ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on January 17, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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THAT STATION AGAIN
U.S. delegation performed site survey at the train station in Yenice hamlet in Tarsus town of southern province of Mersin where then Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Britain held a secret meeting with then President Ismet Inonu on January 30, 1943 in order convince Turkey to be involved in the World War II. U.S. experts took photographs of the train station.

CLASH ERUPTS IN LICE: A SERGEANT DIES
Clash erupted between security forces patrolling in the area, and a group of terrorists in rural area between Lice and Hani towns of southeastern province of Diyarbakir. General Staff stated that a sergeant was killed while five security officials were injured when terrorists opened fire on security forces. Following the clash, reinforcement units have been deployed in the area. Security forces have launched a large-scale operation in order to capture terrorists.

LAST JOURNEY OF DISASTER PLANE
Efforts to remove wreckage of the Turkish Airlines (THY) passenger plane which crashed near the airport in southeastern province of Diyarbakir last week due to fog, were completed. Wreckage of the plane was taken to field of scrap metal by lorries. Residents in Diyarbakir watched the lorries with sad eyes. A total of 75 people were killed in the crash. Five people survived the crash with injuries.

EARTHQUAKE JOLTS IZMIR
An earthquake measuring 3.3 on the Richter scale jolted western province of Izmir at 4.17 a.m. on Thursday. Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory Seismology Institute said that the earthquake was centered on city center of Izmir. The earthquake which was also felt in Cesme, Gumuldur and Tire towns of Izmir and in neighboring Manisa province, did not cause any casualties and damages.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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CALL FOR MUSLIM LEADERS
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul sent message to leaders of regional countries to invite them to the meeting he planned to host in Istanbul on January 23. Diplomatic sources also talk about an alternative step. This step envisages to send a delegation formed by representatives of regional countries to Iraq to meet with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

ANKARA TO APPLY TO NATO
Turkey will request air defense shield from NATO on the pretext that its security will be jeopardized in a possible military operation against Iraq. Ankara has taken action after receiving information that Iraq might have strategical number of ballistic missiles which could be used with chemical and biological war heads. Turkish officials have decided to apply to NATO upon claims that these ballistic missiles could hit 20 provinces in Turkey. Works are expected to be finalized next week. During the Gulf War in 1991, Turkey applied to NATO for formation of an air defense shield. Upon the request, patriot missiles were deployed in Turkey.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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REACTION TO ZAPSU
Statement of Cuneyd Zapsu, the advisor of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan for foreign policy, caused harsh reaction. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune Newspaper of the United States, Zapsu who knows all secrets of the state, said, ''Prime Minister Abdullah Gul sent a message to President Saddam Hussein of Iraq to withdraw. It is the only way to prevent a possible war in the region. Turkish people are opposed to such a war. However, this situation can be changed with the support of the Turkish Armed Forces.'' State Minister Kursad Tuzmen who conveyed the message of Prime Minister Gul to President Saddam Hussein, reacted to Zapsu's statement, saying, ''I cannot say anything about the issue. Only the prime minister can make a statement about this.''

TURKEY SIGNS EUROPEAN CONVENTION PROTOCOL LIFTING DEATH PENALTY
Turkey signed the European Convention on Human Rights Protocol no: 6 lifting death penalty. Numan Hazar, the permanent representative of Turkey at the Council of Europe (COE), signed the protocol on behalf of Turkey at a ceremony held with the participation of COE Secretary General Walter Schwimmer.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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TURKEY PROPOSES SUMMIT FOR IRAQ ISSUE
Turkey proposed to hold a summit meeting with participation of heads of state or government of Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Syria. The summit meeting is foreseen to be held in Istanbul on January 23. The joint declaration will be announced at the summit meeting. Speaking to reporters after a meeting in Foreign Ministry, Egyptian Ambassador to Turkey Mohammad Fathi Al-Shazly said that they, as regional countries, aimed to call Iraq and the United States to take concrete steps to ease tension and end war threat in the region.

CLASH IN DIYARBAKIR
A senior sergeant lost his life and five security officials were injured in a clash erupted between security forces and a group of terrorists in rural area near Hani town of southeastern province of Diyarbakir. Diyarbakir Governor Cemil Serhadli said that clash had erupted between security forces and a group of members of terrorist organization KADEK in rural area between Lice and Hani towns.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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PRIME MINISTER GUL EXPLAINS HIS IMPRESSIONS TO CENTRAL EXECUTIVE BOARD
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul explained his impressions about his tour to Middle East countries to members of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Central Decision Executive Board at a dinner. Gul also evaluated Iraq crisis at dinner. Gul said that not only Turkey but also U.S. people did not want a war against Iraq, stating that everybody saw that demonstrations which aimed to protest a possible operation against Iraq were being held every day. Gul said that Turkey would exert efforts for a peaceful solution to Iraq issue till the very end and added that they would do their utmost on the issue.

AGREEMENT WITH IMF
International Monetary Fund (IMF) First Deputy Managing Director Anne Krueger said that Turkey should implement economic programme to reach targets of IMF. Krueger made a statement on her contacts in Istanbul and Ankara. She said that the government had stated its commitment to a public sector primary surplus target of 6.5 percent of GNP in 2003. Krueger noted that she had fruitful meetings with Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and members of his government and added that the government had reaffirmed its commitment to decreasing inflation, debt reduction, and sustained growth and its commitment to a public sector primary surplus target of 6.5 percent of GNP in 2003.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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HISTORY WILL ALSO BE DESTROYED
A total of 510 artifacts belonging to Seljuk and Ottoman periods will be among ''buildings under risk'' in case of a possible operation against Iraq. Iraq's capital Baghdad is one of the most important historical and cultural cities of eastern culture. Historical artifacts in Baghdad are under threat besides economic and human losses in a possible war between the United States and Iraq.

TURKMENS: WE WANT GUARANTEE
Iraqi Turkmen Front Ankara representative Mustafa Ziya said that a chaos can happen in case of a possible operation against Iraq and added that they demand guarantee from Turkey and other countries in case of such a possibility. He said that Turkmen people only request their rights, laws and democracy and he added that they always wish peace.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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ANKARA WILL HOLD NEIGHBORS SUMMIT FOR PEACE
Turkey continues to launch initiatives to solve Iraq issue in peaceful ways. Prime Minister Abdullah Gul who visited five neighbor countries of Iraq invited the leaders of those countries to Turkey. Iraq declaration will be signed in summit which is planned to be held in next week and declaration will be a message for Iraq government.

TURKISH FIRMS BUY FACTORIES ALL OVER THE WORLD
Turkish investors buy firms one after another abroad in the last two years. Although investments decreased in this period when compared with previous years, buying of firms increased due to economic crisis. Turkey made investments worth of one billion U.S. dollars in the last two years.