26 February 2002

1. "'Political PKK' issue sparks controversy in political arena", state Minister Mehmet Kececiler's statement, "We would beat the PKK at the ballot box" has sparked a new controversy in the political scene in the midst of the silent Eid al-Adha religious holiday.

2. "EU: E-Mail Publication In Turkey Causes Diplomatic Row", Turkey's tormented relations with the European Union suffered a fresh blow earlier this month when suspected hackers intercepted the electronic correspondence of the 15-nation bloc's representative in Ankara and leaked it to the press.

3. “Van Bruinessen and education in Kurdish”, we talked with the famous Dutch Kurdolog Professor Martin Van Bruinessen for the program "Carcira" regarding education in Kurdish. The interview took place on the 4th of February at the University of Utrecht where Bruinessen works.

4. "They're all dammed", Britain is again trying to fund a Turkish project to flood thousands of Kurdish homes.

5. "MGK to be the scene of a battle over capital punishment", coalition partners that have been at odds over the abolition of the death penalty are expected to play their final cards at the MGK meeting set for Wednesday. It is claimed that if they agree to lift the death sentence, this controversy will endure.

6. "Is Washington less sensitive to anti-democratic applications and trends in Turkey than the EU?", over the religious holiday we observed a new controversy shaping up in Turkey after a series of incidents suggested that some people were out to sabotage Turkey's relations with the European Union.

7. "EU and turkish relations", columnist Hasan Cemal writes on Turkish-EU relations.

8. “Cyprus defence minister says Turkish forces in Cyprus reinforced”, Cyprus Defence Minister Sokratis Khasikos has revealed that the Turkish occupation forces have strengthened their military capability in Cyprus' northern areas by bringing illegally into the country an artillery battalion.

1. Turkish Daily News - "'Political PKK' issue sparks controversy in political arena":

State Minister Mehmet Kececiler's statement, "We would beat the PKK at the ballot box" has sparked a new controversy in the political scene in the midst of the silent Eid al-Adha religious holiday.

The words of Kececiler fueled a new controversy during the religious holiday, known as the period of reconciliation and peace among people. Turkish politicians were still busy wrangling on the lifting of capital punishment, an issue which is seen as a matter of executing the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan.

Kececiler's statement opened a new front in the issue.

"It would be better for the PKK to be in politics rather than out in the mountains. People would not elect them. We would beat them at the ballot box," Kececiler said in an interview with the Aksam newspaper.

Junior coalition partner Motherland Party (ANAP) member Kececiler has created a new tension in the three-way coalition. ANAP has been at odds with its partners, especially with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

Ultra nationalist MHP's Deputy Chairman Nazif Okumus said that the PKK had never had a political base, and had been only involved in terrorist activities for the last 15 years.

The PKK and its leader Ocalan have been held responsible for the conflict in Turkey's southeast which has claimed the lives of more than 35,000 people.

Another MHP member, Ismail Kose, accused Kececiler of confusing the people living in the southeastern region with PKK terrorists.

ANAP's other coalition partner Democratic Left Party (DSP) Deputy Group Chairman Aydin Tumen stated that Kececiler had made a radical statement.

Tumen claimed that if separatist movements took the stage in the political arena, it would adversely effect political life.

DSP's Uluc Gurkan also reacted against the statements of Kececiler by saying that it was a wrong move to call on a terrorist organization to become a political party.

Mass circulation newspaper Hurriyet reported that Kececiler had said: "I say, let them come out and take part in the elections under the existing laws, that is, the Election Law and the Political Parties Law. I am not saying let us have the PKK come and take part in the elections as it is, under that name. Has this not been like that anyway all these years? Were not the Democracy Party (DEP) and People's Labor Party (HEP) affiliated with the PKK?"

Both DEP and HEP were banned by the Constitutional Court and there is an ongoing closure case against their successor, the People's Democracy Party (HADEP), at the Constitutional Court on charges of having links with the PKK.

PKK aiming to become a political movement

Ocalan was sentenced to capital punishment in 1996 in a trial on the prison island of Imrali on charges of treason, and later in November of 1996, the Court of Cassation approved the decision of the State Security Court (DGM). After the sentencing of Ocalan, the PKK intensified its activities throughout Turkey, especially in the cities. It tried to show that the PKK hadn't finished committing suicide attacks.

