ARAFAT’S RETURN BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)
Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev and Georgian President Eduard
Shevardnadze along with the three
countries’ interior ministers met yesterday in Turkey’s Black Sea
region to begin their Caucasus Summit. The three presidents are set to
sign today a security cooperation agreement and a pact against
terrorism and organized crime, including drug smuggling and illegal
weapons trafficking. Speaking at the opening of the gathering,
President Sezer said, “We believe that this meeting will contribute to
peace and stability in the region.” Sezer also said that the new
conditions in the region after last September’s terrorist attacks make
it necessary for the countries to take common action. /Hurriyet/
The Cabinet yesterday officially approved taking over the command
of the peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan (ISAF) for a period of six
months after Great Britain relinquishes the helm. A specific date has
not yet been given for Turkey to take over the ISAF, but there will be
negotiations with the countries participating in the force and the
United Nations in order to set a date. /Hurriyet/
Deputy Prime Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Mesut
Yilmaz said yesterday that Turkey needs to take further step in order
to gain European Union membership. Speaking at a conference on Turkey
and the EU held in Ankara, Yilmaz also stated that it was absolutely
necessary to remove capital punishment from Turkey’s legal system as
well as take further measures to protect freedom of expression and
political freedom. Another important step would be to remove barriers
to Turkish citizens broadcasting in their mother tongue, Yilmaz added.
Yilmaz also remarked that the EU was acting incorrectly concerning
Cyprus. The EU is asking Turkey to find a political solution on the
island while starting membership negotiations with the Greek side,
Yilmaz said. /Cumhuriyet/
Despite President Ahmet Necdet Sezer’s veto last week of a
controversial amnesty bill, inmates in some cities have already begun
to be released, reports said yesterday. Addressing the issue,
Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi yesterday said, “As long as the bill has
yet to pass into law, such releases are improper.” Meanwhile, Minister
Hikmet Sami Turk said that the bill would be debated again in
Parliament and eventually sent back to the president in its current
form, unchanged. Turk stressed that the bill could legally stand on
its own two feet and was by no means tailored to give amnesty to any
inmates in particular. Speaking in Trabzon at a Caucasus region
presidential summit, Sezer told reporters that the bill emerged at the
end of a six-month period mandated by the Constitutional Court. Sezer
remarked that even though the bill had been labeled a “conditional
release,” in substance it was still an amnesty, and so passing it
legally required a three-fifths majority in Parliament. /All Papers/
Chief of General Staff Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu said yesterday that
Turkey has been unable to get the necessary support from its European
allies in its struggle against terrorism. Appearing on CNN Turk,
Kivrikoglu said, “In spite of our numerous requests, some European
countries have not taken any measures against terrorist organizations
such as the PKK and the DHKP-C. Businessman Ozdemir Sabanci’s murderer
has not been extradited to Turkey in spite of all our efforts. To date
the PKK and the DHKP-C, two of the world’s most notorious and
murderous terrorist organizations, have not been included on the EU’s
terrorist organizations list. Nor can we forget how our friends and
allies coddled the Armenian terrorist organization ASALA.” Stating
that the DHKP-C had committed more than 350 murders yet was still
being protected, Kivrikoglu added, “Their approach to this
organization is one of the most important signs showing their
insincere approach to Turkey on this issue. It is common knowledge
that certain countries support terrorist organizations, that they take
no notice of their activities, and that they even use these
organizations as tools in their foreign policy. Even the struggle
against terrorism that is being carried out in Turkey is considered
from the point of view and rhetoric of terrorist organizations.”
/Milliyet/
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas
met yesterday with his Greek counterpart Glafcos Clerides in Cyprus’
Buffer Zone. Denktas told reporters afterward that the Turkish side
had presented a “non-paper document” to the Greeks and was awaiting
their response to it. Denktas called the “non-paper document” a
statement of the TRNC’s views to solve the Cyprus problem.
/Cumhuriyet/
The European Union’s Permanent Representative Council will add the
terrorist group PKK to its revised list of terrorist organizations, EU
sources said yesterday. However, the sources added, the other
terrorist group that Turkey wants added, the DHKP-C, will not be on
the new list. /Cumhuriyet/
State Minister for the Economy Kemal Dervis yesterday received his
“Economy Minister of the Year” award from British finance magazine The
Banker. Dervis was announced as the recipient of the honor earlier
this month. He received the award in Istanbul, and while in the city
he also gave a speech at a midday panel on “Tax Policies’ Role in the
Development of Capital Market” at the Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB).
/Turkiye/
A just-released report on Turkey prepared by Britain’s House of
Common’s Foreign Relations Committee states, “Turkey is the main power
in its region and the only secular democracy within the Islamic world.”
The 11-member committee’s sixth annual report on Turkey, weighing in
at 125 pages, also addresses the nation’s bid for EU membership,
saying that both sides were hampered by prejudices in their mutual
dealings. The MPs write that such cultural, religious, and historical
hostilities needed to be abandoned in order to make progress. EU
member Greece’s right of veto, the report adds, coupled with Turkey
and Greece’s historically troubled relationship are making the
accession process even more complicated. The MPs also note Turkey’s
objections that it is not receiving treatment equal to that afforded
other EU membership candidates. /Aksam/
The True Path Party (DYP) yesterday submitted to the Parliament for
consideration an amendment to Turkey’s Election Law. The amendment
proposes the establishment of a two-round election system for
Parliament much like the one recently under the spotlight in France.
