ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on December 27, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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DENKTAS HAS NOT YET MADE DESIGNATION
All the attention was focused on whom Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President would designate to form the government after TRNC parliament started to work following oath taking ceremony.
Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Mehmet Ali Talat said President Denktas carried out a delaying tactic, and noted that, ''Denktas tells us to come after setting up coalition formula. But how can we have talks on formation of government if he does not made designation?''
Denktas said, ''leaders continue talks. We will re-discuss the developments. They will visit me when they get ready. I don't think I will make a designation before Monday.''

FROM ERDOGAN TO AMBASSADORS
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan received on Friday ambassadors of Turkey to 15 EU member countries, the United States and TRNC.
The participants discussed what should be done to get a date for Turkey to start full membership negotiations in 2004, the time which has critical importance in EU process.
Erdogan stressed that this one-year period was short but important and addressing the ambassadors, he stated that ''marathon is over now. We are in the last 100 meters. We should run not like a marathon runner but like the 100 meters runner.''

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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''WE WERE PLANNING TO HIT A SHIP''
Harun Ilhan, one of terrorists who planned bomb attacks, said, ''the third target was an Israeli ship which would come to southern Antalya province. When the ship did not come, we hit the British Consulate in Istanbul.'' Harun Ilhan, a 32-year-old Al Qaida militant who was captured in central Konya province, told police that Azad Ekinci, Gurcan Bac, Habib Aktas and he, as four people forming the top council of the terrorist organization, met and determined their four targets. It was Ilhan who informed the suicide attackers about those targets. British Consulate General in Istanbul was not among those targets. The fourth target was the Israeli ship which would come to Alanya town of Antalya. When the ship did not come, the terrorists changed their target.

SECRET EXPLOSION IN LORRY
A lorry left last year exploded 50 meters away from the route Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan used from time to time and 500 meters away from his house in Kecioren district of Ankara. A woman who was in the balcony of her flat died as she hit her head on the iron bar at the time of the explosion. Police announced the cause of the blast as LPG canister explosion. Officials who also evaluated the possibility of a bomb blast launched an investigation into the lorry.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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''DANGER ENDS IN ISTANBUL''
Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler gave the good message that they could say that Turkey branch of Al Qaida had been collapsed in Istanbul. Guler announced that all dimensions of bomb attacks were determined and added, ''it was a two-year structuring. Terrorists had prepared for the attacks for two or three months.'' Guler also announced that new attacks were prevented as security forces confiscated many explosives. Istanbul Police Chief Cemalettin Cerrah said that police seized three or four lorries of explosives.

ELECTION IMPASSE DUE TO VETO
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer vetoed the law which broadened borders of greater city municipalities and which foresaw that March 28 local election should be held according to those borders. Even if the law is passed again, the borders of greater cities will not be broadened in the coming local election.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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ISTANBUL GOVERNOR GULER: ''WE HAVE TERMINATED THE ORGANIZATION''
Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler held a joint news conference together with Istanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah. About November's quadruple suicide attacks in Istanbul, Guler said, ''I can say that activities of the terrorist organization were eradicated.''
Second man of the organization Harun Ilhan, who confessed that he planned the bomb attacks in Istanbul, made re-enactment in Neve Shalom synagogue.
Harun said he repented and that he wanted to benefit from Re-association law. Harun and eight people were arrested by State Security Court (DGM).

ROAD MAP COMPLETED
Ankara, who thinks that Cyprus problem could not be put in front of Turkey as a criteria, targets to start full membership negotiations with the European Union (EU) in December 2004.
Ankara will cover a policy to take steps on every step and not to leave a pretext for the EU.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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ANKARA: ''KURDISH CONSTITUTION'' RISKY
Foreign Ministry released a statement about the proposal of Kurdish groups in Iraq about constitution. The Foreign Ministry said, ''nobody has the right to embark Iraq on a new adventure.''

MODERN BAZAAR CLAIMS ONE LIFE
Fire-fighters found a dead body in the Modern Bazaar in Ankara which burnt on Wednesday when they were discharging water from the basement of the bazaar. The body which was unable to identify is believed to be Salih Piskin, a person working in a medical firm in the bazaar. Relatives of Piskin, 62, can't hear from him since Wednesday when the bazaar was burnt. The body was taken to Forensic Medicine Institute to be identified.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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EU ALARM FROM ANKARA
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, who summoned Turkish ambassadors to European countries, said all the laws related to European Union (EU) would be issued to get a date from the EU to start full membership negotiations.
The ambassadors said, ''Europe appreciates us''.

NORTH OF IRAQ WARNING FROM FOREIGN MINISTRY
Foreign Ministry warned Kurdish groups in North of Iraq not to drag Iraq, whose tranquility was distorted, to new adventures.
Foreign Ministry statement said, ''territorial integrity and tranquility of Iraqi people closely concerns neighboring Turkey.''
Foreign Ministry statement said main desire of Iraqi people, who suffered a lot in the past, was settlement of peace and stability and overcoming of economic difficulties.
The statement said constitution projects of some groups in interim governing council contradicted this fact, noting that, ''nobody should have the right to drag Iraq and the region to new adventures.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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''WE WON'T CLASH WITH TURKEY DUE TO NORTH OF IRAQ''
Upon claims that the Jewish people were in dialogue with Kurdish leaders in north of Iraq, Israel gave official guarantee to Ankara. Israeli Ambassador to Turkey Pinhas Avivi, who confirmed information about the issue, said that it would be wrong to take Turkey against them just for improving their relations with north of Iraq. Avivi noted that he would be the first to obstruct anybody who wanted to take such a step.

GOVERNMENT TO PAY 160 MILLION TL TO CIVIL SERVANTS BEFORE FEAST
State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said that one of the issues to be taken up in the meeting of the Council of Ministers on Monday was rise in salaries to be paid to people working in Social Security Agency (SSK) and Social Security Agency for the Self-Employed (Bag-Kur) institutions. Sahin said that he thought that net 160 million Turkish liras (TL) which the government had committed to pay to civil servants during the collective bargaining process could be paid before the Feast of Sacrifice.

(BRC-AY) 27.12.2003