would take part in tenders which will be opened officially today.

INITIATIVE TAKEN FOR ERASING SIX ZEROS FROM TL
State Minister Ali Babacan signed the draft law on erasing six zeros from Turkish Lira (TL) and sent it to the Prime Ministry. According to the draft law, one new Turkish Lira will be equal to one million Turkish Lira.

(Öª-AY) 05.12.2003