ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on December 27, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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USD 28 BILLION OF WAR BARGAINING
There is no military expenditure mentioned in a bill which State Minister Ali Babacan will submit to U.S. Department of Treasury Under Secretary John Taylor and U.S. Department of State Under Secretary Marc Grossman who came to Ankara late on Thursday. U.S. officials' contacts will mainly focus on economic aid to Turkey related to a possible operation against Iraq. There will be bargaining on 28 billion U.S. dollars to meet losses which Turkish economy may suffer in case of a possible operation against Iraq. Taylor and Grossman will meet with Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal, State Minister Ali Babacan and Foreign Ministry officials.

S&P SAYS IF TURKEY CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT ECONOMIC PROGRAMME, ITS RATING CAN INCREASE
Standard and Poor's (S&P) said that if Turkey continued to implement the economic programme, its rating can increase in 2003 in spite of inappropriate regional conditions. According to weekly analysis by S&P, a possible operation against Iraq is one of the main risks of the world with respect to economic and political stability.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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''FUNDAMENTALISTS'' DISMISSED WITH GUL'S SIGNATURE
The Supreme Military Council convened under chairmanship of Prime Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday. Seven personnel who were involved in fundamentalist activities were dismissed from the Turkish Armed Forces. Gul signed the decisions taken at the meeting. A captain was the highest ranking officer among those seven personnel including 4 officers and 3 non-commissioned officers.

DENKTAS: ''THERE MAY BE CIVIC TURMOIL''
In their preliminary preparations in Ankara, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and his advisors reached an agreement that ''it won't be possible to reach a lasting agreement that protects the rights of the TRNC in the talks that will continue until February 28''. Advisors said the scenarios below might happen if there would not be an agreement: if the Turkish Cypriots are considered the responsible side:
a. There may be an internal civic turmoil due to provocations of oppositions. Measures that Greek Cypriots will implement for Turkish Cypriots and the assistance that the EU will give to some circles in the Turkish side by by-passing the TRNC may cause civic division.
b. Greek Cypriot side puts pressure on Turkey through the Council of Europe.
c. Greek and Greek Cypriot side together raise obstacles in front of Turkey on its EU path.
Meanwhile, Denktas will focus on development of the TRNC's economy.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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COST OF SUPPORT: USD 100 BILLION
Members of Parliamentary Commission for Foreign Affairs were briefed about possible Iraq war in Foreign Ministry. Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis who informed deputies explained war scenarios in a detailed way with his three bureaucrats. Yakis announced the cost of Iraq war as 100 billion U.S. dollars to Turkey. When Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Sukru Elekdag reacted as ''Then, prevent war'', Yakis said ''How can we? Whether we want or not, the United States will interfere Iraq''. Yakis adapted Turgut Ozal's ''give one, take three'' formula for Gulf Crisis to the new period and said that they are looking for the ways of giving four and taking two.

IRAQ IS THE FIRST EXTERNAL THREAT ACCORDING TO MILITARY
Higher Military Board (YAS) made changes in National Military Strategical Concept and determined Iraq as the prior external threat. Fundamentalism and terror are still considered as the first internal threats in the list of National Military Strategical Concept which is Turkey's Constitution in security aspect. Meanwhile, YAS which convened under the leadership of Prime Minister Abdullah Gul decided to remove a total of seven personnel who were determined to have fundamentalist actions from the army.

IRAQ MARATHON IN PRIME MINISTRY
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul evaluated possible Iraq operation with Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis, Prime Ministry Undersecretary Fikret Uccan and Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal. Gul revised recent developments in Iraq one more time with Yakis and officials after Higher Military Board (YAS) meeting. Yakis informed Gul about the developments in United Nations, studies on purifying Iraq from chemical weapons and the current manner of the United States. Gul, then, held a short evaluation meeting with National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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COMPENSATION VISIT BY UNITED STATES
When Turkey did not find 3-5 billion U.S. dollars package proposal sufficient, the United States sent two of its high-level officials to Ankara. U.S. State Department Under Secretary Marc Grossman and U.S. Treasury Department Under Secretary John Taylor will hold contacts in Ankara today. Turkey states that a possible war would cause 28 billion U.S. dollars damage to its economy and wants that the economic compensation arrangements should be made by the U.S. Treasury, not through the IMF or World Bank.

AGREEMENT OK, DETAILS NEXT
Turkey and the United States have reached an agreement at a larger extent. Latest evaluations over the points on which the sides reached an agreement will be taken up in today's National Security Council meeting. Under this compromise, maximum eighty thousand U.S. soldiers will be deployed on Turkish territories. While Turkey will be the ''long-term logistic base'' of the United States during and after its operation against Iraq, it made the United States accept ''its red lines''.

MINIMUM INCREASE
The government acted again in line with the IMF instructions while deciding on rate of increase in minimum wage. The rate of increase was limited with 22 percent although it concerned nearly 5 million people. Those who are paid minimum wage will try to make a living with 223 million Turkish liras per month in 2003.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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AK PARTY'S EXAM WITH WAR
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan can have difficulty in the approval of a support to the United States for Iraq operation in Parliament. Parliamentary Human Rights Monitoring Commission Chairman Mehmet Elkatmis and two acting chairmen and many people are against war.
High-ranking officials of AK Party reacted against the United States' preparations for launching operation on Iraq. Human Rights Commission published a report that describes war as 'humanity crime' and Chairman Elkatmis said that he will vote against war.

ULTIMATUM OF RAPID RESPONSE
The United States which would like to bring its 80 thousand soldiers to Turkey gave time until January to have response. If Turkey does not respond, the United States will launch the operation without Turkey. Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis who confirmed the demand said that Turkey gave permission only for site-survey in bases.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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YAS DISCUSSES A POSSIBLE OPERATION AGAINST IRAQ
During meeting of the Supreme Military Council (YAS) under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, internal and external threats against Turkey, preparations of the Turkish Armed Forces against possibility of a war, and internal security operation situation were taken up. YAS decided to expel seven personnel of the Turkish Armed Forces due to their undisciplined behavior.

COLD WEATHER PARALYZES DAILY LIFE IN EASTERN ANATOLIA REGION
Cold weather paralyzes daily life in Eastern Anatolia Region. The region had the coldest night on Thursday. The temperatures decreased to below minus 36 degrees Celcius in eastern Agri province and the temperatures dropped to below minus 32 degrees in Erzurum province on Thursday night. Meteorology officials said that snowfall was not expected in the region and added that but the temperatures would further decrease. The temperatures will start to increase in western and central regions in the country as of weekend. A total of 174 village roads in Erzurum, 225 village roads in Agri and 82 roads in Erzincan province are still closed to traffic.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SENER SAYS IF THERE IS AN OPERATION AGAINST IRAQ, MARKETS WILL REACH STABILITY IN TEN DAYS
State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener, when evaluating the best and worst effects of a probable operation on Iraq, said, ''if there is a military operation against Iraq, the economic indicators will reach stability in ten days.'' Sener said that floating in the markets would not long last. Stressing that Turkey did not want to involve in a possible operation against Iraq, Sener said, ''it is obvious that things will be routine in a short time. It is seen that any incident which will affect markets will not occur in the following process. To this end, I believe that any development that will deteriorate economic policy of the government will not occur.''