"21 July 2004

1. "Iran to declare Kongra-Gel as terrorist", 'What is certain is that Israel and the United States are seeking to establish a Kurdish state,' he said.

2. "Turkish EU entry poses conundrum for Chirac", the three-day visit of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish prime minister, to Paris has drawn attention to an unusual alignment of the planets in the French political firmament.

3. "Turkey rejects 'conditional yes' on EU membership talks", German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has caused dismay in Turkey by suggesting the country might only get "a conditional yes" to open membership talks in December.

4. "Turkish Airlines to buy 36 Airbus, 15 Boeing planes", Turkish Airlines (THY) said Wednesday that it would buy 36 planes from European aircraft maker Airbus and 15 planes from US giant Boeing as part of the carrier's plans to beef up its fleet, the Anatolia news agency reported.

5. "Honoring the Past, Lamenting the Future", church bells tolled in mourning in southern Cyprus, while military jets roared over a celebratory parade in the north. Both sides, however, shared concern about the future as they marked the 30th anniversary of the Turkish invasion that split their island.

6. "Police intervenes women's sit-in demonstration: 38 detained", police has intervened sit-in demonstration of women demanding removal of the 'isolation' upon Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Ocalan in Imrali island prison and detained 38 of them. Many women got slightly injured during the intervention.

1. - Turkish Daily News - "Iran to declare Kongra-Gel as terrorist":

'What is certain is that Israel and the United States are seeking to establish a Kurdish state,' he said

ANKARA / 21 July 2004

Iran is planning to declare the Kongra-Gel -- an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) -- as terrorist during Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's upcoming visit to Tehran, Iranian Ambassador in Ankara Firouz Dowletabadi told the private NTV channel yesterday.

Iranian security forces clashed with PKK/Kongra-Gel militants earlier this month, during which sixteen members of the Iranian security forces and several rebels were killed. News reports said there were fresh clashes recently near Iran's border with Turkey.

An Iranian-Turkish security committee met in Ankara last week to discuss border security in general. News reports said Iranian intentions of declaring the PKK/Kongra-Gel as terrorist was on the agenda at the meeting.

In reply to a question regarding a joint military operation by Turkey and Iran against the PKK/Kongra-Gel militants, the ambassador said military relations have not yet reached the desired level, adding that top-level military dialogue should be increased and some agreements should be signed.

In a monthly press briefing two weeks ago, Turkish Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug said operations against the PKK/Kongra-Gel forces were uncoordinated, adding that each country was carrying out its own offensive against the rebel group.

Erdogan is scheduled to pay an official visit to Tehran on July 27.

The ambassador accused Israel of conducting activities in northern Iraq aimed at forming an independent Kurdish state in the region.

Although visiting Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert denied the allegations, the issue remains a matter of concern to Turkey.

"Although the issue has appeared on the agenda only recently, Israel has been carrying out activities in that region, together with U.S. and British intelligence services, for 20 years. They continue to train some Kurdish groups. These groups are not necessarily groups linked to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) or the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (KYB), but mostly diverse Kurdish elements," Dowlatabadi was quoted as saying on the NTV Web site.

"What is certain is that Israel and the United States are seeking to establish a Kurdish state," he said.

2. - The Financial Times - "Turkish EU entry poses conundrum for Chirac":

PARIS / 21 July 2004 / by Jo Johnson

The three-day visit of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish prime minister, to Paris has drawn attention to an unusual alignment of the planets in the French political firmament.

Jacques Chirac, the French president and an outspoken advocate of Turkish membership of the EU, is out of sync not just with a majority of voters, but with much of the country's political establishment, including his own centre-right UMP party.

After a working lunch on Tuesday with Mr Erdogan, the Elysée said Mr Chirac had reiterated his position that Turkish entry into the EU was "desirable". The president has warned that the road to membership may be 10-15 years long, but has made little attempt to mask what he declares to be his "conviction about Turkey's European vocation" in domestic self-interest.

"It is an extremely unusual position for President Chirac to find himself in and is seriously explosive," said Eddy Fougier, a research fellow at the French Institute for International Relations.

"The last few elections have shown that French voters are already angry that their concerns are not being taken into account. If the government presses ahead with Turkish membership, it could be very problematic."

The real test of Mr Chirac's convictions, however, will come in December when EU leaders decide whether to open membership talks with Ankara, a candidate since 1999.

The timing could not be more awkward for the French government. Turkey is likely to loom large over the newly pledged referendum on the European constitution, slated to be held late next year. The last 20 polls in France, the EU country most hostile to enlargement, show around 60 per cent consistently opposing Turkish membership. "People are extremely interested in the question and know what they think," Mr Fougier said.

"They worry about Islam and fear immigration. They have not warmed to enlargement since May 1 and show every sign of rejecting Turkey too."

