8
March 2002
2. "Turkey warns US against Iraq attack", Ecevit: End war between Israel and Palestinians first.
3. "The European Union and uncontrolled ambtions", columnist Tufan Turenc writes on recent comments on Turkey’s relations with the European Union.
4. "Youngsters, do not just watch, make your voices heard", opinion by M. Ali Birand: The way they made fun of the Karen Fogg incident, the way they viewed the European Union, and the way they assessed the Kurdish problem were quite different.
5. "Europe and the military", columnist Gungor Mengi writes on this week’s statement by National Security Council (MGK) Secretary General Gen. Tuncer Kilinc regarding relations with Europe.
6. "Turkish intelligence sources: Iran supports PKK", PKK refuses Iranian pressure for a return to violence in fear of losing Western support, intelligence sources say.
1. - AFP - "Top Turkish general lashes out at EU":
ISTANBUL / March 7 
A top-ranking Turkish general on Thursday accused the European Union
of riding roughshod over Ankara's national interests, amid a heated
domestic debate over Turkey's bid to join the EU.
"Turkey has not received the slightest help from the EU on any issue regarding its national interests. The EU takes a totally negative view of issues that impinge on Turkey's interests," Gen. Tuncer Kilinc told a conference at a military academy here.
Kilinc is the secretary-general of the National Security Council, Turkey's top decision-making body, through which the Turkish army wields significant influence in politics.
The general added that Turkey should seek new alliances with Russia and Iran, without disregarding its close strategic ties with the United States. Kilinc said he agreed with another speaker at the conference, who claimed the EU would never admit mainly Muslim Turkey as a full member.
"The EU is definitely a Christian club," said Erol Manisali, a professor of international relations. The general's remarks came at a time when debates have escalated here on whether the EU was sincere in its relations with Turkey, the only candidate among the 13 hopefuls that has so far failed to align with the Union's democracy norms in order to start accession talks.
Domestic opponents of EU membership claim the Union is using its political criteria as a lever to weaken and even divide Turkey by strengthening the rights of the Kurdish minority. The EU has recently urged Turkey to abolish the death penalty for all crimes, a move that would save Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan from the gallows, and to grant the Kurds the right to be taught in their mother tongue, something which is currently banned.
The authorities fear that expanding minority freedoms will fan separatist sentiment among the Kurds and rekindle a recently declined Kurdish rebellion for self-rule, which has claimed some 36,500 lives. Ankara has also blasted the EU for sheltering Kurdish rebels and other outlawed Turkish groups that have carried out violent attacks in Turkey.
The EU debate has strained the three-way coalition of
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, whose far-right partner, the Nationalist
Movement Party (MHP), has accused the EU of "laying mines"
on Turkey's road to membership. Turkey, a candidate since December 1999,
has undertaken a series of reforms to improve its troubled human rights
record, but the EU has said they fall short of meeting its standards.
2. - BBC - "Turkey warns US against Iraq attack":
Ecevit: End war between Israel and Palestinians first
8 March
Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has urged the United States
to focus on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict instead of tackling
Saddam Hussein's Iraq.
He said there was no need for US military strikes on Iraq, even if Baghdad did not allow UN arms inspectors back, arguing that the country posed little threat.
Mr Ecevit says Iraq does not pose a threat
Mr Ecevit was speaking as UN Secretary General Kofi Annan prepared to meet the Iraqi foreign minister in New York.
Turkey, a key US ally in the region, has suffered from the economic sanctions on its Iraqi neighbour and is wary of the effect of a potential conflict on its Kurdish minority.
"Rather than opening an unnecessary war against Iraq, the rapidly escalating war between Israel and Palestine should be ended," Mr Ecevit said.
"Even if the Iraqi administration does not give permission [for the inspectors' return], I don't think a war is absolutely necessary."
Iraq, Mr Ecevit said, did not "have the power to cause a new disturbance in the region".
But the Turkish premier stressed that his government was "very insistent" on the return of the inspectors, who withdrew in 1998 amid Iraqi hostility to their presence.
Turkish interests
The BBC correspondent in Istanbul, Jonny Dymond, reports that Turkey is closely following the US stance on Iraq.
