A GOOD POLICY FOR IRAQ
BY CUNEYT ULSEVER (HURRIYET)
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accompanied by a
delegation numbering 270 arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday
to attend the Jeddah Economic Forum. Addressing the gathering
yesterday, Erdogan lamented what he called a loss of trust
among Middle Eastern countries. “We should trust each other,”
urged Erdogan. “Without trust, there can be no stability.”
Remarking that the economy drives politics rather than vice
versa, the premier added, “Accordingly, we should strengthen
the economic ties between us.” At a dinner jointly organized
by the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges
(TOBB) and the Foreign Economic Relations Board’s (DEIK)
Business Council, Erdogan said that the Turkish-Saudi Business
Council would be very helpful in developing bilateral
relations. Stressing his opposition to the establishment of an
Islamic common market, Erdogan said that such cooperation
should not be dependent upon ethnicity, religious origins or
geography. “Economic divisions can damage other relations, and
so are to be avoided,” warned Erdogan. /Turkiye/
European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana declared
yesterday that Cyprus had strategic importance for the EU,
adding that both sides on the island should begin negotiations
as soon as possible towards reaching an agreement. “We are
aware of Cyprus’s importance for us, since it can play an
important role in Europe’s political security,” said Solana,
adding that the Union considers a resolution on the island a
critical matter. Solana urged the start of new talks over the
island on the basis of the United Nations Cyprus plan, adding
that there was no feasible alternative to this plan. “This
year is a critical one for the Cyprus issue, and for the
possibility that a resolution can still be reached,” added
Solana. Greek Cyprus is due to join the EU on May 1.
/Cumhuriyet/
Speaking to the Washington Post yesterday, Iraqi Patriotic
Union of Kurdistan’s (IKPD) head Massoud Barzani said that
Iraq’s Kurdish minority would not sign onto guidelines being
formulated for a transitional Baghdad government unless they
were guaranteed an expanded region of autonomy and a firm
commitment to expel Arabs settled in northern Iraq by deposed
President Saddam Hussein. Barzani said that he “lacked faith
that a future, elected Iraqi government would fulfill Kurds'
ambitions for self-rule in regions they consider their
historic homeland – including the oil-rich Kirkuk area,” wrote
the Post. “We don’t see any justification for postponement [of
the Kurds’ autonomy plans],” Barzani was quoted as saying.
“Any voice that would oppose this does not show good intent.
As far as a majority imposing its will on the Kurds, this
cannot be tolerated." As for opposition from Turkey and other
countries in the region to these autonomy plans, Barzani
brushed this aside, calling the Kurds’ plans “an internal
matter.” /Aksam/
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer is expected to
arrive in Ankara on Wednesday for an official visit. Fischer’s
visit is expected to focus on Turkey’s European Union
membership bid and the Cyprus issue. /Cumhuriyet/
Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc is to fly today to Austria
for an official visit. During his visit, Arinc is expected to
meet with his Austrian counterpart Andreas Kohl as well as
with Turkish politicians, businessmen, and bankers living in
the country. /Aksam/
True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar yesterday urged a
strengthening of bilateral relations between Turkey and
Azerbaijan. Agar, who is currently paying a visit to
Azerbaijan, attended a ceremony to commemorate former
President Haydar Aliyev, who died late last year. After the
ceremony, Agar told reporters that he wanted Ankara to bolster
its policy towards Baku. Stressing that Azerbaijan had made
important strides in democratization, Agar stated that
Turkey’s support for it as well as the two countries’
cooperation on international platforms would continue. /Turkiye/
At the invitation of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer,
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is scheduled to arrive in
Ankara this afternoon for a three-day visit. This will be the
Pakistani leader’s second trip to Turkey. According to
diplomatic sources, joint efforts against terrorism and ways
to improve trade ties will dominate the visit. Musharraf is
set to meet with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.
