ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on January 24, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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BUSH:I AM PLEASED WITH MILITARY CONTACTS
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul received a surprising letter from U.S. President George W. Bush while the peace summit on Iraqi issue was gathering in Istanbul. George Bush gave two important messages in his letter to Gul saying:''I would like to thank you for starting talks between Turkish and U.S. military officials regarding a possibble operation against Iraq. I am also pleased with Turkey's holding such a meeting to persuade Iraq for a peaceful solution of the problem.''

NEIGHBOURS WARN SADDAM
Regional countries which gathered under the leadership of Turkey namely Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran warned Saddam during the peace summit held in Istanbul. The countries gave the message to Saddam that ''Iraq should act in a responsible way for a peaceful solution, abide by U.N. Resolutions and cooperate with weapon inspectors.''

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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''HISTORICAL'' VETO TO BRITAIN
Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Sir Michael Boyce of Britain which acts together with the United States against Iraq visited General Staff Chief General Hilmi Ozkok in Ankara yesterday. Sources said that Boyce demanded, ''we want to deploy our troops in Northern front'' while Ozkok said, ''our government did not authorize us to make plans with you.'' Boyce was told that due to this reason, it was impossible to include Britain in military planning with the United States. In this contact that was held following British Secretary of State for Defense Geoffrey Hoon's visit, negative response was given to Britain and organization of opposition groups in Iraq by Britain constituted an important factor in this negative response, sources said. It was stressed that within this framework, Britain also played great role in determination of policies of formations in Northern Iraq and preparation of draft constitutions and it hosted opposition groups' meetings in London.

CLEAR MESSAGE TO IRAQ: ''TAKE UNITED NATIONS INTO CONSIDERATION''
This message: ''take United Nations into consideration and cooperate'' was given to Iraq at the end of the ''Regional Initative On Iraq-Meeting of Foreign Ministers'' hosted by Prime Minister Abdullah Gul at the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul yesterday. After their meeting, foreign ministers Yasar Yakis, Ahmed Maher of Egypt, Kamal Kharrazi of Iran, Marwan Muasher of Jordan, Saud Al-Faysal of Saudi Arabia and Farouk Al-Shara of Syria held a joint press conference and announced joint declaration. They called on Iraq to cooperate with the United Nations while it was mentioned that there was not a plan about exile of Saddam Hussein.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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PEARSON DENIES CLAIMS
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Robert Pearson reacted harshly to the claims saying that the U.S. had contact with the terrorist organization PKK. Speaking to private NTV channel and showing the newspaper which put forward such claims, Pearson said that ''these are very big lies.'' Pearson commented that such kind of news aim to disturb the friendship between Turkey and the U.S. Journalist Can Dundar who wrote the news said in his part that General Staff and intelligence units had statements confirming the news.

INFORMATION INSTITUTE HAVING GLOBAL DIMENSION
Kent State University, which is one of the important universities of the U.S. and which gives courses to Turkish police on issues of penal law, political science and sociology for three years, signed a protocol with Istanbul's Bahcesehir University to set up an Information Institute. Students of Bahcesehir University can go to U.S. and study at Kent State University for a certain period of time free of charge by this protocol.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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FORCED COMPROMISE
At the ''Peace Summit'' held in Istanbul to prevent a possible U.S. operation against Iraq, foreign ministers agreed on the opinion that Iraq should abide by the U.N. resolutions and cooperate with the weapon inspectors. Intense debates took place especially after Egypt and Syria demanded that the United States should be warned and Israel which was believed to have mass destruction weapons should be condemned. In the joint declaration which was announced after a 4-hour delay, no harsh statement against the United States was issued while foreign ministers said, ''we don't want war''.

FISCHER PLEASED
Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer of Germany which leads the ''anti-war front'' in the European Union was in high spirits during his press conference he held at the Ciragan Palace. It is clear that Berlin perceived Turkey's obstinacy and resistance against ''opening of northern front'' as an ''unexpected pleasing surprise'' rather than ''indecision''.

NICE GESTURE TO TURKEY FROM JAPAN
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi who spoke firstly to the newspaper among the Turkish press said that Turkey and Japan might develop joint projects in the Middle East and Central Asia if the Justice and Development Party government implemented a stable economy policy.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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NORTHERN IRAQ ENTRUSTED TO TURKEY
According to the negotiations carried out between Turkey and the U.S., the missions of defense and humanitarian aid and preventing activities that aim to disturb the instability in Northern Iraq were given to Turkey. Turkish soldiers won't be involved in a possible war except fulfilling these tasks.

COMPETITION FOR FLAG
TRNC President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides have authorized the U.N. to seek submissions on a flag and anthem for common state following a possible agreement on Cyprus through open public competition. Issuing a written statement, United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) Spokesman Brian Kelly said that the two leaders reached consensus of opinion on this issue during their meeting yesterday.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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''PEACE'' MORE LIKELY NOW
Message from the 'Summit on Iraq' in Istanbul to Saddam Hussein: ''abide by the U.N. resolutions''. Foreign ministers of five Middle East countries took the first step for peace by coming together at the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul under leadership of Turkey to seek peaceful way to solve the Iraqi issue. Prime Minister Abdullah Gul made the opening remarks of the summit meeting that was beneficial. In the joint declaration released after the meeting, these warnings were made to Iraq: ''conduct a complete cooperation with the weapon inspectors. Display a 'reliable' attitude towards neighboring countries. Provide a national compromise that maintains and protects Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity''.

JOINT FLAG FOR CYPRUS
United Nationas Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) spokesman Brian Kelly released a statement and said that TRNC President Rauf Denktas and Greet Cypriot administration leader Glafcos Clerides authorized the United Nations to seek submissions on a flag and anthem for Cyprus through open public competitions as foreseen in the proposal for a comprehensive settlement put to them by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan on December 10, 2002.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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ISTANBUL SUMMIT WARNS SADDAM AND SENDS PEACE MESSAGE TO U.S. INDIRECTLY
Foreign ministers of six regional countries who came together by the initiative of Turkey iin Istanbul yesterday to find a peaceful solution to the Iraqi crisis called Iraq to abide fully by the U.N. resolutions. The six regional countries gave the message to the U.S. that the solution platform of the Iraqi problem is the U.N.