ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on December 13, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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DELAYED TO 2005
Turkey, which has been waiting for a negotiation date at Copenhagen Summit, could not get a result in line with its expectation at the summit. European Union (EU) gave an appointment date in December 2004 to Turkey which has exerted great efforts to get a date in 2003. Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced the decision of the EU leaders following the working dinner. According to progress report which will be issued in October 2004, if Turkey fulfils the criteria, a decision to start negotiations in December 2004 will be taken.
OZILHAN: ''TURKEY IS IN EUROPE'S RADAR''
Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan said that Turkey should be calm on a decision which would be made at Copenhagen Summit and noted, ''this is a long path. Turkey should do what is necessary about the issue. I believe that every kind of path will be opened if it does what is necessary.'' Ozilhan visited President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. He said, ''we have 2005 as a date, the worst. It shows that Turkey is within the range of Europe's radar.''
MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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TURKEY'S ADVOCATE IS BERLUSCONI
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi continued his support to Turkey also in Copenhagen. Berlusconi told Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he would be the advocate of Turkey and support Turkey's cause as if it was his cause. And, Berlusconi kept his promise. He did not refrain from hitting his fist on the table at the summit of the Christian Democrats.
TURKISH TACTICS DISCOMFORT EU
French President said that beginning of full membership negotiations with Turkey in 2004 was suitable for them. The French-German bloc cracked. Intense pressure of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish government to get a negotiation date created uneasiness in the European Union (EU). European officials are questioning how beneficial lobby activities of AK Party government to get a date for membership negotiations from the EU are. EU diplomats stated that they had serious concerns that Turkey's tactics served the aim and that they were confused.
''DATE'' SOLVES CYPRUS
Messages of Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who met with Greek Foreign Minister Costas Simitis, were very clear: ''all issues, including Cyprus, will be solved if a date is given to Turkey. If a date is not given, we will do what we believe as right. Don't detain us.''
PATH OF CANDIDACY OPENED
Under the decision of the Higher Election Board (YSK) about the principles of the elections to be renewed in southeastern Siirt province which was issued in the Official Gazette, there has no more any obstacle before Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan's running his candidacy from Siirt. Mervan Gul, who was ranked the first in the list of AK Party candidate deputies from Siirt province in November 3 elections, will resign and Erdogan will be shown as a candidate.
SABAH (LIBERAL)
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EUROPE SETS 2004
A decision which Turkey has been waiting for start of negotiations came from Copenhagen early on Friday. European Union (EU) Term President Denmark's Prime Minister Rasmussen announced the decision which says that if Turkey fulfils criteria, evaluation will be made in December 2004. ''Progress Report'' on Turkey which will be prepared by the European Council in October and November 2004 will be taken at the summit which will be held in December. If a decision that Turkey fulfilled Copenhagen criteria is taken by considering European Commission reports as a ground, the Council will open negotiations with Turkey in December 2004, and this will occur as soon as possible.
ERDOGAN'S ANGER ON CYPRUS
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan got angry about Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu's closing doors to United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's Cyprus plan by saying that he had no authority to sign the plan.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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PRESIDENT SEZER: ''WEST IS NOT SINCERE''
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer reiterated that the European Union (EU) countries were not ''sincere'' and said, ''they are saying that they will give an earlier date if a development occurs in Cyprus issue. They are not sincere.''
BIG BARGAINING
Copenhagen leaders' summit turned into ''Cyprus summit.'' United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro De Soto, who pressed on Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot sides to reach an agreement and sign Annan's plan, carried out a shuttle diplomacy among Turkish Cypriot, Greek Cypriot, Greek and Turkish sides. According to U.S. sources, acception of the U.N. preliminary frame agreement is very close.
DOUBLE HAPPINESS IN UEFA CUP
Denizlispor and Besiktas soccer clubs of Turkey qualified for the fourth round in UEFA Cup. Denizlispor, which drew with Olympic Lyon of France 0-0- in the first match, defeated this team 1-0 with the goal scored by Mustafa Ozkan in an away match and achieved to be ranked among the first 16 teams in European cups. Besiktas, which won the first match in Istanbul 3-1, drew 0-0 with Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine and also qualified for the fourth round.
RADIKAL (LEFT)
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EU LEADERS SET ''DATE FOR DATE''
European Union (EU) Term President Denmark's Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen presented a document on Turkey to the leaders on Thursday. French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder were influential on the document. Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Abdullah Gul were giving the message for days that 'if you don't give a date, relations with EU can be suspended.' However, EU leaders gave ''date for a date'' as a response to Turkey on the first day of the summit.
BABACAN: ''ECONOMY WILL NOT BE AFFECTED''
State Minister Ali Babacan said that a decision which would be taken related with Turkey's membership to the European Union (EU) at Copenhagen Summit would not negatively affect Turkish economy. Speaking at the 23th annual conference of Assembly of Turkish American Associations in Washington D.C., Babacan said ''the government is determined to maintain the reform process whether or not a date is set for opening of accession talks with Turkey at the European Union's (EU) summit in Copenhagen.'' Babacan met with World Bank President James Wolfensohn and the U.S. acting Secretary of Treasury John Taylor.
TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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WE INSIST ON 2003
Turkey will have one of most critical days of its history today. Turkey, which applied to the European Union (EU) for membership 43 years ago and which held summits in Europe many times, is expecting a negotiation date to be given at the EU summit which began in Copenhagen on Thursday and will end on Friday. Turkey, which has rejected 2005 as a negotiation date that was suggested by France and Germany, is expecting a date in 2003. Turkey, the prime minister and ministers of which are holding contacts in Copenhagen, stressed that a date except 2003 will not make Turkish people happy.
CYPRUS BARGAINING
It was claimed that the main agenda of contacts of Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Copenhagen was Cyprus issue and that a solution on the island was reached. U.S. President George W. Bush had called previous night Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen on the phone and told him that Cyprus issue should be solved at the summit. After this development, Danish and Turkish foreign ministry officials held meetings till 3.00 a.m.
ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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COLD SHOWER IN COPENHAGEN: NEGOTIATION DATE ON SHELVE
The European Union (EU) announced that a date to open negotiations with Turkey could be given till the summit due in December 2004 on condition that Turkey fulfilled political criteria. Turkish delegation said, ''the EU has not understood our will. There is still time to correct it. Our initiatives will continue till the last moment.''
TURKISH-GREEK FRIENDSHIP NOT ENOUGH FOR 2008
Switzerland-Austria consortium was awarded with the bid to host Euro 2008, to which Turkey and Greece also submitted a joint bid. Turkey and Greece were very sad when they were not awarded with the bid.
ITALIAN, BRITISH AND GREEK PRIME MINISTERS WORK FOR TURKEY
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, following his intense contacts in Copenhagen, said, ''I am hopeful about getting a clear and definite date.'' When Turkey continued its insistence to start negotiations with the European Union (EU) in 2003 with the support of Britain, Italy and Greece, Gul's statement that he was more hopeful about a better date following his meeting with his Danish counterpart brought into minds the possibility of a negotiation date in 2004. Gul said that they assumed a clearer, opener, and braver attitude in their yesterday's contacts and added that they got the impression that their counterparts were also positively affected by their contacts. Holding contacts with prime ministers of countries supporting Turkey had an important role in inspiring Gul's hope.