WHAT SHOULD WE DO WITH THE CYPRUS SOLUTION
PLAN?
BY SEDAT ERGIN (HURRIYET)
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will travel to Germany today to
pay a working visit. Sezer is scheduled to meet with German
President Johannes Rau, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and other
high-level officials tomorrow in Berlin. During their meetings,
Turco-German and Turco-European Union relations, and regional as
well as international issues are to be discussed. Sezer is
expected to return to Ankara tomorrow evening after holding a
press conference at Turkey’s Embassy in Berlin. /Turkiye/
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday met with a European
Parliament delegation led by Turkish-EP Joint Parliamentary
Commission Co-Chairman Joost Lajendik. Briefing the EP
delegation on the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP)
European Union policy, Gul stated that the new government was
planning to implement a constitutional reform package prepared
by the former government “as soon as possible.” Stating that the
AKP-led government was also preparing another EU reform package
to be unveiled on Wednesday, Gul underlined that this new
package would deal with a host of sensitive issues on which the
EU had serious concerns, such as human rights and
democratization. Gul also discussed the Cyprus issue with the EP
officials, reiterating that the EU should set a date for
Turkey’s accession negotiations in order to promote both the
Cyprus peace process and the country’s democratization efforts.
For his part, Lajendik remarked that the UN Cyprus plan recently
presented to the two leaders of the island was a historic
opportunity that should not be missed, stressing that if Turkey
or Greece failed to reach an agreement on the UN proposal, the
problem might worsen. /Cumhuriyet/
Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis left New York yesterday after
paying a get-well visit to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
President Rauf Denktas. Speaking to reporters before his
departure, Yakis complained that the Cyprus plan prepared by
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan proposed allocating
all the island’s water resources to the Greek Cypriots. He said
that the European Union member countries had implied that
helping to solve the Cyprus issue would aid Turkey’s bid to get
a date for its membership talks. “From the beginning, we’ve
asserted that our bid was not related to Cyprus,” he added.
“However, as they insisted on putting the issue before Turkey at
every opportunity, we said, ‘First you give us a date to Turkey,
then we will work with you more on the Cyprus and European
Security and Defense Policy [ESDP] issues’.” In related news,
US Secretary of State Colin Powell yesterday telephoned Yakis to
reiterate the US’ support for Annan’s plan and to ask Yakis to
take a positive stance on it. /Turkiye/
Sir David Hannay, Britain’s special envoy for Cyprus,
yesterday met with Presidential Foreign Affairs Chief Advisor
Tacan Ildem. During their talks, Hannay said that the Cyprus
issue should be solved before the European Union’s Copenhagen
summit scheduled for Dec. 12. At the meeting, Ildem briefed
Hannay on the views of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer regarding
the UN’s Cyprus plan and also Turkey’s EU membership bid on the
eve of the Copenhagen summit. After his meeting with Ildem,
Hannay met with Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal.
Speaking at a press conference after his meetings with Ildem and
Ziyal, Hannay said that his aim was to obtain a favorable result
on the Cyprus issue before Copenhagen. British Foreign Minister
Jack Straw, EU Term President Denmark’s Prime Minister Per Stig
Moeller and UN Special Cyprus Envoy Alvaro de Soto are also
expected to visit Turkey soon. /Milliyet/
Appearing on television after his meeting with Turkish
Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis yesterday, Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said that
officials of the TRNC would evaluate the United Nations’ Cyprus
plan. Denktas also said that his meeting with Yakis had been
very positive and constructive. Denktas added that though he had
briefed Yakis about his reaction to the plan, this didn’t mean
that he had accepted it. “However, the UN plan could be
evaluated once more,” he stated. /Milliyet/
The Parliament will begin to debate the new Justice and
Development Party’s (AKP) government program at its plenary
session today. During the session, Deniz Baykal, leader of the
opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), will make a speech
in his capacity of sole opposition leader. Later, Deputy Prime
Minister Abdullatif Sener will answer questions about the
program. AKP Deputies Ihsan Arslan and Nihat Eri will also make
separate speeches to give their own views on the program. A vote
of confidence is to be held in Parliament on Thursday.
