5 May 2004

1. "European court to hear Ocalan appeal in June", the appeal may result in a court verdict ordering a retrial of the rebel leader if the European Court of Human Rights insists that he did not receive fair trial.

2. "Erdogan warns EU is not Turkey's sole alternative", Turkey is 'realistically optimistic' on getting a green light to start accession talks in December but it's able to find other 'directions' if it doesn't happen.

3. "EU 'must accept Turkey' without delay", the European Union would betray its own principles and be unable to punch its weight as a global power if it did not accept Turkey as a member state, the country's prime minister was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

4. "Turkish parliament begins debate on EU-inspired reforms", Turkish lawmakers began a first round of debate Tuesday on a series of constitutional amendments aimed at bringing the country in line with EU democracy norms in a bid to win a green light for talks on joining the bloc.

5. "Turkish F-16 Fighter Jets Harassed Greek A-7 Bombers", Turkish F-16 fighter jets harassed Greek A-7 bombers yesterday morning over the island of Kastelorizo, southeastern Aegean, according to Athens radio station “Flash”.

6. "A Growing Rift", in Iraq, Shias turning against Kurds.

1. - Turkish Daily News - "European court to hear Ocalan appeal in June":

The appeal may result in a court verdict ordering a retrial of the rebel leader if the European Court of Human Rights insists that he did not receive fair trial

ANKARA / Turkish Daily News

The European Court of Human Rights will hear lawyers representing Turkey and Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), in a June appeal after having ruled last year that Ocalan did not receive a fair trial.

The appeal may result in a court verdict ordering retrial of the rebel leader.

The appeal session was originally scheduled to be held on May 5. According to the new schedule, it was moved to June 9, the Anatolia news agency said.

After being captured by Turkish special forces in 1999 in Kenya, Ocalan was sentenced to death for "treason." His sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment following European Union-inspired reforms curbing capital punishment.

Upholding an application from Ocalan's lawyers, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in March 2003 that Turkey had violated three articles of the European Convention on Human Rights, regulating length of detention, fair trial and mistreatment.

Both Turkey and Ocalan's lawyers requested that the verdict be appealed.

If the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights upholds its previous verdict that Ocalan has been denied a fair trial, the Council of Europe, to which the court is attached, may ask Turkey to hold a retrial of the PKK leader.

In the past, the Council of Europe has demanded that Turkey retry four former deputies of the banned Democracy Party (DEP), including one-time Nobel Prize nominee Leyla Zana, after the European Court of Human Rights ruled similarly that the former parliamentarians had not received a fair trial.

The retrial of the four Kurdish deputies ended last month, with the Turkish court insisting on its original verdict and ordering them to serve their prison sentences for links to the PKK.

2. - Turkish Daily News - "Erdogan warns EU is not Turkey's sole alternative":

Turkey is 'realistically optimistic' on getting a green light to start accession talks in December but it's able to find other 'directions' if it doesn't happen

ANKARA / 5 May 2004

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the European Union on Tuesday, saying, "If the EU does not give the expected go-ahead, it will not be difficult for Turkey to channel its huge potential in another direction."

Erdogan was addressing his party's parliamentary group meeting yesterday and said that a negative response from the EU would both disappoint the Turkish people who have formed its will towards the European values and damage the philosophic basis of the Union irreversibly.

"I believe that it will be wrong and unjust to make Turkey wait for EU membership when the ideals it represents and its search to raise people's life standards are considered. We don't see it is possible for the EU to make a mistake that would harm the values that our European friends have formed through strong efforts and struggles. In this framework, one can easily see that the biggest test in December 2004 will not be on Turkey but in fact on the EU," said Erdogan.

Erdogan noted that if the EU leaves Turkey out despite its huge efforts to harmonize with the bloc, after that date it will be very hard for the EU to talk about European ideals.

Turkey, having done much of its homework, eagerly awaits to get the go-ahead to start the long-delayed accession talks in a summit of EU leaders this December in Brussels.

Erdogan also noted that Turkey was "realistically optimistic" towards getting the go-ahead in December.

"There is something that no one should miss; the gains of the EU from Turkey's membership will be as important as Turkey's gains after becoming an EU member," he said.
'Turkey has the will to eliminate deficiencies'

Erdogan said on Turkey's process to harmonize with the criteria required to enter the EU, "Turkey has made huge progress on its way to start accession talks with the Union and has completed much of its responsibilities in this way."

