ERDOGAN, BAYKAL DISCUSS TURKEY’S EU BID

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal to discuss next week’s pivotal European Union summit, where a decision on starting Ankara’s accession talks is expected. Baykal said that Ankara shouldn’t accept any process aimed at something besides full EU membership. Erdogan echoed these sentiments, adding that even if Ankara fails to get a date from the Union, then the Copenhagen criteria would become the Ankara criteria. Erdogan reiterated that the Union should give Turkey a date to begin its accession talks, with the talks ending with full membership. /Aksam/

ERDOGAN TO TRAVEL TO SYRIA, SOUTH AFRICA

After next week’s crucial European Union summit where Ankara expects a date to begin its accession talks, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to continue his visits abroad. Erdogan is set to travel to Syria on Dec. 22-23 and then, accompanied by a delegation of businessmen, will visit the Republic of South Africa. /Turkiye/

ERDOGAN: “TURKEY IS THE GUARANTOR OF PEACE AND STABILITY IN ITS REGION”

Addressing his ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) group meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his government’s multi-pronged foreign policy had succeeded in showing the world that Turkey is the guarantor of peace and stability in its region. “The dynamism we’ve brought to both domestic and foreign policy has given Turkey new opportunities,” he said. “Without these successful, dynamic polices, Turkey might not be the important country it is today. Turkey is a great country, and it should have the political dynamism it deserves. Our country has recently enhanced its profile on the international stage and increased its effectiveness in world politics. We’re ready to contribute to efforts aimed at establishing peace and stability worldwide.” /Star/

LEADERS HOLD SUMMIT ON EU BID

In the runup to next week’s crucial European Union summit in Brussels, national leaders chaired by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer yesterday met at the Cankaya Presidential Palace. During the two-and-half-an-hour gathering, top officials including Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul evaluated recent developments concerning Turkey’s EU membership bid. A statement released after the meeting said that Turkey had fulfilled the EU criteria and expected a decision to be made at the Dec. 17 summit allowing it to begin accession talks soon without any preconditions. /Turkiye/

BAYKAL: “SINCE IT HAS THE RIGHT TO BEGIN TALKS, ANKARA SHOULDN’T ACCEPT ANYTHING BESIDES FULL EU MEMBERSHIP”

Addressing his party’s group meeting yesterday, opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that Ankara shouldn’t accept anything except a process aimed at full European Union membership, adding that Turkey had the right to begin its EU accession talks. “Leading EU countries have recently been silent on our joining the Union if we fulfill the Copenhagen criteria,” said Baykal. “If the EU proposes open-ended talks to us, this would be a great insult.” /Star/

DYP LEADER URGES RESISTANCE TO EU PRESSURE

True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar charged yesterday that “everybody” wanted something from Ankara prior to next week’s European Union summit. “Everybody is trying to get something from Turkey as if we’d been defeated in a war and were sitting down to peace negotiations,” said Agar. “The scene is incredible.” Speaking at a symposium in Istanbul, the DYP leader pointed out that Turkey didn’t have the 8-10 year history of some recent Eastern European inductees to the European Union, but rather some 1,000 years in Anatolia. Stressing that certain countries smaller even than provinces of Turkey were seeking decisions against Turkey’s interests, Agar asked, “Tell me, is there another country that would let its founding philosophy be questioned like this?” /Turkiye/

OZKOK, GONUL MEET WITH RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER

Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul yesterday met with visiting Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov to discuss bilateral defense industry and technical military cooperation. During the meeting, joint efforts against terrorism were also discussed, with Ozkok urging Russia to add the PKK/KONGRA-GEL to its official list of terrorist organizations. For his part, Ivanov said that Moscow and Ankara were working on coordinating their anti-terror efforts. /Aksam/

TENSION GROWS BETWEEN ANKARA AND BRUSSELS OVER NEW DRAFT FOR NEXT WEEK’S EU SUMMIT

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul met with visiting European Union Term President the Netherlands’ European Affairs Minister Atzo Nicolai yesterday to discuss the second draft on Turkey for next week’s summit, where EU leaders are to decide about starting Ankara’s membership talks. According to analysts, EU governments are likely to try to impose tougher conditions on entry talks with Turkey in response to demands by France, Austria and the Greek Cypriot administration. The draft spells out the benchmarks Ankara will have to meet to open and conclude its membership negotiations. Discussing this new draft, Gul rebuked Nicolai, charging that the EU seems to have ignored Ankara’s objections to the first, widely leaked draft. “Our reaction to the first draft was clear,” said Gul. “The text should have been modified in line with our demands. I think the EU leaders are just sitting and listening to Ankara’s views but taking no action on them. This is unacceptable.” For his part, Nicolai said that he was listening carefully to Gul’s views, which called “very useful.” In addition, Gul reiterated that the ultimate goal of the negotiations must be Turkey’s full membership, and that recognizing Greek Cyprus cannot be a precondition to starting the talks. He also rejected alternative formulas to membership such as “privileged partnership.” In related news, Turkish officials are complaining that the EU is piling on new conditions as the deadline for the landmark decision looms closer. /Hurriyet/

EP DISCUSSES TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP BID

DUTCH PM BALKENENDE: “ANKARA RECOGNIZING GREEK CYPRUS IS A MUST FOR BEGINNING ITS EU TALKS”

European Union Term President the Netherlands’ Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende yesterday met with his Greek counterpart Costas Karamanlis to discuss Turkey’s European Union accession talks. During their meeting, Balkenende said that Turkey needed to take steps to recognize Greek Cyprus before the Dec. 17 EU summit. "Solving the Cyprus problem is not part of the Copenhagen criteria, but we all want to take steps which could lead to start improving the situation," Balkenende told reporters after their meeting, as quoted by AFP. He added that Turkey extending its EU customs union pact to Greek Cyprus would be a "significant" step in the right direction. /Cumhuriyet/