But after Ocalan's call to PKK members to organize a peace conference swiftly, and to end the armed struggle, urging the PKK to carry out their activities abroad, the PKK went through an image change.

The PKK, between 1991-2001, has concealed its terrorist identity and made moves in an effort to give a nice image to the European Union, an organ which can force Turkey to take decisions in harmony with the expectations of the PKK. Let us note the members of the PKK who staged a demonstration in front of the hotel hosting the EU's Helsinki Summit, opening banners, saying "Take Turkey to the EU," as a part of this plan.

Although there is some information revealing that the PKK still has terrorist camps in Iraq and Iran, it wears a different mask in Europe. It's new strategy is carrying out a political campaign rather than terrorist activities.

Turkey gives major importance to its relations with the EU, and has some expectations from the EU just as the EU has some expectations from Turkey. Both sides moves cautiously. Turkey has achieved a number of reforms and Ankara has fulfilled the majority of promises that it made as part of the Accession Partnership Document. But the death sentence of Ocalan has kept its place as one of the most sensitive issues between the two sides.

Although the PKK is on the U.S. list of terrorist groups, the list of the European Union does not include the PKK, which means that Ocalan is not a terrorist in the eyes of the EU.

2. Radio Free Europe - "EU: E-Mail Publication In Turkey Causes Diplomatic Row":

By Jean-Christophe Peuch

Turkey's tormented relations with the European Union suffered a fresh blow earlier this month when suspected hackers intercepted the electronic correspondence of the 15-nation bloc's representative in Ankara and leaked it to the press. The EU is demanding that action be taken to enhance the security of its diplomatic representation in Ankara. The incident could have dramatic consequences for the Turkish government, which hopes to start accession talks with the EU soon.

PRAGUE

The latest scandal between Turkey and the European Union broke out about two weeks ago when the "Aydinlik" news magazine, a media outlet affiliated with the left-wing Workers' Party (Isci Partisi), published a series of e-mails sent by European Commission envoy Karen Fogg to EU officials in Brussels.

In comments aired at a subsequent press briefing, Workers' Party Chairman Dogu Perincek -- who first provided the e-mails to "Aydinlik" -- used the messages in a bid to prove his case that Fogg is spying against Ankara and working against Turkey's national interests.

Perincek, whose radical anti-American, anti-European, and anticapitalist views have often sparked controversy in the past, has so far declined to say how he gained access to Fogg's correspondence. The e-mails detail meetings Fogg had with various Turkish officials, nongovernmental organizations, and journalists.

Both the army's General Staff and the MIT -- Turkey's intelligence services -- have denied any involvement in the incident.

The EU immediately enjoined Ankara to take action to ensure the safety of its diplomatic mission. Turkey's belated reaction has apparently prompted the EU to take a tougher stance.

On 19 February, Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen summoned the head of the Turkish mission to the EU to express his concerns. Talking to reporters that same day, EU spokesman Jonathan Faull hinted at growing frustration among European officials, saying four oral protests previously conveyed to the Turkish government had remained unheeded.

"We, of course, ask Turkey to ensure the physical security of our personnel in Turkey, as well as the security of the communications of our delegation there. If necessary, the president [of the EU Commission, Romano Prodi] will bring this matter directly to the prime minister [of Turkey, Bulent Ecevit]. Mr. Verheugen has already discussed the issue with the ambassador [of Turkey, Nihat Akyol]. He also discussed it with the foreign minister [of Turkey, Ismail Cem]. And, if necessary, we will take all measures we will deem appropriate to ensure the security of our delegation and of the persons who work in this country."

Faull did not elaborate on the measures the EU would consider if the Turkish government fails to meet its demands.

Speaking at the same press briefing, Verheugen's spokesman, Jean-Christophe Filori, said the EU also demands that action be taken to prevent Fogg's electronic messages from being published in the press.

"We, of course, expect Turkish authorities to ensure the security of our personnel. But we also demand -- and we've done that several times already -- that Turkish authorities see that an end is put to the publication of these e-mails, which, as you know, were pirated. This correspondence is protected under the Vienna Convention on diplomatic representations, and we have repeatedly insisted that legal action is taken to stop the publication of these e-mails."