Turkey believes it has lost $80bn in trade because of the decade-long trade embargo against Iraq.
Turkey would be a key ally in any US attack
It is also deeply concerned about the impact on the Kurdish population of south-east Turkey, where the recent civil war has cost over 30,000 lives.
Washington needs Turkey both for its air base at Incirlik to patrol Iraq, and for the moral support provided by Nato's sole Muslim member state.
Turkey's enthusiastic backing of war on terror after 11 September was gratefully received, our correspondent says.
But Bulent Ecevit is now serving notice that that support was not unqualified.
The Turkish premier's call to concentrate on the Middle
East also holds weight in that Turkey is one of the few Muslim states
to have close ties with Israel.
3. - Hurriyet - "The European Union and uncontrolled ambtions":
Columnist Tufan Turenc writes on recent comments on Turkey’s relations with the European Union. A summary of his column is as follows:
8 March
“It is certain that our next generation will remember Bahceli and Ciller with regret. Both leaders will be mentioned as politicians who sought to bar Turkey’s entrance into the EU. Those who support them will be remembered only as their followers. Membership in the European Union has the power to change Turkey’s fate.
In June, Turkey will either receive a certificate which says that it belongs to Europe or the accession negotiations will be postponed indefinitely. That is why those who believe that Turkey’s future lies in Europe are getting increasingly concerned. In the next three months, Turkey’s fate will be shaped irreversibly. I do not know if Devlet Bahceli, Tansu Ciller and their followers are aware that they are harming the country with their groundless fears.
The European Union summit which will be held on June 21-22 in Seville will be a turning point for Turkey. At this summit either a date for the start of accession negotiations will be set for Turkey, or they will be postponed to an unspecified time. If a date is set, there is no turning back. Turkey will sit at the table for full membership and at the end of the process will become a full-fledged part of Europe.
From that time on, neither the EU nor Turkey can give up on Turkey’s EU membership. Therefore, fulfilling our short-term commitments to the EU before the end of March carries vital importance for us. If we cannot complete this, it will be impossible to get a date for negotiations in Seville. Are Bahceli, Ciller and their supporters who are obstructing this development either deliberately or unknowingly aware of this?
Is picking up a few votes by saying we should execute Ocalan really worth forsaking our children’s future? Don’t they know that if Turkey enters the EU its unitary structure will be strengthened and it will take great strides only in 5-10 years? They must be fully aware of these facts. Then why are they opposing this membership and trying hard to miss this opportunity for Turkey, thus relegating it to stay as a Middle Eastern country?
Insistence on retaining the death penalty means an end
to the initiative. Therefore saying that we should abolish the death
penalty after executing Ocalan is deceiving ourselves. In fact in 1984
Turkey, in a moratorium it gave to the European Council, guaranteed
that death sentences would not be carried out. From that time on, no
one has been executed. As Professor Bakir Caglar has pointed out, even
if the European Court Of Human Rights decides in Turkey’s favor,
execution cannot take place within the framework of this moratorium.
If that happens, everything will be over, a fact which I believe both
Bahceli and Ciller are aware of. Unfortunately, uncontrolled ambitions
sometimes put personal interests agendas before national interests.”
4. - Turkish Daily News - "Youngsters, do not just watch, make your voices heard":
Opinion by M. Ali Birand / 8 March
University students, high school students, youngsters, where are
you? In this country it is your future that is being debated. A fight
is taking place on "the old values or a new Turkey" issue,
and you remain a bystander. Go to your computers and take part in the
debates from now on, so that you will not wail later...
Last week I was a guest at Marmara University to give a lecture to an enormous gathering of students.
I met with a sparkling youth that inspired hope in me. I was with people who have far exceeded my own generation, people who have distanced themselves from obsolete matrices. The way they made fun of the Karen Fogg incident, the way they viewed the European Union, and the way they assessed the Kurdish problem were quite different.
At the same time I was saddened because they would not or could not take part adequately in the debate taking part in the country.
Yet, in Turkey, a fight is taking place over a basic problem. We are at a crossroads. One of these roads will be chosen.