One senior UK diplomat says he has little doubt that President Chirac will stick to his support for Turkish membership. "France will not block the opening of membership negotiations with Turkey when the council meets in December, but will probably want to delay starting talks until after it has held its referendum on the constitution in the second half of next year," he said.

The only parties offering qualified support to Turkey are the Socialists and the Greens. It is on the right of the spectrum that Turkish membership poses the greatest concern. The UMP governing majority in April came out categorically against starting negotiations, with Alain Juppé, Mr Chirac's closest ally and outgoing chairman, warning that Turkish membership would "fundamentally change the nature of the EU."

For the moment the differences between the president and his party are being brushed aside, with Mr Juppé simply saying: "Lui, c'est lui. Moi, c'est moi," (He has his opinions, I have mine), but that defence may be hard to sustain.

3. - EUobserver - "Turkey rejects 'conditional yes' on EU membership talks":

BRUSSELS / 21 July 2004 / by Mark Beunderman

German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has caused dismay in Turkey by suggesting the country might only get "a conditional yes" to open membership talks in December.

Mr Schröder said for the first time on Friday (17 July) that a "conditional yes" without an immediate start to membership talks could be on the cards.

The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan on Tuesday (20 July) dismissed this possibility saying, according to Turkish newspaper Zaman, "a conditional yes or other such things are not for us".

Mr Erdogan was speaking in Paris where he is trying to win over the support of a reluctant France for his countries membership.

In December, EU heads of state and government have to decide whether or not to start talks with Ankara "without delay", a deal agreed in 2002.

Deadline or fudge

A crucial report by the European Commission is to assess in mid-October whether Ankara sufficiently fulfils the EU's human rights and legal demands.

But with some current EU members concerned about the political ramifications of Turkish membership and the preparedness of both sides to assimilate Turkey, Ankara could face demands for fresh guarantees that it will fully meet the political criteria - as a precondition for negotiations to kick off at a later date.

In spite of Turkish objections, experts believe that the scenario as put forward by Mr Schröder is possible.

Some form of a "yes, but" is said to be the likely outcome of December's European Council - possibly in the form of extra safeguard clauses for Ankara.

The Commission report is expected to be largely positive about the political reforms achieved by the Turkish government, but it will probably also list a number of fields in which criteria are insufficiently met.

Heinz Kramer, senior researcher at the Berlin think-tank -Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik - told the EUobserver: "I could envisage that the EU would say to Turkey: You can start accession talks in July 2005, but only under the condition that you achieve reforms in this and this specific area".

Joost Lagendijk, Dutch Green MEP, said that exactly this scenario is currently doing the rounds in Brussels.

"When I talk to contacts in the Commission and the Dutch presidency, I hear this scenario mentioned just a bit too often, in which the EU would require the Turks before July 2005 to meet some specific political criteria which the Commission thinks are insufficiently fulfilled".

Mr Lagendijk added: "This would not mean the introduction of new criteria, as the Turks tend to think".

Franco-German compromise

A "yes, but" would be a way of reconciling the positions of Germany and France, which form an axis on many EU policy dossiers, but which are divided on the Turkish issue.

So far, Berlin has been at the forefront of pushing for Turkish EU accession, while Paris has expressed reservations.

The French political elite could use the compromise in order to appease its electorate, which is largely against Turkish EU membership.

Following a visit by Mr Erdogan to France, President Jacques Chirac confirmed his support for Turkish membership of the EU.

"Turkey's integration into the EU is welcome as soon as it becomes possible... Turkey has made considerable progress. It must continue and intensify the implementation of democratic and economic reforms," said Mr Chirac according to an aide, quoted by AFP.

4. - AFP - "Turkish Airlines to buy 36 Airbus, 15 Boeing planes":

ISTANBUL / 21 July 2004

Turkish Airlines (THY) said Wednesday that it would buy 36 planes from European aircraft maker Airbus and 15 planes from US giant Boeing as part of the carrier's plans to beef up its fleet, the Anatolia news agency reported.

Airbus later estimated the value of its deal at more than three billion dollars, while Boeing said its agreement would likely be worth 900 million dollars.

In a brief statement sent to the Turkish stock exchange, Turkish Airlines said its executive board had decided in a meeting on Tuesday to buy five Airbus A330/200 planes to meet its need for long-range aircraft. Turkish Airlines will also purchase 12 A321/200s and 19 A320/200s as mid-range planes, the statement said.

In addition, it will also buy 15 Boeing B737/800s to serve its mid-range needs, it said. Following the announcement, Airbus and Boeing confirmed the protocol agreements at the Farnborough International air show in Farnborough, England near London.

"Airbus signed a memorandum of understanding with Turkish Airlines for the purchase of five A330/200s, 12 A321s and 19 A320s," Airbus spokesman Philippe Delmas said, adding the deal could be worth more than three billion dollars to the company.

