STRATEGIC POLICY OF APPEASEMENT
BY MUMTAZ SOYSAL (CUMHURIYET)
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is currently in
the United States for an official visit, yesterday visited the
Turkish House. Erdogan said that he wanted Turkish people
living in the US to lobby for Turkey and be more active in
politics. Touching on the Cyprus issue, Erdogan said that the
Turkish Cypriots would never avoid negotiating with the Greek
side for a resolution on the island. Later, speaking at the
Turkish-American Business Council, Erdogan called on the
American businessmen to invest in Turkey, adding that the US
administration should encourage its businessmen to invest more
in Turkey. “We know the problems of the American businessmen
investing in Turkey and we’re determined to solve their
problems,” he said. Touching on the Iraq issue, Erdogan said
that founding a federation in Iraq wouldn’t be healthy, adding
that such an act would hurt Iraq’s territorial integrity. The
premier stated that Turkey expected the US to impose sanction
on the PKK/KADEK terrorist organization, the presence of which
was still continuing. Erdogan is set to meet with US President
George W. Bush today to discuss a number of issues including
Turkey’s European Union membership bid, the Cyprus issue and a
possible federation in Iraq. /All papers/
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to meet
with US President George W. Bush today at the White House.
Five ministers will accompany Erdogan at the meeting, where
the premier is expected to focus on the Cyprus issue. Erdogan
is to request the support and active participation of the Bush
administration regarding the Cyprus peace process. The premier
is expected to ask Bush to persuade US Secretary of State
Colin Powell to act as a mediator between the Turkish and
Greek sides. /Sabah/
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday traveled to the US
to accompany Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his
current visit to this country. Before his departure, Gul
commented on Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
President Rauf Denktas’ recent statement pointing to the fact
that finding a settlement to the Cyprus issue by May 1 would
be difficult. He said, “Everybody knows that it was a
difficult period, however, theTurkish side, for its part,
would do everything to reach a solution.” Regarding Greek
officials’ critics about Turkish approach on the Cyprus issue,
Gul said that Turkish side’s stance was very clear and
definite. Concerning Ankara’s desire for a new mediator, the
foreign minister said that the person should be trustable and
an important one with political power. /Turkiye/
Speaking at Ankara Chamber of Industry’s Assembly meeting,
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister
Mehmet Ali Talat said that a settlement reached before May 1
on the Cyprus would serve Turkey’s interests. He claimed that
on the other hand, Greek side was holding maneuvers to
postpone solution after that date. Stressing that a solution
to issue before May 1 would ensure Turkish Cypriots to be
included in European Union acquis communautaire, the premier
said this opportunity should be put to use. /Turkiye/
United States Vice-President Dick Cheney, who is on a tour
of Europe to ease tensions caused by the Iraq war, yesterday
met with a number of columnists and editors from 10 prominent
European dailies. Urging the EU to admit Turkey, Cheney said,
“Turkey is a very important ally, not only to the US, but also
to NATO.” Recalling Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s
current visit to the US as an example of close and sincere
bilateral relations, Cheney added, “Turkey is located in a
very strategic region. We’re very well aware of this fact.
Turkey has boundaries not only with the Middle East but also
with Europe. Our administration wants to continue working hand
in hand with the Turkish government.” Cheney had also
previously stated at the World Economic Forum in Davos that
Turkey must be supported on its path towards the EU membership.
/Hurriyet/
Greek Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos said yesterday
that he would be pleased if Turkey puts forth political stance
to help a resolution on the island. Papadopoulos, who flew to
Strasbourg to attend a European Council meeting, reiterated
that Greek Cyprus was ready to begin negotiations with the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) within the
framework of the United Nations plan. He added that it was
known that the United States supported Turkey’s European Union
membership bid. In related news, Greek Cyprus Foreign Minister
George Yakovu said that Ankara’s stance on the Cyprus issue
was not clear yet. /Aksam/
Nechirvan Barzani, a top official of the Iraqi Kurdistan
Democratic Party (IKDP) said yesterday that Turkish troops in
northern Iraq deployed to prevent any clashes between Iraqi
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (IPUK) and IKDP should be
retreated. Speaking to AP, Barzani said that if needed,
demonstrations would be hold and Turkish military officials’
bureaus in the region would be closed. Stressing that Kurdish
parliament sent a letter both to London and Ankara in last
October asking for Turkish troops’ retreat, the Kurdish leader
said that if their demands were not obeyed, then they would
dare everything. In related news, US official served in the
region James Bullion stated that there was no probability that
Kurdish groups would use force to expel Turkish troops. /Turkiye/
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman
Deniz Baykal yesterday expressed his support to government’s
Cyprus efforts. Stating that the government recently launched
a good-will campaign on the Cyprus issue, Baykal said he
wished success to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is
currently paying an official visit to the US, in his contacts
with the American officials. “The Cyprus issue is very
important for Turkey’s future,” added Baykal. “The government
has displayed its goodwill with its latest efforts to reach a
permanent solution on the island. The Justice and Development
Party’s (AKP) efforts are satisfactory, trying to change
certain points in the Annan plan which are unacceptable to
Turkey. The solution to be found must recognize the existence
of two nations on the island, without restricting the status
of the Turkish Cypriots to a minority. I hope prime minister
will manage to positively contribute to the Cyprus peace
process, a development which would make us very happy.” /Hurriyet/
Speaking at a press conference yesterday to announce budget
figures, Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan said that last year
Turkey’s budget deficit fell to 11.2% of the gross national
product (GNP), which was 14.7% in 2002. “Last year’s budget
deficit was $30 billion, below our target of $40 billion,” he
said. He said that last year the government reached 5.03%
primary surplus, above the target of 5%. The finance minister
stated that the government was doing its best not to increase
prices and impose new taxes, adding however that it would
decide whether or not to increase prices after negotiating
with an International Monetary Fund delegation next month.
