GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON APR 12

HURRIYET
-- SURPRISE ICE CREAM TRIP TO SOUTH
President Mehmet Ali Talat of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) made a surprise trip to the Greek Cypriot side by walking through the Ledra gate. Talat ate vanilla ice cream at best-known ice-cream shop "Herakles" in the Greek Cypriot administration. A Greek official forgot former president Rauf Denktas' visiting former Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides at his residence in 2002, and said, "this is the first time a Turkish leader is coming here."

-- FORMULA FOR A COMPROMISE ON CLOSURE OF POLITICAL PARTIES
AKP is preparing to meet the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) to propose a constitutional amendment bill which will make closure of political parties more difficult. Therefore, AKP developed a "formula for a compromise."
In order to get the support of the MHP, AKP is getting prepared to a condition closure of political parties on a final conviction verdict. In this case, AKP will make a last-minute surprise and give up insisting that the planned constitutional amendment will also affect the ongoing cases.

MILLIYET
-- EU'S STANCE ON HEADSCARF ANNOYS ASSOCIATIONS
Women's associations reacted upon European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso's remarks who stated "it was a basic principle that every woman should make her own free choice". Representatives of associations said that Barroso did not know the realities of Turkey. "Not every woman wears headscarf on her free will," they said. "These women are not granted freedoms, their freedoms are taken away from them," the representatives added.

-- DOES GEN. BASBUG'S MESSAGE ADDRESS EU?
Turkish Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug delivered a statement after European Commission President Barroso said "more cultural and political rights should be granted to people with Kurdish origin". "Nobody can ask Turkey to make political arrangements for a certain ethnical group, except for the cultural area, in a way that would put the unitary structure of the state in danger," Basbug said.

SABAH
--SECULARISM JOKE FROM BARROSO
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Commissioner for enlargement Olli Rehn visited Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate on Friday. Barroso defined Patriarch Bartholomew as "ecumenical." Speaking at the Bilgi University of Istanbul, Barroso said sometimes miracles happen in political developments. Barroso made a joke as saying, "I am using the word miracle by thinking that it will not be perceived against secularism."

-- PARLIAMENT CONSENTS FOR KURDISH TV
A parliamentary commission paved the way for Kurdish TV broadcasting by an amendment to the law on the state-run Turkish Radio & Television Corporation (TRT). TRT director general said a TV channel, broadcasting for 24 hours a day, will be set up.

VATAN
--TALAT EATS ICE-CREAM IN GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE
President Mehmet Ali Talat of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) walked through the Ledra Gate after 34 years and passed to the Greek Cypriot side. Talat ate ice-cream and bought traditional Greek music CDs. Those who have seen Talat walking at the Greek Cypriot side were first surprised, then they applauded him.

-- ARABIAN WIND IN BODRUM

Costal town of Bodrum, which recently hosted Kuwaiti Amir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah, welcomed another Arab visitor. Kuwaiti Amir's son Nasser al-Sabah arrived in Bodrum with his family and had a yacht tour.

CUMHURIYET
-- IT IS OBLIGATORY TO MAKE CONCESSIONS, BARROSO
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Turkey accepted the commission's "authority in some areas" after the European Union (EU) decided to open negotiations with this country. Barroso said the authorities know this, however it will be useful if the Turkish people know it too. Barroso said sometimes, one has to make concessions and claimed that concession is the Europe's spirit of compromise.

-- NOBODY SHOULD MAKE A WRONG ASSESSMENT, BASBUG
Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug said Turkey respects cultural differences. "However, nobody should ask or expect Turkey to make political group arrangements that will jeopardize the nation state and unitary state structure, except granting some cultural rights to a certain ethnic group."

RADIKAL
-- TURKEY'S SPEED ON ROAD TO EU IS NORMAL
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "I do never agree with the criticisms that there is slowdown in Turkey's European Union (EU) process and Turkey has decelerated its reforms." Erdogan said Turkey continues to exert efforts on the road to the EU and foresees to complete all steps till 2013.

-- OUR INITIATIVES ARE NOT AN INTERVENTION
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso paid courtesy visits to Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch and Istanbul Mufti on Friday. Barroso said it is the commission's duty to closely monitor developments in Turkey. Barroso also said this should not be considered as an intervention.

YENI SAFAK
-- WE ARE DETERMINED FOR EU DESPITE OBSTACLES, ERDOGAN
Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey did not have any hesitations regarding its EU process. "2008 will be a year of impulse for Turkey on its way to EU," Erdogan said. He also said reforms continued in a determined way despite obstacles.

-- TALAT AT GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE FOR THE FIRST TIME
President Mehmet Ali Talat of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) became the first Turkish leader who passed to the Greek Cypriot side through the Lokmaci Gate that was recently opened to pedestrian passage. Talat walked along the Ledra Street and talked to Greek Cypriot shopkeepers.