INTERNATIONAL 11.26.2006 Sunday - ISTANBUL 11:29
Last Turn for Cyprus
By Suleyman Kurt, Ankara
Saturday, November 25, 2006 zaman.com
It is another critical period for Turkey’s relations with the European Union as
both Ankara and Finland are focused on the deadlock over Cyprus, The European
Union insists that the Turkish ports be opened to Greek Cypriots by Dec.6.
Turkey, on the other hand, stipulates that the isolations imposed on Turkish
Cyprus be removed for it to take any steps.
Turkey and Greek Cyprus will continue their contacts with Finland, the current
holder of the rotating EU presidency, until the last moment less they decide to
back out.
After holding talks in Helsinki for a week, the Turkish foreign ministry
delegation is back in Turkey.
But the foreign minister will pay a visit to Finland following the
deliberations in Ankara.
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will meet with his Finnish counterpart
Erkki Tuomioja on Monday to evade a possible “train wreck.” Upon the
confirmation of this appointment, Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister George Lilikas
has also arranged to go to Finland.
Turkish officials stated that they were not envisaging a dual meeting with
Lilikas or a tripartite meeting with Lilikas and Tuomioja.
Gul is going to Finland on Sunday to attend the Eighth Conference of
European-Mediterranean Foreign Ministers (Euromed). Minister Gul will meet with
Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja before the conference.
The meeting will cover critical subjects, such as the problems that occurred
over the additional protocol.
The plan that Finland has been working on for a couple of months will
particularly be in the limelight.
The Turkish party will once again emphasize that it has always taken
constructive steps toward the Cyprus problem and urge the European Union to
handle matters as part of a comprehensive solution.
Ankara has also reiterated it will not take a unilateral step by opening its
ports to Greek Cyprus and said not to dictate a certain date upon the
persistent demand from the European Union that the latest it should open its
ports to Greek Cypriots is Dec.6.
According to a statement released by Greek Cyprus late yesterday evening,
Foreign Minister George Lilikas is also going to Finland. Lilikas will be
visiting Finland “to discuss the Finnish offers.”
However, Greek Cypriots previously said they would not attend Euromed unless
Turkey accepted their demand that Maras (Varosha) be returned to its former
owners, the Greek Cypriots.
Ankara is known to have rejected this demand.
According to claims behind closed doors, the Maras condition has been taken out
of the negotiation package on contrary to the wish of Greeks Cypriots.
However, this information wasn’t confirmed by Turkish authorities who said,
there were no new elements in the package.
Lilikas’s changing his mind about not going to Finland has prompted rumors
about him that he doesn’t want to be on the receiving end of the bill and he
doesn’t want to appear as the problematic party.
A high-ranking Turkish delegation paid a visit to Finland last week to resolve
the problems that occurred within the context of the additional protocol.
Meanwhile, Turkey continues to support the simultaneous removal of sanctions on
both sides of the divided island of Cyprus.
Finns give up bid to avert
Turkey EU crisis
By
Jean Christou
FINLAND finally conceded defeat on its Cyprus initiative yesterday, saying a
deal could not be reached on its months-long compromise initiative.
“Unfortunately, we have come to the conclusion that at this stage circumstances
do not permit that an agreement could be reached during the Finnish
Presidency,” said Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja.
Tuomioja was speaking after separate meetings with Cyprus Foreign Minister
George Lillikas and Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in Tampere in
Finland, on the sidelines of the EuroMed conference.
The failure to reach a deal, which appears to have fallen on Ankara’s refusal
to discuss the return of Varosha, is likely to have serious consequences for
Turkey during next month’s EU summit.
EU Enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said yesterday negotiations would not be
stopped or frozen, but would continue more slowly. “A solution has to be found,"
Rehn said. "The Commission thinks negotiations cannot be completely
stopped. The train will slow down, but not stop. This is not a business as
usual situation."
Ankara has failed to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot traffic, an
obligation it has under the EU customs union protocol. Turkey was given until
December 6 to comply, but Tuomioja yesterday offered a five-day extension in
view of the crisis looming over the failure of the Finnish initiative.
Tuomioja said no date had been set for any new talks on its initiative, and the
EU would need time to decide the implications for Turkey's membership bid.
