6 May 2002

1. - Turkish Daily News - "Yilmaz: Germany is the key for Turkey's EU membership":

ANKARA / 6 May 2002 /

Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut Yilmaz stated that Germany is the key country in determining the accession of Turkey to the European Union. Yilmaz gave information on the relations between Turkey and the EU in a conference jointly organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Turkish-German Forum.

By emphasizing on the importance of the support of Germany to the membership of Turkey to the EU, Deputy Prime Minister Yilmaz stated that "The Turkish economy will grow with the coming of foreign capital and investments."

By pointing out that the EU may become an "island of welfare," Yilmaz stated that "Prosperity is not a target alone, beside this, there should be peace, so the EU needs Turkey to assure this required peace."

Yilmaz also stated that "The Cyprus problem is not a problem that Turkey could solve alone. Any solution that ignores the realities of the island could not be accepted." By saying that the EU appropriated a just policy on the Cyprus problem, Yilmaz stressed, that "The Turkish community in Cyprus has never been a minority in history."

Yilmaz also evaluated that the accession of the terrorist organizations the PKK and the DHKP/C to the EU terrorist list as a response to the questions of the journalists after the forum, and said that "This decision is a late decision. This decision should have been taken at the beginning. Now the PKK is the most bloody terrorist organization in Europe. So, the name of this terrorist organization should have been put at the top of the list. Nevertheless, we evaluate this development as the sign of the change of the EU`s approach and more understanding to the problems of Turkey. However, the new terrorist organization established by the terrorists of the PKK should be followed and prohibited. We hope that the EU will not tolerate this organization."

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2. - TDN Newswire - "Belgian judicial officials: 'There is not much to do against the PKK and the DHKP-C' ":

BRUSSELS / 6 May 2002

Belgian judicial officials quoted by "Le Soir" stated that the legislation of the country was not sophisticated enough for punishing the organizations taken into the European Union (EU) list of terrorists.

Evaluating the inclusion of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and Revolutionary People's Liberation Party and Front (DHKP-C), "There is not much to do against these organizations," the daily was quoted by the Anatolia News Agency.

Le Soir reported that Brussels judge Christian De Valkeener is doubtful concerning the EU terror list issue, who comments that it will bring nothing new, since the terrorist organizations work in an untidy way.

Terrorism expert De Valkeener was quoted as saying by the daily that there is not any binding measure to be against the PKK and the DHKP-C.

"What is possible is more efficient intelligence gathering against these organizations," De Valkeneer said.

On the other hand, the supporters of the PKK protested the EU decision to include the organization into its list of terrorists by demonstrations held in Italy and Belgium.

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3. - Cyprus Newsmail - "Cyprus: Government welcomes more active role by UN chief":

5 May 2002 / by Melina Demetriou

Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides said yesterday that the Greek Cypriot side was willing to examine practical ways of speeding up the procedure of the Cyprus negotiations and give the United Nations Secretary- general a more active role in efforts to find a solution.

Cassoulides was addressing a news conference he called to respond to UN chief Kofi Annan's decision to visit Cyprus later this month. It will be the first time a UN Secretary-general has visited in more than 20 years.

Annan on Thursday announced plans to come and meet President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash in an effort to augment the face-to-face negotiations and make "decisive progress", meeting the June target date for an agreement.The Secretary-general is expected to arrive on May 15 and stay for two or three days.

Cassoulides said yesterday the government welcomed the development, as well as the UN Security Council statement issued after Annan's decision had been announced.

"Our side is pleased with the fact that the Council insists on a complete solution, one that is in line with UN decisions, and that it has called on the sides, in particular the Turkish Cypriots, to co-operate fully with the Secretary-general," the minister said.

Judging by the Council's statement, Cassoulides said he assumed Annan would come to Cyprus aiming "for peace, for a compromise and to speed up the negotiating procedure". He said that the Greek Cypriot side was willing to examine practical ways of speeding up the procedure and give Annan a more active role in the talks.

Cassoulides did not rule out the possibility of the two sides exchanging 'non-papers', but he was adamant that they would not seal an interim agreement.

"Non-papers and proposals is one thing and an agreement is another," he said, reiterating the government position that "nothing is agreed until everything is agreed".

Security Council President Kishore Mahbubani said in his statement on Thursday that the body regretted that it had not been possible to make more progress during negotiations since the Council was last briefed on April 4.

The Council expressed the view that "the time has now come to set down on paper areas of common ground between the two sides, with the aim of establishing the component parts of a comprehensive settlement which takes full consideration of relevant UN resolutions and, where differences remain, to narrow and remove those through a process of negotiation focused on compromise formulations".In a separate statement, US deputy permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador James Cunningham stressed the importance of resolving the Cyprus issue and the need "for more urgency in the negotiations to reach an agreement by the June target date". Direct talks between Clerides and Denktash resume on Tuesday after the Easter break.

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4. - BBC Monitoring Service - "Some 45,000 signatures reported gathered to lift Turkey's Kurdish education ban":

5 May, 2002

The letter campaign that was initiated a month ago for the amendment of Article 42 of the constitution, which bans education and training in the Kurdish language, has ended. A total of 45,000 signatures have reportedly been sent to the TBMM [Turkish Grand National Assembly] Speaker's Office within the framework of the campaign.

IHD [Human Rights Association] Diyarbakir Branch Chairman Osman Baydemir noted that if the bans imposed on language and culture are not immediately removed, they will carry the issue to the international arena.

