ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on August 29, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
ISAF COMMANDERSHIP PRESSURE ON TURKEY
After a series of talks, the United States made a surprising request from Turkey for extension of its ISAF commandership for six months. This unofficial proposal was put forward both at Foreign Ministry Under Secretary Ugur Ziyal's contacts in Washington and at the U.S. side's meetings with Turkish diplomatic and military authorities in Ankara. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said yesterday that extension of Turkey's mandate for six months beginning from December was on the agenda. Regarding Ziyal's contacts, Ecevit said, ''also the issue of Turkish troops in Afghanistan will be discussed. Extension of Turkey's ISAF commandership is in question.''

LETTER OF FORGIVENESS TO NIGERIA
Justice Minister Aysel Celikel sent a letter to the Nigerian Minister of State for Justice asking him to forgive 30-year-old Amina Lawal who gave birth to illegitimate child and was sentenced to death by stoning on charges of adultery. The court approved the verdict but decided that execution will not be carried out until her baby is weaned. Celikel said that international laws don't have such a punishment and it is no more carried out in many Muslim countries.

''HE DIDN'T BEHAVE IN A CIVILIZED MANNER''
New Turkey Party (YTP) leader Ismail Cem expressed his views about Kemal Dervis who grew distant from the YTP. He said, ''Dervis and we made our statements before people. However, he did not behave in a civilized manner. When we started, there were not issues like alliances or alliance with the Motherland Party (ANAP). Later, the issue of uniting the Republican People's Party (CHP) and alliance of the central left parties was brought onto the agenda suddenly. If these had been said in the beginning, a common decision could have been taken. At first, Dervis said 'yes' to Husamettin Ozkan but later he said 'no'. This is the mistake.''

MY CHILDREN HAVE ONLY RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIP
Regarding scholarship given to his children, Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, ''my children are studying in the United States due to deficient freedom of education in Turkey. My children do not get something illicitly for nothing, they only receive scholarship. I am proud of my children.''

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
-----------------
DEEP BLUE MARTYRS
Two officers aboard the helicopter which crashed the sea off Dalaman survived the accident while two non-commissioned officers who got squeezed in the back of the helicopter drowned when the helicopter sank to the bottom within few seconds. How the dreadful accident happened? ''AB-212 type helicopter had a technical failure when it lowered sonar to the sea. Helicopter started to spin. Officers pressed the button to inflate the emergency landing boats but one of them did not inflate. The helicopter at first leaned to one side and later in sank. Pilots survived but two non-commissioned officers in the back could not open the doors due to pressure. Gemlik frigate came to their aid 45 minutes after. Frogmen tied steel hawser to the helicopter but it could not carry the weight and broke. The helicopter and the two non-commissioned officers got lost in 1800 meters depth in an eyes blink.

ECEVIT CLOSES DOOR
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit called on all ''national leftists'' to unite under the Democratic Left Party (DSP). However, he said his call was not meant for the YTP, the Group Nine in the DSP and the SHP.

CENSURE MOTION SUPPORT
The first support to DYP leader Tansu Ciller's censure motion call came from the YTP. YTP Secretary General Istemihan Talay said they support the censure motion if the new government becomes election government.

HADEP'S SOLDIER
In the first tim in its history, a soldier became a candidate for nomination in elections from the HADEP. Retired major Yildiz becomes HADEP's candidate from Batman.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
SABAH
ENVIRONMENT MINISTER AYTEKIN SAYS HE'S TAKING HIS WIFE WITH HIM
TO WORLD SUMMIT IN SOUTH AFRICA SO SHE CAN DO LAUNDRY HIS LAUNDRY
Environment Minister Fevzi Aytekin who is one of the 90 people who are going to the World Development Summit in Johannesburg said he is taking his wife with him so that she can wash his clothes during their stay. He also stressed that he was paying for all the cost of his wife and her trip was not costing anything to the state. ''I sometimes take my wife with me to official trips. I always pay from my own pocket. I will stay in Johannesburg for one week. I will have socks and handkerchiefs. Who will wash them?'' Aytekin said.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foundation Against Soil Erosion (TEMA) Chairman Hayrettin Karaca said that Turkey should have participated with experts specialized in environment in this summit where the world's future will be discussed.
Prime Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Selcuk Polat decided not to go to the summit upon the news that appeared in newspapers. He was going to deliver a speech about village-city project.

