GREEN LINE REGULATIONS IN THE TRNC BY CUNEYT ULSEVER (HURRIYET)
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday telephoned Russian President Vladimir Putin to invite him to attend the 73rd International Izmir Fair during his visit to Turkey next week. Erdogan and Putin also discussed the agenda of their upcoming meeting. /Sabah/
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will decide whether I will stand again as for my current post, said Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc yesterday. “This will not be my individual decision,” added Arinc. “If the party decides to make me a candidate I will, but if it chooses another member [of Parliament], then I will also support the new candidate.” /Star/
At its meeting today, the National Security Council is expected to discuss a number of issues, including the European Union progress report on Turkey due to be released in October and steps needed in the meantime. The NSC is also due to discuss such issues as Cyprus, the terrorist group PKK/KONGRA-GEL, and Iraq. /Turkiye/
The US Embassy in Greek Cyprus yesterday announced that in the future, Turkish Cypriots would be able to obtain visas to visit the United States more quickly. Application procedures have not changed, added the embassy, but the wait should be shorter. /Hurriyet/
This December, Turkey will likely get a date for European Union accession talks, said German Ambassador to Ankara Wolf Ruthart Born yesterday. After his visits to Samsun, Trabzon, Rize and Hopa in the Black Sea region, Born proceeded to Kars and reiterated Germany’s support for Turkey’s EU membership. /Hurriyet/
German daily Die Welt said yesterday that Turkey should join the European Union, adding that the EU shouldn’t miss this chance since Turkey would positively change its future. Die Welt further praised Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s efforts for the nation’s EU bid. The newspaper added, however, that the cost to the Union of beginning accession talks with Ankara could total 15 billion euros. /Turkiye/
Laurenz Meyer, secretary-general of German opposition party the Christian Democrat Union (CDU), said yesterday that Turkey’s rapid adoption of European Union harmonization reforms was impressive. Speaking at a press conference, Meyer said that Ankara had managed to achieve a great deal in a short period of time. He added that he believed that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was acting with good will for the nation’s EU bid. /Turkiye/
Speaking at a press conference alongside Board of Competition head Mustafa Parlak, Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu said yesterday that the two institutions had decided to work together in order to improve Turkey’s investment climate and help it attract more foreign capital. For his part, Parlak said that a report would be prepared within five months and released to the public. The World Bank is also expected to contribute to this report. /Aksam/
Ethiopian-born Turkish athlete Elvan Abeylegesse yesterday qualified for the women’s semifinals in the 1,500-meter race at the Athens Olympic Games. Abeylegesse came in fifth, running the race in 4.06.42 seconds. /All papers/
Turkish boxer Atagun Yalcinkaya, competing in the 48-kg category at the Athens Olympics, yesterday defeated his Italian rival Alfonso Pinto, qualifying for the semifinals and putting him on track to win the bronze. He is due to take on Russian boxer Sergey Kazakov on Friday. /All papers/
Two Turkish Wrestlers yesterday qualified for the semifinals in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games. Seref Eroglu, world champion in the 66-kg category, defeated Armen Vardanyan of Ukraine to make the semifinals. Hamza Yerlikaya, world and Olympic champion in the 84 kg, beat Tervi Thomberg of Estonia. /All papers/
Columnist Cuneyt Ulsever comments on relations between the European Union and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). A summary of his column is as follows:
“New judicial arrangements called ‘Green Line regulations’ as adopted in July by the European Commission came into effect yesterday on Cyprus as part of an EU package to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots. These regulations are designed to govern trade between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots, providing for trade across the island's ‘Green Line border,’ including goods originating in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). These rules are very important for the TRNC, since they are designed to allow Turkish Cypriot goods to compete with Greek Cypriot ones.
The ‘Green Line regulations’ constitute a very important step, clearly indicating that the EU can no longer turn a blind eye to the Turkish Cypriots’ economic problems in the wake of the referendums earlier this year. However, these regulations don’t cover the TRNC’s commercial relations with EU member states. The EU might make new decisions and legal arrangements to allow the TRNC to sell its goods directly to its member states. I’m not optimistic about this possibility, however, because although the TRNC has certain political advantages in the eyes of the international community, the Greek Cypriots clearly hold the legal upper hand. When the referendums were held, the Greek Cypriot administration already knew that it was the winner. Thanks to the TRNC and Ankara’s past no-concessions policies, the Turkish side in effect handed the Greek Cypriots unilateral EU membership.
In the past, the mentality behind the Turkish Cypriot administration’s sheer obstinacy was simple: The longer we resist, the more we force them to recognize us as a state! However, such a demand was doomed to failure. After this year’s referendums, its chances have grown even dimmer.
No more of the past’s ‘no-solution is a resolution’ mentality! However, its repercussions are still haunting the TRNC. The EU will never grant the TRNC a ‘third party’ status without officially recognizing it. Moreover, under the current circumstances, relevant UN Security Council resolutions won’t allow the EU to officially recognize the TRNC.
Therefore, the Greek Cypriots will take advantage of this situation in every possible way!”
