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Turkish Press Review, 06-12-07Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning07.12.2006CONTENTS
[01] ERDOGAN: "WE HAVE SEVERAL PLANS REGARDING THE EU"Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said that if the recommendation of the European Union Commission which Turkey considers unacceptable is approved, they have several plans, but they won't reveal them before the Dec. 14 summit where the final decision is due. At Ankara's Esenboga Airport before his one-day visit to Syria, Erdogan said that he had spoken with German Chancellor Angela Merkel before the Weimar summit and that she gave positive messages about Turkey's EU bid. Erdogan also said that he and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will be doing telephone diplomacy and chief EU negotiator Ali Babacan will visit EU countries in the runup to next week's summit. /Star/[02] PM ERDOGAN VISITS SYRIAPrime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday went to Syria in the wake of his visits to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iran. Erdogan is also planning to visit Lebanon and Palestine in the following days. He was met at Damascus Airport by his Syrian counterpart Mohammed Naji Otari. During meetings with President Bashar Assad and Otari, bilateral relations, regional problems, energy trade and ways to further develop cultural and tourist ties were discussed. /Hurriyet/[03] CICEK: "ANTI-CORRUPTION EFFORTS MUST BE SUSTAINED"Speaking at a conference yesterday entitled "The Fight Against Corruption," Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that efforts against corruption must be sustained, not sporadic. Cicek stated that corruption has three planks, namely politics, bureaucrats, and businessmen. Saying that it was disappointing that Turkey ranks number 64 among world nations in the fight against corruption, Cicek added this standing should be improved. /Turkiye/[04] BAYKAL MEETS WITH US' WILSON, DISCUSSES TURKEY'S EU BIDMain opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader yesterday met with US Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson to discuss a number of issues, including Turkey's European Union membership bid. Speaking afterwards, Baykal said that it was unacceptable for the EU to try to link the Cyprus issue to Turkey's talks. Baykal further criticized the EU Commission recommendation to partially suspend Turkey's talks due to the Cyprus issue, saying that Turkey wouldn't accept this. "The Turkish nation is losing its confidence in the EU due to these sanctions," added Baykal. "The mistakes of the EU are responsible for this." /Turkiye/[05] PAMUK SAYS CURRENT STATE OF RELATIONS BETWEEN EU AND TURKEY SADDENS HIMNobel Prize in Literature winner author Orhan Pamuk said yesterday that he was "sad" about the current state of relations between the European Union and his native Turkey. Pamuk, who was in Stockholm to collect his 10 million kronor ($1.4 million) award on Sunday, said Turkish membership in the EU would be beneficial to both sides, but added he was pessimistic about the prospects. "It's a subject that makes me sad these days," said Pamuk, whose life and works illustrate the struggle to find a balance between East and West. "And that's the most critical comment I can make these days." /Associated Press/[06] EC'S MANDELSON: "TURKEY CAN'T BE HELD HOSTAGE OVER CYPRUS"Saying that Turkey's EU bid can't be held hostage due to the Cyprus issue, European Union Commissioner for Trade Peter Mandelson yesterday called on EU member countries not to impose a timetable on Turkey to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot vessels. Speaking at a press conference, Mendelson said, "It's unacceptable to take Turkey's EU bid hostage for a solution on Cyprus. Especially when we take into consideration that not only Turkey, but everyone should be encouraging a solution." /Hurriyet/[07] FM SPOKESPERSON TAN: "SUSPENDING TURKEY'S EU PROCESS WOULD BE A MISTAKE"Speaking yesterday about France and Germany's proposal to reevaluate Ankara's European Union negotiations, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Namik Tan said, "It would be a mistake to suspend Turkey's 40-year EU process," adding, "We don't expect such a result following the disagreement. Neither Turkey nor the EU deserves such wrongfulness." Underlining that a significant number of EU members is in fact against the suggestions for a suspension of talks, Tan added: "We do understand that the EU is going through difficult problems and has a difficult period ahead of important decisions on its own future. We believe the current controversy is influenced by this fact. We know the significance of this period and are acting in a responsible way. It is our hope that the EU will see the broader strategic picture and will have a final decision with such a strategic approach." /Cumhuriyet/[08] NEW US DEFENSE SEC'Y COULD USHER IN NEW ERA WITH TURKEYUS Defense Secretary designate Robert Gates, who was just confirmed by the US Senate as the successor to Donald Rumsfeld, reportedly will be more sensitive to Turkey's regional concerns. Many experts say that Gates, a former CIA director, will usher in a new era on military relations with Turkey. "Gates looks at the world and Turkey in a different way," said one expert. "He understands well that Turkey is one of the key actors in the region and its concerns about Iraq. Clearly Gates will be more sensitive about these issues." /Hurriyet/[09] BRITISH FM CALLS EU COMMISSION DECISION "TOO HARSH"British Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett yesterday criticized the decision of the European Union Commission recommending partial suspension of Turkey's EU talks, saying that it was too harsh and risked triggering a backlash from Turkey. Acknowledging that Turkey had yet to fulfill its obligations arising from Ankara Protocol, Beckett added that the reaction of the EU should be proportionate. "The decision shouldn't hinder Turkey's talks," she said. In related news, the German foreign minister yesterday telephoned Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, saying that Germany supported Turkey's EU bid. For his part, Gul said that the recommendation of the EU Commission to partially