THE U.S. TO DEPORT FETHULLAH GULEN
The United States which was bothered by Fethullah Gulen's increasing activities in the country, decided not to extend his visa and return him to Turkey. The United States ran out of patience because of Gulen's growing community and his increasing meetings around Washington, D.C. Gulen's community opened summer camps every year and opened schools. He also bought a large field in Washington state for the training of community members. The blow that broke the camel's back was his opening a university in Virginia for young people from Turkey, Pakistan and other Middle Eastern countries.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
ISLAMIST FUNDAMENTALISM HAS PUT ON A MASK, WE SHOULD BE VIGILANT
Chief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu who handed over his position to Gen. Hilmi Ozkok has said that the state should take all kinds of measures in order to stop the continuation of Islamist fundamentalism under the mask of politicization. New Chief of General Staff Gen. Ozkok said he would continue the fight against fundamentalism. ''I would like to assure that the Turkish Armed Forces will preserve its determination to destroy the fundamentalist and separatist threat in Turkey,'' he said.

ECEVIT CALLS ON NATIONAL LEFTISTS TO UNITE UNDER DSP
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has called on national leftists who ''have arrived at an understanding about leftist thinking'' to unite under the roof of the Democratic Left Party (DSP). Ecevit stated that people who regard themselves as social democrats have failed to unite so far while his party always followed a consistent policy. Ecevit said that his call was not meant for the New Turkey Party (YTP), Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Social Democratic People's Party (SHP).

RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
GENERALS WARN ABOUT FUNDAMENTALISM
General Huseyin Kivrikoglu handed over Gneral Staff Chief post to General Hilmi Ozkok. In their speeches at the ceremony, the two commanders warned about ''fundamentalism and separatism''. Kivrikoglu said, ''measures should have been taken to prevent separatism and fundamentalism from politicization. The most important measure is common will of public.''

ISTANBUL BECOMES 73RD BIGGEST COUNTRY
With its ten million population, Istanbul left behind 101 countries including Panama, Jordan, Azerbaijan, Norway, Dennmark, Israel and Sweden. Only 72 countries' population is higher than population in Istanbul.

TURKEY TO TAKE ON PUERTO RICO
Turkish National Basketball Team will take on Puerto Rico at World Men's Basketball Championship in Indianopolis, the United States. The game will start at 9.30 p.m. Turkish local time.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
NEW SCENARIOS
DYP leader Tansu Ciller brought onto the agenda the scenario of overthrowing the government with the SP's censure motion which calles on the parliamentary to convene in an extraordinary session. However, SP decided to withdraw its censure motion due to the public reactions. Ciller said, ''the country should not be taken to elections with this government.'' ANAP leader Mesut Yilmaz said, ''our support to this motion is out of question.'' AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, ''it is a provocative initiative.'' SP leader Recai Kutan said, ''we will withdraw the censure motion.'' YTP Secretary General Istemihan Talay said, ''we will support it.''

THANKS TO KIVRIKOGLU
General Huseyin Kivrikoglu handed over General Staff Chief post to General Hilmi Ozkok. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer who thanked Kivrikoglu and decorated him with the Medal of Merit said that the Turkish Armed Forces is one of the most important assurances of existence of the secular and contemporary Turkey.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
CORRUPTION INCREASES IN TURKEY COMPARED BY LAST YEAR
According to Transparency International Organization's ''Corruption Perceive Index'' of 2002, Turkey is among the countries which has the highest corruption. Turkey was the 54th country among the the other 91 countries in the corruption list last year. However, in this year's list, Turkey takes 64th place among 102 country. Thus, Turkey's degree dropped down to 3.2 from 3.6.

ANAP LEADER YILMAZ PLANS TO EXCEED THRESHOLD BY HESITANT VOTER
Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz is planning to exceed threshold by 50 percent of the voters who have not yet decided to which party they will vote. Yilmaz said that their members and symphatizers form 5 percent of the party base and added that he belived his party will not have a worse result than the former election.