These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on March 15, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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CEM:ITALIAN POLICE ACTED AS IF THEY WERE MUSSOLINI'S POLICEMEN
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem harshly criticized the Italian police likening the force to police at the time of Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. Galatasaray held AS Roma to a 1-1 draw Wednesday night, preventing the Italian league champion from qualifying for the quarterfinals. The hard-fought match had a tense finish when Italian players pushed Turkish footballers while they were walking to the dressing rooms. Italian riot police used batons to force the Turkish players off the field. ''A police force that can attack in such a merciless way and assault players in the changing rooms can only be the police of Mussolini. As I watched television I thought I was watching the time of Fascist Mussolini and Mussolini's policemen and not Europe of 2002, Cem said. I hope our citizens can return safely, the Italian police displayed a great shame, we strongly condemn the culprits, he stressed.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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THANK YOU MANOS
UEFA Observer Manos Mavrokoulais who is from Greece rescued Turkish football team Galatasaray from Rome hell after the violent incidents that took place in Italy following the match played between AS Roma and Galatasaray. When Italian police wanted to arrest three Turkish footballers namely Emre, Umit and Kerem, Manos resisted the Italian police in front of the dressing room saying ''this is UEFA's area. I won't let you take the Turks.''

PROSECUTOR OPENS INVESTIGATION ABOUT RETIRED GENERALS
Bagcilar Chief Prosecutor's Office started an investigation about the retired generals who defended Korkut Eken, who is also a retired officer and who is a suspect in Susurluk case. Three retired ambassadors had told that Eken did everything he did with their knowledge. Prosecutor Ercan Cengiz said that ''we will examine the issue within the scope of praising a crime under first clause of Article 312 of Turkish Penal Code.'' If an element of crime is found, the retired generals can be tried.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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''FASCIST'' CRISIS WITH ITALY
Italians are very angry with the words of Foreign Minister Ismail Cem who said that ''As I watched television I thought I was watching the time of Fascist Mussolini and Mussolini's policemen and not Europe of 2002.'' Italian Ambassador to Turkey Vittorio Surdo said ''we were hurt by the comparison. I hope it won't be repeated again.'' Meanwhile Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned Surdo and submitted him a protest note.

FORMER PRESIDENT DEMIREL MISSES POLITICS
Addressing Istanbul Trade Chamber meeting, former president Demirel gave the signal of returning to politics. ''I have a burning desire to do politics,'' Demirel. Demirel said that he came to the meeting not to do politics, but he expressed his desire to do that.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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KRETSCHENER EXPECTED TO BE NEW EU COMMISSION'S REPRESENTATIVE
EU Commission's Representative to Turkey Karen Fogg went to Brussels to discuss her next post. Meanwhile Hansjorg Kretschner, the EU Representative in Bosnia who is from Germany, is expected to be appointed as Representative to Turkey before July.

KARZAI:TURKS TO COMMAND ISAF
Hamid Karzai, the prime minister of Afghanistan's interim government, said after talks with German leaders in Berlin that Turkey was expected to lead the force. Meanwhile important progress was recorded in the meeting held between Turkish, American and British officials yesterday. After the meeting, U.S.'s special representative to Afghanistan Dobbins said that Turkey, the U.S. and Britain held consultations for a long time on the command of ISAF, adding that all the three countries supported the ISAF in Afghanistan and its peace keeping mission. ''We had quite constructive discussions and some of our military experts will remain and continue to discuss technical points for one or two days. Turkey had a number of questions regarding the succession in command and we responded to Turkey's questions,'' adding that the results would be presented to the Turkish government for it to give the final decision about the issue.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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900 MILLION TL OF INCREASE FORESEEN FOR DEPUTIES
The decree which will balance the inequality in wages in public sector was published yesterday. Yet there is a great surprise in the decree:''455 milion TL of increase is foreseen in the wages of professors, while 900 million is foreseen for deputies.'' The decree which will go into force as of January 15, increases the wages of high ranking personnel working in the public sector between 212 and 455 million liras.

CEM:''IF THERE'S NO AGREEMENT ON A COMMON VISION, TALKS WOULD END UP IN FAILURE''
Commenting on the ongoing talks between the two sides in Cyprus, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said the talks would end up in failure if the two sides cannot agree on a common vision. He added that there's still time to reach an agreement. In an interview with International Herald Tribune, Cem said ''In order to move forward in the actual process of dialogue, I believe that an effort by the two leaders to reach a 'common vision' for the future of Cyprus and to define 'the end-result' they want to achieve is the essential first step, the precondition for progress. The path which might lead to a settlement and which would save everybody -Turkey, Greece, EU, Turkish Cypriots, Greek Cypriots -from trouble, seems to be the following: a)To agree on the merger of the basic stances of both parties, i.e., e new partnership State, representing both nations of Cyprus on matters it is empowered through an agreement by the two constituent States. b)To agree on the powers and functions to be given to the partnership State. c)To agree on all matters that the parties consider as vital.''

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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KURDISH BROADCAST TO BE TAKEN AT NSC MEETING
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said that the issue of Kurdish broadcasting in one channel of Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) in certain hours in a day is expected to be taken up during the National Security Council (NSC) meeting to be held in March.

ROBBERS CAPTURED
Hikmet Dogramaci and Murat Bayram, the two man who robbed Akbank branch in Gayrettepe, Istanbul by getting 60 billion TL and 20,000 U.S. dollars from the bank were caught in Kirklareli province when they attempted to flee abroad.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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HADEP'S ALTERNATIVE PARTY FACES DANGER OF CLOSURE
Supreme Court of Appeals' Chief Prosecutor Sabih Kanadoglu filed a suit at the Constitutional Court requesting the closure of the Rights and Freedoms Party (HAKPAR). The indictment noted that there were provisions in the statute and programme of the Rights and Freedoms Party which were against the priciple of inseparable character of the state with its country and nation.
The indictment noted that the programme of the party claimed that there were minorities in the country stemming from cultural, racial and language differences. The party was founded by Abdulmelik Firat on February 11, 2002.