THE NETHERLANDS ADDS PKK TO OFFICIAL TERRORIST LIST

The government of current European Union Term President the Netherlands yesterday decided to add the terrorist group PKK to its official list of terrorist organizations. The Dutch Cabinet agreed to outlaw and seize the assets of all terrorist organizations listed by the European Union. The banned organizations will not be allowed to operate under different names. Previously the Dutch government had failed to recognize the PKK as a terrorist group, even after the European Union put the group on its official list. /Turkiye/

GREEK FM SPOKESMAN: “THERE’S A REMOTE POSSIBILITY THAT TURKEY WON’T GET A DATE FOR TALKS”

Though remote, there is still the possibility that the European Union will not give Ankara a date for accession talks at its summit next week, cautioned Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos yesterday. Speaking at a press conference, Koumoutsakos reiterated Athens’ support for Turkey’s EU bid, adding that it was important that Ankara fulfill the Copenhagen criteria to begin its talks. /Cumhuriyet/

KARZAI USHERS IN NEW ERA FOR AFGHANISTAN

After taking his oath of office, Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai yesterday took up his duties as the country’s first elected president. Dozens of foreign officials attended Karzai’s swearing-in ceremony in Kabul, with Turkey represented by State Minister Besir Atalay. Addressing the ceremony, Karzai vowed to make the fight against terrorism and drug smuggling his priorities. /Turkiye/
 

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

RUSSIA AND THE WEST
BY SAMI KOHEN (MILLIYET)

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

“Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Ankara this week coincided with a problematic period in terms of our relations with the West. Before and after the visit, Turkey’s warmth for Russia stood in contrast with its coldness towards the US and certain EU members. In fact, Putin’s visit highlighted the positive atmosphere between Ankara and Moscow. For example, the Turkish media’s interest and positive take on relations with Moscow surprised even Russian observers. However, there’s been a negative shift in Turkey’s feelings for old friends. Particularly its anti-US feelings are about to upset relations. The key factor in this is criticisms of US policies in northern Iraq and towards PKK terrorists. As a decision on our EU membership talks looms, there’s also difficulties and discomfort in our relations with Europe. Particularly certain EU members’ recent stances and a draft statement for the summit caused disappointment.

Putin’s visit to Ankara in such an atmosphere, taken as the beginning of a new era for Turkish-Russian relations, served to relax Turkey. However, we shouldn’t consider this an alternative to our relations and common interests with the West or an escape from the West by leaning towards Moscow. If Russia is seen in terms of multidimensional relations, relations are positive. Ankara and Moscow still have common views on many issues, for example, Iraq and the Middle East. However, they disagree on others, for example, Cyprus, Armenia and Northern Karabakh. We have good cooperation in some areas, particularly economics. However, there is disharmony over Straits traffic and energy transportation. Putin said in Ankara that if Turkey becomes an EU member, due to EU restrictions, it wouldn’t be able to buy inexpensive energy from Russia, as it has done, and that many Russian tourists would no longer be able to visit Turkey. In fact, these negative predictions for the next 10-15 years were surprising. Putin gave the impression that he didn’t favor Turkey’s EU membership and that Ankara should prioritize its relations with Moscow. I wonder if he was trying to send a message even as Turkey is working to get a date for EU membership talks.”

NO APPOINTMENT FOR EDELMAN
BY ASLI AYDINTASBAS (SABAH)

Columnist Asli Aydintasbas comments on deteriorating Turkish-US relations. A summary of her column is as follows:

“There’s been a serious change in Turkish-US relations and the atmosphere in Washington. Let’s look at what Turkey might want in altering its 50-year ‘strategic partnership’ with the US. We can begin our analysis with the fact that for three months now, US Ambassador to Ankara Eric Edelman’s request for an appointment with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has gone unanswered. This is completely unprecedented. Egeman Bagis, a foreign policy advisor to Erdogan, is in Washington, and another advisor, Cuneyt Zapsu, is also on the way there. State Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin just got back from a Stateside visit.

Yesterday I talked to both Turkish and US officials about the strained state of relations. One high-ranking US official began by joking, ‘We’re happy to have united the right and left wings.’ Anti-US feeling has become a common feeling among rightists, leftists, Islamist and nationalists. Over the weekend, some newspapers criticized Edelman for calling Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomeos ‘ecumenical.’ The US official continued: ‘Turkey is rapidly losing its friends in Washington. I don’t know whether they’re doing this on purpose or because they can’t manage crises.’ On its road to the EU, Ankara, on the other hand, is continuing its relations with the US as a ‘cold marriage,’ and wants Washington to keep off this road. US Secretary of State Colin Powell will ask his Turkish counterpart whether Ankara needs Washington’s help for next week’s pivotal EU summit. What the Americans have in mind is the telephone diplomacy made before the 1999 Helsinki summit. But Ankara is leaning towards saying, ‘no, thanks.’ The same US official said that Turkish-US relations aren’t distant from Europe, and added ‘The government struck a balance between us and the EU, but now if it’s looking just to please France, that’s something else. However Turkey’s natural place in Europe is among countries resisting the Franco-German axis. Those countries have close relations with the Washington.’ State Minister Sahin also had important meetings in the EU. ‘Neither we nor the US has the right to destroy such a longstanding relationship,’ he said.

The same US official said, ‘The Turks think we don’t have domestic political problems, but there are three communities in Washington interested in relations with Turkey. Relations with the Jewish lobby are not good, and the US Greek community is disappointed about the ‘ecumenical’ crisis. The last group is the Armenian lobby, which has its own line. The current atmosphere is a real nightmare for us’.”