"Together with the Commission, we will prepare the decision on how we will
handle the continuation of the accession negotiations," Tuomioja said,
adding that the EU's General Affairs Council would decide the matter on
December 11.
He said he could not go into details about the exact implication for Turkey's
accession process. "We will consult with all member states before putting
forward our proposals," Tuomioja said. "It is clear that Turkey
remains a candidate country."
Erato Kazakou-Marcoullis, a senior official at the Cypriot Foreign Ministry,
said EU foreign ministers must send a tough message to Turkey on December 11.
"We do not support total interruption of negotiations, but we are
discussing with the [EU] presidency and some countries real sanctions which are
to be imposed on Turkey," she said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel echoed her remarks: "If Turkey does not
keep to the Ankara Protocol – and so more or less doesn't accept Cyprus – there
cannot be a simple 'let's carry on as we are' in the negotiations with
Turkey," Merkel said.
"We are conducting negotiations with Turkey that are open in terms of
results, she said. "But, as party chairwoman, I say that it is and was
right to offer Turkey a privileged partnership with the European Union rather
than full membership."
Turkey insisted the failure to break the deadlock should not harm its bid to
join the bloc.
Gul told a news conference there would be no justification for freezing
Turkey's accession talks and accused Cyprus of "hijacking" the
process.
Cyprus “is a political problem, it is not part of the negotiation process,” he
said.
Finland had hoped to strike a deal that would help avoid a crisis, but its
initiative, like many before it, ended up in the diplomatic graveyard of the
Cyprus problem.
Diplomats in Nicosia described the latest failure as disappointing. “It was
designed to avoid a crisis and now we are facing difficulties in December,”
said one. “There is no question that Turkey will now face consequences if it
does not implement the Ankara agreement. The other alternative is to do nothing
and see who is the biggest loser.”
Immediately after Finland’s announcement, Lillikas issued a written statement
saying that despite the good will of the Cyprus government and the efforts of
the Finnish EU presidency, it had not been possible to reach an agreement in
Tampere.
Lillikas says that negotiations would continue with the aim of reaching the
necessary unanimity among the 25.
“The Cypriot government, as is well-known, has responded positively to the
Finnish initiative and made many efforts for a positive outcome, which would
allow the opening of the Famagusta port, for direct trade purposes, under
European Commission supervision, the handing over of the town of Varosha to the
UN, with the withdrawal of the Turkish occupation troops from there and the
guarantee of the return of the legitimate inhabitants of the town to their
homes and properties,” the statement said.
“Unfortunately… it was not possible to reach an agreement because, as with
every agreement, it requires the good will of all involved parties.”
President Tassos Papadopoulos told reporters later yesterday:
“Unfortunately the Turkish side did not show any positive engagement.”
He said Ankara had refused to discuss the return of Varosha.
According to Finnish Minister Tuomioja, all parties co-operated constructively
with the Presidency, a statement from the EU said. "The aim has not been
to resolve the Cyprus problem. However, the successful conclusion of our talks
would also have been an encouraging step forward in view of the UN efforts to
this end, for which the Finnish Presidency continues to give its full support.”
28/11/06 Cyprus Mail 2006
The
Speech Delivered by President Mehmet Ali Talat on 29 October 2006
Dear Guests,
Valued Representatives of the Republic of Turkey,
Valued Citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus ,
Dear
Brothers,
Today is the 83rd anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Turkey …
This day is an important turning point not only for the people of Turkey, but
for all the Turkish people in the region, who are of the Ottoman-Turkish
heritage…
On this day, the victory of the Turkish people, led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk,
against the imperialist invading powers, the Ottoman monarchy and the rule of
the Sultan, was crowned with the establishment of the Republic of Turkey... The
people of Turkey, with the strength they got from their powerful political and
military tradition and rich historic and cultural legacy, defeated the
colonialist powers of Western Europe under the most difficult conditions. Thus,
by fighting against colonialism and winning, the people of Turkey have made
history… Moreover, the people of Turkey established a modern, secular and
democratic republic, which aims at “Reaching beyond the levels of modern
civilizations,” as stated by Ataturk. Consequently, for the first time in
history, a Muslim community established a state with enlightened thoughts and
European standards …
I have mentioned these historic facts to draw your attention to some very
important issues:
First: The Republic of Turkey has proved, from the very beginning, that the
Muslim-Turkish people belong to Europe and deserve a modern, secular and
democratic state governance.