/Milliyet/
As part of his tour of seven European countries to seek
support for Turkey’s European Union membership bid, Justice and
Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan accompanied
by a high-level delegation yesterday arrived in Lisbon, Portugal.
Erdogan first met with Portuguese Prime Minister Durao Barroso.
Following their approximately one-hour meeting, Barroso told
reporters that Portugal favored Turkey’s EU membership as soon
as it has fully complied with the Copenhagen criteria and the
EU’s enlargement policy. “We don’t want a Europe divided by
religious lines,” said Barroso. For his part, stressing that
Turkey had been waiting for EU membership for 40 years, Erdogan
said, “We don’t want this process to be extended indefinitely.
Turkey expects a date at next month’s EU Copenhagen summit to
begin its membership talks.” Later, Erdogan was received by
President Jorge Sampaio. After the meeting, Erdogan and his
accompanying delegation flew to Helsinki, Finland. /All Papers/
US Assistant Secretary of State Marc Grossman and US Deputy
Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz are expected to pay a visit to
Turkey in the coming days. The two high-level US officials are
expected to discuss a number of sensitive issues with Turkish
officials such as the Iraq issue and Turkey’s EU membership bid.
Both are known as firm friends of Turkey within the US
administration, and Wolfowitz is reputed to be a “hawk” on the
Iraq issue. /Aksam/
The Turkey Platform, an umbrella group made up of 200
domestic non-governmental organizations (NGOs), is to hold a
meeting tomorrow in Brussels with the support and attendance of
various European NGOs to promote Turkey’s EU membership bid. The
Turkey Platform together with its European supporters is
expected to issue a statement at the end of the meeting
underlining that the EU should set a date at next month’s
Copenhagen summit for the beginning of Turkey’s accession
negotiations. In addition, EU Economic and Social Council
Chairman Roger Briesch and EU Commission official for Social
Affairs Anna Diamantopoulou will also attend the meeting to
support the NGOs. /Cumhuriyet/
Former Motherland Party (ANAP) Bursa Deputy Ilhan Kesici is
set to join the True Path Party (DYP) today. Kesici is also
expected to be a candidate for the DYP leadership at the party’s
congress to be held on Dec. 14. Kesici is a former State
Planning Organization (DPT) undersecretary. /Turkiye/
State Minister Ali Babacan said yesterday that the new
government would make no major changes in the economic program
as carried out by the previous government. Speaking to reporters
in New Delhi, India, where Babacan is currently attending the
G-20 meetings, he said, “Our goal is clear and definite: We are
resolved to bring down inflation.” He added that growth and
employment would also increase if doing so didn’t conflict with
their anti-inflation drive. Babacan also met with Anne Krueger,
deputy chairman of the International Monetary Fund. /Turkiye/
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation jointly led
by the Fund’s European Director Michael Deppler and Turkey Desk
Chief Juha Kahkonen is scheduled to visit Turkey on next Monday
and Tuesday to meet with economy bureaucrats of the new Justice
and Development Party (AKP)-led government. According to a
Treasury statement, another IMF delegation is also to pay a
visit to Ankara the following week for the fourth review of
Turkey’s economic program. /Sabah/
Columnist Fikret Bila writes on his meeting with Republican
People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. A summary of his
column is as follows:
“Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal will
today criticize Gul’s government program before Parliament.
Baykal worked on his speech yesterday. When Baykal criticizes
Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
he will speak on parliamentary immunity, changes to the
Constitution and the headscarf issue. We spoke with Baykal
yesterday. First we asked him his opinion on parliamentary
immunity. He said, - Previously, Mr. Erdogan had promised to
limit parliamentary immunity. Now he’s avoiding the issue and
talking about postponing it for a year. This is unacceptable.
When he appeared on the television screen, he promised the
nation that this issue would be his priority. Now he clearly
says that he won’t keep his promise. Then what happened to all
his words about the struggle against corruption, the drive for
transparency and the rule of law and the promise to clean up
politics? I warned Mr. Erdogan concerning this issue during our
first meeting. - What might be Mr. Erdogan’s aim in postponing
the issue for a year? - I think he’s trying to protect people
facing investigations and legal action. Among these people are
colleagues he worked with in the Istanbul Metropolitan
Municipality, ones who he later brought into Parliament and made
into ministers. - However, Mr. Erdogan isn’t a deputy and so he
doesn’t have immunity. - This is the situation for now but as he
estimated, probably in one year’s time he will become a deputy.
