THE PALESTINIAN WAR SPREADS BY YILMAZ OZTUNA (TURKIYE)
In the face of Israel’s continued military incursion in the West Bank
and siege of Palestinian headquarters in an apparent effort to further
cut off Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Turkey has stepped up its
criticism of Israel. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit yesterday stated that
Israel was violating the human rights of Palestinians, adding that
Arafat had become a “prisoner” in his own territory. Speaking to the
press prior to a Cabinet meeting yesterday, Turkish Foreign Minister
Ismail Cem commented on recent developments in the Middle East. Cem’s
remarks can be summarized along the following lines: 1) The UN Security
Council’s latest resolution calling for Israel to pull back from
Palestinian cities including Ramallah and urging both parties to carry
out a ceasefire agreement must be implemented as soon as possible. 2)
Turkey strongly denounces the terrorist activities and suicide bombings
in the Mideast. Any act of terrorism targeting innocent people cannot be
justified. 3) Since Yasser Arafat is a leader whom Turkey has officially
recognized, there is no way for Turkey to accept what the Israeli
government has recently been doing against him. 4) Escalating violence
poses a major threat not only to Israel and the Palestinian territories
but also to all neighboring countries in the region. The US has a
fundamental role in the Middle East peace process and should never for
sake it. The US must adopt an important position, in order to end the
violence and the Israeli siege. 5) The two parties should come together
to find a peaceful and permanent solution under the guidance of the
Madrid and Oslo agreements. “Turkey strongly condemns the Israeli
government’s recent attitude,” said Cem. “Since the administrative
mechanism of the Palestinian Authority has been dissolved and its leader
has been isolated, it would not be realistic to expect it to take action
against the terrorist attacks.” /Cumhuriyet/
Turkey has reached an agreement to assume command of the peacekeeping
force in Afghanistan. A statement issued yesterday by the office of
Turkey’s Chief of General Staff said that following lengthy negotiations
with US and British officials, Turkey had accepted in principle to take
over the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) command from
Great Britain. A delegation headed by Maj. Gen. Akin Zorlu will leave
for Afghanistan tomorrow to evaluate the current situation in the region
and to coordinate with officials there. After preparations are completed,
a delegation of the ISAF command, headquarters staff and additional
units will travel to the region. /Turkiye/
State Minister Tunca Toskay yesterday met with Iraqi leader Saddam
Hussein in Baghdad, carrying with him a message from Turkish Prime
Minister Bulent Ecevit to Saddam. In his message, Ecevit said, “The
situation is still serious. The US is preparing for an operation, so you
should let United Nation inspectors enter your country.” The Middle East
cannot withstand any more tension, Ecevit added, and he stressed
Saddam’s critical role in protecting Iraq’s territorial integrity.
Toskay said that Saddam had given him a message for Ecevit in response,
but supplied no further details. The state minister also characterized
the meeting as “very positive.” /Hurriyet/
State Minister and government spokesman Yilmaz Karakoyunlu answered
journalists’ questions following yesterday Cabinet meeting. Karakoyunlu
said that both the prime minister and foreign minister had made
important contacts to promote the implementation of recent UN Security
Council resolutions to end the violence in the Middle East. He stated
that Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit had remarked that US involvement was a
must to resolve the volatile situation. Karakoyunlu noted that the
future of an agreement with Israel regarding Turkish tank modernization
was also discussed at the meeting. Turning to economic topics, the
minister reiterated projected figures for Turkey’s growth and inflation
for all of 2002 as 3% and 35%, respectively. /Turkiye/
The Foreign Ministry is busy preparing for an April 9 meeting in
Brussels on the subject of terrorism which European Union
representatives and terrorism experts are due to attend. Just three days
later, on April 12, EU member country representatives are due to meet to
discuss the EU’s list of terrorist groups drawn up after last
September’s attacks on the US. There is a good chance that the terrorist
DHKP-C could be added to the list, diplomatic sources said. /Aksam/
Denmark’s Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen is scheduled to visit
Ankara next Friday as the official guest of Turkish Prime Minsiter
Bulent Ecevit. Denmark is due to assume the European Union rotating term
presidency in July and hold it through year’s end. Turkey attaches great
importance to Rasmussen’s visit since it wants to begin its negotiations
for full EU membership at the Copenhagen summit, which is to take place
in December. The main issues to be spotlighted during Rasmussen’s
meetings are expected to be Turkey’s bid for EU membership and steps
recently taken by the Turkish government concerning human rights and
democratization. /Cumhuriyet/
A World Bank delegation arrived in Ankara yesterday and visited the
headquarters of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges
(TOBB) to hear out the group’s views. WB Turkey Director Ajay Chhibber
said after the meeting, “We are ready to support Turkey to help its
growth.” Chhibber also indicated that discussions were still ongoing as
to how much to lend Turkey for corporate sector restructuring, but added
that an announcement on the exact amount could come after the WB’s
meeting on the matter on April 5. /Hurriyet/
Culture Minister Istemihan Talay, who is currently visiting Egypt,
opened a cemetery for Turkish martyrs yesterday in Cairo. He also met
with his Egyptian counterpart Faruk Husni and made the opening speech of
a “Turkish Week” celebration which will last through Friday.