Second: The Republic of Turkey has demonstrated that the Turkish people have a
deep-rooted historic tradition of state establishment and governance.
Third: The Republic of Turkey, while it was established to be the state of the
people of Anatolia, has its roots in all the Turkish peoples in the region, who
are of the Ottoman-Turkish legacy and has set an example for Turks abroad,
other Muslim countries and other peoples fighting against colonialism.
Here, I have to mention the Turkish Cypriot contributions to the Turkish
national liberation fight and the establishment of the Republic of Turkey. The
Turkish Cypriot people, from the very first days of the national liberation
fight, contributed to the establishment of the Republic of Turkey through the
associations they founded on the island and with members of the community who
went to Anatolia. The Turkish Cypriots actively participated in the process to
establish the Republic of Turkey by forming assistance associations for
Anatolia and Rumelia refugees, cooperating with the Union and Progress Party
(Ittihat-Terakki) and the National Independence Army (Kuvayi Milliye) and
having qualified members of the community take upon various roles in the
establishment of state during the first days of the Republic. Thus, the Turkish
Cypriot people have contributed to the establishment of the modern Republic of
Turkey.
For Turkish Cypriots, being European and Muslim, or being Turkish and Cypriot,
are not contradictory. Those who try to present Islam and Europe as two
conflicting civilizations, or being Turkish and being Cypriot as two clashing
identities, are mistaken. The very presence of the Turkish Cypriot people proves
just the opposite. We are at least as European as the Greek Cypriots, and at
least as Cypriot as they are; we are at least as Turkish as the people of
Turkey and a Muslim community that has truly embraced secularism.
Those who present the
Cyprus problem as a problem which started in 1974 and those who reduce the
existence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to be a result of Turkey's
military intervention, are mistaken. This mistake arises from not knowing that
the Turkish Cypriots, just like the people of Turkey, have a deep-rooted
history in self-governance and state formation, or from denying this fact.
Exactly like the Republic of Turkey, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
was established through a lengthy fight for existence, will for self-governance
and experience.
Valued Citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,
My
Dear People,
The Cyprus problem is still continuing today, due to the negative approach of
the Greek Cypriot side. A bizonal, bicommunal solution in Cyprus, which is
based on the political equality of the sides, and which maintains Turkey's
guarantorship, would not only contribute to peace on our island, but in our
region and in the world. A solution to the Cyprus problem will be found under
the framework of the United Nations and UN parameters established in over 40
years.
The role of the European Union in solving the Cyprus problem is limited to
encouraging the Greek Cypriot side for a settlement under the UN framework. And
this role, of course, cannot be underestimated. As the UN Secretary-General has
put it, it should be the EU'a duty to prevent the Greek Cypriot side from using
its EU membership advantage to complicate a solution. Only by acting this way,
can the EU, break free of the sin it has committed by accepting as member an
illegal state. Pressurizing Turkey into making serious concessions in a bid to
overcome the Greek Cypriot obstacles in front of Turkey's EU membership, and
taking parts of a comprehensive settlement from the Turkish Cypriots and giving
them to the Greek Cypriot side, could only serve to save the day. Such
unrealistic proposals are a waste of time and can never have the chance of
being implemented.
It should also be known that there are no limits to the demands of the Greek
Cypriot side. The Greek Cypriot leader, who does not even envisage minority
rights for Turkish Cypriots, has stated at the UN General Assembly that he
believes the Turkish Cypriots will be included in the Greek Cypriot
administration through a process of “osmosis.”
As far as the EU is concerned, the biggest responsibility for a comprehensive
settlement of the Cyprus problem should be upon the shoulders of the Greek
Cypriot side, which is an EU member. On the contrary, the EU, which has
weakened with the Greek Cypriot side entrenching its power in the bloc's
institutions, has almost become the spokesman of the Greek Cypriot side, and is
attempting to disregard Turkish Cypriots.