Since "Aydinlik" first revealed the content of Fogg's e-mails, Turkey's mainstream newspapers have published abstracts of the hacked EU correspondence, without saying how they obtained them.

The Turkish government has promised to investigate the incident, which Foreign Minister Cem has described as an "ugly crime." Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said people who obtain electronic data illegally might face up to three years in jail. But the investigation has not yielded any substantial results yet.

In a further bid to step up its pressure on Ankara, EU Commission President Prodi telephoned Ecevit two days ago to express his discomfort over the incident. A Commission statement issued later that day says Prodi "stressed the need for a political settlement of the issue at the highest level to ensure that EU-Turkey relations are not harmed by this illegal action."

Contacted by RFE/RL, Turkish Ambassador Akyol's office declined to comment on the issue.

Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting focusing on foreign policy issues, Ecevit yesterday described the e-mail incident as "preoccupying." But Ecevit did not mention any concrete steps that would meet Prodi's demands.

"This case, which you call the 'Karen Fogg case,' is of course very preoccupying in its essence. However, as you know, Internet piracy is a very widespread phenomenon across the world. Not a single country in the world has developed legal instruments to fight against it. Steps certainly must be taken in this area, and we have decided to do something to that effect. The origins of this case of piracy are not clear. We are carefully investigating it. The judiciary will also conduct its own investigation. As you know, the issue is in the hands of the judiciary."

Perincek's assertions that Fogg's correspondence shows her disrespect for "Turkishness" and for Turkey in general has provoked rage among nationalists, who are demanding that the EU ambassador be recalled before her term expires in May.

Turkish media earlier this week reported that Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyat had told Spain's ambassador to Ankara, whose country chairs the EU rotating presidency, that Ankara would welcome Fogg's early departure as a way to avoid further controversy. But Ecevit yesterday said this option is not being considered.

A few days before the e-mail scandal broke, Fogg had criticized the speedy legal reforms Ankara is implementing in an effort to join the EU, saying the new laws were adopted at a hectic pace and were mostly meant to earn international financial support to extricate Turkey from a 14-month old economic crisis.

Although no date has been set for Ankara's entry into the EU, Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz -- who oversees relations with Brussels in the government -- said last month (20 January) that Ankara hopes to join the bloc in 2007. Turkey stands last among 13 candidates interested in joining the EU.

Ankara applied for membership 15 years ago but was only granted candidate status in December 1999. Accession talks have not started yet -- a delay due mostly to European concerns about human rights.

Earlier this month (6 February), Turkey's parliament amended controversial legal provisions governing freedom of thought and expression. The changes were officially aimed at bringing national legislation closer to European democracy criteria, but human rights groups, independent lawyers, and liberal politicians have criticized them for falling short of international standards.

During a visit in Ankara last week (14 February), EU Enlargement Commissioner Verheugen said the reforms were an improvement in "the Turkish context," but proved problematic when considered from a European perspective.

Last year, Ankara adopted a national program of short-term reforms aimed at boosting its chances of joining the EU. Progress made so far is scheduled to be reviewed next month, ahead of an overall assessment of all 13 EU candidates that will be made public next October.

Turkish officials, who have recently supported the resumption of peace talks over the divided island of Cyprus, hope the final review will help set a firm date for accession talks, paving the way for further reforms.

In that respect, most Turkish analysts believe the timing of the so-called "e-mail affair" may not be purely accidental. They point to the fact that one of Fogg's messages leaked to the press refers to a tentative European project to fund a newspaper in the Kurdish language, an idea many in Turkey see as heresy.

European countries are pressing Turkey to scrap the death penalty and grant its 12 million-strong ethnic Kurd minority greater cultural rights, notably by lifting the ban on broadcasting and education in languages others than Turkish.

But some political parties -- mainly Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli's far-right National Action Movement (MHP), the second-largest party in parliament -- and Turkey's influential military are opposed to such reforms, which they claim would threaten the security of the state.

Nationalists and generals fear that abolishing capital punishment would amount to giving concessions to the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party, whose leader, Abdullah Ocalan, has been on death row since 1999.

