ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on December 19, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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DEEP ASSASSINATION
Associate Professor Necip Hablemitoglu, who was known for his researches on issues on which the state is sensitive, was killed. Hablemitoglu, who was a lecturer in Ankara University and who was 48 years old, was killed in an armed attack when he got off his car in front of his house. Hablemitoglu was carrying ''sensitive files'' when he was killed.

DECISIONS IN COUNCIL OF MINISTERS IN AK PARTY
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan convened the Council of Ministers headed by Prime Minister Abdullah Gul in the party headquarters. The decisions taken at the meeting are: The tender law was postponed for a year. The draft on living standard was drawn back and the participants decided to increase salaries of civil servants gradually and decided to make a high increase in that of the personnel of Social Security Agency (SSK) and the Social Security Agency for the Self-Employed (Bag-Kur).

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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''BACK GARDEN'' PLAN
Ankara is uneasy that Mosul and Kirkuk will be under the control of the United States and Britain: ''We will control the region alone or together with the United States.'' Distance from Kuwait to Baghdad is 650 kilometres while the distance from the 36th parallel to Baghdad is 110 kilometres. To this end, the United States is in favour of staging land operation on Iraq from Turkey. The issue which makes Turkey uneasy is the situation of Mosul and Kirkuk, which are oil regions. Ankara is uneasy that Mosul and Kirkuk will be under control of foreign soldiers. To prevent this, Ankara is saying that Turkey will go there alone and control the regions if necessary.

DON'T INTERFERE CYPRUS
The Foreign Ministry made a statement before the summit held in the Presidential Palace: The decision of the European Union (EU) regarding Cyprus cannot be accepted. The Foreign Ministry announced five days after the Copenhagen Summit that the decision of the EU to accept the Greek Cypriot administration as a full member was ''unacceptable.'' The ministry accused the EU of ''violating international agreements and taking unilateral decisions regarding the future of the island.''

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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LACK OF EXPERIENCE OF GOVERNMENT CREATES CRISIS IN TAX
When Justice and Development Party (AK Party) said that it would keep its promises made before the elections took a backward step. Crisis occurred when AK Party foresaw ''living standard'' principle. When tradesmen and some deputies reacted to the draft, AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan intervened. The government decided not to implement living standard at the end of the meeting at AK Party headquarters.

TWO ATTITUDES IN CYPRUS
Participants decided to ''support Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and continue negotiations'' at the summit held in the Presidential Palace. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer's spokesman Tacan Ildem said, ''there is no change in our attitude which we assumed before the Copenhagen Summit.''

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR HABLEMITOGLU KILLED IN ANKARA
Ankara University Associate Professor Necip Hablemitoglu died in an armed attack in front of his house in Cankaya district of Ankara last night. Hablemitoglu who was the target of fundamentalists and who was threatened on the phone frequently, was shot in his head.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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GUL SUGGESTS DENKTAS TO REACH AGREEMENT
President Sezer, Prime Minister Gul, Chief of General Staff Gen. Ozkok, Foreign Minister Yakýs, and TRNC President Rauf Denktas decided to carry out serious negotiations to find a solution to Cyprus question. The Turkish officials suggested Denktas to continue negotiations to reach an agreement on the island.

SIMITIS:''FEB. 28 IS LAST CHANCE FOR SOLUTION''
Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis said that Greece wanted a solution in Cyprus before Feb. 28, 2003. Simitis noted that if there is an important progress until that date, negotiations will continue.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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DECISION TO CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS
At the summit held under the leadership of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday, Turkey found the solution plan of Annan as negotiable. Officials announced that Turkey will continue to extend support to TRNC and Turkish Cypriot people in all issues.

GENERAL STAFF:''ROUTINE PREPARATIONS''
General Staff said regarding the claims saying there was concentrated mass of military equipment on the border with Iraq that ''there is no broad-scale military concentration and military measures taken in the border region except the regular preparations done against developments that can take place in the region.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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FOREIGN MINISTRY:''WE DON'T ACCEPT DECISION OF EU ABOUT CYPRUS''
While Turkey extended support to starting of negotiations between the two sides in Cyprus on Annan's plan, it also sent a harsh message to European Union (EU). Foreign Ministry issued a statement yesterday saying that Turkey would not accept the legal and political results of the EU membership of the Greek Cypriot side which was announced at EU Copenhagen summit.