ERDOGAN, DENKTAS PLEDGE CONTINUATION OF TURKEY-TRNC SOLIDARITY AND COOPERATION

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas to discuss recent developments on the island. Speaking afterwards, Erdogan said that both had reiterated the close solidarity and cooperation between Turkey and the TRNC would continue. “Our common goal is to contribute to a just and permanent peace on the island,” said the premier. Touching on the weekend news that the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and the Democratic Party (DP) had agreed to form a coalition government, Erdogan said that this new government was both expected and welcome. For his part, Denktas said that there was no disagreement between Lefkosa and Ankara, adding that for Turkey the TRNC was a national cause. /Cumhuriyet/
 

CTP, DP LEADERS AGREE TO FORM NEW TRNC COALITION GOVERNMENT

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Mehmet Ali Talat and Democratic Party (DP) leader Serdar Denktas yesterday agreed to form a new coalition government in the wake of last month’s elections. Under the deal, Talat would be prime minister and Denktas both the foreign minister and deputy prime minister of the new government. Speaking after the meeting brokering the deal, Talat said that the proposed Cabinet slate would be presented to the president today and that the government would prepare its program as soon as possible. He stated that the new government would try to reach a resolution on the island within the framework of the United Nations’ plan by this May, when neighboring Greek Cyprus is scheduled to join the EU. For his part, Denktas said that he hoped the new coalition government would pave the way for a permanent resolution on the island. /All papers/
 

KHATAMI: “TURKEY’S FOES CAN’T USE IRANIAN TERRITORY”

In the midst of his visit to Iran, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday met with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami. During their meeting, Khatami said that Iran placed great importance on Turkey’s security. “Turkey’s security means our security,” said the Iranian leader. He reassured Gul that terrorists or other enemies of Turkey could by no means use Iran’s territory. Stressing his sympathy for the recent terrorist attacks in Istanbul, Khatami praised Ankara’s efforts to battle terrorism. Concerning the situation in Iraq, the Iranian president called on US and British troops to leave the country soon and for the establishment of a government supported by the Iraqi people. Khatami also thanked Turkey for its aid during the recent earthquake disaster in the city of Bam. /Turkiye/
 

ERDOGAN: “TURKEY’S HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL WEALTH MUST BE PROTECTED”

Speaking to a press conference in Istanbul yesterday alongside Tourism Minister Erkan Mumcu, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey’s great historical and cultural wealth must be protected. “Preserving this rich heritage is everyone’s responsibility,” said Erdogan. Pointing out that pioneering work in the tourism sector had been done over a decade ago during the tenure of the late President Turgut Ozal, Erdogan said that his government was determined to realize new breakthroughs in the sector. Stressing that the government had new programs and ventures planned through the year 2010, the premier said that in 2006 they expected to attract 20 million foreign visitors and earn some $18 billion in tourism revenues. He added that they placed great importance on projects in Istanbul due to the city’s rich tourism potential. /Turkiye/
 

EU’S PRODI, VERHEUGEN TO VISIT ANKARA

European Union Commission Presdient Romano Prodi and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen are set to arrive in Ankara on Thursday. During their visit, the top EU officials are expected to urge the Justice and the Development Party (AKP) government to take concrete steps on the implementation of EU accession reforms. The Cyprus issue is also expected to be discussed during the visit, with Turkish officials reportedly set to express their determination for a resolution on the island. /Cumhuriyet/

REPORT: “UNITED STATES USING INCIRLIK AIRBASE FOR IRAQ TROOP ROTATION”

Speaking to the Associated Press yesterday, an anonymous US official said that a short time ago the US had begun to use Turkey’s Incirlik Airbase for a massive rotation of US troops out of and into Iraq. In related news, when asked about this report, Prime Ministers Recep Tayyip Erdogan declined to comment, saying that the General Staff would make a statement when it was necessary. /Turkiye/
 

THOMAS FRIEDMAN: “IF THE EU REJECTS TURKEY, THE US SHOULD BRING IT INTO NAFTA”

If the West wants to help moderates win the war of ideas within the Muslim world, it must help strengthen Turkey as a model of democracy, modernism, moderation and Islam all working together, said influential New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman in a piece titled “War of Ideas, Part 2” in the NYT Sunday edition. “Nothing would do that more than having Turkey be made a member of the European Union — which the EU will basically decide this year,” wrote Friedman. “Turkey has undertaken a huge number of reforms to get itself ready for EU membership. If, after all it has done, the EU shuts the door on Turkey, extremists all over the Muslim world will say to the moderates: ‘See, we told you so — it's a Christian club and we're never going to be let in. So why bother adapting to their rules?’ I think Turkey's membership in the EU is so important that the US should consider subsidizing the EU to make it easier for Turkey to be admitted. If that fails, we should offer to bring Turkey into Nafta [the North American Free Trade Agreement], even though it would be very complicated.” Friedman also quoted Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul as saying to him in conversation, "If the EU creates some pretext and says 'no' to Turkey, after we have done all this, I am sure the EU will lose and the world will lose. If Turkey is admitted, the EU is going to win and world peace is going to win. This would be a gift to the Muslim world. When I travel to other Muslim countries — Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia — they are proud of what we are doing. They are proud of our process [of political and economic reform to join the EU]. They mention this to me. They ask, 'How is this going?' "Freidman then added: "Yes, everyone is watching, which is why the EU would be making a huge mistake — a hinge of history mistake — if it digs a ditch around Turkey instead of building a bridge." /Sabah/