Musharraf is also expected to promote Pakistan’s image as a
“moderate modern Islamic country” in the post-Sept. 11 world
in his address to the Parliament. /Sabah/
Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou yesterday visited
western Thrace in his campaign for Greek general elections set
for March 7. As the favored candidate to lead Greece’s
Socialist Party (PASOK), Papandreou visited the village of
Sirkeli near Gumulcune, where a large Turkish minority resides,
and pledged that he would do his utmost to solve the problems
of Greece’s minorities. Promising that there would be elective
Turkish courses in every school in the region, Papandreou said,
“You are a part of Greece’s culture. It’s our duty to end
unfairness. The tragic mistakes made in Cyprus against the
Cypriot Turks won’t happen here in western Thrace.” Papandreou
also proposed that after the March polls Ankara and Athens
should sign an agreement to cut military spending. /Sabah/
Pope John Paul II and leading Jewish and Muslim religious
leaders, including Israel's Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger and World
Islamic Call Society head Mohammed Ahmed Sharif, yesterday
attended a concert of interfaith reconciliation in Vatican
City. "Together, we express the hope that people will be
purified of the hatred and evil that constantly threaten peace,
and that they will be able to extend to one another
reciprocally hands free of violence but ready to offer help
and comfort to those in need," said the pontiff. Turkish
Ambassador to the Vatican Filiz Dincmen also attended the
concert performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
together with choirs from Ankara and London as well as Krakow,
Poland and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, under the direction
of Gilbert Levine. /Hurriyet/
Search and rescue workers yesterday reached the wreckage of
an F-16 fighter jet that crashed on Friday due to technical
failure in the town of Dominic in the Aegean province of
Kutahya. The body of Mehmet Karakuzu, the plane’s pilot, was
also retrieved. Search operations had experienced difficulty
due to bad weather conditions. /Turkiye/
Columnist Gunduz Aktan writes on the United Nations
resolution plan for Cyprus known as the Annan plan. A summary
of his column is as follows:
“It’s been more than a year since the first version of the
Annan plan was unveiled. In the words of one Turkish lawyer,
the Western jurists are far beyond us. The system they want to
establish under the Annan plan is very sophisticated. First of
all, its heft is massive since there are many documents to be
prepared together with the constitution of the two constituent
states: a constituent agreement annexed with a federal
constitution, three constitutional laws, 28 federal laws,
three cooperation agreements, four annexes, etc. Most of the
federal laws and cooperation agreements have yet to be
negotiated.
The reason for such a sophisticated plan is simple: The two
sides clearly have yet to reach agreement on several disputes.
The Greek side wants to rebuild its sovereignty on the island,
granting the Turkish Cypriots only minority rights. However,
since the Turkish Cypriots have no wish to return to the chaos
and violence of 1963-74, they wish to have equal rights with
the Greek Cypriots.
Since the UN, the US and the EU believe that the Turkish
and Greek sides will fail to reach a permanent settlement,
they are putting pressure on them using this sophisticated
plan which would entail countless legal arrangements.
Therefore, in any case, not even a referendum would be
democratic as the plan is so complicated that most people will
never be able to grasp it. Moreover, the united ‘Cyprus
Republic’ to be created under the Annan plan wouldn’t be a new
state, rather only be a new version of the current Greek
Cypriot administration which is already recognized worldwide.
At this point, the concepts of ‘society’ and ‘nation’ are very
important. The Annan plan adheres to the principle of bi-zonality,
but it fails to mention the existence of two separate nations.
Therefore, the UN plan fails to grant the Turkish Cypriot
nation with certain basic rights which would legitimize its
presence in the eyes of the world.
Turkish Republic Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Denktas
is a very competent negotiator. However, he is unable to
present certain facts to the public. He’s long complained of
the plan’s deficiencies on certain key issues such as
sovereignty and equality. However, we’ve collectively failed
to understand what he’s tried to tell us.”
Columnist Cuneyt Ulsever comments on Turkey’s policies on
Iraq. A summary of his column is as follows:
“Ankara failed to read the coffee grounds in the Middle
East well, as it stumbled badly after last March [when it
rejected US troop deployment in Turkey for its invasion of
Iraq]. However, the US also has stumbled in the Middle East,
particularly in Iraq. The US paid everybody using empty words,
but now it’s in a difficult spot. After the US felt that it
was forsaken by Turkey in Iraq, it considered the Kurds its
new allies and gave them concessions without taking the other
balances in the region into consideration.
However, now the Kurdish tribes are presenting their bill
to Washington. The US has to realize that the Kurds’ stance in
northern Iraq will make Turkey, Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia
plus Iraq’s Shiites and Sunnis very restless. The US’ policy
of remaking the region is about to run aground. Nobody, not
even an imperialist power, can hold sway in a region by
opposing its people. Even if the US insists on this, the
people of the region won’t stand for it for long.
The US’ carelessness has provided Ankara with new
opportunities. Now Turkey is the only country which can
explain the Middle East to the US and vice versa, then can
seek a middle road. Recently we’ve become aware of this
advantage and sought to use it. Our contacts with Syria, Iran,
Saudi Arabia and Iraq’s Shiites show that these powers will be
glad for Turkey to play the role of mediator between the US,
Israel and themselves.
The visit by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the US
next week is very important. Turkey is the only country which
can tell the US that its Middle East policies are wrong.
Turkey isn’t stuck on the word ‘federation’ in the region, as
it’s ready for new developments. Turkey is opposed to any
arrangement which would protect the rights of only certain
Kurdish tribes. In addition, Ankara also should negotiate over
both Cyprus and Iraq in Washington.”