But we all know the reason for this: The Greek Cypriot side has been given the
opportunity to join the EU without a solution. Today's negative situation is a
direct result of this fact. Our people have pointed to the way out by saying
“solution and EU” and have entrusted us to reach these targets. The people have
given us the mission to enable Turkish Cypriots to join the EU through a
solution, and to support Turkey's EU membership through an uninterrupted
harmonization process.
I would like to underline this once again: The authorities of the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Republic of Turkey are working in harmony
with the effort of solving the Cyprus problem and enabling our people to get to
the place they deserve within the European Union. They are pursuing the
peaceful, reconciliatory policy that the world can no longer ignore …
A permanent and fair solution is only possible if the two sides in Cyprus see
the historic realities. The Republic of Turkey, as soon as it was established,
extended its hand in peace to Greece. Ataturk and Venizelos, with a political
maturity and foresight particular to only the great statesmen, worked for the
brotherhood of the peoples of Turkey and Greece...
Unfortunately in the global world of the 21st century and the times of a
unified Europe, the Greek Cypriot administration is unable to show the maturity
that the Greek leadership showed 83 years ago. It is acting irresponsibly both
towards the whole of Cyprus and towards its own people. The Greek Cypriot
people, as well as the Turkish Cypriot people, need a new approach and
political maturity that oversees the whole of the island and aims at a common
European future. The two sides in Cyprus should follow the path of peace that
Ataturk and Venizelos created between Turkey and Greece. We can do this, we
have to do this for the next generations… We are extending our hand in peace to
the Greek Cypriot side. I have said this since the first day I came to this
post and I will continue to say it.
We should solve this common problem of Turkish and Greek Cypriots in a way that
is in compliance with the time we are living in, by expanding ways of
reconciliation and cooperation, and with the aim of enabling our people to live
in peace… And we should definitely solve it.
It
is obvious that those who believe that the people deserve clashes and wars
instead of peace, do not have the capacity to be leaders. We don't have to be
like them. I would like to stress once again that I will tirelessly work within
the framework of a policy that aims at peace just like I have promised my
people. Those acting to the contrary will, one day, be punished by their own
people.
The Turkish Cypriot people have proved to the world to be a mature and tolerant
people. They will never backtrack from these qualities. They will continue to
extend their hand in peace to the Greek Cypriot side and to work until all the
island is equally represented in the European Union. The Turkish Cypriot people
will also continue to support the touchstone of the Republic of Turkey, which
is to reach the level of European civilizations, and its bid to join the
European Union.
I
am honored to be the leader of such a proud people. While promising to continue
to work with the strength and support I get from them to reach our rightful
goal, I would like to make this call to everyone: This world belongs to all of
us. We are obliged to protect it, not destroy it. We are obliged to leave our
children a good future. Only with tolerance and mutual understanding can we
create a world where nobody isolates and excludes another, where there is no
discrimination, where nobody incites cultural racism, enmity and hatred.
There
are millions of people suffering from poverty, discrimination and clashes in
the Middle East, Far East and Africa. We should tolerate each other's
differences and work together if we want the world to be in peace. As Turkish
Cypriots, we are ready to do everything we can. But the international community
should leave aside its irrational attitude based on the exclusion, and
political, economic, cultural and social isolation of our people. It should
stop treating our people almost in a discriminatory manner. The European Union
should respect our existence, oversee the rights of Turkish Cypriots, who are
co-owners of this country, and should keep its promises … We are here. We are
alive and we will continue to be alive.
My
dear citizens,
On this special day, on the 83rd anniversary of the Republic
of Turkey, we send our heartfelt regards and love to our brothers in Anatolia,
to whom we are related through historic and cultural bonds. We wish for them a
prosperous, humane and peaceful life without terrorism and violence. May all
the peoples of the world live in health and happiness.
I thank you with all my respect.
Mehmet Ali Talat
TRNC President
They can apply…
By
Jean Christou
BRITAIN said yesterday airlines in the north were entitled to apply to UK
authorities to operate direct flights, but that these applications would only
be considered under international law.
“It’s a matter for individual airlines to apply for a licence to fly between
Ercan and London,” a spokesman at the British High Commission in Nicosia said.