FRENCH PRESIDENT CHIRAC: “TURKEY WILL JOIN THE EU WHEN IT HAS COMPLETELY FULFILLED THE COPENHAGEN CRITERIA”

Paris is closely following Turkey’s European Union membership bid, French President Jacques Chirac told Turkish daily Hurriyet yesterday. “We know all the efforts and steps taken by the Turkish government towards further democratization,” said Chirac. “It’s very important for EU candidate countries to successfully implement the Copenhagen criteria. If Ankara fulfills them completely, the EU Commission progress report [due this November before the key December EU summit] will of course take this achievement into consideration, which would make Turkey a member of the EU.” Chirac also added that the Turkish-French relations were going well, adding that he is set to pay a visit to Ankara in June. /Hurriyet/

TOBB WARNS GOVERNMENT OF NEW ECONOMIC PROBLEMS

Turkey will very likely encounter new economic problems in 2004, and attracting more foreign capital will be needed to overcome these, warned Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) head Rifat Hisarciklioglu yesterday. Speaking to a press conference, he also called on the government to complete structural reforms as soon as possible, particularly those in the banking sector. ‘We must attract foreign capital to our country in order to boost new investments,” urged the TOBB chairman. /Aksam/
 

FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS

A LIMIT TO CONCESSIONS
BY COSKUN KIRCA (AKSAM)

Columnist Coskun Kirca comments on how to solve the Cyprus issue. A summary of his column is as follows:

“Even if a solution is beneficial for both parties, disagreements can’t be solved unless mutual and balanced concessions are made. What are these concessions for both sides on Cyprus? In order to answer this question, the roots of this issue must be examined. Back in the early 1950s, Greek and Greek Cypriots began a guerilla movement to achieve union with Greece, or ‘Enosis.’ But when the Turkish Cypriots with Turkey’s support opposed being under Greece’s sovereignty, the only solution was to establish an order based on the political equality of two nations on the island. This order was established with the 1961 Nicosia Agreement. However, Greek Cypriots openly violated this agreement by excluding Turks from government posts.

Considering the history of this issue, this disagreement is not to be easily solved. Furthermore, the Greek Cypriots have continued their efforts to make the Turkish Cypriots into a minority. These efforts entered a new stage when the Greek Cypriots sought European Union membership, stating that Turkey had no other chance. Not only the Greek Cypriots and Greece, but also the EU member states and the US have started thinking they can make Turkey swallow anything for its EU membership bid as it has no other chance (!). The impression that the majority of Turkish Cypriots are dreaming of becoming rich as part of an EU-member Cyprus has only strengthened this tendency.

Last month’s elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) proved this impression untrue. Indeed, the votes gotten by parties who want UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s plan accepted ‘as is’ numbered less than those gotten by parties opposing it. TRNC President Rauf Denktas’s visits to Ankara show that the majority of the Turkish people don’t favor a dishonorable solution on Cyprus for the sake of EU membership. Now it’s Turkish diplomacy’s duty to lay out the conditions under which consensus is possible.”
 

IRAQ FEDERATION?
BY FIKRET BILA (MILLIYET)

Columnist Fikret Bile comments on Turkey’s policy on northern Iraq. A summary of his column is as follows:

“Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, the US civilian administrator in Iraq, said that a federation would be the best regime for the country. The Kurdish leaders in northern Iraq are pushing for an ethnic-based federation. They are planning a dual federation based on the Kurds and the Arabs. The ethnic Turkmen and others would not be taken into consideration. Bremer’s approach shows that the US is leaning in the same direction…

Even if not loudly, Turkey, Iran and Syria seem to be reacting against this prospect. This was shown in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s visit to Ankara last week and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul’s current visit to Tehran. It’s not clear how much these reactions will sway the US or shape developments in northern Iraq. It’s known that the US has supported Kurdish groups right from the beginning. Bremer made statements indicating that this support began in the 1991 Gulf War and continues now. Clearly the US protection is the key factor bringing Kurdish groups came to this point. Furthermore, there was also indirect support when Turkey assisted the US Operation Poised Hammer out of necessity. During Turkey’s decade-long fight against the terrorist group PKK, Ankara held its tongue on US protection for northern Iraq, and therefore helped Kurdish groups efforts to form a state.

However, whereas Turkey stood completely aside just after the US invasion of Iraq, now it’s trying to gauge others’ reactions by contacting its neighbors in the region. But affecting developments in northern Iraq at this stage seems to be more difficult than before.

No one talks about the presence of the Turkmen, and not even Ankara is making serious efforts to bring the Turkmen to the agenda. Ankara is trying to protect its national interests indirectly, and this shows how weak its effectiveness is. Ankara has entrusted its interests in northern Iraq to the United States, including its struggle against the PKK. Turkey has no avenue besides ‘requesting’ that the US include the Turkmen in the reconstruction of Iraq.

Ankara continues to accept the US requests, but the US hasn’t changed its policies in northern Iraq or Cyprus. Turkey is still watching.”