Under it, all parties could complete in the first round of voting for
Parliament, but only the two attracting the most votes could then
proceed to the second round. The DYP said it submitted the amendment
in the hope of ensuring stability in Turkish politics. After the
success of right-wing extremist Jean-Marie Le Pen in France’s first
round of presidential elections earlier this month, political circles
in Turkey began to discuss changing the domestic election system to
one like France’s, where voters have a second chance to reject
marginal politicians and parties. /Turkiye/
Turgut Bozkurt has been selected to be the new chairman of the
Privatization Administration Board (OIB), State Minister Yýlmaz
Karakoyunlu said yesterday. Karakoyunlu said that a degree to that
effect had been sent to the Cabinet. The OIB’s pervious head, Ugur
Bayar, stepped down from the post last week. /Akþam/
Declaring that Eti Holding lacked the ability to invest in all
aspects of boron excavation and production, State Minister Sukru Sina
Gurel yesterday invited Turkey’s private sector to make investments in
the valuable mineral. Gurel noted that 63% percent of the world’s
boron reserves lie within Turkey’s borders. “Private sector concerns
can invest together with Eti Holding as partner, or if they wish by
themselves,” Gurel said, addressing potential investors and
entrepreneurs. In the latter case the state will give them logistic
and technical support, he added. Eti has enjoyed a monopoly on most
aspects of boron production in Turkey for over 20 years. /Turkiye/
Two premier Italian musicians are set to give a concert at Middle
East Technical University’s (METU) Culture and Congress Hall this
Thursday. Vocalist Anna Maria Castelli and pianist Giorgio Gaslini,
who is also a composer and the conductor of the Milan Orchestra, will
perform poems set to music by renowned writer and musician Leo Ferre.
The concert is sponsored jointly by the Ankara Jazz Association,
Ankara’s Italian Cultural Center and METU. /Sabah/
Columnist Semih Idiz writes on the triple summit between Turkey,
Azerbaijan and Georgia which is currently being held in Trabzon. A
summary of his column is as follows:
“The issues which are being discussed at the ongoing triple summit
between the Turkish, Azerbaijani and Georgian presidents in the Black
Sea city of Trabzon are open to misunderstandings and misjudgments.
The mutual lack of confidence between Moscow and Baku stemming from
Russia’s considerable influence upon Armenia as well as the United
States’ increasing effect on Azerbaijan is casting shadow on bilateral
relations between Russia and Azerbaijan. Furthermore, Moscow’s and
Yerevan’s concerns increased after Turkey and the US recently sent
military consultants to Georgia. Everybody is also aware that the US,
which is a close ally of Turkey, is currently seeking further military
cooperation with both Azerbaijan and Georgia.
In brief, the triple summit in Trabzon has been unable to avoid
giving the impression to the international community that its aim is
to form a triple alliance backed by the US, while excluding some other
related countries. Azerbaijan and Georgia might be in favor of giving
such an impression since it provides them with the opportunity to
convince the world that Turkey and the US support them.
However, we have to discuss what consequences such a label would
might bring in terms of Turkey’s interests.
There is no doubt that Turkey’s relations with Georgia and
Azerbaijan are of great importance. Ankara has to improve its
relations with those countries.
However, we should not forget that our goals of normalizing
relations with Armenia and Russia also carry equal importance. Every
strategic plan Ankara makes without ensuring Russia’s support is
likely to fail. Turkey also has to take into consideration the
negative effects of the so-called genocide issue in Europe and the US.
Accordingly, I believe that the Trabzon summit should have included
Armenia and Russia. Such an initiative bringing together all the
related parties could have been a step forward on the path towards a
more comprehensive ‘Caucasus Summit.’ I believe such a summit would
affect Turkish-Armenian relations very positively. There are already
signs that Turkey and Armenia are currently seeking opportunities to
improve relations. Consider, for instance, May’s NATO meeting to be
held in Reykjavik which will bring together the Turkish and Armenian
foreign ministers.
However, the current Trabzon summit unfortunately seems to be an
event which could increase tensions in the Caucasus and destroy the
delicate balances between the involved countries, rather than helping
to sustain peace and stability in the region.”
Columnist Sami Kohen comments on the recent diplomatic moves to
lift Israeli’s siege on Yasser Arafat’s compound. A summary of his
column is as follows:
“All eyes are on the West Bank town of Ramallah as diplomatic
efforts are underway between American, British and Palestinian
officials as a part of a deal with Israel to ease the siege on
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. In the near future Arafat is likely
to return to a more appropriate setting in his post as leader of the
Palestinian people.
Parallel to these diplomatic moves, hopes are also increasing that
violence might end in the Middle East, which would pave the way to a
period of peaceful diplomacy among the involved parties.
There is no doubt that there is a long way ahead on the path
towards permanent peace and stability in the region. However, Arafat’s
return would be the most important step towards this end. As we all
know, four Palestinian militants were convicted of the killing of
Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi at a trial in Arafat’s compound
on Thursday and sentenced to lengthy jail terms. However, Israeli
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon put forward the extradition of these
militants to Israel as a condition to lift the army’s siege on Arafat.
This dispute was settled after US President George W. Bush’s telephone
diplomacy convinced Sharon to end the siege. One of the factors behind
Bush’s successful move seems to be his recent meeting with Saudi Crown
Prince Abdullah. Bush suddenly became aware that if he fails to
convince Sharon to lift the siege, the first country to suffer great
losses would be the United States. This prospect seems to have
concentrated Bush’s mind and motivated his moves. In fact, the
international community has already been putting pressure on the US
and Israel to release Arafat. Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and
his Greek counterpart George Papandreou are among the major figures
who made efforts towards this goal. After the end of Israeli’s siege,
Arafat will have to consider the future of his people, rather than the
past. He has a great responsibility to undertake…”
