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

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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TEN SHIPS UNLOAD 2087 MILITARY VEHICLES AT ISKENDERUN PORT
Ten cargo ships carrying military vehicles and equipment have approached Iskenderun port in southern Hatay province since February 19. The ships unloaded 2087 vehicles at the port. Five military ships of them carrying Patriots of the Netherlands unloaded vehicles and equipment at the port.

''U.S. TO FIGHT AGAINST IRAQ WITHOUT TURKEY''
A U.S. official said that the United States would attack Iraq without support of Turkey. U.S. official told Hurriyet that Justice and Development Party (AK Party) was responsible for the point which was reached on the issue and said that the United States would make war against Iraq without Turkey. U.S. official said that financial aid package was no longer on the table and stated that Turkish economy would be affected negatively due to this situation.

RAINY WEATHER ACROSS COUNTRY
There will be rainy weather across Turkey in the coming days. Rainfall is expected in southern Aegean and western Mediterranean regions. There will be heavy rainfall in eastern Mediterranean, Southeastern Anatolia and Eastern Anatolia regions on Tuesday.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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''WE HAVE NOT BREAK OFF TIES WITH U.S.''
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that Turkey didn't want its relations with the U.S. to be disturbed, adding that ''the ties between Turkey and the U.S. didn't break off, we find ways to sort out the problems.'' When responding to questions of the paper about the relations between Turkey and the U.S. regarding a possible operation against Iraq, Gul said that ''our relations with the U.S. are very important. We don't want these relations to be disturbed or to be drifted to a crisis. Certainly, the ties between us have not broken off. We follow the developments. We attribute great importance to our relations with the U.S. which is our strategic ally. We search for ways to find a solution to the problems that came out regarding the process about Iraq.''

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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''15 BILLION DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED''
The U.S. which continues its preparations to start an operation against Iraq, takes a step back regarding monetary assistance to Turkey. Following the statement of U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell who said that ''no money was allocated for assistance to Turkey in the budget,'' two high ranking U.S. officials said that the aid package was not in question for the moment. Associated Press asserted that ''senior U.S. officials speaking on condition of anonymity said the 15 billion U.S. dollars offer to Turkey had been withdrawn.''

OZILHAN: ''MOTION MAY NOT BE ADOPTED''
Chairman of the Association of Turkish Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSIAD) said that the U.S. didn't prepare a new assistance package to Turkey for a possible operation against Iraq, as the U.S. was suspicious that the second motion would not be adopted. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems resolved to submit the second motion to the parliament. However, the business circle is suspicious about the adoption of the second motion. TUSIAD Chairman Ozilhan expressed his doubt about the adoption of the second motion and said that ''if the aid package is not sent to Turkey by the U.S., the government in Turkey has to play a key role and it should take decisions to keep the damage of a possible war on Turkey at the minimum level.''

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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LAST WEEK FOR BARGAINING BETWEEN TURKEY AND U.S.
A meeting which will be held in Ankara between Turkmens and Kurdish groups in northern Iraq is very important for negotiations on Iraq issue between Turkey and the United States. An agreement on Turkey's possible security operation and strengthening of status of Turkmens will be tried to be formed at the meeting in which U.S. President George W. Bush's adviser for Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad will also participate. According to result of the meeting, either Turkey will be in full cooperation with the United States on Iraq issue or it will extend limited support to the United States in case of an attack against Iraq.

COMMON VOICE OF NATIONS: ''NO TO WAR''
Many people in several countries of the world hold demonstrations against a possible war. People in Britain, Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Greece, Russia and Japan protested the United States' policy on Iraq. Demonstrators in Britain wanted Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Qatar and Egypt not to extend support to the United States in a war against Iraq.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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TURKEY TO PAY 93. BILLION DOLLARS OF FOREIGN DEBT
Turkey will pay 93.4 billion dollars of foreign debt in 2003. State Minister Ali Babacan announced the foreign debt amount of Turkey this year during the budget talks in the parliamentary commission. The amount of the foreign debt that has to be paid per capita in Turkey, which has a population of 67 million, is 1,400 U.S. dollars (2.31 billion Turkish liras). The budget will be discussed in the parliamentary general assembly this week.

2,087 VEHICLES IN ISKENDERUN
The transfer of the U.S. military equipment to Turkey continues. The number of vehicles which were brought to Iskenderun port from the U.S. to date reached 2,087. These vehicles were brought to Iskenderun port by ten ships which were also full of military equipment since Feb. 19, 2003.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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ERDOGAN: ''TURKEY HAS TO BE STRONG''
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that everybody had to contribute production, employment, social peace and regional justice, stressing that, ''to this end, Turkey should be very strong.'' Erdogan participated in the 9th Provincial Consultation Assembly meeting of his party. Erdogan said he was grateful for everybody who accelerated the efforts to make contribution to Turkey, noting that they were obliged to show their efforts with their performance. Stating that they were obliged to fulfill their responsibilities for the country, Erdogan said, ''the world is looking at Turkey. To this end, Turkey has to be very strong. Everybody has to contribute production, employment, social peace and regional justice.''

A TOTAL OF 250,000 MARTYRS WAITING FOR YOU
Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB) Chairman Basaran Ulusoy will go to Canakkale with thousands of youths from 81 provinces of the country. Recalling that the parliament had announced March 18 as ''commemoration day of Canakkale martyrs'' last year, Ulusoy said that they invited thousands of children to Canakkale to commemorate martyrs.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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IRAQI OPPOSITION LEADERS COME TO TURKEY
Turkey, the U.S., Kurdish groups and Turkmens in Northern Iraq will come together in Ankara. Patriotic Union for Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani, Iraqi Kurdistan Democrat Party (KDP) representative Necirvan Barzani and Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) leader Sanan Ahmet Aga entered Turkey from Habur border gate yesterday. During the talks in Ankara, the dimension and character of the military activities that are expected to take place in Northern Iraq in parallel with a possible intervention in Iraq will be discussed.

(EÖ-Öª) 17.03.2003