Turkey has observed a moratorium on capital punishment since 1984. In October, the parliament adopted constitutional changes limiting the death penalty mostly to terrorism cases, crimes against the state, and crimes committed in wartime.

Ecevit said recently that he hopes to reach a consensus among legislators and ban capital punishment by the end of this year. But many in Turkey fear the "e-mail affair" may seriously harm relations between Brussels and Ankara and postpone any debate on the death penalty.

3. Yedinci – “Gündem Martin Van Bruinessen and education in Kurdish”:

(Translated by Robin Kurd / Kurdish Media)

We talked with the famous Dutch Kurdolog Professor Martin Van Bruinessen for the program "Carcira" regarding education in Kurdish. The interview took place on the 4th of February at the University of Utrecht where Bruinessen works.

Professor Bruinessen had important suggestions and criticism regarding the issue of education in Kurdish, methods and its application. I would like to share with you some of them here.

"Attempts to educate in Kurdish has taken place in past as well. This goes as early as to the beginnings of the 20th century. We know that Saidi Nursi established a school for Kurdish children during those years. This is important, because it was the first modern Kurdish school. As known, from the creation of the Turkish Republic until a decade ago Kurdish experienced a period of prohibition. Since a decade there is no legal prohibition of Kurdish but no legal recognition either.

During recent times students in Turkey, with EU''s requirements regarding education in other languages in mind, put the issue rapidly on the agenda. The government''s stance towards the issue was on the other hand quite backward. It does not seem to want a solution either. But as much as I can see it the stance of the government will not last long.

At the same time the issue of education in Kurdish has not been fully understood by Kurds in Turkey either. There are Kurdish courses at the Kurdish Institute in Istanbul and in other places. These courses have now been closed down, so has the Institute.

I believe that there is now a need for Kurds in exile for a period to take the leading role on this issue. We are aware of the activities taking place in Scandinavian countries, such as Sweden and Denmark.

For more than 20 years in Sweden, Kurds are being educated in their own language. A great number of tools and materials have been created for this purpose. These can make an important contribution to education in Kurdish. Kurds in those countries can play an important role as well. The tools and methods created in Europe can make a great contribution to education in Kurdish in Turkey and in the south.

My personal view regarding questions such as, "Will the State itself have education in Kurdish?" and "Will the State have compulsory education in Kurdish in, for example primary, schools, towns or villages?", is:

Firstly - the first steps usually are taken by individuals rather than the State. An individual initiative is necessary. For the creation of such an initiative the Kurds need to be prepared to provide a foundation for education. Besides, learning materials have to be available and ready for education. I know that the Kurds in Europe is providing this to some extent. But even better books are needed.

Second - important point is to have the proper personnel. Because, just the knowledge of Kurdish is not sufficient, how to educate in a language is even more important. A teacher should be able to explain why one thing is said in two different ways. We need teachers like that.

One could think of a solution like this: Kurdish teachers who teach in Turkish could use their experiences. In this aspect, the biggest role will be played by the Kurdish teachers in Europe. I believe that the best result will be achieved by these teachers training the new teachers.

Television is very important as well. For example, it is said that Medya TV has the theoretical means to help the Kurds to learn Kurdish. Unfortunately, I do not believe that these means are being used in the suggested way. Did the Kurdish writers in Europe come together and standardise their language?

There is a Kurdish newspaper and has until now printed 20 issues. This is a good step on the way to standardisation. A coming together will help solving problems such as the pronunciation of words and the use of them.

I have not seen any work on this issue on the TV. What I have observed, so far, is the lack of monitoring the level of language the announcers are using. There is no initiative to standardise the language either.

I have come to the conclusion that neither the announcers nor the creators of programs are educated to speak better Kurdish. Television is a tool for the Kurds to learn. They have to know what contemporary Kurdish standards are to be able to speak it well. Therefore improvement is needed for more to be achieved.

4. The Guardian - "They're all dammed":

Britain is again trying to fund a Turkish project to flood thousands of Kurdish homes

By George Monbiot

Events in isolation do not establish that a government is corrupt. Tony Blair's support for Lakshmi Mittal, the Labour donor hoping to buy Romania's steel industry, looks suspicious, but could, perhaps, be the result of a misjudgment. To suggest that a government is corrupt, you must first detect a pattern of behaviour.

