19.
April 2002
2. "Turkish businessmen put pressure on Denktash for Cyprus settlement", Turkey's most influential business group urged Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash Thursday to step up efforts for the resolution of Cyprus' long-standing division in order to facilitate Turkey's bid for European Union membership.
3. "Turkey urges Bulgaria to crack down on Kurdish group", Turkey urged its neighbor Bulgaria to crack down on a Kurdish group in the country, suspected of aiding armed Kurdish rebels, as the two nations signed deals to enhance bilateral security cooperation.
4. "Robertson: Collective solution must be found to Greek objections over Turkish say in EU defense", a collective solution must be found soon to Greek objections over allowing non-member Turkey to have a say in the European Union's defense force, NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson said Thursday.
5. "Will Turkey choose the EU or the USA?", a subtle campaign is being conducted, both in Turkey and in the United States. Turkey, who comes under strain on the EU issue, is being told, 'Let the EU countries aside. There is America.
6. "Why?", commentary on the name change of the PKK and on what the EU expects of Turkey to facilitate accession talks.
1.
-AFP - "Four Kurdish rebels sentenced to death in Turkey":
ISTANBUL, April 18
A Turkish state security court sentenced four members of the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to death for separatism on Thursday,
Anatolia news agency reported.
The judge convicted the four defendants, among them a woman, under
an article which carries the death penalty, for attempts "to
extract by force from the state administration a portion of or the
entire territory under state
sovereignty," Anatolia reported.
The procesution had accused the defendants of involvement in violent
acts, including three bomb attacks in Istanbul which claimed four
lives, according to Anatolia.
The death sentence remains on the statute books in Turkey, but the
country has not carried out executions since 1984 under a de facto
moratorium.
Last October, Turkey passed a constitutional amendment that limited
capital punishment solely to times of war, imminent threat of war
and terrorist crimes as part of democratic reforms aimed at boosting
its struggling bid for
European Union membership.
Under EU criteria, however, membership candidates are required to
totally abolish capital punishment.
The court also sentenced a fifth defendant to 18 years in jail for
belonging to a "terrorist organization".
Nine others were acquitted either due to lack of evidence or because
their crimes fell under the scope of amnesty regulations, Anatolia
reported.
The PKK announced in 1999 that it was ending its 15-year armed struggle
for self-rule in the mainly Kurdish southeast to seek a peaceful resolution
of the Kurdish conflict, which has claimed about 36,500 lives.
In a follow-up decision last Tuesday, the group said it had ceased
all its activities as the PKK and was reorganizing itself under the
name of Congress for Freedom and Democracy in Kurdistan (KADEK) as
part of a new strategy to
campaign for Kurdish freedoms through democratic means.
Ankara played down the announcement, saying it would continue to consider
the rebels as "terrorists." 
2.
- AFP - "Turkish businessmen put pressure on Denktash for
Cyprus settlement":
Nicosia, April 18
Turkey's most influential business group urged Turkish Cypriot leader
Rauf Denktash Thursday to step up efforts for the resolution of Cyprus'
long-standing division in order to facilitate Turkey's bid for European
Union membership.
"We, the business community, hope a permanent settlement will
be reached as soon as possible," the deputy chairman of the Association
of Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen (TUSIAD), Mustafa Koc, told
Denktash during a meeting in Nicosia.
Denktash, who heads the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC), and Glafcos Clerides, the head of the internationally-recognized
Cypriot government, began peace talks in January, aiming for a settlement
by June.
The parties, however, have made little progress and the UN Security
Council has recently urged them to step up their efforts, an appeal
that Denktash rejected as an "unacceptable pressure."
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded its northern
third in response to an Athens-engineered coup seeking to unite the
island with Greece.
Cyprus' reunification has recently been given urgency due to the prospect
of Greek Cyprus, a leading EU membership candidate, to join the bloc
in 2004, with or without a settlement.
A failure to find a solution is likely to hit the already struggling
EU membership bid of Turkey, which maintains about 30,000 troops in
the north.
"The inauguration of (Turkey's) EU accession talks by the end
of 2002, which is critical for Turkey, will be facilitated at a large
extent if the talks in Cyprus ensure an opportunity for concrete steps
towards a solution by
June," Koc said in a written statement ahead of his meeting with
Denktash.
Ankara wants the date for the opening of its accession talks set by
the end of 2002, but EU leaders say Turkey should first fulfill the
Union's basic political criteria.
TUSIAD is among the leading EU proponents in Turkey and often issues
strong appeals to the government to fully embrace the Union's democracy
norms.
3.
- AFP - "Turkey urges Bulgaria to crack down on Kurdish group"
Ankara, April 18
Turkey urged its neighbor Bulgaria to crack down on a Kurdish group
in the country, suspected of aiding armed Kurdish rebels, as the two
nations signed deals to enhance bilateral security cooperation.
