TRKNWS-L TURKISH Daily News (January 21, 1996)

From: TRKNWS-L <[email protected]>

Turkish News Directory

CONTENTS

TURKISH DAILY NEWS / 21 January 1996

[01] Demirel sees Turkey on track despite problems and threats

Turkish Daily News

ANKARA- Turkey has to overcome its terrorism problem and has to remain a unified, secular and democratic state, President Suleyman Demirel said in a State of the Nation address on Saturday, wrapping up developments of the past year.

He also played down the prolonged impasse brought about by the inconclusive Dec. 24 election, and asked the nation to be patient and allow the democratic processes to take their natural course.

Demirel hailed the bloodless end Friday to the ferry hijacking drama which "could have led to very serious consequences," but indicated Turkey should not waver from its crackdown on separatist Kurdish rebels despite calls at home and abroad for a "political solution."

In a veiled reference to the fears that the Turks' marked sympathy to the Chechen rebels might translate to a bolder handling of the "PKK" card by Moscow, which has invoked Ankara's displeasure in the past for allowing pro-Kurdish politicians hold a conference in the Russian Parliament.

"We hope that our great neighbor, the Russian Federation will not change its present attitude toward Turkey in its struggle against terrorism," Demirel warned.

"Everybody in and out of the country should be aware that Turkey is faced with a well-planned, well-armed and well-trained terrorist organization," Demirel said, referring to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has been waging a separatist war in southeastern Turkey since 1984. He said over 21,000 people, including 12,700 separatists had been killed in the fighting so far.

"Turkey is a unitary state. There is one state, one country, one flag and one language; this cannot be changed," the president said, addressing himself to increasing calls from domestic and foreign opponents of the current hardline for increased cultural rights for Turkey's estimated 12 million Kurds including Kurdish TV broadcast and education in Kurdish.

"Everyone is a first class citizen, with equal rights and opportunities. Every person owns the state and country; all benefits and difficulties are shared," Demirel argued.

He said the security forces have largely curbed the activities of the separatists inside the country, but support to them continued from some neighboring countries, and "especially from Europe."

"It is regretful that our neighbors, Syria and Greece are supporting in one way or another terrorist activities in order to disturb Turkey," Demirel said. PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan is believed residing in Damascus despite Ankara's frequent complaints while Turkish officials have blamed NATO-ally Greece of training terrorists.

But Demirel noted that "We have good cooperation with Iran," absolving the country's eastern neighbor of any wrongdoing despite earlier accusations he had leveled against its Muslim fundamentalist government.

He expressed gratitude to the United States for supporting Turkey's struggle against terrorism, adding, however, "We hope that recent statements by government officials -- slamming Turkey's Kurdish policy -- on a US TV channel (CBS) have no official value. He also repeated "Turkey's rebuke to certain friendly (European) countries that allow and facilitate inflammatory MED-TV broadcasts despite our insistent initiatives." (Kurdish-held) northern Iraq continued to be problem for Turkey which, he said, could not tolerate the use of the place as a base for the terrorists. Last year Turkey mounted crossborder attacks against the PKK camps there, defying international reaction.

But while praising the success of the security forces against terrorism, he called for the speedy capture of those responsible for the recent death of journalist Metin Goktepe -- in police custody -- and the murder of industrialist Ozdemir Sabanci -- claimed by left-wing extremists, saying unsolved murders were one of the biggest problems of the country. Hundreds of such cases -- mostly involving the murders of pro-Kurdish politicians and human rights activists -- have caused critical Western focus on the country's human rights performance.

Referring to the deadlocked efforts to form a coalition after the Dec. 24 poll which put the Islamist Welfare Party (RP) slightly ahead of the mainstream parties, Demirel said secularism and (pro-Western reformist) principles of (Turkey's founder, Kemal) Ataturk) were untouchable.

But he also warned against dividing 99-percent Muslim Turkey into Islamist and secularist camps.

He said he first appointed RP leader Necmettin Erbakan to form the government, but when he failed to attract partners from the mainstream right and left, he gave the task back to caretaker prime minister and True Path Party (DYP) leader Tansu Ciller.

To questions focusing on the personal rivalry between Ciller and Motherland Party (ANAP) that has held up a center-right coalition despite pressures from the businessmen and the media, Demirel avoided any commitment to a mediating role.

"I cannot put everybody into a rom and tell them not to emerge before agreeing on (the premiership of) someone like the election of the Pope, can I?" he asked.

He countered the views that the government impasse had gone on too long, asking the nation to show patience and trust in democracy.

Referring to foreign policy developments, he cited Turkey's entry to the European customs union as a particularly outstanding success, but said it was only a step in Turkey's continuing quest to join the EU as a full member.

Reaffirming Ankara's backing to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) despite the customs union, he said Turkey last year had covered more distance in emerging as a pivot for various regional cooperation schemes.

He portrayed 1995 as a largely successful year from tan economic angle as well, although he said inflation, running close to 70 percent, continued to be a problem.