Three months ago, human rights and environmental campaigners won a famous victory. The Turkish government, with the help of the British company Balfour Beatty, had been planning to drown the ancient city of Hasankeyf, in Anatolia. The Ilisu dam was presented to the public as an electricity scheme, but for Turkey there were certain collateral benefits. Hasankeyf is the cultural capital of the Kurds, whom the authorities have been seeking to crush and assimilate. By submerging it, the government would displace some 78,000 Kurds from their homes. And by damming the Tigris it could hold its troublesome neighbours Syria and Iraq - whose survival depends on the river's water - to ransom.

Scandalously, the British government planned to underwrite this project. The export credits guarantee department (ECGD), which is a division of the Department of Trade and Industry, would provide £140m of insurance for Balfour Beatty. If Turkey had failed to pay Balfour Beatty on time, the department would have given the company the money it was owed, then added the deficit to Turkey's national debt. As companies will not proceed with projects like this without guarantees from their governments, the ECGD's backing was critical to the construction of the Ilisu dam.

So the Labour government, which has made so much of its commitment to international human rights, peace-keeping and environmental protection, was preparing to support a project which would assist Turkey's ethnic cleansing programme, destroy one of the most archaeologically important cities on earth, and threaten armed conflict between Turkey and its southern neighbours. The Department of Trade and Industry, run at the time by Stephen Byers, hid key documents from the public, offered evasive answers to parliament and announced that it intended to approve the scheme on the day that Neil Hamilton lost his libel case, which was correctly judged by officials to be a good time to bury bad news.

Activists from the Ilisu dam campaign, the Kurdish Human Rights Project and Friends of the Earth spent three years fighting both the ECGD and Balfour Beatty. The comedian Mark Thomas toured Britain with a stand-up show devoted to the campaign against the dam. At Balfour Beatty's annual general meeting, Friends of the Earth persuaded investors holding 41% of the companies' shares not to vote against a demand that the firm adopt ethical guidelines for dam building. In November last year, Balfour Beatty buckled. But the government learned nothing from this fiasco. It is now preparing to start again, with another dam, another company and another ethnic cleansing operation.

The Coruh river runs from the Mescit mountains, through north-eastern Turkey, into Georgia and down to the Black sea at Batumi. The ethnic Georgians who inhabit its valley live among thousands of medieval buildings and archaeological remains. The river's catchment is a key transit point for migrating birds of prey, and the habitat of bears, wolves, lynx, ibex and some 160 endemic plants.

The Turkish government intends to flood most of the valley with a series of dams, the biggest of which is the 540 megawatt barrage downstream of the town of Yusufeli. Local officials estimate that it will drown the homes of some 15,000 people, and displace a further 15,000, as their roads and fields are submerged.

At Hasankeyf, the Turkish government made the mistake of leaving the city standing, and therefore worth defending. It will not repeat this error. It intends to bulldoze Yusufeli in July, whether or not the dam is ready to be built, in the hope that its people and their supporters will give up once there is nothing to be saved but rubble. The people of Yusufeli and the surrounding villages will simply be dumped elsewhere. Were they to be provided with adequate homes and new roads, one Turkish newspaper estimates, the costs of resettlement would be greater than the value of the electricity the dam will produce.

In Yusufeli, just as in Hasankeyf, no one dares to speak out, as the secret police are everywhere. The barrage will affect the supply of water to Georgia, and (as it prevents the river's sediments from reaching the sea) cause serious erosion on the Black sea coast.

The consortium hoping to build the Yusufeli dam is led by the French company Spie Batignolle, 41% of which is owned by the British firm Amec. Like Balfour Beatty, Amec is one of the companies pioneering the British government's private finance initiative. The ECGD is now considering whether to underwrite its contribution to the Yusufeli project, with £68m of guarantees. The people who fought the Ilisu scheme are now contesting Amec's dam. They have been met with precisely the same obstruction and obfuscation as they confronted before.

When its complicity in ethnic cleansing was exposed, the ECGD was forced to publish a set of "business principles". These are now supposed to govern the decisions it makes. Unfortunately they remain "discretionary", which means, in practice, that they are never applied. Of the first 200 applications the ECGD has screened, not one has been rejected.

