ANKARA - These are some of the major headlines and their brief stories in Turkey's press on September 27, 2002. The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
''I WOULD HANG OCALAN WITHOUT ANY HESITATION''
State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli who also acts as leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said, ''if I had had the necessary number of votes at the parliament, I would have hanged Abdullah Ocalan, the head of terrorist organization PKK, without any hesitation.'' Referring to recent developments in Iraq, Bahceli said, ''foundation of a Kurdish state in Northern Iraq is unacceptable.''

PAPANDREOU: ''WE WILL SUPPORT TURKEY TILL THE END''
Foreign Minister George Papendreou of Greece said, ''we want to see Turkey in the European Union (EU). Greece will cooperate with Turkey in its EU full membership process.''Speaking at the Fifth Eurasia Economy Summit in Istanbul, Papendreou said, ''we want to assist Turkey in taking its place in the EU. We will support Turkey in its EU full membership process.''

TOPRAKBANK TO MERGE WITH BAYINDIRBANK
The Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) decided to merge Toprakbank with Bayindirbank A.S., and to lift its permission to carry out and offer banking services and transactions and accept deposits as of September 30, 2002. BRSA said that the bid submitted by Global Menkul Degerler A.S. (Global Securities, Avrasya Investment Holding, Sancak Investment, Templeton Strategic Emerging Markets Fund LDC) for Toprakbank A.S. shares was withdrawn. BRSA said that so it decided to merge Toprakbank with Bayindirbank and to lift its permission to carry out and offer banking services and transactions and accept deposits as of September 30, 2002.

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
------------------
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
The New Turkey Party (YTP) was founded in a hot summer day in July of 2002 with the dream of coming to the power. Former State Minister Kemal Dervis' decision to join the Republican People's Party (CHP) was the first blow. YTP's secret leader Husamettin Ozkan launched initiatives to postpone the early elections when he realized the fact that they could not exceed the electoral threshold. Ozkan's meetings with State Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz separated his ways with YTP leader Ismail Cem.

PRIVATIZATION OF VAKIFBANK TO END BY JUNE 2003
Vakifbank Director General Irfan Erciyas said that privatization process of Vakifbank continued, and it would be concluded by June 2003 under the letter of intent presented to the International Monetary und (IMF). Erciyas said that the process of the first tender had been concluded but it could not finish as any bid had not been submitted, adding that the Council of Ministers decision was still valid and the process was underway. ''Under the letter of intent presented to the IMF, re-completion of this mission until June of 2003 is on the agenda. They continue working together with our counselor company Merril Lynch. The bank will be put up for sale again with the balance sheet as of December 31, 2002,'' he said.

SABAH (LIBERAL)
---------------
AVANOS TO HOST MEETING ON ''IRAQ AND DEMOCRACY''
The meeting organized by the Iraq Research Institute on ''Iraq and Democracy'' will start in Avanos township of central province of Nevsehir today. Scientists and academicians from Turkey, Britain, Finland and Denmark will be in attendance at the meeting. Issues such as Iraq's political structure in the historical process, ethnic groups in Iraq, democracy and Iraq's rebuilding will be taken up at the meeting.

YILMAZ: ''WE WILL PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OIL PRICES''
State Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz said that Turkey would be one of the important actors of setting world oil prices as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline became operational. Speaking at the foundation-laying ceremony of Turkey part of BTC pipeline, Yilmaz noted that as the project was put into practice, crude oil needed by Turkey would reach refineries within one or two days. Turkey would have the opportunity to gain the oil it needed in the most advantegous way when the project became operational, Yilmaz stressed.

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
-----------------
IRAQI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AZIZ DUE IN TURKEY
Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tarik Aziz will come to Ankara as the official guest of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit. Aziz will convey the message of Iraqi Head of State Saddam Hussein to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. Aziz, who is expected to come to Ankara on September 29, will have contacts on Monday. Tarik Aziz had met with President Sezer during the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development held in South Africa, and told him that he wanted to come to Turkey.

ARMED ROBBERY CLAIMS LIFE OF A POLICEMAN
Policeman Lutfi Adali who was seriously injured in an armed robbery of a branch of Is Bankasi in Karsiyaka district of western province of Izmir lost his life. Two people carrying a shotgun robbed the bank, and injured policeman Adali who had tried to stop them. They managed to flee from the scene by a taxi after taking nearly 14 billion Turkish liras from the bank. The injured policeman was rushed to a nearby hospital, but could not be saved despite all efforts. The two were captured later. One of them was wounded in his arm.

RADIKAL (LEFT)
--------------
PAPANDREOU: ''GREECE WILL COOPERATE WITH TURKEY ABOUT EU MEMBERSHIP''
Foreign Minister George Papendreou of Greece said, ''we want to see Turkey in the European Union (EU). Greece will cooperate with Turkey in its EU full membership process.'' Speaking at the Fifth Eurasia Economy Summit in Istanbul, Papendreou said, ''although Greece does not take place in the geography of Eurasia, it has very important historical ties with Eurasian countries. Therefore, we attribute great importance to the equation of the EU and Eurasia.'' Papendreou underlined importance of Turkey-Greece relations in regard to relations between Europe and Eurasia. Recalling that Greece would undertake term precidency of the EU soon, Papendreou said, ''during our term precidency, we will further improve our relations with Turkey.''

BARTHOLOMEW GRANTS USD 10 THOUSAND TO HOPE CHILDREN FOUNDATION
Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew has granted 10 thousand U.S. dollars to Hope Children Foundation. Bartholomew who came to laundry of the foundation in Dolapdere district of Istanbul delivered the donation check to the chairman of foundation Yusuf Ahmet Kulca. Patriarch Bartholomew was awarded with 100 thousand U.S. dollars and ''Sophie Environment Award'' in Norway. He decided to grant 10 thousand U.S. dollars of this amount to the foundation.

TURKIYE (RIGHT)
---------------
BUMIN: ''POLITICAL BANS WILL AFFECT TURKEY-EU RELATIONS NEGATIVELY''
Constitutional Court Chief Judge Mustafa Bumin said that political bans would affect Turkey-the European Union (EU) relations negatively. ''We should tolerate freedom of thought and expression. We accept verdicts of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Then, we should adjust the bans with the ECHR. Political bans will affect Turkey-EU relations negatively,'' he said.

GIANT ORGANIZATION IN ISTANBUL
The Fifth Eurasia Economy Summit started in Istanbul yesterday. European officials also attended this year's summit. Yesterday's talks focused on the issues of economy. Fight against terrorism will be high on today's agenda of the summit.

ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
--------------------
BARZANI NOT TO SEND REPRESENTATIVE TO AVANOS
Massoud Barzani, the leader of the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP), decided not to send a representative to the meeting organized by the Iraq Research Institute on the issue of ''Iraq and Democracy''. The meeting will start in Avanos township of central province of Nevsehir today.