ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on December 9, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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ERDOGAN: ''DATE FOR TURKEY TO START EU FULL MEMBERSHIP NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD NOT BE AFTER 2003''
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan will go to Washington D.C. on Monday for his most important appointment prior to December 12 Copenhagen Summit. Speaking about the date for Turkey to start full membership negotiations, Erdogan said it should not be after 2003.
The United States administration prepared a high ranking welcoming ceremony for Erdogan. This happens for the first time in bilateral relations of the two countries for a political party leader who does not have an official assignment. Erdogan, who left for Copenhagen on Sunday evening, pointed out that, ''Cyprus is not included in our December 12 agenda.''
Erdogan will again meet Danish Prime Minister Ramussen on Monday, and convey Turkey's written commitment.

TELEPHONE CONVERSATION RIGHT TO OCALAN
Telephone conversation right will be given to the head of the terrorist organization Abdullah Ocalan and others who were sentenced to life imprisonment in case draft of Justice Ministry is legalized. The convicts will be given the right to talk to their relatives once in 15 days for 10 minutes.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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BALANCE SHEET OF LAST DAY OF BAYRAM HOLIDAY: 18 DIED, 89 INJURED
A total of 18 people died and 89 others were injured in traffic accidents in the last day of Bayram holiday because of bad weather conditions and carelessness.
Thus, the death toll rose 69 and those injured increased to 235 throughout the whole holiday.

TURKEY ENTERS EUROPE WITH AZRA
Miss Turkey Azra Akin who won ''MISS world 2002'' beauty contest, got the admiration of British people.
British press, speaking about Akin, wrote ''Turkey is in Europe''.
Akin, who will live in London for one year, pointed out that, ''I was given the crown in a very critical point. I have very serious responsibility.''

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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CONFIRMATION TO U.N. PLAN WITHOUT SIGNATURE
President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), instead of saying ''yes'' to the Cyprus plan of the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, will first of all propose to send ''intent letter'' to the United Nations together with Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides.
A new formula is brought onto the agenda as it was stressed that Cyprus question should be solved to set a date for Turkey in European Union (EU) full membership negotiations.
Denktas, instead of a framework agreement for the negotiation of the plan, will propose to send an ''intent letter'' together with Greek Cypriot leader Clerides to Kofi Annan.

IMF DELEGATION STARTS CONTACTS TODAY
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation, led by Turkey Desk Chief Juha Kahkonen, will start studies today within the framework of 4th review.
Some of the IMF experts will start contacts in Ankara and some of them will start contacts in Istanbul. The IMF experts will meet representatives of finance and real sector.
Contacts of the IMF officials in Ankara will take place in Treasury Undersecretariat, Finance Ministry State Planning Institute, Central Bank, Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA), public banks and Privatization Administration.
The IMF delegation, led by Kahkonen, will stay in Turkey till the new year and discuss inflation, growth rate and primary surplus.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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EUROPE CAN'T TAKE A DECISION
Western leaders are discussing the issue of setting a date for Turkey three days before Copenhagen summit. Speaking to German Welt am Sonntag daily, EU Term President Denmark's Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said, ''time table won't be given at Copenhagen. We asked for a concrete time table from Turkey about reforms. This time table will be very important for the decision on Turkey. There are five options about this issue. We will take a decision according to this.'' Meanwhile, Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou said that a date should be set for beginning to accession talks with Turkey at Copenhagen. If a date was not set, this would cause negative consequences, he said and added that they had undertaken responsibility when they had accepted Turkey's candidacy that this candidacy also included rights. Papandreou said, ''It is a candidate country's right to win a date for opening of accession talks.''

FIRST BRIEFING TO GUL BY SOLDIERS
The General Staff will hold a comprehensive briefing for Prime Minister Abdullah Gul on issues like fundamentalism and internal and external threats. At the meeting, it is expected to be mentioned that Islamic-style headscarf issue should not be brought onto the agenda as such an issue might incite fundamentalist circles. It will be expressed that the strategy for fight against fundamentalism was expected to continue.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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SET DATE AT SALONICA
Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis announced the last acceptable proposal: ''set the date at Salonica summit.'' He said, ''it is impossible for us to accept 2005 formula of Germany and France. Because, according to this formula, we would have to get approval of 25 countries instead of 15. On the paper, Turkey will fulfil the reforms it promised to Europe until the end of this month at the latest. The EU leader may want to see implementation as it is mentioned in the Copenhagen Political Criteria. We think that a six-month period is enough for this. So a decision on Turkey may be taken at Copenhagen and it may be announced that a date would be set for Turkey at the Salonica summit in June 2003. The date may be fixed also at Italy summit in December 2003. However, we prefer Athens to set the date as this consolidates friendship.''

GUL GETS PREPARED FOR COPENHAGEN
The Foreign Ministry prepared an information dossier for Prime Minister Abdullah Gul who will leave for Copenhagen on December 11. The dossier explains and shows that Turkey does not have any deficiency than other candidates.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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LAST TOUR FOR EU
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who left for Denmark, will meet the Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen today.
Erdogan is expected to say that 2005 would not be accepted to start full membership negotiations, and point out that, ''if you fail to set a date to Turkey till the end of 2003, it will be revealed that you make religious discrimination.''
Erdogan, who will also visit the United States upon the call of the U.S. President George Bush, will return to Copenhagen on December 11 to cover the summit.
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul will also leave for Copehagen after meeting with Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal about the EU today.

CALL OF IMF: DISMISS WORKERS
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation, who for the first time met Justice and Development Party (AK Party) administration last week, will start their contacts today.
The IMF delegation, who will meet the business world and the government, will call for sale of State Monopoly (TEKEL) and dismissal of workers from State Economic Enterprises.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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TURKEY TAKES COPENHAGEN UNDER SIEGE THREE DAYS BEFORE HISTORICAL SUMMIT
Ankara forces Europe 'on all sides' three days before critical Copenhagen summit which is expected to be a 'turning point' in Turkey's European Union adventure. Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan who left for Copenhagen last night together with Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis, will proceed from Denmark to Washington and meet with U.S. President George Bush and put a ''joint pressure'' on the EU. After his visit to the United States, Erdogan will return to Copenhagen on December 11. The same day, President Ahmat Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Abdullah Gul will leave for Copenhagen and they will try to do everything to win a date. Yesterday, Erdogan said, ''a date should be set for Turkey until the end of 2003.''

EU SHOULD GIVE UP DOUBLE STANDARDS
Speaking to the newspaper, Prof. Robert Anciaux from Universite Libre de Bruxelles said that there is no doubt that Turkey is a part of Europe. ''It is time to be honest,'' Anciaux said and stressed that the EU should give a date to Ankara as soon as possible, otherwise it has to explain the reason. Commenting that there would be a few problem in Turkey if reforms were put into practice, Anciaux emphasized that Europeans were making a very serious mistake by putting whole Islam world in a single pattern.