A news conference was held yesterday to announce that the letter campaign that was initiated a month ago for the amendment of Article 42 of the Constitution has ended. Speaking during the press conference, CHD [Contemporary Jurists Organization] Diyarbakir Branch Chairman Mehmet Kaya noted that 45,000 signatures have been sent to the TBMM Speaker's Office within the framework of the campaign. IHD Diyarbakir Branch Chairman Osman Baydemir, in turn, stressed that denying a language and a culture means denying human beings. Baydemir added that the bans imposed on language and culture constitute a violation of human rights. Recalling that Turkey has never been convicted according to Article 14 of the European Human Rights Charter, which pertains to "discrimination", Baydemir explained that if they do not achieve any results in Turkey, they will carry the issue of "language and culture" to the international arena. Drawing attention to the fact that 21 people, who have sent letters from the Karliova and Varto Districts, have been detained and that warrants have been issued to arrest a great number of people in absentia, Baydemir explained that they do not like to issue complaints against Turkey in the international arena. An elderly man cried out "Long live peace, long live our democracy struggle" during the press conference.

HADEP [People's Democracy Party] central district leader Serif Camci as well as Ali Oncu and Zulfu Karatekin, spokesmen of the Diyarbakir Democracy Platform, gave speeches during the press conference.

Source: Ozgur Politika web site, Neu-Isenburg, in Turkish 5 May 02

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5. - BBC Monitoring Service - "Industrialists board head on Cyprus's EU entry, consequences for Turkey":

5 May 2002

Istanbul: Tuncay Ozilhan, the Executive Board President of Association of Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen (TUSIAD) said on Saturday [4 May] that the Cyprus problem should be taken up in respect of EU enlargement process.

Speaking in the international conference on "EU Membership of Cyprus", Ozilhan said that the people living on the island want installation of a final and lasting peace, and want starting of a new cooperation initiative.

Ozilhan said that all the concerned sides have the obligation of solving the Cyprus question and contributing to the integration process with Europe.

"The solution of Cyprus question is closely connected with Turkey's EU membership process, in fact both issues have to progress at the same time," he said.

"In case of a divided Cyprus, if southern Cyprus joins the EU, Turkey-EU relations will suffer. If EU does not admit Cyprus to EU, Greece can blockade the enlargement process. The membership of an integrated Cyprus is to the advantage of all sides," said Ozilhan and noted that a united Cyprus which is based on the equality of both sides has to join the EU.

"If the mutual political resolution continues in Cyprus, there will be a solution," said Ozilhan.

The Cyprus question has to be solved for further improvement of EU-Turkey relations, he said adding that "Turkey has to fulfil the obligations that were included in its national programme. We also call the EU not to have double standards against Turkey. We want to benefit from EU funds which are necessary for us to continue our reform process."

Tuncay Ozilhan, the TUSIAD president also said on Saturday that the Cyprus question's not being solved seems as a key problem in Turkey's EU membership process...

Referring to Cyprus issue, Ozilhan said that TUSIAD thinks that the face to face negotiations should continue in Cyprus, and a structure has to be formed based on the equality of both sides which will ensure the safety of the Turkish side.

Ozilhan said that if the Greek Cypriot side joins the EU without solution of the Cyprus problem, a very problematic period will start and it will cause reaction in the Turkish side.

Upon a question regarding the activities undertaken by TUSIAD about EU, Ozilhan said that TUSIAD will visit Denmark when it becomes the EU term president and then Greece.

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6. - Hürriyet - "If we miss the last train":

Turkey's path to full EU-membership

05 May 2002 / by Tufan Turenc

The next seven months will be the most important period for Turkey’s history. The future of the Turkish nation will be determined at the end of this critical period. Turkey will be either a European country, or the battle that has been carried out for 40 years towards this goal will have ended unsuccessfully. ‘Reaching the level of contemporary civilizations or not’: this is the sharp line that will be drawn. At the end of December we will either take a huge step on the path to become part of the civilized world, or we will be left out of that world. At this point, we all must be reasonable. Until the December EU meeting, we should work to meet these conditions: abolishing the death penalty, removing the legal obstacles to education on native tongues and ensuring progress towards a solution to the Cyprus issue. We shouldn’t have ignored the Mesut Yilmaz and Ismail Cem’s warnings. However, we failed in this regard as we were at loggerheads and some people were incapable of grasping this historical moment. However, the opportunity hadn’t been missed yet. We have a lot of time, that is, seven months.

If Turkey comes to its senses and the conspiracy theories and groundless fears in some people’s minds can be left behind, these conditions can be met. Then do you know what would happen? The EU would be shaken by a strong earthquake, those who are against Turkey’s EU membership would be shocked and Turkey would have the necessary date for membership negotiations announced. Then a much easier process would start because once the full membership negotiations begin, there can be no turning back for either side. Therefore the December meeting is of the utmost importance for Turkey. What would happen if Turkey doesn’t meet these conditions? Then relations between Turkey and the EU would lead to a serious ambiguity and nobody would be able to know when the necessary date for membership negotiations would be given. Thus, Turkey might seek new avenues and alliances. The latest decision made by the EU disturbed some of the naysayers in Turkey because one of the excuses they can never stop talking about was snatched away. Those who are against the EU were saying, ‘Why don’t they include the PKK and DHKP-C in their list of terrorist organizations? Clearly, they have bad intentions.’ In some respect these reactions became useful because they awakened the EU from its inattentive slumber towards Turkey. However, at this point the work done by Mesut Yilmaz and Ismail Cem on behalf of Turkey has been very useful. In conclusion, everybody understands the importance of Turkey for the EU. Anyway, the matter was settled amicably. I hope we can meet the necessary conditions and get a date for starting full membership negotiations.