Speaking after talks here with his Bulgarian counterpart Georgi Petkanov,
Turkish Interior Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen said he had handed him
over information about alleged illegal activities by a Kurdish cultural
center in
Bulgaria, Anatolia news agency reported.
"We gave our freinds information about money being transferred
to the terrorist organization, which is being collected either through
extortion or through legal means" by the cultural center, Yucelen
said.
"Its activities, I hope, will be reviewed in light with this
information," he added.
The "terrorist organization" Yucelen was referring to was
the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a 15-year armed
struggle for self-rule in southeast Turkey.
Petkanov pledged to assess the information given by Turkey and to
take legal action against the group if the accusations were proven.
He stressed, however, that Bulgarian authorities had not detected
so far any illegal acts by the center, which, he said, was carrying
out cultural activities for a Kurdish community of about 1,000 people
in Bulgaria.
The two ministers were speaking after signing a cooperation accord
on coast security and a memorandum envisaging accelerated joint efforts
against human- and drug-smuggling as well as other types of organized
crime.
Turkey and Bulgaria lie on a major trafficking route from Asia to
Europe.
4. - Turkish Daily News - "Robertson: Collective solution must be found to Greek objections over Turkish say in EU defense":
A collective solution must be found soon to Greek objections over
allowing non-member Turkey to have a say in the European Union's defense
force, NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson said Thursday.
Both the EU and NATO are seeking a quick resolution to the problem
by September, when the EU takes over peacekeeping tasks currently
carried out European troops under NATO command in Macedonia.
"When we have a collective problem we need to find a collective
solution," Robertson said.
He was in Athens for a business and military conference and met with
Premier Costas Simitis and other Greek officials.
"What we need to do is to focus on where the problems are and
we have to be imaginative and flexible in the solutions that we find,"
Robertson said after meeting Simitis.
Robertson said Wednesday that the problem "must be urgently removed
as soon as possible, before or by" NATO's scheduled summit in
Prague in November.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, also in Athens for the conferences,
was also expected to bring up the issue in a later meeting with Simitis
and other officials.
Simitis has said Greece will veto any proposal giving Turkey, who
is a NATO-member, a say in the 60,000-strong EU rapid-reaction corps,
planned for peacekeeping and humanitarian missions in which the 19-nation
NATO alliance declines to get involved.
Turkey has said it would block any use of NATO assets by the nascent
EU defense force if it does not have a say in how they are used.
A deal worked out by Britain, Turkey and the United States to break
the impasse would allow the EU to borrow NATO facilities for military
operations, but give Turkey the right to block them in areas Ankara
believes are in its sphere of interests. The stalemate affects EU
military operations in regions bordering Turkey, such as the Caucasus.
"I stressed again ... that we cannot accept this text,"
Simitis said.
Robertson said a solution must be found quickly.
"I came with a message, and that is that we must get these arrangements
in place and we must, for the effectiveness for the policy, get them
in place very soon," Robertson said.
Simitis said other solutions must be found to solve the problem.
"Other solutions must be found, and we believe there will need
to be continuous contact, which has begun, to have close cooperation
to find these other solutions so that the European Union can find
a way to use NATO means," Simitis said.
Greece will stick to objections
Greece will stick to its objections over any proposals allowing non-member
Turkey to have a say in the European Union defense force, the government
said Wednesday.
Government spokesman Christos Protopappas said Greece did not consider
the deadlock over the EU's plan to generate a European military force
to be a Greek problem.
"This is not a Greek-Turkish difference. This is a difference
between the EU and third countries," Protopappas said.
Speaking during the business conference, Robertson stressed the need
for full cooperation between NATO and the EU, saying cooperation between
the two was crucial in containing hostilities in Macedonia last year.
A meeting held Tuesday in Luxembourg between Papandreou, Solana and
the Spanish foreign minister foundered over Greek objections.
"There was no result. Greece vigorously supported its position,"
Protopappas said.
Robertson is expected to press Greece to fix the problem before September,
when the EU takes over peacekeeping tasks currently carried out European
troops under NATO command in Macedonia.
Turkish Defense Minister Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu also
attends the military conference, but it was unclear if he would discuss
the issue during his visit.
5. - Turkish Daily News - "Will Turkey choose the EU or the USA?":
Apr 19, 2002 / By Mehmet Ali Birand
A subtle campaign is being conducted, both in Turkey and in the United
States. Turkey, who comes under strain on the EU issue, is being told,
'Let the EU countries aside. There is America. Cooperating with Washington
would be more desirable in all aspects.' And this idea proves to be
popular in certain circles
The difficulties Turkey is experiencing in complying with the European
Union's Copenhagen criteria are all too obvious. Almost all legal
amendments trigger yet another fight.
The coalition partners, Motherland Party (ANAP) and Nationalist Movement
Party (MHP) especially, represent different poles. Each time tension
grows a little more. Since the Democratic Left Party (DSP) is undertaking
the role of a "mediator," it does not speak out much. It
prefers to watch.
