ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on December 10, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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TEST FOR CIVILIZATIONS
Europe will either be multi-cultural by trying to prevent ''clash between civilizations'' by giving a date to Turkey or remain as a ''Christian Club'' by not giving a date in Copenhagen Summit. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said that he will not attend the summit as he does not believe that European Union (EU) will give a negotiation date in the summit although Turkey made the requested legal arrangements.

ARMY ATTRACTS ATTENTION TO FUNDAMENTALISM AGAIN
General Staff emphasized the importance of Prime Ministry Follow Up Committee in the fight against fundamentalism in the briefing given to the government. The evaluations about fundamentalism were among the topics in the standard briefing of General Staff which is given after every voting of confidence of new governments and comprises of the subjects about internal and external threats.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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CYPRUS CARD FOR NEGOTIATION DATE
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in the letter given to European Union (EU) Term President Denmark ''You give a negotiation date, we convince Rauf Denktas to solve Cyprus question.'' Erdogan said to Denmark Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen that if Turkey does not receive a negotiation date for membership in Copenhagen, EU will lose Turkey. Erdogan said in his second meeting with Rasmussen that they submitted an extensive reform package to the Parliament and are studying continuously to fulfill political criteria.

GOOD NEWS FOR ERDOGAN
Higher Election Board (YSK) stated that Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan can be a candidate from Siirt province. YSK will say the final word concerning Erdogan's candidacy in the elections that will be done in Siirt on February 9 with the ''election circular''. YSK Chairman Tufan Algan said that a new candidate can be placed in the position of a resigned or death candidate.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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IRAQ PRESSURE FROM BUSH TO ERDOGAN
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan will pass a leadership test in his meeting with American President George W. Bush. Bush and his staff are excited and tense prior to the meeting with Turkey's new leader Erdogan. The meeting is believed to have a key position in shaping the world of future. However, the United States has alternative plans if the current plan is not fulfilled. The United States will not give up fighting against Iraq even if Turkey does not give support. However, the direction of the relations and incidents between Turkey and the United States after such a situation is not expressed.

BAYKAL SUPPORTS THE COPENHAGEN PROTEST
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal who supports the government will also not go to Copenhagen. Baykal said ''Our target is to receive a negotiation date in Thessaloniki Summit.'' Prime Minister Abdullah Gul received a full support from Baykal for his negotiations prior to Copenhagen Summit. Baykal stated that they decided together with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer not to go to Copenhagen due to the negative news from European Union (EU).

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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SEZER AND BAYKAL NOT TO ATTEND COPENHAGEN SUMMIT
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal decided not to go to the Copenhagen Summit which will be held on December 12 and 13. Sezer decided not to attend the summit due to negative statements of Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen of current EU term president Denmark and of other EU officials. President Sezer said, ''negative signals did not come only from Denmark, but from the other countries. I do not hope that the EU will set a date at Copenhagen Summit for opening of accession talks. Therefore, I do not plan to go to Copenhagen.''

COLD WEATHER PARALYZES DAILY LIFE AND TRAFFIC
The cold weather paralyzes daily life and traffic across the country. The temperatures are expected to drop 8-13 degrees in the country. Heavy snow blocked several village roads. Flight between Ankara and Kars was cancelled due to snowfall. The snow thickness reached 25 cm around Derekoy border gate in northwestern Kýrklareli province.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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THIRD PACKAGE ON THE WAY
The Parliamentary Domestic Affairs Commission accepted the European Union (EU) adjustment package. The package will be debated by the Parliamentary Justice Commission and the Parliamentary Constitution Commission. Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that they aimed to adopt the package till weekend. The package including 34 articles, envisages amendments to 16 different laws. Cicek said that they were working on the Political Parties law, stating that they especially aimed at clarifying finance of politics. Noting that they would also send other drafts within the framework of adjustment to the EU to the parliament, he said that the third package was on the way.

ERDOGAN: ''EUROPE IMPLEMENTS DOUBLE STANDARD''
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said failure of the European Union (EU) to set a date for Turkey to start full membership negotiations was a double standard. Erdogan who came together with Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Denmark, the European Union (EU) Term President criticized harshly the comments that Turkey would not be given a negotiation date. Erdogan said they had to bear the consequences of harming of Turkish people's positive views in this respect, stressing that this would not be beneficial for the world peace.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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Prime Minister Abdullah Gul received full support from the opposition party Republican People's Party (CHP) on a negotiation date to be given to Turkey before Copenhagen Summit. Gul visited CHP leader Deniz Baykal in the parliament and informed Baykal about the latest developments in foreign policy. After the meeting which lasted for an hour and fifteen minutes, Gul said that there were significant developments in foreign policy and noted, ''one of them is developments related to the European Union (EU), the second one is developments concerning Cyprus and the third one is developments related to Iraq. Those are very significant issues. We will take important decisions in coming days. In that respect, I wanted to discuss those issues with Baykal.''

BARGAINING CONTINUES IN UNITED STATES
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan went to Washington D.C. after wrapping up his contacts in Copenhagen. Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis accompanies Erdogan in his visit to the United States. Erdogan will meet with the U.S. President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and ministers of State Department and Defense Ministry in Washington. Erdogan will proceed to New York and meet with United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan. Iraq and Cyprus issues will be taken up in his contacts in Washington. AK Party leader, who will discuss Cyprus issue with Annan, wil exchange views on Iraq with Bush.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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PRIME MINISTER GUL MEETS WITH CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF OZKOK
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul paid a courtesy visit to Chief of General Staff General Hilmi Ozkok at the General Staff. The meeting which was closed to the press lasted for 50 minutes. Later, Gul went again to General Staff to have a briefing the same day. The briefing which started at 1.50 p.m. lasted for about three hours. Besides Prime Minister Gul, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin, State Minister Ali Babacan, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek, National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul and Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu attended the briefing.