suspend Turkey's talks was unacceptable. /Milliyet/[10] BABACAN: "PUTTING UNILATERAL PRESSURE ON TURKEY OVER CYPRUS WON'T HELP EFFORTS FOR A RESOLUTION"Turkey's chief European Union negotiator Ali Babacan, currently in Estonia for an official visit, said yesterday that putting unilateral pressure on Turkey over the Cyprus issue wouldn't help efforts for a resolution on the island. Appearing on television, Babacan said that Turkey's EU process has been going on for years, adding that the Cyprus issue was also an old issue. "The Cyprus issue was imported to the EU with the membership of Greek Cyprus," said Babacan. Reiterating that the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots should be brought to an end, Babacan stated that Turkey wouldn't pose an obstacle to a Cyprus resolution if this isolation is ended. He further stressed that it wasn't proper for the Cyprus issue to hinder Turkey's talks, adding that the Turkish side has always favored a resolution. "The Cyprus issue should be separated from Turkey's EU bid," added Babacan. /Turkiye/FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS... FROM THE COLUMNS... [11] TURKISH-EU RELATIONSBY NURI ELIBOL (TURKIYE)Columnist Nuri Elibol comments on Turkish-EU relations. A summary of his column is as follows: "The European Union can be considered the great project of Europe following World War II. European countries which twice suffered devastation in world wars 30 years apart established the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951, the nucleus of the EU. The EU gained its current situation in line with this community's expansion in its various dimensions. As Turkey's EU adventure dates back more than 40 years, we can say that we took part in every stage of EU history, albeit not as a full member. Turkey has continued to walk down its road leading to EU membership in spite of all its changing governments, and it will continue. I can't imagine any government insensitive to the EU, which is the most concrete indication of the level of civilization. What about the current situation of our relations? While the EU was about to put hurdles in Turkey's way, it included a new process and avoided being the one which creates hurdles at the last moment. As the decision isn't final yet, we should approach the issue in a dignified way. However, the EU has already showed that it lacks the nerve to end the process. Turkey has a clear stance on the Cyprus issue, just like the clarity of which side is closer and more willing to find a solution. Obviously, Turkey will continue to maintain a stance favoring a solution, without harming its own interests. The EU's original mission was to bring peace and stability to the continent and play an important role in the world's balance of power as a global actor. If the EU members want to protect this vision, they should get used to looking beyond daily interests and domestic political calculations in Turkey's efforts for membership. Actually, today, even certain circles who want to suspend Turkey's EU membership process have realized that a EU project without Turkey would be incomplete. Similarly, not a single element within the EU has excluded Turkey completely. Likewise, in his speech in June 2005, assuming the EU term presidency, British Prime Minister Tony Blair warned that Europe had started to be fall behind China and India in competitiveness. He added that only two of the world's top 20 universities were in Europe and that if Europe doesn't expand, it would shrink. You can be sure that a country like Turkey, which is secular, democratic, Muslim and important in the Middle East, will be understood better after it becomes a bridge of energy for Europe. On the day they realize that the power Turkey will give the EU is at least as important as the contributions the EU will make to Turkey, we will see that today's problems will diminish in importance. Let's understand that reaching certain standards to be able to join the EU is already a requirement for us. If we can also raise our national per capita income to $10-15,000 by sustaining the current political and economic stability, the picture will be completely different and we will see that certain disadvantages today are actually an advantage." [12] ONE DISASTER AND LOTS OF ADVICEBY ORHAN BURSALI (CUMHURIYET)Columnist Orhan Bursali comments on last week's recommendation of the EU Commission. A summary of his column is as follows: "EU policy has come to a halt. Both conservative EU states and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have halted relations. The EU is following a long-term strategy to block Turkey's EU membership. The first county they used for this purpose was Greece, followed by the Greek Cypriots. The strategy was determined by letting the Greek Cypriots into the EU ranks despite their problems. The strategy was clear: Turkey would be forced to give into every request by Greece and the Greek Cypriots. This wasn't enough, because other issues were waiting after Turkey gives up its rights in the Aegean Sea and leaves Cyprus: the Kurdish and Armenian questions, etc. This strategy bore fruit in the first obstacle: You're not implementing the additional protocol? Then you'll pay. So it's clear what next week's EU summit will bring. The US and some EU countries are trying to prevent this recommendation from going in effect, but nothing will change. When could they change? When the EU starts to believe that it can't continue without Turkey. There's no prospect of this on the horizon. And why has the AKP cooled its relations? It thought it could get EU support for its cause of wearing headscarves in public places and fundamentalism under the guise of human rights. But it didn't happen. What did the AKP not do? It didn't immediately appoint a chief negotiator. State Minister Ali Babacan was appointed to his chief EU negotiator post six months late. And lastly, the EU only made a declaration that it would lift the embargo against the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, but never applied it. One disaster has created a common ground for a discussion on what to do. Not for EU membership, but for developments without the EU." Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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