/Cumhuriyet/
Speaking at a Turkish Association of Chambers and Commodities
Exchanges (TOBB) meeting held yesterday to promote the International
Finance Corporation (IFC), TOBB Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu said that
he was hopeful about talks scheduled for this Friday to discuss the
Istanbul Approach, a public-private oversight board. Saying that the
daylong meetings would be attended by officials from the World Bank, the
TOBB, the Union of Banks and the Treasury as well as State Minister for
the Economy Kemal Dervis, Hisarciklioglu added that he hoped that the
talks would bear fruit. In addition, a five-person delegation from the
World Bank came to Ankara yesterday to discuss the Istanbul Approach and
to visit TOBB headquarters. The delegation is also due to have contacts
with representatives from the real sector and the economic bureaucracy
and to attend Friday’s meeting. Stating that the Istanbul Approach was
still in the discussion stage, IFC Turkey Director Sujata Lamba said,
“If Turkey needs help, we will of course help it.” /Aksam/
The Ankara Association of Industrialists and Businessmen (ASIAD) has
established a joint venture called the “Dost Partnership” with northern
Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani, reports
said yesterday. Dost was founded with a 50% interest held by the ASIAD
Partnership and the Nazar Company, the latter of which is attached to
the PUK. The company hopes to broker United Nations bids in northern
Iraq, particularly in the Suleymaniye region, and to market grains from
the region through Turkey to third countries. The contract for the
venture, which was discussed during Talabani’s recent visit to Ankara,
was signed by PUK financial director Dara Nuri Benzinci and ASIAD
Executive Board Chairman Cengiz Bozbeyoglu. /Aksam/
Oil drilling started yesterday morning in Ergani, a town in the
southeastern province of Diyarbakýr. The high-quality oil extracted from
the well, called “Gokici-1,” was transferred by tractor tralier trucks
to facilities in Diyarbakir’s Pirinclik district. On the first day,
enough oil to fill eight trucks was drilled. /Turkiye/
Columnist Ertugrul Ozkok writes on the current crisis in the Middle
East. A summary of his column is as follows:
“Out of curiosity I searched the archives for the reaction of the
Palestinians and Arabs when Cypriot Turks were being killed in Cyprus
before 1974, as the 1960 Agreements were torn down overnight. I looked
for the reactions of the Arabs and the Palestinians when a Turkish
mother and her children were stabbed to death in a bath. I also wanted
to find out what kind of a response came from our neighbors in the
Middle East when the babies, children, women, elderly and youngsters in
southeastern Anatolia were being massacred by the bloody murderers of
the PKK. Leaving reaction aside, did they show any sign of grief? I
searched all the archives and could not find any statements denouncing
these violent acts. On the contrary, there were statements in favor of
the Greek Cypriot majority. It seems that ‘Muslim solidarity’ didn’t
apply during these massacres. It seems that these neighbors cared not a
whit about the violence which caused Turkey such great sorrow and even
took sides with the opposing party. However, today Turkey is not
remaining indifferent towards their own sufferings. Since yesterday,
Turkish foreign policy towards Israel has gotten tougher. Taking harsh
notice of Sharon’s actions in Palestine, it issues firm statements
supporting Palestine and calling on Israel to stop the violence. This is
the correct policy. However, even while doing this, we cannot neglect to
make this historical reproach left in us, towards our Palestinian
brothers who never left the side of the Greek Cypriots since the
massacres committed against Turks in the 60s, and towards our Arab
neighbors who took the frontlines in every action against Turkey. I for
one have never forgotten these actions taken at the time. You may ask if
we should expect anything in return for the ‘humanity’ or solidarity
shown. True, nothing is expected in return. If we would like to turn the
feeling we call ‘humanity’ into an international spirit, we must fulfill
it without expecting anything in return. However, someone else may ask,
why should we be the side which is always displaying this solidarity
unilaterally? However, in no way can these excuse what Sharon is doing.