For the past two months, campaigners have been writing to Amec and to ministers at the Department of Trade and Industry, in the hope of obtaining the key documents - the environmental impact report and the resettlement plan - which the ECGD claims will be used to decide whether it will back this scheme. Under the environmental information rules, citizens of the UK have a legal right to see these papers. The government has refused, on the grounds that they belong to Amec.

Amec has responded that the studies cannot be seen as "none of them are complete". But 15 months ago, it told the trade and industry select committee that it had provided the ECGD "with extensive information on the project including a full environmental study". The campaigners are hardly reassured by the fact that the new chair of the ECGD's advisory council is Liz Airey, who also happens to be a director of Amec.

Now the British government appears to be ready, once again, to support the original ethnic cleansing scheme. Last month David Allgood, a senior official at the ECGD, told the press that the department would "consider any new application for the Ilisu project on its merits".

There is a pattern here, which suggests that the government is not making mistakes, but conspiring against the principles by which it claims to work. This is not the work of rogue officials, but reflective of systemic corruption. In December, the Foreign Office minister Peter Hain boasted to the Confederation of British Industry that "governments and businesses working together can be unstoppable." It is up to us to prove him wrong.

5. Turkish Daily News - "MGK to be the scene of a battle over capital punishment":

Coalition partners that have been at odds over the abolition of the death penalty are expected to play their final cards at the MGK meeting set for Wednesday. It is claimed that if they agree to lift the death sentence, this controversy will endure.

The ANAP wing of the coalition is expected to propose a detailed plan on lifting capital punishment. MHP, strictly against lifting this sentence, is blamed for using this issue as a political campaign tool by opposition SP

The death sentence, which has been a controversial issue in the three-way coalition, is expected to dominate the National Security Council (MGK) meeting set for tomorrow.

The sides of the controversy, Prime Minister and Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli and junior coalition partner Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz will reportedly be playing their final cards at the meeting.

Ecevit and Bahceli, who have openly displayed their manners on the issue during speeches made during the four day long Eid al-Adha religious holiday, are expected to make surprising statements at the meeting.

Earlier, second chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit was quoted as saying that he was against the idea of lifting capital punishment by a Turkish newspaper.

ANAP leader Yilmaz will reportedly propose a detailed plan to lift capital punishment at the influential MGK meeting. He is expected to highlight that the abolition of the death sentence was set as a mid-term goal in the National Program prepared by Turkey.

Meanwhile, it is known that it is hard for MHP to change its manner of insisting capital punishment not be lifted for crimes of terrorism. It is also known that military has warned the government not to make urgent moves on this issue.

Sources close to the government said that even if the coalition partners and opposition parties agreed for a partial lifting of the death sentence, the controversy will endure.

MHP is blamed for using the issue as a tool of political campaign

The MHP, which is strictly against lifting the death penalty, supports the idea of leaving this important issue to be decided in Parliament. It is also blamed for using this issue as a tool of political campaign by an opposition party.

Saadet (happiness or contentment) Party (SP) leader Recai Kutan said that the MHP was not sincere in the dispute. The Justice and Development Party (AKP) has not yet revealed its possible approach to the death penalty. Members of the AKP stated, "We will do what our people want us to on this issue."

The final word from the main opposition True Path Party (DYP) was voiced by their leader Tansu Ciller.

"Let's hang Abdullah Ocalan first and then lift the death penalty," Ciller said.

Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), was sentenced to death on charges of treason. After the Court of Cassation approved the sentence, he became the last person on death row.

Although Turkey hasn't abolished the death penalty, it hasn't executed anyone since 1984.

6. Hurriyet - "Is Washington less sensitive to anti-democratic applications and trends in Turkey than the EU?":

Is US an alternative for the EU?

Over the religious holiday we observed a new controversy shaping up in Turkey after a series of incidents suggested that some people were out to sabotage Turkey's relations with the European Union.

According to some analysts, those who are sabotaging Turkey's full membership prospects in the European Union are in fact knowingly or unknowingly throwing Turkey into the lap of the United States.