Will this country remain as it is or will it change?
When I ask whether Turkey will remain as it is, I mean whether it will be business as usual, that is, whether we will continue to be an inward-looking country where all democratization attempts get stifled by those blowing the winds of fear about the possibility of the country being split up.
Will everything get to be decided in Ankara by a few elected politicians and unelected bureaucrats?
Will we be confronted by those who say, "Beware, these would split up the country," whenever we speak in favor of human rights, democratization, transparency and freedom of thought?
Will we remain a country where books get banned and journalists and thinkers get imprisoned?
Will we try to solve the southeast problem with only the threat to resort to sheer force?
Will our economy always be warped? Are we to continue on our path with the old system, based on irregularities and on the games political parties play for political gain?
In short, will Turkey remain a country of restrictions, fears, and "warped" economic and social practices?
Or will there be a brand new Turkey?
There are those who want to eliminate all these negative aspects, who want the old system to change. The Turkey they dream about is quite different.
They want a secular Turkey where no one would dare use "Islam" as a tool in politics in an effort to get more votes.
They want a Turkey where the "we will be split up!" fear has been overcome and where it is not possible to block the path of democracy, freedom of thought and human rights.
They dream about a Turkey where the economy has been based on a certain system, a country where there would be a more egalitarian, more equitable income distribution.
They want a Turkey that has rid itself of the burdens that have prevented the country's internal and external development all these years, burdens such as the southeast, Cyprus and the Aegean.
A Turkey where self-confidence, transparency, justice and law would prevail rather than fears and restrictions.
Which one do YOU want?
Youngsters, it is high time you reached a decision.
Protect your own future.
Do not be a bystander.
Which of these two Turkeys would you prefer?
The old Turkey rife with fears and restrictions or the Turkey of enlightenment?
Make your voices heard.
Those who favor the preservation of the status quo would tell you that they are embracing Ataturk's idea of "National Forces," that they are protecting Turkey's independence and honor.
Don't you believe that!
It is exactly the opposite. They are betraying Ataturk by obstructing Turkey's walk towards the EU. Ataturk was the person who carved Turkey out of the Orient and carried it to the West. He was a visionary, a leader who wanted to put Turkey into the camp of the powerful.
They will claim that the EU wants to split up and exploit Turkey, that it is making sly plans to this effect.
Don't let yourselves to be deceived!
There is not a single country that has joined the EU -- look at Spain, especially, a country that has fought with terrorism more than we have -- and has become split up or failed to become more affluent. On the contrary, the EU provides a certain climate in which ethnic groups become obliged to distance themselves from terrorism. You can look up examples of this. It gives relief to the general public since it enables the country to become richer.
Time to be stirred into action
It is high time you were stirred into action.
Make your stance known.
To have your voices heard, there is no need to pour into the streets and stage demonstrations.
There is a major weapon in your hands: the power of communication...
Create Internet sites together with your friends. Send e-mail to the journalists and writers you like or do not like. Bombard all news sites or relevant other sites with messages. Relay your views to the ministers, the bureaucrats, the president and the General Staff officials.
If you do not have access to the Internet, join this campaign by sending letters or fax messages.
Just make your views known.
Take some trouble, you too.
If you fail to take part in this fight today, you will have no right to complain about the kind of Turkey in which you will have to live in the future.
Do join the debate -- pro or con
In this column, I keep describing to you what kind of Turkey I dream of. If you share these dreams, give stronger support, and even if you do not share them, talk about the reasons for it, explaining the hazards you anticipate and asking questions. Talk on the basis of substantial data rather than with slogans.
Do not remain a bystander as you now do. Transcend the sterile quarrelling. Make your voices heard.
Do not forget that this fight concerns your future. Do not leave these debates, which will shape your own future, to us alone.
Cry out everywhere that you want an enlightened Turkey.
If you feel too lazy to do all this, then keep quiet and sit tight. Do not criticize anybody and do not complain about the conditions.
This is because in that, you would deserve what you got. You would not have the right to complain.