"Still, Turkey has some deficiencies in harmonizing with the EU. However, we still have time to eliminate these deficiencies and also the most important is that our people have the will to do this. We will continue to do what we should do on our way to the EU and we are confident that we will pass this test," added Erdogan.

Turkey has passed in recent months a series of democratic reforms, including limiting the powers of the military, abolishing the death penalty and granting greater rights to its Kurdish citizens. The last package of harmonization laws was presented by the government to Parliament on Tuesday which envisages abolishing state security courts, exclusion of the death penalty entirely from the Constitution and exclusion of military members from the Higher Education Board (YOK).

Though praising the reforms, the EU says implementation of the laws is as important as the legislation.

'Harmonization efforts are not for EU but Turkish people'

Erdogan said that some people think that the efforts by Turkey to harmonize with the EU were in vain since the EU will not take Turkey in any case, adding, "Let's assume that the EU doesn't give us the go-ahead in December will we have done the wrong thing? Why do we want full democracy, basic rights and freedoms, a state governed by rule of law which functions much better? Of course, for this country, for this people."

Erdogan said the constitutional amendments should not only be seen as a requirement of entering the EU, but a step crucial for democratization of Turkey.

"Turkey will raise its democratic standards either within the EU or not ... If the EU says 'no' to us in December 2004, then we will rename the Copenhagen criteria as 'Ankara criteria' and continue to progress on our way," he noted.

3. - The Financial Times - "EU 'must accept Turkey' without delay":

ANKARA / 4 May 2004 / by Vincent Boland

The European Union would betray its own principles and be unable to punch its weight as a global power if it did not accept Turkey as a member state, the country's prime minister was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

Four days after the EU accepted 10 new member states from central and eastern Europe and the Mediterranean, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that it would be "wrong and unjust" for Turkey's membership to be delayed any further.

Mr Erdogan spoke as parliament began debating a set of amendments to the constitution that would, among other measures, remove all references to the death penalty and further dilute the influence of the armed forces in civilian affairs, aimed at meeting the Copenhagen criteria for democratic reforms set out by the EU.

In a speech to members of his ruling Justice and Development party ahead of the parliamentary debate, he said that if the EU did not agree to start talks on Turkey's membership "it would not only disappoint the Turkish people, it would seriously damage the basic philosophy of the union" as an organisation based on "humanitarian values".

Turkey had "a meaningful role" to play in making the EU a global power, he added. "I believe it would be wrong and unjust if the EU decides to further delay Turkey's membership."

Ankara has had formal links with the EU dating to an association agreement in 1963 - longer than most of the countries that joined on May 1.

Mr Erdogan's comments were his most pointed on the hotly debated issue of Turkey's EU membership, which is set to dominate a European summit in December. They appeared aimed both at reassuring Turks that EU membership was now a real possibility, and at reminding Brussels of the efforts Ankara was making to meet the membership criteria.

Turkey is already regarded as having passed one test - engaging in the ultimately unsuccessful search for a solution to the division of Cyprus. Mr Erdogan said, however, that Turkey still had a lot to do and that the government would "continue to fulfil our responsibilities" to qualify for membership of the union.

"We trust ourselves to pass this test honourably," he said.

The ceremony held in Dublin to mark the expansion of the EU last Saturday, which the prime minister attended, was given extensive coverage in the Turkish media.

Commentators noted that opposition to Turkey's membership appeared to be hardening in some EU countries, notably France and the Netherlands.

Mr Erdogan, who has staked his political future on getting membership talks started, also repeated that Turkey had other options if EU membership was denied, although he did not elaborate on what these might be.

Diplomats said it was not clear where Ankara might turn if it was rejected by Brussels. The country has little influence in the Middle East despite its Islamic traditions, and its relations with the US were set back by the Iraq war, although they are now improving.

The constitutional amendments, which also include provisions for extradition and the abolition of the controversial system of "state security courts" used to try those accused of subversion, are almost certain to be approved given the ruling party's huge majority in parliament.

4. - EU Business - "Turkish parliament begins debate on EU-inspired reforms":

ANKARA / 4 May 2004

Turkish lawmakers began a first round of debate Tuesday on a series of constitutional amendments aimed at bringing the country in line with EU democracy norms in a bid to win a green light for talks on joining the bloc.

The package, drawn up by the ruling Justice and Development Party and backed by the opposition, envisages amending 10 articles of the constitution relating to matters of gender equality and the judiciary.