“Any application will be considered in the normal way, on the basis of domestic
and international law.”
The comment came after statements by Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat
that Turkish Cyprus Airlines had applied to the British Civil Aviation
Authority for a licence to operate flights to London from Tymbou (Ercan).
Under international law, the north is an illegal state and there are no direct
flights there except from Turkey.
“We applied to British Civil Aviation for direct flights to Turkish Cyprus on
Thursday as the first step of a big struggle,” said Talat, referring to the
Turkish Cypriot side’s aim of lifting easing its economic isolation.
Talat said that Turkish Cypriots were struggling economically and that there
were many Turkish Cypriots living in the UK and British people very interested
in visiting the north. “We hope that the UK will take a positive step and allow
direct flights to the island,” he said, adding that he would use “all political
and legal means” to gain the right for direct flights.
The Turkish Cypriot leader was quoted as saying yesterday he had examined the
legal aspect, and that there were no legal obstacles to direct flights.
“According to our opinion, there is no legal problem. From our point of view,
the whole issue is political,” he said.
Government Spokesman Christodoulos Pashiardis last Friday said he was certain
that Britain would not proceed with any action that would imply an indirect
recognition of the north. “I am certain that Great Britain, especially as
Cyprus' guarantor power, will neither violate these resolutions nor proceed
with any action constituting an indirect recognition of a breakaway entity,” he
said.
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibrisli under the headline “Air corridor above the
Akrotiri bases!”, said that according to a formula being developed by the
British government, the air corridor used for the landings and departures for
Britain’s air bases of Akrotiri would be opened to aircraft landing and
departing from Tymbou.
In return for this, Turkey would open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriots
in order to solve the crisis with the EU.
29/11/06 Cyprus Mail 2006
Pope visits famous mosque on busiest day of Turkey trip |
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Pope Benedict has visited one of Turkey’s most famous mosques,
making him only the second pontiff in history to set foot in a Muslim house of
worship.
In dramatic scenes broadcast on Turkish television, the Pope
turned towards Mecca in a gesture of Muslim prayer while in the nation’s famous
Blue Mosque, at the suggestion of the Islamic cleric accompanying him.
He then crossed his hands across his midriff in the Muslim
attitude of worship and remained for several seconds with his eyes closed,
reported Agence France Presse.
The striking gestures appeared to be part of the Pope’s efforts to
appease Muslims in the wake of anger caused by comments made earlier this year,
in which he quoted a 14th century Byzantine emperor linking violence with
Islam.
The Vatican said it had added the visit to the mosque to the
Pope’s schedule as a "sign of respect" during his first papal trip to
a Muslim nation. His predecessor, John Paul II, visited a mosque in Syria in
2001.
The Pope removed his shoes before entering the carpeted expanse of
the mosque, known as the Sultan Ahmet Mosque after the Ottoman sultan Ahmet I,
who ordered its construction. It is widely called the Blue Mosque after its
elaborate blue tiles.
"This visit will help us find together the way of peace for
the good of all humanity," the pontiff said before leaving the
17th-century mosque. Receiving a gift of a glazed tile decorated with a dove
and a painting showing a view of the Sea of Marmara, he gave the imam in return
a painting showing four doves. "Let us pray for brotherhood and for all
humanity," the Pope said in Italian.
Since arriving in Turkey on Tuesday, the Pope has offered wide-ranging
messages of reconciliation to Muslims, including appeals for greater
understanding and support for Turkey’s steps to become the first Muslim nation
in the EU.
The visit to the Blue Mosque followed a highly sensitive tour of
the Haghia Sophia museum, a 1,500-year-old complex which was for centuries a
centre of Christianity. In 1453 it was converted to a mosque during the Muslim
conquest of what was then Constantinople, now Istanbul.
The site remained that way until 1935, when it was converted to a
museum under the secular Turkish republic proclaimed in 1923. It remains a key
landmark signifying Christianity’s ancient roots in Turkey.
The Pope’s visit to the complex has been highly charged, viewed by
hardline Muslims as an attempt to reclaim the building as a bastion of
Christianity. As early as this morning, dozens of protestors linked to an
Islamic nationalist party had gathered at the building, waving banners reading
"Pope get out of Turkey", and chanting "Aya Sofya is Turkish and
will remain Turkish".
