create table TMP_TEST (id number,DATES date)
/
insert into TMP_TEST values(1,'10-FEB-2016')
/
insert into TMP_TEST values(2,'12-FEB-2016')
/
insert into TMP_TEST values(3,'14-FEB-2016')
/
insert into TMP_TEST values(4,'17-FEB-2016')
/
commit
/
/*SELECT * FROM TMP_TEST
  ID      DATES
-------------------------------
  1	  10-02-16
  2	  12-02-16
  3	  14-02-16
  4	  17-02-16
*/

select * from TMP_TEST where DATES='10-FEB-2016'; --It returns row which has dates='12-Feb-2016' data
/*
  ID      DATES
-------------------------------
  1	  10-02-16
*/

alter session set nls_date_format = 'DD-MON-YYYY';

SQL> create table TMP_TEST (id number,DATES date)
  2  /

Table created.

SQL> insert into TMP_TEST values(1,'10-FEB-2016')
  2  /
insert into TMP_TEST values(1,'10-FEB-2016')
                              *
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-01858: a non-numeric character was found where a numeric was expected

/*
SQL> alter session set nls_date_format = 'DD-MON-YYYY'
  2  /

Session altered.

SQL> drop table TMP_TEST
  2  /

Table dropped.

SQL> create table TMP_TEST (id number,DATES date)
  2  /

Table created.

SQL> insert into TMP_TEST values(1,'10-FEB-2016')
  2  /

1 row created.

SQL> insert into TMP_TEST values(2,'12-FEB-2016')
  2  /

1 row created.

SQL> insert into TMP_TEST values(3,'14-FEB-2016')
  2  /

1 row created.

SQL> insert into TMP_TEST values(4,'17-FEB-2016')
  2  /

1 row created.

SQL> commit
  2  /

Commit complete.

SQL>
*/

with t as (
           select  id,
                   dates,
                   dense_rank() over(order by abs(dates - date '&dt')) drnk
             from  tmp_test
          )
select  id,
        dates
  from  t
  where drnk = 1
/
Enter value for dt: 2016-02-14
old   4:                    dense_rank() over(order by abs(dates - date '&dt')) drnk
new   4:                    dense_rank() over(order by abs(dates - date '2016-02-14')) drnk

        ID DATES
---------- ---------
         3 14-FEB-16

SQL> /
Enter value for dt: 2016-02-09
old   4:                    dense_rank() over(order by abs(dates - date '&dt')) drnk
new   4:                    dense_rank() over(order by abs(dates - date '2016-02-09')) drnk

        ID DATES
---------- ---------
         1 10-FEB-16

SQL> 

SQL> with t as (
  2             select  id,
  3                     dates,
  4                     dense_rank() over(order by abs(dates - date '&dt')) drnk
  5               from  tmp_test
  6            )
  7  select  id,
  8          dates
  9    from  t
 10    where drnk = 1
 11  /
Enter value for dt: 2016-02-13
old   4:                    dense_rank() over(order by abs(dates - date '&dt')) drnk
new   4:                    dense_rank() over(order by abs(dates - date '2016-02-13')) drnk

        ID DATES
---------- ---------
         2 12-FEB-16
         3 14-FEB-16

SQL> 

SQL> with t as (
  2             select  id,
  3                     dates,
  4                     dense_rank() over(order by dates) drnk
  5               from  tmp_test
  6               where dates >= date '&dt'
  7            )
  8  select  id,
  9          dates
 10    from  t
 11    where drnk = 1
 12  /
Enter value for dt: 2016-02-13
old   6:              where dates >= date '&dt'
new   6:              where dates >= date '2016-02-13'

        ID DATES
---------- ---------
         3 14-FEB-16

SQL>