ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on August 16, 2003. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
''WE WILL CANCEL THEIR CERTIFICATE''
Telecommunication Agency Chairman Omer Arasil said that they could cancel certificate of Uzan family's Telsim, one of GSM operators in Turkey. Noting that the Telecommunication Agency would extraordinarily convene next week, Arasil said, ''we will either punish Telsim or take its certificate under control. It is banned to stage any activities without giving information to Telecommunication Agency and taking its permission. Uzan family's transferring more than 50 percent of Telsim shares is an illegal act. We cannot remain silent against it.''

PRESIDENT SEZER VETOES TWO LAWS
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer vetoed two laws enabling sale of areas which lost their characteristics of being forest and envisaging amendment to the Constitution for the second time. President Sezer gave the message to the government that he would resort to referendum in case of submission of the laws without any changes.

FORMER PRESIDENT DEMIREL: ''TURKEY SHOULD DISPATCH SOLDIERS TO IRAQ''
Former President Suleyman Demirel said that Turkey should join the Stability Force to be deployed in Iraq. ''If Turkey wants to dispatch soldiers to Iraq in order to improve its relations with the United States, it should do whatever is necessary,'' he said.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
PRIDE OF GOLDEN GIRL
Sureyya Ayhan, the worldwide famous Turkish athlete, won women's 1,500 meters in the Weltklasse Track Meet which is the fifth meeting in the Golden League series. Ayhan reached the best score of the last six month in womens 1,500 meters.

''IT WILL BE TAKEN WITH MOTION''
Forestry Minister Osman Pepe said that constitutional amendment enabling sale of areas which lost their characteristics of being forest which was vetoed by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer for the second time, would be taken up when the parliament convened extraordinarily to debate the motion about dispatch of Turkish soldiers to Iraq. Pepe said that they would submit the law without any changes. Meanwhile, Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chairman Bulent Gedikli said that they would not give up the arrangement.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
''POLITICAL ISLAM IS IN A DIFFERENT ADDRESS''
Dr. Yalcin Akdogan, who drew a theoretic frame for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) with his book entitled ''Conservative Democracy'', said, ''the AK Party does not represent the political Islam. The representative of Political Islam is the Felicity Party (SP).''

GIANT FESTIVAL FOR TOLERANCE
Nearly 200 thousand people will gather in Hacibektas town of central province of Nevsehir to attend the ceremonies to commemorate Hadji Bektas Veli. A total of 2 thousand 500 tents were erected and three mobile kitchens were set up in Hacibektas to host the guests.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
ATTACK ON TURKISH EMBASSY IN BAGHDAD
Unidentified people opened fire on the Turkish Embassy in Iraqi capital Baghdad overnight. There were not any immediate reports of casualties in the attack. Ministry of Foreign Affairs sources said that the attack was considered a result of recent public order problem in Baghdad instead of an intentional attack targeting the Turkish Embassy. The same sources recalled that similar incidents occurred in the past.

CIVIL SERVANTS PREPARE TO TAKE STREETS
Labor unions of civil servants left the first collective bargaining talks hopelessly. Turkish Public Workers Trade Union (Kamu-Sen) Chairman Bircan Akyildiz said, ''rights of public workers were violated in 2003. We want the government to return these rights public workers as soon as possible.'' Meanwhile, Confederation of Public Workers Trade Unions (KESK) Chairman Sami Evren said that they did not get a positive impression during the first collective bargaining talks. He said, ''if a new proposal is not put forward on Thursday, the process of demonstration will start. We will take streets in Ankara on August 23.''

RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
ANKARA EXPECTS INVITATION FROM IRAQ
Ankara felt relieved after the United Nations has taken a decision making Iraqi governmental council legitimate. Now, Ankara expects Iraq to invite Turkish soldiers to join the Stability Forces.

NEW U.S. AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY EDELMAN ARRIVES IN ANKARA
New U.S. Ambassador in Ankara Eric Edelman arrived in Ankara on Friday to start his mission. Addressing journalists at Ankara's Esenboga Airport, Edelman said that he was very pleased to come to Turkey and added that high-ranking American officials attributed great importance to relations with Turkey. Edelman will start his mission officially after presenting his letter of credence to Sezer.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
''GET TRAPPED UNDER RUBBLE, STATE RESCUES YOU''
Prof. Dr. Naci Gorur, the head of the TUBITAK Marmara Research Center, defines the distortion in preparations against possible earthquake in Marmara region as saying, ''get trapped under rubble, the state rescues you''. He said, ''we don't take measures to prevent collapse of buildings in earthquakes but we are getting prepared only to rescue those who are trapped beneath rubble. Buildigs in several red zones should have been evacuated. Nothing has been done for four years. Briefly, people living in these areas have been told 'you are going to die'. Projects are developed to rescue people from the rubble after earthquake. If this job had been taken seriously, loans would have been obtained from the World Bank and necessary measures would have been taken.'' He said, ''when earthquake measure is mentioned, the state thinks about releasing decree. And municipalities employs two more firemen as assistants of three firemen, and we get ourselves ready for earthquake with five firemen, that is, we fulfil the job at the table.''

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE AGAINST UZANS
The Sisli Criminal Court of Peace no:2 took precautionary measure on possession rights on goods, properties and receivables of 119 people including Cem Uzan and Hakan Uzan and their company.

CIVIL SERVANTS' DEMONSTRATION THREAT
Any result was not reached at the first-day bargainings between the civil servant unionists and the government on salary of civil servants in 2004. Unionists are getting prepared for demonstration if any result is not reached by Thursday.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
COUNCIL OF MINISTER TO CONVENE IN SAKARYA ON AUGUST 18
The Council of Ministers will convene under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in northwestern province of Sakarya on August 18. Releasing a statement, Prime Ministry Press Center said that the Council of Ministers would convene in Sakarya on Monday due to the fourth anniversary of the quake disaster which devastated the Marmara region on August 17, 1999.

(UK-MS) 16.08.2003