The military too are uneasy. They too have their worries and doubts.
Besides, there are those academics who pour oil on the fire by portraying
the EU as a bogeyman to the military, saying, "The moment we
step into it, your power will vanish and you will be rendered ineffective."
In reality, we are faced with an odd situation.
Some of those who seem to be anti-EU, are basically objecting not
to Turkish full membership in the EU. Their objections stem from the
assumption that the adaptation process is going too rapidly. They
argue that the state is unable to digest all these major changes,
and that steps must be made over a longer period of time.
Some others believe that the EU's Copenhagen criteria compromises
Turkey's integrity. They say that the EU should admit Turkey as a
member, not according to the criteria but on the basis of a different
model, which would be more in line with Turkey's own, particular conditions.
Then they carry this a step further, stressing with particular emphasis
that a 27-member EU would not fulfil Turkey's expectations anyway.
Leave the EU aside, come to the USA
As the stress increased, the NO front put forth a new idea along
the following line:
"Rather than striving so hard and going to so much trouble to
join the EU, that is, rather than embarking on such a perilous, risky
adventure, Turkey should tighten up its relations with the United
States, in all aspects. It should conclude economic and security agreements
with the United States as Israel and Mexico have done. It should opt
for Washington."
They argue that this would bring an end to the controversies on such
issues as the death penalty, Cyprus and Kurdish teaching and broadcasting.
They claim that then, Turkey would be in a stronger position in her
region in all aspects, especially from the economic and strategic
angle.
It is as if Turkey is being pushed by an invisible hand to choose
between the EU and the United States.
Certain academics who serve as the spokesmen for the NO front in Ankara,
even certain trustworthy diplomats and intellectuals, are trying to
sell this idea to the military and to the MHP and True Path Party
(DYP) circles.
This campaign has its followers in America as well.
Richard Perle clearly stated at the recently-held Washington meeting
of the Turkish-American Council, "If it does not work out with
the EU, there is us." This remark drew a round of applause from
the audience.
Those circles inside the EU that want to obstruct Turkish membership,
are overjoyed by this campaign. They too support this campaign, with
all their might. They do not want Turkey to be admitted into their
ranks. They think that maintaining elbow contact with Turkey would
be enough. This is because the admission into the EU of a big country
such as Turkey would mean that the other members' share of the pie
will get smaller. And they do not want to lose that slice.
The EU and the USA are not comparable
Opting for the United States rather than the EU may look attractive
at first glance. However, such a choice would be similar to making
a comparison between tomatoes and potatoes.
Full membership in the EU and getting closer to the United States
are two different, totally unrelated positions.
EU membership means joining a system, an economic area, having a secure
market, taking part in the shaping of the policies, becoming a member
of a family.
Moving closer to the United States, on the other hand, would be like
going to bed with a super power. The super power would have its own,
different, priorities and policies. Washington would issue orders
and those around it would obey.
It seems that the more the pressure for adaptation to the EU grows,
the more heated the aforementioned campaign will become in the coming
days.
However, it must not be forgotten that in Turkey we have the saying,
"He who goes to bed with a blind person finds himself cross-eyed
in the end." And the one that goes to bed with a super power
usually becomes cross-eyed himself.
18 April 2002 / by Ali Sirmen
On the name change of the PKK and on what the EU expects of Turkey
This week, when Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz was meeting with
EU officials in Brussels, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem was in Luxembourg
at the Turkey-EU Association Council. At the end of the meetings,
an optimistic mood was observed on the Turkish side. Deputy Prime
Minister Yilmaz predicted that the PKK and DHKP-C would be added to
the EU’s terrorist organizations list.
However, the PKK had already announced that it would no longer engage
in terrorist activities and had entered a new stage as the ‘democratic
party’ of the Kurds. The election of Abdullah Ocalan as the group’s
chairman didn’t attract anyone’s interest. It was rather
interesting to see these two developments happen simultaneously.
Some PKK officials asked about the odd synchronicity tried to brush
the issue off by saying that it was merely a coincidence and that
nobody had planned it that way. However they added that this question
should be posed to EU officials. Those who knew how to read the developments
didn’t share the optimism prevailing after Yilmaz’s announcement.
We shall see whether the organization which reportedly will be included
on the list will be restricted only to the PKK, which is said to be
left in the past, or notwithstanding the name change, will the new
organization be added to the list?
Foreign Minister Cem repeated his request for definite a date for
accession negotiations during his meetings in Luxembourg. EU officials
turned him down. However, while not forgetting to praise recent progress
in Turkey, his counterparts pointed out their inadequacy but added
that if all went well and Turkey fulfilled its obligations, they could
set a date in December. This created some optimism, although nothing
had changed in the requests from Turkey. Although the possibility
has been mentioned, it doesn’t necessarily follow that a date
will actually be set in December.
Therefore, there is no need to be angry with the EU officials. If
no solid steps are taken for harmonization with the EU, why are we
requesting to become a member?