ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on August 24, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
ECEVIT'S MESSAGE TO SADDAM: ''DON'T ESCALATE TENSION''
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit sent messages to President Saddam Hussein of Iraq and Vice President Taha Yasin Ramadan, and warned them to refrain from an action that could escalate tension in the region. In his messages, Prime Minister Ecevit stressed, ''we are in favor of finding peaceful solution to the problems in the region. Turkey has been doing its utmost so far to this end, and will continue to do so.

TURKEY: ''WE ARE UNEASY''
Turkey will inform the United States on its uneasiness about efforts of Kurdish groups in Northern Iraq to found an independent Kurdish state and about their threatening attitudes against the Turkish Armed Forces.

INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY UTILIZATION INCREASES TO 77.5 PERCENT
The capacity utilization that is weighted by production value increased to 77.5 percent in July. According to the results of the monthly tendency survey which reflect view of the establishments in manufacturing industry about production, sales, stocks and prices for the realization in July of 2002 and expectation in August of 2002, the rate of capacity utilization increased from 71.1 percent in July of 2001 to 77.5 percent in July of 2002.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
DERVIS: ''I WANT A CHANCE FROM OUR PEOPLE''
Former State Minister Kemal Dervis who has joined the Republican People's Party (CHP) following his resignation, said, ''Turkish economy has reached a proper ground for growth. Now, I want a chance from our people.'' Dervis also noted, ''Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's health problems, and the dispute between the Motherland Party (ANAP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) gave rise to serious concerns. I conveyed Prime Minister Ecevit my concerns about possible impacts of political uncertainty on the economy. However, he did not make any concrete statement.''

INFLATION TO FALL TO 8 PERCENT IN 2005
State Planning Organization (DPT) predicted that the inflation would fall to 9 percent in 2005. DPT prepared a report on Turkey's economy. According to the report, the DPT foresaw 3.9 percent increase in Turkey's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 3 percent rise in Gross National Product (GNP) this year. Increase in domestic demand was calculated as 3.4 percent while a 6.2 percent increase was foreseen in this year's exports. Imports are expected to increase by 15.8 percent. The DPT predicted annual 5.2 percent rise in GNP and 5 percent increase in GDP between 2003 and 2005.

SEZER: ''PROBLEMS CAN BE SOLVED ONLY BY ELECTIONS''
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said that he was opposed to postponement of early elections to be held on November 3, 2002. Speaking at weekly press conference at the Cankaya Presidential Palace, Presidential Foreign Affairs Chief Adviser Tacan Ildem said, ''President Sezer thinks that we can solve the problems only by elections.''

SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
MEMBERS OF DHKP-C RELEASED
A total of 15 members of the terrorist Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) who were taken into custody during an operation on offices of two magazines in Istanbul, were released by Istanbul State Security Court (DGM). They will be tried without detention.

TURKISH DOCTOR'S GREAT ACHIEVEMENT
Lale Satiroglu Tufan from the Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine discovered the URG4 gene which causes liver cancer. Her research was given broad place in the international magazine Neoplasia.

WORKS WITH IMF NOT TO BE POSTPONED
The fourth review works to be carried out with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be held on the scheduled date. The works will not be affected by elections.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
ZIYAL DUE TO UNITED STATES
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal will leave for the United States on Monday. He is scheduled to meet with Grossman and Wolfowitz. Ziyal's meetings are expected to focus on contacts of Iraqi opponents with the U.S. officials, recent developments in Northern Iraq and the Cyprus question.

BARZANI LAUNCHES INITIATIVES FOR DETENTE
Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Massoud Barzani has been launching initiatives to ease the tension escalated in his relations with Turkey. Barzani said, ''a struggle between Turkey and us is out of question. However, we should protect our esteem by opposing to Turkey.''

DERVIS MEETS WITH HOPPE
Kemal Dervis who has joined the Republican People's Party (CHP), met with Christian Hoppe, the Ambassador of Denmark, the current term president of the European Union (EU). Their meeting focused on Turkey's full membership process to the EU.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
UZAN REACHES HIS TARGET
Cem Uzan seized the Rebirth Party (YDP) in order to participate in the general elections. The YDP's name was changed as the Youth Party. Later, Uzan was elected the leader of the Youth Party.

PRESIDENT SEZER TO CONCENTRATE ON EU
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has taken action about Turkey's European Union (EU) full membership process after the government gave priority to the general elections. President Sezer will meet with leaders of 15 countries in the next three months.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
EU PUTS PRESSURE ON TURKEY FOR VISA FOR ARAB COUNTRIES
The European Union (EU) which has not granted Turkey even the status of candidate country, has begun putting pressure on Turkey. The EU asked Turkey to apply visa for Arab countries. Such an application will hamper Turkish tourism. Thousands of Arab tourists visit Turkey every year.

TREASURY TO REPAY 3.3 QUADRILLION TL IN DOMESTIC DEBT NEXT WEEK
Treasury will repay 3 quadrillion 329.7 trillion Turkish liras (TL) in domestic debt next week. Treasury will repay 18.2 trillion TL on August 26, and 3 quadrillion 311.5 trillion TL on August 28. Treasury repaid 634.1 trillion TL in domestic debt this week. The domestic debt repayments of the Treasury in August will amount to 8 quadrillion 13.3 trillion TL.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
ERDOGAN: ''WE DO NOT HAND OVER ECONOMY TO DERVIS''
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that they would not hand over the economy to former State Minister Kemal Dervis in a possible coalition between the AK Party and the Republican People's Party (CHP).