"The aim of the amendments is to give rights and liberties more guarantees," Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said in a speech to the general assembly.

One planned reform deals with the abolition of state security courts, which try people accused of terrorist crimes.

The courts have often come under fire from rights activists both at home and abroad, as well as the European Union. Last month, a member of the European parliament, Luigi Vinci, described them as a "relic of fascism".

The package also seeks to amend the constitution to give precedence to international treaties over Turkish law, a change resisted by euro-sceptics who say Turkey would yield some sovereignty to the pan-European bloc.

Planned reforms also entail deleting all references to capital punishment in the constitution, a necessary step as the Turkish parliament has already abolished the death sentence.

Reforms would also amend the code to read "men and women have equal rights".

Cicek signalled that more amendments were needed in the constitution, a legacy of the 1980 military coup triggered by severe political violence between right and left wingers.

The code -- often described as one of the main obstacles in Turkey's drive to join the EU -- was drawn up two years after the coup and was heavily influenced by the military eager to prevent a repeat of the bloodshed.

"Security was given priority when the constitution was drawn up. The democractic regime was suspended, " the minister said.

The parliament is set to hold a second round of debate on the package on Friday followed by a final vote on the planned reforms.

The government, which has a comfortable majority in the 550-seat parliament, needs 367 votes to push the amendments through. It is expected to have no trouble in mustering the necessary support.

EU leaders are to decide in December 2004 whether Turkey -- a Muslim but strictly secular country -- has made enough progress in democratic reforms to open membership negotiations.

The government argues that it has met the majority of the criteria required to begin membership talks, but Brussels has said it must also see the reforms properly implemented.

In a highly-criticial report last month, the European parliament said that Turkey should adopt a brand-new constitution among other steps in order to show it is serious about EU membership.

5. - Macedonian Press Agency - "Turkish F-16 Fighter Jets Harassed Greek A-7 Bombers":

ARHENS / 4 May 2004

Turkish F-16 fighter jets harassed Greek A-7 bombers yesterday morning over the island of Kastelorizo, southeastern Aegean, according to Athens radio station “Flash”.

The Turkish fighter jets approached the formation of three Greek bombers at a distance of just 10 meters and the harassment took place at an altitude of 4,000ft.

For the record, 18 Turkish fighter jets made a total of 10 violations of the Greek airspace yesterday in what appears to be an escalation of Ankara's aggressive behavior over the Aegean Sea.

6. - Newsday - "A Growing Rift":

In Iraq, Shias turning against Kurds

BAGHDAD / 5 May 2004 / by Mohamad Bazzi

Omar Nayef swears that the Iraqi soldiers who stopped him at a checkpoint outside the besieged city of Fallujah two weeks ago were Kurdish.

"They were wearing Kurdish hats and they were speaking Kurdish with each other," said Nayef, 34, who fled to stay with relatives in Baghdad. "I know the Kurds are fighting alongside the Americans in Fallujah, no matter how much they deny it."

Nayef, a Sunni Arab, was traveling with a cousin when they were stopped and interrogated. "They told us that we were terrorists, that everyone in Fallujah was a terrorist," he said, angrily fingering his prayer beads. "They said the Americans would take care of us."

All over Baghdad, stories like Nayef's are circulating about Kurdish militiamen, known as pesh merga, having fought with U.S. Marines who cordoned off the Sunni city of Fallujah for much of April. Military officials say the Kurds were deployed in the area as part of the new Iraqi army and not as members of the militias controlled by the two largest Kurdish political parties.

Still, the rumors and sightings of Kurdish fighters around Fallujah have inflamed tensions between Arabs and Kurds in Iraq. While Sunni Arabs have long clashed with the Kurdish minority, members of the Shia Arab majority, who once empathized with the Kurds, recently began to turn against them.

Both Shia and Kurds chafed under Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated regime, which ruthlessly put down uprisings by the two groups. Hussein used chemical weapons against the Kurds, and he buried several hundred thousand Shia and Kurds in mass graves throughout Iraq.

But now there is a growing rift, with many Shia accusing the Kurds of being too cooperative with the U.S.-led occupation. The anti-Kurdish sentiments have been partly fueled by Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who has led a revolt against the occupation in Shia areas. Al-Sadr has infused his rebellion with strong themes of Arab and Iraqi nationalism, and he has questioned the Kurds' commitment to an Iraqi identity.

