ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on August 15, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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BABACAN: 180 ADMINISTRATORS OF IMAR BANKASI RESIGNED
State Minister Ali Babacan said, ''we can not reach the registrations, information and documents in Imar Bankasi. Around 170-180 administrators of the bank have resigned so far.''
Replying a question, Babacan said very important steps were taken on banking sector, and stated that structural changes have taken place.

ISRAEL KILLS MURDERER OF TURKISH MAJOR
Leader of Islamic Jihad group, who was responsible for killing of Turkish Major Cengiz Toytunc, was killed in an operation launched by Israeli army in Western Bank. Major Toytunc, who had been assigned within the body of International Temporary force, was killed on March 26, 2002.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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ONCE UPON A TIME
It is revealed that the Uzan family transferred Telsim to another company just before the law which will enable the state to seize Uzan's assets was passed on August 12. Members of the Uzan family resigned from the Telsim management on July 25. The new administration was registered on August 6 and it was issued in the commercial register gazette on August 11. Meanwhile, 80 percent of Telsim's shares was transferred to Standart Telekomunikasyon which also belongs to the Uzans. But, the Uzans had earlier resigned from the management of this company. Telecommunication Agency says that the partnership structure cannot be changed secretly.

FOREIGN TRADE DEFICIT REACHES 9 BILLION USD IN FIRST HALF
Exports from Turkey increased 32.1 percent to 21.7 billion U.S. dollars and its imports climbed 34.4 percent to 30.6 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of this year when compared with the same period of the previous year. According to figures of the State Institute of Statistics (SIS), the foreign trade deficit increased 40.1 percent to 8.9 billion U.S. dollars while the rate of exports meeting imports fell from 72 to 70.8 percent in the same period.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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BIRTHDAY IS FEBRUARY 28
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) was born due to ''the February 28 process'' which ended the Welfare Party (RP). Erdogan said that the process made them think again. Erdogan explained the foundation process of his party on the second anniversary of its establishment. Erdogan summarized the reason of separating paths with the Denominational Vision as, ''we were fed up with conflicts and tension.'' Erdogan stated that the February 28 process made them re-consider everything and added that the most concrete difference between the reformists and traditionalists was faced during the formation of the Virtue Party (FP). ''Now, the AK Party has a definition of existence aiming at erasing the traces of the past. This definition is one choosing 'conservative' instead of 'Muslim' to explain the new formation.''

ADDITIONAL TIME TO RETURN HOME
Interior Minister expects a very good result from the Reassociation Law and victory from the local elections. Abdulkadir Aksu, who has served as the interior minister during Erdogan and Ozal government, replied to questions of Sabah daily and said, ''they are similar to each other in regard to charisma and vision.'' Aksu stated that many central authorities would be transferred to local administrations with the local administration reform and added, ''I expect a victory from the local elections in 2004.'' Aksu noted that if there was an extraordinary rise in number of people who wanted to benefit from the ''return home law'', they could extend the six-month time given for those who wanted to make use of the law. Aksu pointed out that 1,600 people had applied to benefit from the law and 57 people benefited from the law and were released.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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SECURITY BELT
Ankara calls on Washington to set up a disarmed zone in Turkish border of Iraq. Existence of armed terrorist groups in the region and the concerns that the terrorists would infiltrate to Turkey were influential in Turkey's request. Ankara, who made the evaluation that it could take long to install stability in Iraq, pointed out that border security could be provided by announcement of disarmed region and careful implementation of this rule.

GUL: THREE CRITERIA SHOULD BECOME MATURE
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said a new U.N. decision was not a condition to send soldiers to Iraq, stating that they would be in an effort to mature three important criteria. Gul listed them as:
Capture of top members of terrorist PKK organization. Formation of a joint plan in political and humanitarian structuring of Iraq. Convincing of Iraq people in deployment of Turkish soldiers as peace forces.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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ATTACK FROM UZANS
The Uzan family, who has been sentenced to pay 4.26 billion U.S. dollars of compensation in New York, is searching for a way out. The Uzan family, who was sentenced by the New York court to pay 4.26 billion U.S. dollars of debt and compensation to Motorola, has applied to the appeals court asking the court to stop the execution.

A TOTAL OF 18 KG HEROIN SEIZED
A total of 18 kilograms of heroin which had a market value of 500 billion Turkish liras (TL) was seized in Yuksekova town of southeastern Hakkari province. Three people were captured in connection with heroin smuggling. Acting on a tip-off, police searched a car in a security point outside the town and found 18 kilograms of heroin hidden in the car.
SEZER RATIFIES TWO LAWS
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer approved Privatization Law which enables merging of Telekom's GSM company Aycell and Aria and the law on amendment to Public Procurement Law. Thus, the legal ground has been laid for merging of Aria and Aycell.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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TURKEY TO BE ALSO AFFECTED BY HOT WEATHER
Killing heat wave, coming from Europe, will affect our country staring as of today. The temperatures will increase six degrees and expected to be around 40-45 degrees.

RACE OF GIANTS IN HELICOPTER
Talks continue between Turkish Armed Forces and two companies on project for supply of 145 war helicopters.
Sources said on Thursday that talks which continued with U.S. and Russian-Israeli consortia were expected to be completed till the end of the year.
Officials of Russian Kamov company had claimed that pre-agreement on the mentioned helicopters were signed.
Defense industry officials, who evaluated this statement, noted that they considered the statement of officials of the Russian company as a wish and stated that the tender process continued with the talks held with both companies.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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SEZER SAYS STATE HAS PRIORITY
Educationalists did not share the idea of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer in vetoing of the law envisaging education of poor students in private schools. The educationalists said expenditures of private schools in France and Germany were met from the budget of the state, and pointed out that education system should also be harmonized with the European Union (EU) system as it happened in all other fields.

TOBB CHAIRMAN EXPENDS SUPPORT TO SENDING OF SOLDIERS TO IRAQ
Rifat Hisarciklioglu, the Chairman of Union of Turkish Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) system in Iraq should be normalized soon to provide regional peace and tranquility. He said, ''Turkey should take assignment if it has to.''
Hisarciklioglu said Turkey could not remain indifferent to the developments and concerns in its geography, stating that, ''historical, cultural, and relative ties of Turkey and Iraq are very intense. It is not right for Turkey to remain indifferent to this region. System in Iraq should be normalized soon for regional peace and tranquility.''

(BRC-AY-AÖ) 15.08.2003