ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on August 20, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
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DERVIS MEETS WITH BAYKAL
Former State Minister Kemal Dervis held a six-hour meeting with Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. During the meeting, Dervis and Baykal have reached full consensus of opinion on four issues:
1- All kinds of efforts will be expended to unify with the Democratic Left Party (DSP),
2- Doors will be kept open for the New Turkey Party (YTP),
3- A government programme will be prepared, and
4- All kinds of efforts will be expended to prevent postponement of general elections.

CEM CRITICIZES DERVIS
New Turkey Party (YTP) leader Ismail Cem criticized former State Minister Kemal Dervis saying, ''Dervis did not keep his promise. We cannot come together with him again.''

TRANSFORMER IN YATAGAN THERMIC POWER PLANT EXPLODES
One of the transformers in the Yatagan Thermic Power Plant in western province of Mugla exploded, and a fire broke out after the explosion. Power Plant Director Bulent Barut said that they had not revealed the reason for the explosion yet, but they had taken all necessary measures to prevent the fire from spreading to other transformers and they had shut down all units. Barut said fire-brigades had taken the fire under control. He added that the explosion and fire caused a 3.5 trillion Turkish liras damage.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
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''WE EXPECT EU TO SET A DATE FOR FULL MEMBERSHIP NEGOTIATIONS''
State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, who is also acting as leader of the Motherland Party (ANAP), said that Turkey expected the European Union (EU) to set a date for beginning of the full membership negotiations. He said that he would warn Denmark, the current term president of the EU, not to assume a different attitude towards Turkey. Yilmaz who is currently in Denmark, is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark and Foreign Affairs Minister Per Stig Moller later today.

TREASURY SELLS USD 301 MILLION OF STATE BONDS
Treasury sold 301 million U.S. dollars of one-year maturity (364-day) state bonds denominated in U.S. dollar through public offering. Sale of state bonds will continue today. Treasury sold 301 million U.S. dollars of state bonds in nominal while net sale became 276.2 million U.S. dollars. Selling price of state bonds was 917,43 U.S. dollars yesterday, and will be 917,64 U.S. dollars today.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
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PUBLIC SURVEY
An impartial public survey was carried out for the upcoming elections. According to the survey, only four political parties will have seats at the parliament. The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is expected to win an overwhelming victory in the elections. The Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) are the other political parties to have seats at the parliament.

ECEVIT: ''I WILL QUIT AFTER THE ELECTIONS''
Prime Minister and Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit said that he would quit after the elections to be held on November 3, 2002. ''I do not intend to remain as leader of the DSP forever,'' he said. Prime Minister Ecevit added that DSP's doors would be kept open for former State Minister Kemal Dervis.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
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SIX-HOUR MEETING BETWEEN DERVIS AND BAYKAL
Kemal Dervis who decided to continue his works for unification in the left with Republican People's Party (CHP), met with CHP leader Deniz Baykal. Dervis and Baykal had a meeting which lasted for six hours. They said following the meeting that they would hold another meeting on Wednesday. Baykal who remarked that there was absolutely no barganing or any sort of friction between them at the meeting said, ''we are aware of our responsibility. We know Turkey's waiting. We are in an effort to respond to this waiting in the best way.'' Meanwhile, Dervis refrained from responding a question when he would join CHP. Dervis said that their aim was to ensure the unification of social democrats and democratic left components.

FIRE TAKEN UNDER CONTROL AFTER FIVE DAYS
The fire which broke out in Cetibeli region of Marmaris township of southwestern Mugla province last Thursday, was fully taken under control after five days. The experts believe that fire started because of the electricity cables in forested area. Another fire which broke out in northwestern Balikesir province due to the same reason destroyed trees. A total of 6,000 hectares of forested area was burnt down to ashes in Balikesir and Marmaris.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
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HISTORICAL SIGNING CEREMONY TO BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 18
A signing ceremony will be held in Azerbaijani capital Baku on September 18 for the Baku-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will sign the agreement on behalf of Turkey. Following the signing ceremony, the international company which has completed the foundation works for the pipeline, will order the contractor company BOTAS to start the process. The project is expected to be finalized in 2005. It will cost 4 billion U.S. dollars.

A PROPOSAL FROM UNITED STATES TO TURKEY
The United States proposed Turkey to sign a bilateral agreement in order to save its soldiers from the authority of the International Criminal Court which was established in July of 2002. Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) has been putting pressure on Turkey to sign the Rome Statute of the ICC. Upon insistence of the United States, Foreign Affairs Ministry and General Staff have begun assessing the bilateral agreement.

CEM TO MEET WITH SCHROEDER
New Turkey Party (YTP) leader Ismail Cem will meet with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in order to further improve relations between the YTP and the German Social Democrat Party, and to ask Schroeder to extend support for Turkey's full membership to the European Union (EU).

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
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YTP'S CHANCE IS HIGH
New Turkey Party (YTP) leader Ismail Cem who stated that people were bored with old politicians said, ''people want new politicians and new ideas. We will give these to our people. So we have a big chance to win the elections.'' Cem made very important statements on the latest developments in policy. He said, ''voter will first make a preference between old and new politicians.'' Cem added that they totally separated with Kemal Dervis.

BIG PARTICIPATION IN AK PARTY
Former National Education Minister Koksal Toptan and Yozgat Mayor Mehmet Erdemir who resigned from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), joined the Justice and Development Party (AK Party). AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan who spoke at the opening of extraordinary provincial chairmen meeting recalled that the parliament decided to hold an early election on November 3. He said, ''the election will be held on November 3, 2002. Every decision which will be taken is in favor of AK Party. We are walking to the future with determined steps.''

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
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TURKISH NATIONAL BASKETBALL TEAM LEAVES FOR INDIANAPOLIS
Turkish National Basketball team which will join the 14th World Basketball Championship that will start in Indianapolis on August 29 left for the United States. The team will camp in Detroit for 6 days then it will proceed to Indiana on August 26, and wait for the championship. Basketball Federation Chairman Turgay Demirel said that they would have an honorable struggle in Indianapolis.

GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING BUREAU SHOULD CONTROL FINANCIAL RECORDS OF PARTIES
Policy-money relation came onto the agenda again after the parliament decided to hold the early elections on November 3. Experts who proposed that Government Accounting Bureau should control the financial records of the political parties, want the Treasury aid to be distributed to the all parties equally.