Turkish Press Review, 06-10-27

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

27.10.2006

CONTENTS

[01] GUL, PACE PRESIDENT LINDEN DISCUSS TURKEY’S NOV. 8 PROGRESS REPORT

[01] GUL, PACE PRESIDENT LINDEN DISCUSS TURKEY’S NOV. 8 PROGRESS REPORT

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will participate in the 14th Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) set to be held in Brussels in early December. Foreign ministers of OSCE participating states and partners for cooperation will gather on Dec. 4-5 at the invitation of the OSCE chairman in office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht. /Turkish Daily News/ [03] FINNISH PM: “ALL SIDES WILL BENEFIT FROM TURKEY’S EU NEGOTIATION PROCESS”

European Union Term President Finland’s Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said yesterday that Turkey’s EU membership would be accepted by the European public if Ankara continues its reforms, adding that all sides would benefit from Turkey’s negotiation process. Vanhanen added that Turkey needed to fulfill all EU criteria, adding that it wasn’t yet ready to join the Union. “It needs to prove its determination to improve its laws and carry out reforms,” he added. “Turkey will join the EU when it completes the reforms.” /Turkiye/[04] BARROSO: “TURKEY’S PACE OF REFORMS HAS SLOWED”

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso yesterday claimed that the pace of reforms in Turkey had slowed down. Speaking to Italian daily Corriere della Sera, Barroso said, “I’m sorry to say this, but things are going badly. Reforms in Turkey are going forward very slowly and I don’t see the progress I would have expected. We hope the Finns [holding the EU presidency] can help avoid a breaking off in negotiations but I really am very worried.” He further underlined that this is the most critical time in the EU’s talks with Turkey, since the Union is adding the final touches to its progress report to be released on Nov. 8. /Star/[05] US ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF SCHOOMAKER VISITS ANKARA

While Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit is preparing to visit the US in February, US Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker yesterday came to Ankara as the official guest of Turkish Land Forces Commander Gen. Ilker Basbug. Schoomaker and his accompanying delegation will be welcomed with a ceremony at Land Forces headquarters. Developing military cooperation between the two countries, solving existing problems, joint efforts against the terrorist PKK, keeping the unity of Iraq in the face of escalating violence, and the effects of the Mideast tensions on the security of the region are the main topics of both Schoomaker’s visit to Turkey and Buyukanit’s visit to the US. /Hurriyet/[06] EX-CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER: “THE EU SHOULD LIFT THE EMBARGO ON NORTHERN CYPRUS”

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder yesterday said that only expecting Turkey to fulfill its responsibilities concerning Cyprus was wrong. Promoting his book “Decisions: My Life in Politics” in Berlin, Schroeder said, “Turkey has to fulfill the terms in the Ankara Protocol on Cyprus,” and added, “But it's wrong to expect only Turkey to fulfill its responsibilities on Cyprus. The European Union should lift the embargo from Northern Cyprus.” Schroeder devoted seven pages of his book to Turkey. He also warned that a failure of Turkey’s European Union bid could cause an identity crisis and political agitation in the country and in this way a crisis could occur on the borders of the EU. /Cumhuriyet/[07] EU COMMISSION TO RELEASE FIRST CREDIT TRANCHE OF 38.1 MILLION EUROS FOR TRNC

The European Union Commission is expected to release today a first credit tranche of 38.1 million euros for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). European Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn’s spokesman Noora Hayrinen yesterday confirmed that the tranche, which was approved by the member states, would be released today, adding that work to release the remaining amount was continuing. /Turkiye/[08] FORMER IMF TURKEY DESK CHIEF: “ANKARA SHOULD SUSTAIN MACROECONOMIC STABILITY AND STRUCTURAL REFORMS FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS”

Riza Moghadam, the International Monetary Fund’s former Turkey desk chief, yesterday praised the country's economy, saying that it was very successful, and recommended that macroeconomic stability and structural economic reforms be sustained in order to maintain this success. Moghadam stated that the main goal of the macroeconomic stability and structural economic program was to sustain macroeconomic growth, adding that strong growth was helping Turkey to have a sustainable debt structure and bring down high unemployment. /Milliyet/[09] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…[00] THE KURDS QUESTION THEMSELVESBY YALCIN DOGAN (HURRIYET)

Columnist Yalcin Dogan comments on the Kurdish question. A summary of his column is as follows:

“Feridun Yazar was a member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) before the coup on Sept. 12, 1980 and later a member of the Kurdish Democratic Party (DP). Now he is an independent. Yazar is Kurdish, but doesn’t make the same political mistake as many Kurds. He believes that the Kurdish movement should be independent from terrorist leader Abdullah Ocalan. This is an issue on which the Kurds have to reach a consensus, because some are still following a policy based on Ocalan and even think he should be released, which can never happen. Again Yazar was the first to call for a cease-fire. The Democratic Society Party (DTP), Kurdish intellectuals and the US followed with similar calls.

There was at last a cease-fire, not because of these calls, but because of widespread revulsion. People had had enough of terrorism. Yazar said at this point: ‘Our time doesn’t accept violence. The guns are silent now, but we have to silence them permanently. The Kurds are primarily responsible for this. However this doesn’t remove the political responsibility of Turkish politicians and non-governmental groups.’ These are very wise words.

Yazar decided to organize a Kurdish conference in Ankara. What do the Kurds say about this? It's unbelievable, but this is the first time Kurds are gathering for such a purpose. Yazar also said: ‘In order to have a permanent cease-fire, the Kurds have to question themselves. The political dimension is the second step. The first step is to silence the guns.’ Yazar also formed an organization, the Kurdish Democratic Forum, where Kurds are able to discuss their issues. This is a good initiative. Whenever I hear about the Kurdish question I think of the phrase ‘democratic solution,’ but this stays empty, because nobody does anything.

The greatest deadlock of the Kurdish policy is continued dependence on Ocalan. This policy doesn’t benefit the Kurds, nor is it useful for dialogue between Turks and Kurds. I have a word for those who are still dependent on Apo: ‘The PKK wants to come down from the mountains’.”

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