29. September 2004


1. "Turkey meets 'last' EU test", The passage of sweeping penal reforms this Sunday has eliminated a sizeable roadblock in Turkey’s European Union membership bid.

2. "Station Fights A War Of Words Over Kurdish Broadcasts", Gun TV has been banned, despite the lifting of some restrictions on the language

3. "Series of bombs target British, US targets in Turkey", No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks in the four cities.

4. "Opposition Party Takes TCK to Court", The main opposition party in the Turkish world of politics, the Republican People's Party (CHP), is preparing to take the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) adopted by the Parliament to the Constitutional Court.

5. "Gul appeals to Annan over Kirkuk"

6. "French foreign minister adds weight to Turkey referendum call", French foreign minister Michel Barnier has added his weight to calls for a referendum on Turkey's entry into the EU.

7. "Ret. Gen. Bir: No More Military Coups in Turkey", Retired General Cevik Bir said yesterday that it is no longer possible for the army to interfere in Turkish politics.

1. - EurasiaNet - "Turkey meets 'last' EU test"

28 September 2004 / Mevlut Katik

The passage of sweeping penal reforms this Sunday has eliminated a sizeable roadblock in Turkey’s European Union membership bid. Yet despite the reforms – much lauded by EU officials – debate still rages within Europe over Turkey’s suitability to join the EU.

The reforms, passed in an emergency session of parliament on September 26, are the last in a four-year series of radical changes made by Turkey to bring its legislation in line with EU political norms. EU officials had termed their passage "critical" to the country’s hopes for joining the union.

Women will be among the biggest beneficiaries under the revised penal code, the first overhaul of the legislation in 78 years. Leniency for rape within marriage and honor killings will disappear, and assaults on women will be treated as attacks on individuals, rather than on a family unit. Religious, ethnic and sexual discrimination will be made a crime. Penalties for torture have been increased. Police will be barred from entering houses without sufficient cause, and tight restrictions will be placed on the state’s compilation of private information about individuals.

A clause that made adultery a jailable offense was removed at the last moment after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan withdrew his support for the provisions. The about-face occurred after an emergency trip on September 23 to Brussels by Erdogan to discuss the clause, the subject of heated objections throughout Europe, with EU officials. In response to objections from the Turkish opposition, the government had withdrawn the penalty reform bill from parliament last week, raising the possibility that Turkey would fail to pass the penal reforms in time for a progress report on the country’s EU application due on October 6.

With the clause scuttled in Sunday’s parliamentary vote, Turkish confidence about the country’s EU prospects was again riding high. ’’The whole world knows that the Turkish government is sincere on the issue of the European Union. There is no problem remaining on the way to the EU,’’ Prime Minister Erdogan told an executive board meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on September 27.

That was an opinion first heard Thursday by EU Commissioner Gunter Verheugen, who told reporters that the clause’s removal meant that "[t]here are no further conditions which Turkey must fulfil to allow the [European] Commission to make the recommendation" on whether or not to proceed with Turkey’s membership application.

The October progress report will form the basis for the EU’s decision on December 17 on whether to start accession talks with Turkey. Most observers believe that with the penal reforms now in order, the report will give a thumbs-up to the country’s application, already four years in the making.

Still, potential stumbling blocks do remain. On a September 8 tour of Diyarbakir in southeast Turkey, Verheugen warned that more needs to be done to improve human rights and economic conditions in the region, home to the bulk of Turkey’s Kurdish population. "I am satisfied that [the reforms] started with some delay. But what we have seen so far can only be the beginning."

Within Turkey itself fears exist that the debate over the adultery clause has provided ammunition to European opponents of the country’s EU accession. "Now the EU will harbor permanent doubts about the AKP: ‘What if the AKP pulls another surprise?,’" wrote columnist Cuneyt Ulsever in a September 27 commentary in Turkish Press.

To prevent splits in the AKP between religious and more secular factions, the media has reported, a cabinet reshuffle may be likely once parliament reconvenes on October 1.

Opposition members, however, argue that Erdogan himself is to blame for the protracted struggle over the adultery clause. Since coming to office two years ago, the AKP leader has striven hard to prove his liberal leanings. But by defending the adultery clause as a provision dictated by Turkish culture, some critics charge, the prime minister has shown where his true sympathies lie. The fact that Erdogan changed his position only after the EU objected to the clause has damaged his reliability as a political leader, opposition members say. "We could not make him understand -- only Verheugen, in Brussels, managed to," IslamOnline quoted one opposition legislator as saying.

Erdogan has stated that securing Turkey’s EU membership is his priority. With that in mind, some observers believe that if Ankara wins a green light in December for its EU application, fresh elections could be called within the year to allow the AKP to capitalize on its advantage. Already, as Brussels expressed satisfaction last week with plans to ditch the adultery clause, shares on the Istanbul stock exchange soared to an all-time high, while the Turkish lira gained against major currencies. With GNP (gross national product) growth in the second quarter of this year quadruple its level for the same time period in 2003, the political windfall to the government could be huge.