There is a second result which can be taken out from the incidents in
Palestine. Israel is drawing a line between Palestine and itself and
calling it a ‘green line.’ Doesn’t it look like the line Turkey drew in
Northern Cyprus to protect its kinsmen? The aims and fairness of the
issues could be discussed. What comes out in the end is that some people
simply cannot live together. The events in Montenegro and Serbia reflect
the same truth. It seems that Cyprus model will be implemented in two
other regions apart from the island. There has been no bloodshed in
Cyprus since 1974. However, both in the middle of Europe and in the
Middle East, bloodshed is continuing. Which of the models seem fairer?
Turkey, which was able to establish a model preventing bloodshed in
Cyprus, has never been able to get the support of the present victims in
the Middle East. They are now asking us for the support they had denied
us at the time. Turkey is lending this support. It is doing this at the
cost of hurting and disappointing Israel a nation which has helped it in
its days of need over the last 20 years, as the standards of humanity
require such an action. I hope all the suffering in the Middle East ends.
Turkey has accumulated experiences which can guide everyone. Even those
who didn’t show any sensitivity towards the sufferings of the Turks and
Cypriot Turks can learn from them.”
Columnist Fikret Bila writes on Foreign Minister Ismail Cem’s
reaction to Israeli Prime Minister Sharon’s taking Palestinian leader
Arafat hostage. A summary of his column is as follows:
“Israeli Prime Minister Sharon’s laying siege to Palestinian leader
Arafat is turning increasingly into an operation of humiliation, insult
and deliberate offense. Sharon, who took the elderly Palestinian leader
as hostage, leaving him without food, water or medication, and under
circumstances where he could kill him at any moment, is not only trying
to humiliate and psychologically oppress him, but also the Palestinians.
The first to see Sharon’s intention was Ankara, and it reacted harshly.
Foreign Minister Ismail Cem conveyed Turkey’s official reaction to
taking Arafat hostage to the US Ambassador to Ankara Robert Pearson and
Israel’s Foreign Minister Simon Peres through diplomatic channels. In a
statement he issued Cem yesterday harshly protested Sharon’s approach
‘humiliating’ Arafat. In his statement Cem recalled that Arafat was the
leader of the Palestinian Authority Turkey officially recognizes. Even
during wartimes, heads of state do not receive such treatment. Before he
came to power, Sharon charged that Palestinians were offending Israel’s
honor through a terrorist campaign and that then Prime Minister Barak
had permitted that. It is obvious that the aim of his current operation
is to wound the pride of the Palestinians. He can take Arafat hostage
right in front of the eyes of the entire world due to the support Israel
receives from the US. Similar reactions from every capital, including
those of the Arab states, should come to end Sharon’s approach, which
complies neither with the standards of human rights nor the rules of war.
The UN must quickly intervene and US President Bush must restrain
Israel’s Prime Minister Sharon without delay. If the Ankara’s reaction
is strongly supported by the Arab states, Arafat may be rescued from the
situation he is in. However, the reaction shown by the Arabs, including
at last week’s Beirut summit, is weak. This weak stance displayed by the
Arab countries is only encouraging Sharon, and he is becoming more
daring.”
Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna comments on recent developments in the Middle
East. A summary of his columns is as follows:
“This is the fifth day of Israeli’s warlike operation in Ramallah.
Israeli troops moved into Bethlehem and are advancing towards the Gaza
Strip.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is meeting this week
in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir
bin Mohamad, who is also chairing the meeting, got a harsh reaction from
fellow OIC members when he argued that Palestinians who carried out
armed attacks in Israel must be considered terrorists. Meanwhile, many
countries, from Cuba to France, stressed that recent developments in the
Middle East necessitated immediate UN action.
Israeli troops moved into the Palestinian territories on the grounds
that the terrorists who are perpetrating the wave of suicide bombings
and armed attacks within Israel’s borders must be caught immediately.
The Israeli government is accusing Arafat of supporting these attacks.
Washington tends to agree with this view.
Yesterday in Ankara, the Turkish government also discussed these
developments. Foreign Minister Ismail Cem harshly criticized the Israeli
operation but also stressed that Palestinians should immediately end
their attacks on Israeli civilians. The autopsy report on the Turkish
soldier who died last week near Hebron has not been released yet. It is
clear that some people are trying to send a warning to Turkey on certain
sensitive issues!
Furthermore, Turkey’s command takeover of the peacekeeping force in
Afghanistan has almost become definite. However, all other world
problems, even Iraq and Afghanistan, have recently been overshadowed by
the Israeli offensive.
One searches in vain for any positive and hopeful developments in the
Middle East. We’ll see how the US tries to tackle this chaos and
violence. Considering that the Palestinians have no regular army with
might to speak of, the US’ argument to the world that Israel’s operation
is part of ‘the war against terrorism’ will likely fall on deaf ears.”