5. - Sabah - "Europe and the military":
8 March
Columnist Gungor Mengi writes on this week’s statement by National Security Council (MGK) Secretary General Gen. Tuncer Kilinc regarding relations with Europe. A summary of his column is as follows:
“Yesterday there was an unexpected explosion on the road to EU. As the move comes from the military, it is of great significance. Yesterday in a symposium held at Istanbul’s War Academies, MGK Secretary-General Gen. Tuncer Kilinc said that Turkey did not receive any help from the EU and that the organization took an unfavorable stance on issues regarding Turkey.
Then he added that he believed it would be more beneficial for Turkey to enter into new relations with Russian and Iran, albeit not excluding the US. Although he stated that this was his own personal view, it is impossible to believe that he was not influenced by the institution he belongs to. If viewed from that respect, are we to understand that the Turkish Armed Forces are against our EU membership under the present circumstances?
The previous day, Deputy Prime minister Mesut Yilmaz, addressing the circles opposing the EU, had said that no one should ‘hide behind the military’ and added that the military was not opposed to the EU. Is Yilmaz mistaken? Are those hiding behind the military making the right choice? We believe that this is not so.
While searching for alternatives, we must consider the common interests we share with the countries we are contemplating cooperation with. For example, do we have common interests with Russia and Iran in the Caucasus, Central Asia, Iraq or the Gulf region? Can the values we believe in help us in meeting with Iran against the same background? When our historic aims and aspirations are taken into consideration we can see that there is no alternative other than the EU. The latest intelligence reports show that the reason for closing the door to relations with Iran is not just a difference in regimes.
A report disclosed yesterday said that Iranian intelligence was trying to convince the PKK to take up terrorist activities. Membership in the EU is a political decision and this decision has been made. The General Staff has repeatedly stated that it supported this decision. The military is disturbed by the EU’s inconsiderate stance vis-a-vis our security needs. Chief of General Staff Gen. Kivrikoglu said that our European allies supported terrorism directed against Turkey, some openly and some covertly.
Many Turkish politicians are of the same view. The aim of the military is that we not conduct the negotiations in a climate of total surrender. That is to say, we should be able to convince the EU that Turkey is different than countries such as France, Portugal and Spain. At least it should be able to get the PKK and DHKP-C included in the EU’s list of terrorist organizations. The statement of the MGK secretary- general should be seen as a move designed to support strengthening the government’s hand.
In fact the military also know what famous geopolitical
strategist, and former advisor to US President Carter Zbigniew Brzezynski
said, ‘The US is an insurance for Turkey’s security. However,
Turkey’s democratic future is in Europe!’
6. - Turkish Daily News - "Turkish intelligence sources: Iran supports PKK":
Mar 8, 2002
PKK refuses Iranian pressure for a return to violence in fear of
losing Western support, intelligence sources say.
Turkish intelligence sources have said Iran has maintained support for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which pulled out of Turkey after a 15-year terrorist campaign in the country's southeast.
Members of Iranian intelligence services and the PKK held a meeting in Urumiyah on Feb. 18 to discuss the future of their cooperation, sources who declined to be identified told the Turkish Daily News.
According to the sources, Haci Ramazan, who links the PKK to the Iranian intelligence units, as well as PKK executive committee members Osman Ocalan and Duran Kalkan, were among the participants of the Urumiyah meeting.
During the meeting, Iranian agents tried to persuade the PKK that it should return to its past policy of spreading violence, the sources said. The Iranian side was reported to have said: "It is not possible for the PKK to become a political force and achieve its targets in this way because of its past armed struggle experiences as well as the armed units which overwhelm the group's structure."
The sources said that Iranian agents had also accused the PKK of neglecting Kurdish people's needs and were coming closer to European countries policies. They were said to have warned that Iran would support only an opposite policy.
The PKK refused the Iranian advice and said that returning to violence would cost the PKK both U.S. and European backing, the sources added.
In the Urumiyah meeting, both sides agreed on steps in
order to help PKK activities in Iran. The sources said Iran would permit
the PKK to open up a third hospital in Urumiyah and the outlawed group
in return would not recruit new members from the Iranian Kurds and would
not use Iran's border to infiltrate Turkey.