These analysts claim that the United States is less sensitive to Turkey transforming into a more democratic environment, and thus is not as pushy as the EU.

There are claims that those intending to throw Turkey closer to the United States used a maoist extremist to sabotage Turkey's links with the EU, by making public a series of e-mail communications by EU representative Karen Fogg. In this way, they killed two birds with one stone. They used a person known for his anti-Americanism, thus creating the wrong impression that this action was not related to Turkey's ties with the United States, while also hurting our relations with the EU...

These arguments may sound plausible, especially in the view of recent developments, which show a clear rift in the Transatlantic relationship. The fact that Europe and Washington are now arguing on how best to run the world may well be part of a long term trend that consolidates this rift.

Turkey, as a strategic partner of the United States and also as a candidate for full EU membership, may have to do some deep thinking in the coming days to prepare contingency plans for all eventualities. We may find ourselves in an either/or situation where we have to select only one of the two options...

Meanwhile, we feel that our American friends also have to do some hard work to dispel this notion that Washington cares less about Turkey improving the quality of its democracy and enhancing freedoms. We do not believe this. On the contrary, we know well that the United States wants its strategic partners to respect democracy as well as basic freedoms and liberties. That is why Washington has selected democratic states such as Israel and Britain as its strategic partners, and wants Turkey to enhance the quality of its democracy.

In his recent trip to China, President George W. Bush made some very important remarks which we feel should shed light on the U.S. expectations on Turkey.

He argued that liberty did not bring chaos, and said that he prayed Beijing would end religious persecution, in a nationally televised speech that held up the U.S. system as a model for China.

Bush urged China to expand personal and political freedoms, to tolerate diversity and dissent, and to respect the rule of law. "Life in America shows that liberty, paired with law, is not to be feared," Bush said. "In a free society, debate is not strife, and disorder is not revolution," he added, addressing the longstanding Chinese argument that greater political and personal freedoms could bring chaos to a nation of more than 1 billion people.

Aren't these the arguments some Turkish leaders use against expanded freedoms and liberties in Turkey?

So we feel the United States should use some friendly persuasion in Turkey, that it should not be regarded as a substitute for Europe that will turn a blind eye to human rights violations and anti-democratic applications.

7. Milliyet - "EU and turkish relations":

Columnist Hasan Cemal writes on Turkish-EU relations. A summary his column is as follows:

"Can Turkey be divided? This cannot be. However, Turkey can be led to a turbulence and instability. PKK terrorist organization has served this purpose and in a bloody way at that. Can this be repeated? This may be so, and therefore Turkey has to be prepared for such a possibility.

In order to achieve this a game plan covering religious and ethnic groups must be prepared. Developing within political stability, and spreading prosperity through democracy and the rule of law will form the framework of this game plan. However, Turkey excluded from Europe will be more prone to losing strength or falling into instability. In fact EU membership is adopted as a national policy in Turkey.

The public support for this is around 75%. 2002 is an important year for EU membership. The EU has to set a date for Turkey's accession negotiations until the end of 2002. If the date is set, the road to membership will be opened before us. However, Turkey has to complete its homework set for the short term.

The Coalition government has fulfilled some of them but others still maintain their important positions such as the abolition of death penalty, radio-tv broadcasts in Kurdish. Turkey must take steps to be admitted to the EU.

If the EU may not agree to our membership finally, it is not the end of the world and we will continue on our path."

8. - BBC Monitoring Service – “Cyprus defence minister says Turkish forces in Cyprus reinforced”:

NICOSIA

Cyprus Defence Minister Sokratis Khasikos has revealed that the Turkish occupation forces have strengthened their military capability in Cyprus' northern areas by bringing illegally into the country an artillery battalion.

"Last week Turkey brought into the country illegally an artillery battalion, comprising 12 155-mm guns with a 30 km range and a ship loaded with ammunition to back the battalion," Khasikos has said.

This equipment, he pointed out, was transferred to Cyprus in addition to other military equipment which arrived illegally some 20 days ago.

"The Turks are not only levelling threats against us but they are also trying to find legal means to justify the implementation of these threats, if Cyprus joins the European Union without a political settlement," Khasikos said...

Source: Cyprus News Agency, Nicosia, in English 0740 gmt 25 Feb 02