Any additional delay in starting Turkey’s accession talks, however, could squander the government’s current advantage. Verheugen has stated that no further conditions would be set prior to the EU’s December decision. On September 9, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul warned that the decision " would trigger a reaction if [it] would be subjective despite all these [reforms]."

Meanwhile, strong opposition to Turkish membership exists among European member states, where referenda about the new EU constitution are scheduled. Critics look askance at Turkey’s comparatively poor, predominantly Muslim population of nearly 69 million, and argue that the country will not merge easily with the EU. Frits Bolkestein, an outgoing EU commissioner from the Netherlands, provoked acrimonious debate when he warned in September that Turkey’s membership in the EU would lead to an "Islamicization" of Europe. France’s Finance Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, one of the most outspoken sceptics on a Turkish EU membership, has argued that a partnership with Turkey rather than full membership is the preferable route. Sarkozy has also stated that Turkey should not be allowed to join the EU until a referendum on the issue is held in France, one of the founding members of the EU.

Proponents of Turkish membership argue that Turkey’s inclusion in the club will strengthen the EU as European countries become more multi-ethnic, as well as help patch up the widening rift between Islamic countries and the West. A report prepared by an independent commission sponsored by the British Council and Open Society Institute argued that Turkish accession talks should start quickly, pointing to Turkey’s "European vocation" and describing the country as "fundamentally different" from other Muslim countries. (For a full version of the report see http://www.independentcommissiononturkey.org/report.html ). In a September 6 press conference to announce the report, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, head of the commission, said that starting accession talks with Turkey would only advance the country’s "far-reaching transformation."

The extent to which European public opinion is prepared to go along for that ride, however, remains in doubt. A recent poll by the US-based German Marshall Fund showed that only 16 percent of the French, 26 percent of Germans and 33 percent of Britons think Turkish membership in the EU would be a good thing. Opposition to Turkish entry ranges from a high of 35 percent in France to a low of 9 percent in Britain.

By contrast, 73 percent of Turks support the prospect of EU membership, according to the survey. Even so, supporters of Turkey within the EU could have a long wait yet ahead: 2015 is the earliest date for full Turkish membership cited within EU circles.

Editor’s Note: Mevlut Katik is a London-based journalist and analyst. He is a former BBC corerspondent and also worked for The Economist group.

2. - South China Morning Post - "Station Fights A War Of Words Over Kurdish Broadcasts"

28 September 2004 / By Andy Footner

Gun TV has been banned, despite the lifting of some restrictions on the language

In the centre of Diyarbakir stands a modern shopping mall, its cavernous interior exaggerating the lack of commerce going on inside.

On the fourth floor are the offices and studios of Gun TV (pronounced "goon", meaning "day" in Turkish or "sun" in Kurdish). One small room houses separate backdrop sets for news, weather, current affairs, culture and music.

In the control room in the early afternoon, a music video is being played while staff cue up the next 20-year-old matinee film. "This is one of the best Kurdish rock bands," says station general manager, Zeynel Dogan, with pride. "We made the video here."

It seems there was nothing going on to substantiate its official tag as a separatist station - nor to justify an order by the Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) that the station be shut down for a month. The order took effect over the weekend.

The closure was ordered after the broadcast of speeches by two politicians as part of a live symposium on local governance.

In Kurdish, the two called for recognition of the Kurdish language and identity.

The station was served with the broadcast ban for airing their statements, despite it being 13 years since the lifting of a ban on the Kurdish language and two years since legislation approving minority-language broadcasting.

To staff at Gun TV, broadcast bans are just a fact of life. In its 10-year history, the station had already been closed twice, including a one-year ban in 1999 for broadcasting a popular Kurdish protest song.

Last year, they were closed for a month for repeating a news item from a satellite station broadcasting in Kurdish and Turkish from Europe.

When Gun TV was informed in May of the latest ban, they were expecting rather different news from the RTUK. Two months earlier, they were the first private station to apply for permission to make a Kurdish language programme, a weekly series on culture and art.

While the government TRT station has since begun almost-daily half-hour news broadcasts in Kurdish, Gun TV has been told its application is still under evaluation.

Mr Dogan this month described the trials of the station to Gunter Verheugen, the European Union's Commissioner for Enlargement, during his recent visit to Diyarbakir ahead of his crucial report on accepting Turkey into the EU, due next Monday.

Sinasi Oktem, head of the opposition CH Party in Istanbul, criticised the visit, saying the EU should not talk to Kurdish "terrorists".

But pressure from the European Union is having an effect. At the start of last week, the first Kurdish-language school opened in Diyarbakir, after months of delays.

Mr Dogan, though, is preoccupied with his own problems. While the government sorts out its policy on the Kurdish language, he has to work out how to get the station and its staff through the next month without any income. "From elsewhere, this problem looks small - Kurdish is recognised and there are now broadcasts - but from the inside, it's still a huge problem."

3. - MSNBC - "Series of bombs target British, US targets in Turkey"

29 September 2004

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks in the four cities.

One person was slightly wounded during a wave of bombings targeting US and British interests in Turkey late Tuesday night.

