GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON MAR 28

HURRIYET
-- I'VE WAITED FOR FIVE YEARS I WON'T STEP BACK
"I have waited for five years in order not to create any tension in the country. I waited because Baykal did not want it (headscarf issue) to come to the agenda, we waited for institutional consensus," said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Erdogan replied to the call for "everyone to take a step back" and said: " I do not understand what is meant with 'a step back'. It is out of the question. Why should we take a step back? How and where are we going to get together? It can happen under the chairmanship of the President."

-- WE DID NOT TALK ABOUT POLITICS, BUT ATE "MANTI"
Actual political issues were not assessed at Thursday's meeting between President Abdullah Gul and Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. He said, "ways to ease the tension, the petition to the Constitutional Court, the amendments, or the new amendment package prepared by the government did not come up at the meeting."
"He did not mention it and I did not open the subject. We talked about the military operation to the north of Iraq. Later we ate 'Kayseri manti (ravioli)' and drank Turkish coffee."
President Gul who also received Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Bahceli yesterday will receive Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Zeki Sezer today.

MILLIYET
-- IMPORTANT MESSAGES AHEAD OF CLOSURE CASE
Hasim Kilic, chief judge of the Turkish Constitutional Court, said, "there is a duty which the opposition as well as the ruling should fulfill. Nobody will benefit from escalation of tension in the society." "We should fulfill the responsibility of living together. I do not have any concerns as long as the institutions work. Problems will be solved within the framework of laws," Kilic said.

-- OPPOSITION SAYS THEY DID NOT DISCUSS IT
CHP chairman Deniz Baykal and MHP chairman Devlet Bahceli, speaking after their meeting with President Abdullah Gul, said they did not discuss internal political matters. However it was stated that President Gul, while they were discussing fight against terrorism was, relayed the message that, "everybody should keep away from internal political matters that would weaken fight against terrorism. Chaos should not be allowed."

SABAH
-- NO STEP BACK FROM VENICE
An important name from AKP spoke clearly about the closure case. "There is a pitched battle going on. We will not step back. We will bring Venice criteria with constitutional change. Political parties will not be closed apart from on charges of separatism and violence.

-- 100 F-35 TO BE PURCHASED
Turkish Parliament Foreign Affairs Commission approved an agreement on procurement of F-35 stealth planes. Turkey will purchase 100 F-35 warplanes in 10 years. Turkish companies will manufacture some parts of the plane within the scope of 10.7 billion USD agreement.

VATAN
--WHY SHOULD I STEP BACK?
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, responding to the call of the organizations, "everybody should take a step back", stated that, "I could not comprehend what step back means. This is out of question. I support formation of a common idea. We should come together and discuss. We should take mutual steps."

-- REPORT OK, DECISION ON MONDAY
Rapporteur Osman Can submitted his report regarding closure case of the AKP to Constitutional Court chief judge Hasim Kilic on Thursday evening. Constitutional Court will either accept the case or reject the indictment on Monday.

CUMHURIYET
-- BAYKAL IN CANKAYA PALACE
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal who visited the Cankaya Palace at the invitation of President Abdullah Gul said they did not discuss actual issues in the meeting which lasted one hour and forty minutes. "Ergenekon, headscarf, party prohibition, constitutional amendments, the mini package... We did not discuss any of these, but only foreign policy issues," said Baykal.

-- TUSIAD'S EFFORTS CONTINUE
Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) chairperson Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag paid a visit to Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan in Ankara under "the call for common sense in Turkey." Later she visited Revolutionary Labour Unions Confederation (DISK) chairman Suleyman Celebi in Istanbul. TUSIAD delegation received full support from Toptan.

RADIKAL
-- CHIEF JUDGE KILIC: NO ONE WILL GAIN FROM TENSION
Another statement on the tension caused by the 'Ergenekon' investigation and the prohibition lawsuit filed against AKP came from Hasim Kilic, chief judge of the Constitutional Court which will hear the case:
"As long as those institutions which serve as an insurance keep functioning, such worries are baseless. No one will gain anything by creating tension and distress in the society."
Kilic said, "If the rapporteur finishes the report, the preliminary assessment will be made on Monday." Kilic said the content of any possible amendment to laws on party prohibition was important for them. Later the report was handed out to court members. The opinion that the indictment should be accepted prevails in the document.

-- "ALSO TOPTAN HAS DUTIES"
Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag, chairperson of TUSIAD who visited DISK said, "We want our country to leave behind tensions and proceed on its way." Later during her visit to Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan --following the call of civil organizations for common sense-- Yalcindag said, "We feel we have a duty. Of course, a great duty falls on our parliament speaker. Toptan said he hoped a way out would be found shortly."

YENI SAFAK
-- WE WILL NOT LET POLITICAL CHAOS
President Abdullah Gul received CHP chairman Deniz Baykal, MHP chairman Devlet Bahceli and BBP chairman Muhsin Yazicioglu at Cankaya Palace. Gul said, "economic fluctuations affect the world. As the coalition forces are getting ready to withdraw, Turkey fights against terrorism. While going through such a critical process, we can not allow instability and political chaos in Turkey. We should not weaken our fight against terrorism with domestic political tensions."

-- "TURKISH MINORITY" PUNISHMENT FROM ECHR TO ATHENS
European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Greece has to pay indemnity on charges of shutting down foundations belonging to the Turkish minority. The court ordered Greek government to pay an indemnity of 8 thousand euros.