ERDOGAN: “TURKEY IS NEARING THE HOME STRETCH OF ITS EU BID”

Speaking at a conference on Turkey’s European Union membership bid yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey was nearing the home stretch of its path to the Union. “We’ve done our best, and now we expect the EU to do the same and begin Ankara’s accession talks,” said Erdogan. “We’ve passed the EU harmonization laws and now we’re trying to implement these reforms.” He added, however, that implementation could take some time. Erdogan stressed that EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen, during his visit to Turkey last week, had also said that there was nothing more the Union could ask of Ankara right now. “We will continue our path with determination,” he said. Later, speaking in Kutahya, Erdogan touted recent economic growth and falling inflation. “Interest rates have also fallen further, to 24%,” he said. Erdogan added that Kutahya would soon have natural gas service. /Aksam/
 

ERDOGAN ATTENDS CEREMONY HONORING ERTUGRUL GAZI

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday attended the 723rd ceremony commemorating Ertugrul Gazi, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. Erdogan said that the Justice and Development Party had managed to rescue a near-ruined economy. “Our duty is to make Turkey a more prosperous and powerful country,” added Erdogan. /Star/

GREEK PM REITERATES SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S EU BID

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis reiterated his support for Turkey beginning its accession negotiations with the European Union, saying that the Cyprus and Aegean disputes wouldn’t be roadblocks to the talks. “Our strategic choice is to support Turkey’s EU bid,” said Karamanlis, adding that he was waiting for the European Commission’s progress report due to be released next month. “If Ankara joins the EU, the Turkish people, Turkey’s neighbors and the EU will all benefit from this.” /Turkiye/
 

SERDAR DENKTAS: “THOUGH WE OKAYED THE UN PLAN, THE EU HASN’T KEPT ITS PROMISE TO END THE TRNC’S ISOLATION”

Appearing on television yesterday, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas said that although Turkish Cypriots had accepted the UN Cyprus plan in this April’s referendums, the EU had failed to keep its promise to end the TRNC’s international isolation. Denktas said that Turkish Cypriots still favored a resolution on the island but found the stance of their Greek Cypriot neighbors disappointing. “We want to be a part of the world,” he added. He further called on the Turkish businessmen to invest in the TRNC, adding that there would soon be more opportunities to do so. /Milliyet/

ANKARA PLANS HUMANITARIAN AID FOR IRAQ’S TAL AFAR

GROUP PROTESTS AMERICAN ATTACKS IN TAL AFAR

7 HOSTAGES IN IRAQ RELEASED

FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...FROM THE COLUMNS...

KURDS ALSO PLAYING THE EU CARD
BY ZEYNEP GURCANLI (STAR)

Columnist Zeynep Gurcanli comments on Turkey’s EU membership bid and its relations with Iraqi Kurdish groups. A summary of her column is as follows:

“As we approach December, the critical month when the European Union is to decide whether to start our membership negotiations, the atmosphere in the old continent is turning in our favor.

EU Term President the Netherlands’ Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende recently commented that Turkey’s EU membership would be beneficial to both sides, stressing that he believed the Union’s acceptance of a Muslim country would positively influence the rest of the Islamic world. In addition, the Independent Commission on Turkey recently issued a report on our country’s membership bid, recommending that the EU start Ankara’s membership talks as soon as possible. The report underlined the importance of Turkey’s strategic location, its strong army and relatively young population as three important advantages.

Let’s also remember EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen’s optimistic statements. During his visit to our country last week, Verheugen stressed the importance of our nation and praised Ankara’s recent efforts towards improving democracy and human rights.

As a matter of fact, although the EU member states only recently realized Turkey’s importance in the international community, the Kurdish groups have long since acknowledged this. Since Kurds see Turkey’s rapprochement to the EU as inevitable, they have started to play the EU card against Ankara. ‘Turkey should ask the EU to send a delegation to northern Iraq,’ said Iraqi Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani during his visit to Ankara last week. ‘Thus Ankara will see that its security concerns are baseless.’

Iraqi Turkish groups are well aware that on account of it having entered a critical period on its EU bid, Turkey cannot easily hold cross-border operations in northern Iraq as it once did. Therefore, Kurdish leaders have recently made significant statements stressing their readiness to fight for Kirkuk. They’re now trying to persuade the EU to intervene in developments in Iraq. We’ll see if they can manage it…”
 

TURKEY AND RUSSIA
BY COSKUN KIRCA (AKSAM)

Columnist Coskun Kirca comments on Turkish-Russian relations. A summary of his column is as follows:

“Russia has enormous troubles in Chechnya. Although certain harsh methods used by Moscow to suppress separatism in the region make the West nervous, Western countries generally don’t want to chide Russia. Russia has weakened in the face of the West and the US particularly. Russia is also weaker than the US in terms of weapons, equipment and military training. In terms of energy, Moscow is still opposed to the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project. If this project is implemented, Russia won’t be able to capriciously raise oil prices. It has to accept that all energy lines should follow the Baku-Ceyhan line. In addition, Russia is opposing our controlling oil traffic through the Bosphorus for security reasons. Russia is also imposing high energy prices on Turkey. These prices should be lowered.

What sort of a policy should Turkey follow for Russia now? This problem isn’t new. We faced the same issue during the Cold War era. Ankara has already tackled this problem with utter pragmatism. This stance should continue, and a wide range of bilateral economic, commercial, cultural, and other ties should continue and grow. Turkey can also make a gesture to Russia. Obviously Chechen terrorists are Islamic fundamentals, and there would be no benefit in our supporting them. For this reason, Ankara should make clear its opposition and require a similar stance from Moscow concerning the PKK terrorist group.”