Four small explosive devices were detonated in the cities of Istanbul, Izmir, Adana and Ankara overnight, with the first three targeting branches of the British owned HSBC Bank. The fourth bomb was set off outside the Turkish-American Association in the capital, which is located near the offices of the Agriculture Ministry.

The blast in Izmir injured a night watchman, who was wounded in the foot by flying shrapnel.

According to police, all four bombs were designed to create a loud noise, rather than to cause major damage or casualties. In the past, extreme left wing groups have set off similar resonance bombs near banks and other sites. Turkey also has suffered from bombing attacks by radical Islamist groups and Kurdish terrorists.

In November last year, four suicide bombs detonated by Islamist terrorists linked to the al Qaeda network killed more than 60 people. One of those bombs devastated the Turkish headquarters of the HSBC Bank in Istanbul.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for Tuesday night’s attacks.

4. - Zaman - "Opposition Party Takes TCK to Court"

The main opposition party in the Turkish world of politics, the Republican People's Party (CHP), is preparing to take the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) adopted by the Parliament to the Constitutional Court.

CHP leader Deniz Baykal said that they will file a complaint with the Court claiming that the 184th article has an amnesty qualification and the necessary majority vote was not sought for the article.

After the TCK was approved, Baykal argued to correspondents that the agreement between the CHP and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on the related law has already been violated with two different motions.

He claimed that the 184th article was approved despite the CHP's objections and has a pardoning qualification that requires a qualified majority.

Baykal said, "Even Mr. Speaker has admitted that the requirements were not met in the vote. Our friends will apply to the Constitutional Court."

5. - Turkish Daily News - "Gul appeals to Annan over Kirkuk"

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has appealed to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan for closer attention to ethnic tensions in Iraq's oil-rich city of Kirkuk, warning that the explosive situation in the northern city threatens stability in the whole of Iraq. "The security situation in Iraq is getting worse every day. We, as people of the region, feel the negative impact from all the negative developments," Gul told Annan at a meeting in New York on the sidelines of U.N. General Assembly meetings, according to the Anatolia news agency.


6. - EUobserver.com - "French foreign minister adds weight to Turkey referendum call"

28 September 2004 / By Richard Carter

French foreign minister Michel Barnier has added his weight to calls for a referendum on Turkey's entry into the EU.

Speaking yesterday (27 September), Mr Barnier said, "When it comes to such an important decision, in my personal opinion, it should be put ... to a referendum when the time comes".

This follows similar calls from influential finance minister Nicolas Sarkozy, whom many believe is in line for the President's job.

Mr Barnier also reminded people of a precedent, saying, "we did it for the UK". In a referendum on the entry of the UK, Ireland and Denmark in 1972, France voted to allow these three countries to join the bloc by a two-thirds majority.

But polls show that similar support is not forthcoming for the admission of Turkey.

A survey in Le Figaro showed that just over one in three (36 percent) French people are in favour of Turkey joining the EU but over half (56 percent) are against.

Despite this, 63 percent say they would be prepared to accept Turkey as a member if it makes the necessary efforts.

Up to you
The Commission has declared that the organisation of a referendum on Ankara's EU membership is a matter for member states.

Commission spokesman Reijo Kemppinen said yesterday, "if a member state wants to organise a referendum, on whatever subject, this is up to its own discretion. We have no comment on it".

Meanwhile, the deadline for the Commission to present its report on Turkey is looming. The Brussels executive will give its opinion on whether to start negotiations with Turkey on 6 October.

EU leaders will then take the final decision at a summit on 17 December.


7. - Zaman - "Ret. Gen. Bir: No More Military Coups in Turkey"

Retired General Cevik Bir said yesterday that it is no longer possible for the army to interfere in Turkish politics.

Explains Bir, "If a negotiation date is not received from Europe in December, the soldiers will maintain their present positions. There will not be any coup. Times have changed and Turkey has matured."

Bir spoke with Italian newspaper La Republica about the worst-case scenario in which Turkey does not receive a date from the European Union (EU) in December. La Republica published the interview under the headline "Yes from Generals in Turkey: We Accept the Rules of the EU".

Bir indicates that he is not optimistic about the prospects of receiving a date from the EU. "I think [the answer is] no. They will say that the progress made is good, but that it is difficult for them to undertake a certain responsibility."

The former Second Chief of General Staff also comments on the state of Turkey-EU relations.

"We are at an interesting point. The State has taken steps forward. The confirmed reforms are good. If Europe takes them into account, it will be good. Our hope is to start negotiations early. Moreover, we expect Brussels to complete this task quickly. (German Chancellor Gerhard) Schröder talks about a 10-15 year timeframe for Turkey's entrance to the EU, but we have fulfilled all the requirements of the Copenhagen Criteria. Therefore, our entrance has to come earlier," says Bir.

The retired general agrees that with the reforms made during the EU membership process, the army in Turkey no longer has its former power. He points out that from now on, security is the priority for the army.

Continues Bir, "We would like to share this [development] with other countries concerning Europe. Even though it will cost us power in domestic affairs, security is what provides the world with protection against new attacks, terrorism, and Islamic extremists."