Turkish Press Review, 05-10-17

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From: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>

17.10.2005

CONTENTS

[01] TRNC’S TALAT TO GET INVITATION FROM WASHINGTON

[01] TRNC’S TALAT TO GET INVITATION FROM WASHINGTON

Opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said yesterday that his party was a defender and close follower of Turkey’s full European Union membership bid. In a written statement, Baykal said that Turkey wanted to act hand to hand with Europeans to govern Europe. Stressing that they believed in Turkey’s power and that it deserves to be treated the same as other EU members, the CHP leader stated that Ankara had fulfilled its obligations and would reject any other preconditions that anyone tries to impose. /Turkiye/[03] GUL TO TRAVEL TO FINLAND

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is set to fly to Finland today for talks with his Finnish counterpart Erkki Tuomioja. The meeting is expected to focus on Turkey’s European Union membership process and accession talks as well as the Cyprus issue. Finland is to be the EU term president in the second half of 2006. In addition, Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn will arrive in Ankara tomorrow at the invitation of Gul. Bilateral relations and Turkey’s EU accession process are expected to dominate the two top diplomats’ talks. Furthermore, Turkish officials and EU Commission bureaucrats will have series of meetings this week to officially launch the start of Ankara’s EU screening process. /Turkish Daily News/[04] CHIEF NEGOTIATOR BABACAN: “THE PERCEPTION OF TURKEY IS CHANGING”

Chief European Union talks negotiator Ali Babacan yesterday said that perception of Turkey had seen a serious shift since Oct. 3, the official date the EU talks started. Speaking to reporters during the meeting in Beijing, China of the G-20 finance ministers and governors of central banks, Babacan said, “Oct. 3 was a turning point not only for Turkey and Europe, but also for the world. Now Turkey is being seen from a different perspective. We will absolutely achieve its economic potential.” /Aksam/[05] CICEK: “I FAVOR ELECTION LAW REFORM, BUT DON’T WANT TO FUEL RUMORS OF EARLY POLLS”

Speaking the Star daily, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek yesterday commented on various political issues, including proposed revisions to the Anti- Terror Law. Cicek said that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) had produced a successful “report card,” adding that the government had a good year ahead of it since 2007 would be dominated by preparations for general elections that fall. Saying that he personally favors making changes to the Elections Law, Cicek added, “But I hesitate to bring up these issues, because if I do, there will be rumors of early elections the very next day. As I fear fuelling such rumors, I couldn’t visit the head of the Supreme Board of Elections (YSK) at his office.” Cicek also said, “We will make amendments to the Constitution when necessary. Comprehensive amendments are required for a quality Constitution.” Cicek said that there are two societal fronts dealing with the terror issue in terms of either security or freedom, adding, “These are not easy to balance. Everyone has to speak as if they were in the government’s shoes. We need common wisdom and the efforts of more than one person, one agency.” /Star/ [06] EU WISE MEN: “TURKEY DESERVES FAIR TREATMENT”

The visiting nine-member Independent Commission on Turkey yesterday held a press conference in Istanbul. Chairman Martti Ahtisaari said that the commission, made up of former European officials familiar with Turkey, will pay the country a visit once a year during the accession talks to follow developments. Stressing that commission members have held meetings with Turkish officials including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Ahtisaari urged the EU to treat Turkey impartially. /Sabah/[07] ANAVATAN LEADER MUMCU: “CALLING THE CHP ‘ATATURK’S PARTY’ MAKES ME LAUGH”

Opposition Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) leader Erkan Mumcu yesterday called the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) a conservative, outdated party, and added, “The CHP’s efforts to sanctify itself by calling itself Ataturk’s party make me laugh.” Appearing on CNN-Turk, Mumcu also talked about past of his own party and criticized both the CHP and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Mumcu also said that during the 1990s ANAVATAN (then ANAP) had been embroiled in corruption, adding, “Our party was punished by society, and we deserved it.” The CHP, Turkey’s first political party, was founded by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. /Aksam/ [08] PAPOULIAS VISITS GREEK CYPRUS

Greek Prime Minister Karolos Papoulias yesterday went to Greek Cyprus for an official visit. Speaking at airport upon his arrival, Papoulias called the visit both symbolic and important. He added that the recent decision of the European Union to start Turkey’s membership talks represented serious progress. Papoulias also stated that his nation and Greek Cyprus will maintain a close relationship in order to realize their goals. /Star/[09] “GENOCIDE” ALLEGATION FROM ASSYRIANS, CHALDEANS

A group of Assyrians and Chaldeans has dedicated a monument in Paris to an alleged “genocide” committed against them in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire. Some 10,000 Assyrian-Chaldeans live in Paris. The monument is near a similar to the so-called Armenian genocide. Francois Pupponi, the socialist mayor of Paris’ Sarcelles district, said in a dedication speech that the monument was meant to show deep sympathy for the Assyrian-Chaldean people who died 1915. He also added that as long as Turkey resists the genocide allegations it will never join the European Union. A Chaldean Iraqi parliamentarian, Yonadam Kanna, also reportedly attended the dedication ceremony, saying that the monument is not a symbol of hostility between Turkey and Iraq but would help raise awareness of the subject. /Star/[10] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS[00] CHP CLINGS TO ITS FAIRY TALE BY SEMÝH ÝDÝZ

Columnist Semih Idiz comments on the Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) stance on the European Union. A summary of his column is as follows:

“Inal Batu is one of the leading figures of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and he was shut out by the party administration. Speaking to Haber Turk on Friday, Batu said that he was afraid of nobody and that he would continue to speak his mind. Former Ambassador Batu said that the decision to start Turkey’s European Union talks taken at Luxembourg on Oct. 3 wasn’t ideal. However, he also said that Turkey had moved to a higher class. In short, he is one of the people in the CHP pleased with the outcome. However, he doesn’t care for the CHP’s stance. He complains that although it has many international ties, the CHP doesn’t use these ties on Turkey’s behalf on the EU issue. Indeed, it’s difficult to say that the CHP lobbied hard for Turkey by using its contacts at the Socialist International meeting before the Luxembourg summit. Meanwhile, CHP leader Deniz Baykal met neither with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, nor with any other social democrat leader. The CHP staff was distant from social democratic members of the European Parliament and national parliaments. Actually, this is understandable because can you imagine CHP deputy leader Onur Oymen or CHP Deputy Sukru Elekdag discussing the Kurdish, Cyprus or Armenian issue with social democrats at the EU? When they open their mouths, one could see that they’re not on the ‘social democrat wing’ of the political spectrum because the political view they claim to own is humanist, socialist and internationalist. However, they’re proud of being nationalists and partisans for state control.

In sum, the fact that the common view of social democracy clashes with the remarks made by these people prevents them from taking their place among their ‘comrades’ on the international level. They can’t even exhibit solidarity with their brothers in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). They are afraid of giving an appointment to discuss the Kurdish issue to the intellectuals who were received by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and who call themselves social democrats or socialists.

One can find information on definable characteristics of socialism in the Declaration of Principles accepted by the Socialist International in 1989 at socialistinternational.com. When the content of this document is compared with the CHP’s remarks and stance, we see that this party insists on keeping a lie alive. Actually, if the CHP says that it’s not social democratic at all, there would be no problem. However, it can’t say that and it’s falling apart in this dilemma.”

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