"The Kurdish leaders are American puppets. They are traitors to the Iraqi people," said Sheik Abdel-Hadi al-Derraji, a senior aide to al-Sadr. "We will not work with anyone who betrays his people."

The two main Kurdish leaders - Jalal Talabani, head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, and Massoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party - have been condemned in Baghdad's Shia slums, where al-Sadr has strong support. "Death to the American stooges, Talabani and Barzani," a crowd chanted at a recent al-Sadr rally. "Death to all traitors."

Shia animosity toward the Kurds began to intensify in recent months after Kurds demanded that the interim Iraqi constitution include a provision that gives them veto power. Arab Shia and Sunnis also are wary of Kurdish proposals for a federal system in Iraq - and the Kurds' desire to absorb the oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk into their autonomous region.

The Shia view the Kurds' alliance with Washington as an attempt to win concessions from the occupation that Arab Iraqis would not be willing to make, analysts say. "Kurdish cooperation with the U.S. is instigating the rest of the Iraqi people," said Saad Jawad, a political science professor at Baghdad University and an expert on the Kurds. "If the Kurds lose the sympathy of the Shia, it will create huge problems."

At the same time, the siege of Fallujah inspired a level of Shia-Sunni cooperation that has not been seen in Iraq since the revolt of 1920, when Arab tribesmen rose up against the British occupation. Last month, Shia mosques throughout Baghdad organized food and blood drives for the people of Fallujah.

These displays of religious unity have dampened fears of a Sunni-Shia clash in Iraq, but they have created worries about a new kind of civil war between the country's two main ethnic groups: Arabs and Kurds.

"The situation in Fallujah has reawakened a sense of Arab nationalism among Shias and Sunnis. The danger is that this will grow to highlight the ethnic difference between Kurds and Arabs," said Falakadeen Kakay, a prominent Baghdad newspaper editor and former minister in the Kurdish self-rule area in northern Iraq. "Kurds are worried about being a minority without rights in the new Iraq. They are afraid of tyrannical rule by the majority."

In Shia neighborhoods of Baghdad, anti-Kurdish sentiments are vitriolic. "The Kurds are traitors ... How can they talk about wanting to be Iraqis when they support the Americans?" said Mohammed al-Musawi, 32, banging his clenched fist on a display case in the perfume store he runs. "How can they fight against other Iraqis in Fallujah - against their Muslim brothers?"

Ali Nabil Jassem interrupted his friend. "The Kurds are not really Iraqis. What did you expect from them?" said Jassem, 43. "We'll never forget what they did."

For the Kurds, who make up a fifth of Iraq's population of 24 million, such strong rhetoric is another reason they are pushing for continued autonomy in northern Iraq.

Kurdish leaders note that the former pesh merga fighters deployed in Fallujah are part of the 36th Battalion of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, which includes fighters from three Shia political groups. Despite the presence of Shia recruits in the 600-member battalion, Shia critics are focused exclusively on the Kurds' participation. Some Shia are infuriated that Kurdish leaders are calling for all Iraqi militias to be dissolved, except for their own. They point to statements by Barzani and Talabani endorsing U.S. threats to destroy al-Sadr's Mahdi Army if the cleric refuses to disarm it.

"Why do they say that the Mahdi Army has to be dissolved, but the pesh merga must remain?" asked Ahmad Naim, 36, an engineer who lives in the Shia slum of Hurriya. "The Kurds want special treatment."

Since the end of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Talabani and Barzani have controlled an autonomous region in northern Iraq that was protected from Hussein's regime by U.S. and British warplanes. The two leaders built up militias totaling about 50,000 fighters.

In the struggle to shape a new Iraq, the Kurdish leaders are demanding continued self-rule for their region. They have proposed a federal system where the north would have autonomy in many areas of governance, and would share common defense, oil and foreign policies with Baghdad.

Kurds insisted on a veto provision in Iraq's temporary constitution, which will go into effect when the United States hands sovereignty to Iraqis on June 30. The provision says that two-thirds of voters in any three of Iraq's 18 provinces can veto the permanent Iraqi constitution, scheduled to be written next year. The Kurds dominate three northern provinces.

The clause has infuriated Shia clerics, who see it as a threat to Shia hopes of assuming political power. "The Kurds must continue declaring that they don't intend to split off from Iraq," Jawad said. "Iraqi Arabs want to know that the Kurds are willing to accept the rule of the majority, provided that the rights of minorities are respected."