These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on February 22, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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SABANCI AND HAS: CAPITAL PUNISHMENT SHOULD BE LIFTED
Sakip Sabanci and Kadir Has, the two leading businessmen, currently in France for holiday, said capital punishment should be lifted for the future of Turkey. Sabanci and Has said the condition, brought in front of Turkey's full membership to the European Union (EU), was the removal of capital punishment.
Sabanci said, ''this draft is brought onto the agenda in connection with the adjustment laws. The EU has some targets. The EU member countries say they don't have capital punishment and that their rules have to be abided by if Turkey wants to be the member of the EU.''

KARZAI THANKS ECEVIT ON THE PHONE
Prime Minister Hamid Karzai of interim government in Afghanistan called Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit on the phone overnight and said that he would be pleased with Turkey's taking over command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Karzai also said he would visit Ankara by the end of March.
Ecevit said, ''Prime Minister Hamid Karzai of interim government in Afghanistan called me on the phone overnight. Karzai said that he would be pleased with Turkey's taking over command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.''

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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FIRST SUSURLUK IN PRISON
Ibrahim Sahin, the former acting chairman of Special Operation Team, and who was sentenced to six years in prison within the scope of Susurluk case, was sent to Metris Prison on Thursday. Sahin was taken from his home directly as there was the possibility of his escape.

''TURKEY IS THE ONLY BRIDGE BETWEEN WEST-ISLAM DIALOGUE''
The U.S. Wall Street Journal newspaper said the dialogue which the West wanted to establish with the Islam world was like the dialogue of deaf, and noted that Turkey was a bridge between the two sides.
Tunku Varadarajan, one of the assistant editors of the newspaper, said cultures of the West and the Islam world are so different that it is impossible to set up a logical dialogue. He said only Turkey plays the role of a bridge.
It was also underlined that Turkey came to this position due to the reforms of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Founder of Modern Turkish Republic.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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COURT BAN ON E-MAILS OF FOGG
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said a ban was brought on the publication of e-mail messages of EU Commission's Turkey Representative Karen Fogg.
Fogg had applied to the Foreign Ministry about the publication of e-mail messages and the investigation file has been sent to Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office.
The court, who examined the file, put ban on the publication of e-mail messages.

ECEVIT: NO BARGAINING
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit rejected the bargaining that Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the terrorist organization, should firstly be hanged to lift capital punishment. Ecevit said Turkey would not be able to enter the European Union (EU) if capital punishment is not lifted.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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NEW FORMATION IN LEFT
Yigit Guloksuz, who prepared program and regulation draft before Erdal Inonu withdrew from the works of a new leftist party foundation, speeded up efforts to set up a party. Prof. Ilhan Tekeli, Tarhan Erdem and their friends also work on the issue.
Prof. Ilhan Tekeli said they were putting forward a new project for the Turkish politics.
Guloksuz said the party program would be discussed in meetings that would take place in Anatolia, and noted that foundation cadre of the party would be determined by the end of March.

TURKISH BUSINESSMEN DUE TO IRAQ
Turkish businessmen are getting ready to go to Iraq within the framework of improving trade relations.
The delegation, led by Foreign Trade Undersecretary Kursad Tuzmen, will hold contacts in Iraq in March 2-5. Nearly 150 businessmen will attend the visit.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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AMBASSADORS OF EU MEMBER COUNTRIES AND FOGG VISITED YAHNICI AT HIS HOME
A very special meeting took place at the house of Sevket Bulent Yahnici, the Deputy Chairman of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
The guests were EU Commission's Turkey Representative Karen Fogg, ambassadors of EU Term President Spain, next Term President Denmark, and diplomatic representatives of other EU countries.
The aim of the MHP was to reveal that they adopted the EU target and to convey Turkey's special sensitivities without any mediator.

TREASURY TO REPAY USD 126.2 MILLION OF EXTERNAL DEBT NEXT WEEK
Treasury will repay 126.2 million U.S. dollars of external debt next week.
According to the Treasury Undersecretariat statistics, Treasury will repay 99.7 million U.S. dollars on February 26, 21.9 million U.S. dollars on February 27, 1.4 million U.S. dollars on February 28, and 3.2 million U.S. dollars on March 1.
Treasury repaid 416.6 million U.S. dollars of foreign debt this week.
Treasury has repaid 1 billion 260.8 million U.S. dollars of external debt so far since the beginning of the year 2002.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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SEZER CALLS FOR SOLIDARITY FOR PEOPLE
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer in his message issued for Feast of Sacrifice, called for solidarity. Sezer said solidarity and aid gained more importance in bairams.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, in his message said he wished the Islam world and all the humanity to live in peace and tranquility.

FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES DECREASE BY USD 800 BILLION
Foreign exchange reserves of the Central Bank decreased by 800 billion U.S. dollars between February 8-15, 2002.
According to the Central Bank's weekly bulletin, the Central Bank's foreign exchange reserves which were 21 billion 493 million U.S. dollars on February 8, decreased to 20 billion 693 million U.S. dollars on February 15.
Meanwhile, total foreign exchange reserves of banks and private finance organizations decreased 577 million U.S. dollars from 13 billion 365 million U.S. dollars to 12 billion 788 million U.S. dollars as of February 1.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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AKAYEV CALLS ON TURKISH BUSINESSMEN TO INVEST IN HIS COUNTRY
President Askar Akayev of Kyrgyzstan who is currently paying an official visit to Turkey attended a meeting organized by Turkish-Kyrgyz Business Council in Istanbul on Thursday.
Speaking at the meeting, President Akayev said, ''Turkey has achieved great successes, and we have inspired from Turkey's successes. This meeting is an opportunity for me to thank Turkish businessmen.''
Noting that Turkey was the biggest investor country in Kyrgyzstan, President Akayev said, ''Turkey's investments in Kyrgyzstan reached 350 million U.S. dollars. More than 400 Turkish companies have been acting in Kyrgyzstan. I want to call on Turkish businessmen to maintain their cooperation with Kyrgyz companies.''