ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on February 23, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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TARGET IS BAGHDAD
Scene of Iskenderun Port is like a military headquarters. A total of 290 soldiers, who are assigned in Incirlik Base and who were sent to the port after the arrival of the vehicles, veiled the scene in the port with containers not to be seen.
Even the order of the vehicles reflect the discipline scene of the soldiers in the port. Those vehicles will start to set out for Iraq following passage of the authority motion from the parliament.

COMMANDERS DUE TO BORDER
Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and Force Commanders will control the units of 2nd Army Corps accross the border with Iraq. The visit, which had been delayed earlier due to bad weather conditions, will take place on Tuesday.
The commanders will get information about the studies during the visit that would take place on February 25 and 27.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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FOR THIS REASON
The map of the Northern Iraqi parliament clearly indicates the reason for Turkey's concern over the Kurds in the region. There are many maps on the web-page of the Kurdish parliament which was visited by two British parliamentarians two days ago who later announced that ''Turkish army should not enter Iraq.'' Many of our provinces are shown in the independent Kurdistan which they dream of. According to the map which covers a region till Ankara, Malatya, Elazig, Van, Hakkari, Kahramanmaras, Siirt, Batman, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Kars, Hatay and Gaziantep are shown in the territory of Kurdistan. The parliament has 105 seats. A total of 51 seats belong to Barzani, 49 to Talabani and 5 to Assyrians.

''WE BROUGHT AIDS IN TURKEY WITH MEDICINES''
Red Crescent Chairman Ertan Gonen made a terrifying claim: ''We imported blood medicines like Factor 8 and Factor 9 and increased AIDS and hepatitis cases in Turkey.''

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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SNOWFALL PARALYZES LIFE IN ISTANBUL
Istanbul became one of the cities which was affected the most by the cold and snow. The traffic in Istanbul Strait stopped, highway transportation was blocked and flights were held under control. Snow thickness in high places like Bolu Mountain is around two and a half metres.

DIPLOMACY TRAFFIC ON CYPRUS ACCELERATED
United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro De Soto met with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas on Saturday. Annan will come to Turkey on Sunday. When there are a few days left to February 28, diplomacy traffic on Cyprus was accelerated. De Soto told reporters following his meeting with Denktas that Cyprus talks would continue but he did not have any information about changes in Annan's plan.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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AK PARTY TARGETS TO ACCEPT STUDENTS WEARING HEADSCARF TO UNIVERSITIES
Following the implementation of draft law prepared by Justice and Development Party (AK Party) regarding higher education, all the regulations including the decisions taken by Higher Board of Education (YOK), will lose effectiveness.
The universities, which will arrange their own regulation, may take students wearing headscarf to universities.
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said universities should be the locomotive of the society, stating that, ''we are not in an ideological approach. Otherwise, objectivity will be lost.''

CYPRUS WEEK TO START
United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan will himself take action to make the solution plan to be accepted by the Turkish and the Greek Cypriot sides. Annan will visit Ankara, Athens and Lefkosa this week, and will be in an effort to put their signatures on February 28.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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WHAT ANKARA SAYS IS HAPPENING
Washington, which wants a decision to come out of parliament regarding northern front on Tuesday, sat at a negotiation table again after it left the negotiation table for some time. Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis said that negotiations had not yet ended with the United States regarding Iraq crisis but an agreement was very close. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Robert Pearson said that they were in a very good process while officials said that problems started to be overcome.

BANKS READY FOR WAR
Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener met with officials of ten giant private banks in Istanbul. Is Bankasi General Director Ersin Ozince said that the banking sector was in its strongest period in regard to war risk.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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REFORMS WILL NOT BE IMPEDED
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that the developments in foreign policy would not affect reforms of the government and added, ''we continue to fulfil the urgent action plan without any impediment even if there is war on our agenda.''

MAYBE ON TUESDAY
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that whether or not the motion on deployment of foreign troops in Turkey and dispatch of Turkish soldiers abroad to parliament on Tuesday was not definite. Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that the Council of Ministers would convene on Monday.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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ATATURK DAM TO BE PROTECTED BY ANTI-AIRCRAFT BATTERY
Ataturk Dam will be protected by anti-aircraft battery formed by special units. A military delegation comprised of two U.S. and seven Turkish members are carrying out site surveys in Ataturk Dam for a week. The military delegation decided to deploy anti-aircraft battery near Dutluca village in Bozova town of Sanliurfa to protect Ataturk Dam.

(AY-BRC) 23.02.2003