I think he wants to be protected by the shield of immunity for
himself and for his friends. The cleanup and struggle against
corruption should start with politics. He promised to do this,
and he can’t run away from this promise. - The government is
preparing a legislative package, and a new constitution is on
the agenda as well. What do you think about this? - First of all,
they should explain their aim concerning the new constitution.
They will change what? So they want to get rid of some sections
of the Constitution. One wonders if they are looking to
challenge the basic characteristics of the Republic or the basic
principles of our Constitution. The Constitution isn’t an
arrangement which should be altered at the whim of a party’s
majority of seats. In addition, neither Mr. Erdogan nor Prime
Minister Gul said to voters that they would change the
Constitution. They promised that they would carry out such
things with the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the
opposition parties. This shows that the AKP will try to govern
the country by not depending on their majority in Parliament. -
The headscarf issue is on the Parliament’s agenda again.
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer spoke some harsh words about this.
What do you think about the issue? - I have warned Mr. Erdogan
before that Turkey has much more important problems and that he
shouldn’t clutter up the agenda with such symbols as the
headscarf issue. I also gave him the example of Erbakan because
when Erbakan was incapable of solving the country’s problems [when
he was prime minister], he directed himself to such issues. Mr.
Sezer made the necessary speech and warning. The AKP is
unfortunately creating a negative political atmosphere. However,
the nation won’t tolerate this and Turkey doesn’t have time to
lose to such a noxious atmosphere. Baykal will give his opinion
and criticisms in Parliament today. He will emphasize that not a
negative, but a positive atmosphere of politics should be
created and then ask the AKP to contribute to establishing such
an atmosphere.”
Columnist Sedat Ergin comments on the United Nation’s
solution proposal on the Cyprus issue. A summary of his column
is as follows:
“Perhaps no UN solution proposal on the Cyprus question has
ever created such excitement as the recent plan presented by
Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Behind the current tense
discussion lies that fact that the Turkish side’s stance on the
proposal is closely linked to Turkey’s EU membership bid, a bid
on which the future of the nation’s 67 million people is hanging.
Is this proposal a completely unacceptable one to which the
Turkish side should be dead opposed? Or, is it rather a perfect
plan to be adopted urgently without any further assessment?
Unfortunately, the heated debate on the question is being
dominated by circles espousing these two diametrically opposed
views.
Of course, the proposal has both certain pluses and minuses.
Yet, a workable settlement may also be reached if the following
points are taken into account:
The plan, although it has certain shortcomings, does
recognize the political equality of the Turkish side. Yet, the
proposal’s sections on the issues of sovereignty and political
equality should be further elaborated. In the last instance, the
Greek Cypriots, too, will come to agree on living under a
rotating presidential system, and thus occasionally under a
Turkish president.
The plan needs substantial revision concerning the re-mapping
of the island. The border between the Greek and Turkish lands
has to be redrawn as a straight line. Nevertheless, everyone has
to get psychologically prepared for the fact that in the
interests of a permanent solution, the Turkish side will have to
hand over excessive amounts of land.
One unacceptable point of the proposal concerns the Greek
population’s ownership rights to immovable property which they
left behind in the Turkish territory after Turkey’s 1974 Peace
Operation. The problem of such immovable property should be
solved through the principles of clearing and compensation.
Also needing revision are the quotas on the numbers of Greek
Cypriots to be allowed to live on the Turkish side. The UN
proposal opens the door for the settlement on Turkish territory
of Greek Cypriots adding up to, by 2020, fully one-third of the
Turkish population of the island. The proposed quotas must be
lowered.
The UN’s solution proposal was prepared and presented in such
a fashion that it was meant to push certain limits on both the
Greek and Turkish side. Of course, when the Turkish side sits
down to the negotiating table, it will try to reduce the number
of minuses of the proposal. But it would be completely
unacceptable to put our signature on the plan in its current
state. To the extent that it can wisely play its cards against
Europe and take advantage of the US diplomacy on the EU, Turkey
will be able to establish a delicate balance between settling
the Cyprus issue and its EU membership bid.”