/Milliyet/
Columnist Fikret Bila comments on the mediation in the
Cyprus issue. A summary of his column is as follows:
“Considering Greek Cypriot administration’s reactions,
Turkey’s breakthrough is compressing Athens and Greek Cypriot
administration. Answers given by Greek Foreign Minister George
Papandreou to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statements
are the signs that a response can’t be made to the step taken
by Ankara easily. Greek Cypriot administration is against the
two new proposals made by the Turkish side. These two new
proposals are the determination of a new mediator and reaching
a consensus through the narrowed document.
Erdogan’s statements and stance put forth that Turkey wants
the US to be a mediator. This request shows that the
government has the impression that the Turkish side’s
interests will be protected more if the US weighs heavily
rather than the EU. However, there is one thing to be careful
about. If we want to see a mediator from the US, we should be
careful. There will be elections in the US this year and the
Greek Cypriot lobby’s influence and importance in these
elections can’t be denied. In such an atmosphere, it would be
difficult for the mediator to be determined by the White House
to protect the Turkish side’s interests. The Bush
administration might feel the obligation of protecting the
Greek Cypriot side’s interests in the solution of the Cyprus
issue with the concern for winning the elections. Such a
mediation system can’t meet the Turkish side’s expectations.
Another thing which we should understand well is that it’s
becoming more difficult to stand firmly behind the proposals
of change in UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s plan. One of
the conditions put forth by Annan is that a change in the
essence of the plan can’t be proposed. However, it’s clear
that the Turkish side will sit at the table with a serious
proposal of change. The Turkish side’s bargaining power and
area shouldn’t be narrowed in order to prove that it’s serious
and sincere about solving the Cyprus issue. The Turkish side
doesn’t request a kindness from the EU, the US or Greek
Cypriots, but a right.”
Columnist Mumtaz Soysal comments on Northern Iraq. A
summary of his column is as follows:
“The word referendum was days long on Turkey’s agenda on
the account of Cyprus. The public opinion didn’t somehow
realize the word’s importance in northern Iraq. A campaign is
carried on, disguising its initiators or claiming that
ordinary people started the move: A signature campaign asking
for a referendum to determine the future of the ‘country.’ The
point at issue is actually more a plebiscite than a referendum:
That means that people will be asked to choose from two or
more alternatives instead of voting for or against a single
text. Full independence would also be among the alternatives
in any case. Thus the Kurdish people will use their self-determination
and form the legal foundation of a state. Official voices of
the Kurdish administration in northern Iraq on the other hand,
are stating that general elections will be held in March 2005.
All these are the signs of an independent Kurdish state.
In Iraq, which goes through a chaos after the war, forming
the legal construction for the future is one of the most
difficult problems that the international society faces: What
kind of a structure? Will it be formed according to a
controversial concept of ‘Iraqi nation’ based on ethnic and
religious diversity? The aftermath of a war, which began with
a big lie, about ‘weapons of mass destruction’ but was nothing
more that an ‘oil imperialism,’ is much more difficult then
the war itself. The United States is aware of that, but it is
too late. Moreover, its utterances and attitudes are not
consistent. As everyone does, Washington does also talk about
Iraq’s ‘territorial integrity’ and a political structure based
on this integrity. But even the governing council that they
have formed is based on ethnic diversity and religious sects.
This kind of a development will definitely reach a political
structure without a national unity. Could the US not be aware
of the dangers that this approach implies for the countries in
the region? Especially if the region in question, shelters the
remaining of a terror that lasted for years in at least one of
those countries like Turkey. Is it possible that a Kurdish
state would abstain from being the core of some separatist
movements in Iran, Turkey and in some extend Syria? What is
the meaning of insensitivity of the US, who claims that it has
a ‘strategic partnership’ with Turkey, towards the Kurdish
movement and PKK’s existence in northern Iraq?
Partnership, especially ‘strategic partnership’ requires
self-existence and forthright. For example, Washington, before
becoming a supporter for Turkey in its European Union
membership bid, should explicitly state what it wants to do in
northern Iraq.“
