ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on December 1, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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ARINC'S CONFESSION: ''IT WAS A MISTAKE TO SAY 'OBSTINACY''
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said, ''if I had not told the expression 'obstinacy' when I came to this position, these discussions would have been ended. I rebelled to discussions on use of headscarf by the wife of parliament speaker.'' Arinc noted, ''my wife and I decide where we can go or not go. I have only one condition. I definitely would not want such an issue that occupies the public this much to come onto the agenda again and cause tension.''

SIGNAL OF ''RETURN TO FORMER INFLATION RATE'' FOR RISE IN SALARIES
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, which thinks that the economic program continued with the support of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has social deficiencies, will make its first bargaining on rise in salaries of civil servants and workers. During the contacts of the IMF delegation on the fourth review, a proposal wil be made to increase salaries according to the real inflation rate instead of the targeted inflation rate.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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HERE IS THE FIRST NSC
The command team asked about the commitment for Constitution: Do you have a new search? The government responded: No, we are sincerely bound to the Republic. In the first National Security Council (NSC) meeting with the new government, the commanders asked the meaning of the sentence saying ''a new constitution based on social legitimacy will be made.'' Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said, ''we are aware that some are suspicious about us. However, these doubts are baseless. We are a team which will not deviate from basic principles of the Republic.'' The commanders reminded the decision of the Constitutional Court about the headscarf issue and warnings of the president and said that tension should not be escalated in the society. Chief of General Staff and four commanders also expressed their views about the issue. Sezer said, ''the headscarf discussion is over'' and ended the conversation.

HE DEFENDS ARMY IN EUROPE
When prime ministers of the Netherlands and Luxembourg asked the role of army in Turkey, Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, ''Turkish Armed Forces had to be on the front during the fight against the terrorist organization PKK and multi-party coalition periods. When the westernization process progresses, this impression will start to fade.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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HEADSCARF AMNESTY SUSPENDED
The government suspended the arrangement which envisaged amnesty to students wearing headscarf in the university by amending the law on Higher Education Board (YOK). Also, ''re-trial'' demand of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) was excluded from the package.

OHAL SEEN OFF WITH DANCES
Emergency rule (OHAL) in southeastern Diyarbakir and Sirnak provinces were lifted last night. Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu promised: ''A new arrangement will not be made.'' Two thousand people that convened in Diyarbakir lit torches, sang songs, chanted slogans and danced. Demonstrations were ended as police warned that ''no permission had been taken.'' Aksu said, ''after the emergency rule is lifted, everything will be normal. These provinces will be ruled just as the other provinces in Turkey.''

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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CRACK GRADUALLY GROWS IN AK PARTY
Opening ways for Prime Ministry of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the leader of Justice and Development Party (AK Party), started another discussion in the government. Erdogan insisted on amendment on Article 109 whereas Deputy Prime Minister Ertugrul Yalcinbayir and Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin opposed to this.
Sahin referred to the view of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer who opposed to amendment of Article 109 saying this would damage parliamentary system. Sahin said, ''tension should not be created by creating discussions with Cankaya.''

MESSAGE FROM ANKARA: IRAQI POLICY IS THE SAME
Turkey stated that its basic Iraqi policy did not change, prior to the visit of two high ranking U.S. officials. Ankara gave the message to Washington that, ''don't make requests that we don't expect and we will not accept.''

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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AK PARTY LEADER VISITS 14 EU COUNTRIES, CONVINCED EIGHT OF THEM TO SET A DATE FOR TURKEY
Turkey, as a result of the biggest lobby activities of the Republican history, took another step to get a date for full membership in Copenhagen Summit.
The biggest lobby activity of the Republican history was supported by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Deniz Baykal, the leader of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), and NGOs.
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who visited 14 European Union (EU) countries to get a date for Turkey's full membership, got promise from eight of them to this end.
Erdogan got very big support from Italy, Portugal, Luxembourg, Greece, Britain, and Spain. Sweden was convinced afterwards, and Ireland is at the point that Turkey should be treated equally with the other candidate countries.
Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France favor ''date for date''.

15 YEAR OLD OHAL ENDS
Emergency Rule was lifted in southeastern Sirnak and Diyarbakir provinces after 15 years.
Young people met in Ofis Street of Diyarbakir province at 17.00 local time on Saturday and celebrated lifting of Emergency Rule.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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SEVEN TARGETS OF COSKUN
Industry and Trade Minister Ali Coskun announced targets of his ministry. Coskun said that they would give priority to transition from rant economy to real economy in Turkey and noted that they would help enterprises facing difficulties re-take place in economy. Stating that they would turn Halk Bankasi into small and medium scale enterprises (KOBI) bank, Coskun pointed out that they would lift bureaucratic hurdles before Turkish and foreign investors. Coskun said that they would make reforms in local administrations and added that they would modernize labour law.

''ARTICLE 109 IS DIFFICULT''
Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said that one of the ways to pave the way for prime ministry of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan was the article 109 of Constitution. Sahin noted, ''but, I think amendment to article 109 is difficult.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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DO THOSE DISCUSSIONS OPEN THE FACTORIES AND FEED THE POOR PEOPLE?
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said Turkish Republic was face to face with the most important developments of the Republican history, warning that artificial agenda would bottleneck Turkey's future.
Gul said discussions on regime and headscarf could not solve a serious question, stressing that, ''will those discussions be a remedy to our problems? Will those discussions open closed factories or solve unemployment problem. Those are not in my agenda.''

NOAM CHOMSKY DUE IN TURKEY
The American linguist and human rights defender, will visit Turkey for the second time as the guest of the Confederation of Public Workers Labor Unions (KESK) and International Istanbul Book Fair Committee.
Chomsky, who will be in Turkey on December 12, will participate in ''Peace and Democracy Symposium'' held by KESK and Istanbul Book Fair activities.