Boeing confirmed it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Turkish Airlines for the purchase of 15 737-800 jetliners for a theoretical price of 900 million dollars. A Boeing spokesman at the Farnborough air show told Agence France-Presse that the final order would be signed by the end of the summer.

The purchases come as part of Turkish Airlines' plans to renew the aging fleet operated by the largely state-owned flag carrier, which currently operates 65 planes. THY spokesman Recep Duvelioglu said that in addition to the purchases, the
company would terminate the contracts of some of its leased aircraft and lease other planes.

"We are planning to increase our fleet up to 100 planes by the end of 2005," he told AFP. The THY announcement came during an official visit by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to France during which the Airbus deal was discussed.

The office of French President Jacques Chirac said Tuesday that the deal with Airbus was being finalised. THY, which is set for large-scale privatization, flew 10.4 million passengers to 103 destinations in 2003, posting a profit of roughly 147 million dollars.

5. - AP - "Honoring the Past, Lamenting the Future":

NICOSIA / 21 July 2004

Church bells tolled in mourning in southern Cyprus, while military jets roared over a celebratory parade in the north. Both sides, however, shared concern about the future as they marked the 30th anniversary of the Turkish invasion that split their island.

Greek Cypriots in the south worried that their rejection of a U.N. reunification plan earlier this year has made them international pariahs. Turkish Cypriots in the north wondered when they would see tangible benefits of their acceptance of the plan, which had been strongly backed by the European Union and the United States.

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Because both communities did not accept the U.N. plan in separate, simultaneous votes in April, only the south was fully ushered into the European Union on May 1. EU laws and benefits will not apply to the Turkish-occupied north until the island is reunified.

Turkey invaded Cyprus on July 20, 1974, in the wake of an abortive coup by supporters of union with Greece. The breakaway state in the north is recognized only by Turkey, which still has 40,000 troops there.

Greek Cypriots have complained that the U.N. plan does not clearly call for the withdrawal of all Turkish troops and settlers from Turkey and restricted the rights of Greek Cypriots to return to property they fled during the invasion.

"The rejection of the U.N. plan does not mean we are against reunification. On the contrary, we are more anxious than anyone for a just settlement that is workable, viable and respects human rights and the European Union basic laws," President Tassos Papadopoulos, the Greek Cypriot president of the internationally recognized Cyprus state, told reporters after a memorial service for the victims of the invasion.

Earlier, on the Greek Cypriot side, sirens wailed at noon, church bells rang and traffic came to a standstill as people left their homes and offices to stand in the streets observing a three-minute silence for Greek Cypriots killed during the invasion.

On the Turkish side, where some argue the invasion stopped murderous ethnic clashes, anniversary celebrations started with a ceremony at an area where the first landings took place. A military parade in the northern half of Nicosia followed, with Turkish military jets overhead.

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, who took part in the ceremonies on the Turkish side of the island, called on the EU to stick to promises to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots.

"The European Union and the entire world should not forget. We are holding them to their word," he said. "The Turks of Cyprus have done their duty. They have said 'yes' to the U.N. plan."

6. - DIHA - "Police intervenes women's sit-in demonstration: 38 detained":

DIYARBAKIR / 20 July 2004

Police has intervened sit-in demonstration of women demanding removal of the 'isolation' upon Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Ocalan in Imrali island prison and detained 38 of them. Many women got slightly injured during the intervention.

A group of women branch members of DEHAP Diyarbakir wanted to hold a sit-in demonstration in front of AZC Plaza in Ofis quarter demanding "isolation" conditions" imposed upon Ocalan, who has been imprisoned for six years in Imrali island prison, be lifted. in

"About 100 members of the woman branch gathering in front of AZC Plaza holding a placard reading "Isolation upon Ocalan means war, we won't be watching the war" were stopped by security forces. Police warned the demonstrators noting they could only make a press statement but not a sit-in demonstration."

Tugged on ground

Police intervened the group as they said they were determined to hold the demonstration. Protesting police's attitude shouting "Pressure can't daunt us", "Stop isolation", "An echo for peace, bilateral ceasefire", women started the sit-in. On that, police harshly intervened the group, assaulted and tugged some on the street.

38 detained, 6 injured

30 women detained during the first uproar were taken to security directorate while the rest went on protesting police with applause and slogans. Another small group later marching towards DEHAP office was also intervened.

Women Branch Executive Mizgin Dogan made a press statement condemning detention of their friends. Stating that they wanted to carry out a 15-minute sit-in demonstration protesting Ocalan's not being allowed to receive visits by his family members and attorneys, Dogan called on for release of detainees.

38 persons were detained and 6 were injured during the demonstrations.