Police earlier arrested one man trying to make a speech at a
police barricade, but after a short stand-off with several hundred riot police
the crowd, vastly outnumbered by security authorities, peacefully dispersed.
Nonetheless, officials were taking no chances in regard to the
security of the pontiff, and his arrival at the site was heralded by a massive
operation, including snipers standing on minarets. Police also surveyed the
area by helicopter.
Pope Benedict is not the first pontiff to trigger controversy by
visiting the site – in 1967 there was outrage when Pope Paul VI prayed at the
museum, causing a diplomatic incident.
He has also addressed the 1,000 rift between the
Vatican and the Orthodox Church, meeting with the leader of the world’s Orthodox
community, in what was a. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I,
On what was the third and busiest day of his tour, the pope also
attended a mass with the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians,
shifting the focus of his landmark trip on mending relations between the two
churches.
The visit to St George’s church in Istanbul with Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew I – leader of the world’s 250 million Orthodox Christians
– marked a deeply symbolic display of unity, and came amidst talks between the
two, aimed at healing a historical rift that has dogged the churches for almost
ten centuries.
Bridging the rift between the Vatican and Orthodox Christians is a
high priority for the leaders of both churches, and was originally the main
reason for the pontiff’s visit.
The two branches of Christianity – Eastern and Western - split in
the Great Schism of 1054, over disputes on theology and papal authority.
Discussions on how to mend the long-standing division will continue today, with
the Pope and Bartholomew I later due to issue a joint statement on their hopes
for reconciliation.
This morning’s service, which marks the feast of St Andrew – the
Orthodox Church’s patron saint - was itself aimed at symbolising a bringing
together between the two branches. The two leaders embraced at the gate before
entering the church, illuminated as it was by imposing chandeliers.
The symbolism of the three-hour ritual is also significant to
Roman Catholics. Saint Andrew, who is said to have ordained the first bishop of
Constantinople, was a disciple of Jesus and the brother of Saint Peter, who was
martyred in Rome and is considered the first Catholic pope.
Speaking after the service, the Pope described divisions among
Christians as a "scandal to the world", recalling the faith’s
deep-seated roots in Europe. He also repeated his calls for greater freedom for
religious minorities
THE TIMES 30/11/06
The Pope treid
to smooth relations between Turkey and the EU and between Christians and
Muslims during his visit to Istanbul, but Cyprus remains a problem (Stefano
Rellandini/Reuters)
EU pulls the rug on Turkish talks over refusal to lift Cyprus blockade
· Negotiations on eight issues halted
· Blair denounces 'serious mistake'
Turkey reacted furiously yesterday to the
proposed suspension of a large section of its talks on joining the EU as a
punishment for its refusal to open trade with Cyprus.
Eight of 34 areas of negotiation will be frozen under the European
Commission’s plan until Ankara fulfils an agreement signed last year to open
its ports to Cyprus, an EU member that it does not recognise.
The Commission’s move was criticised by Britain, Sweden and Spain,
but — in a sign of the faultlines within the Community over Turkish accession —
was applauded by France and Germany.
Turkey itself was defiant, insisting that it was not prepared to
make any further concessions. “We have set out the framework [for progress on
Cyprus],” Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish Prime Minister, said. “If they are
approaching the issue with the idea that they might grab a new concession, then
we have no concession to make.”
He was referring to earlier statements that Turkey would open its
ports only if the EU made good a pledge to end the economic isolation of the
breakaway Turkish enclave of northern Cyprus. Nicosia has blocked any such
relaxation.
Ankara is unlikely to make any move on Cyprus until after
elections next year; an increasingly nationalistic public is likely to punish
any sign of weakening on what is a pet issue for hardliners.
In spite of the blow to negotiations, Mr Erdogan said that Turkey
would continue to make progress towards membership. “This is a long road —
previously the date mentioned [for accession] was 2014. In the meantime we will
continue talking and working on the remaining chapters and continue on our way
just as before.”
Britain backed Turkey, describing the Commission’s position as
“disappointingly tough” and voicing concerns that it could fuel anti-European
sentiment and drive the country away from the EU.
Tony Blair said that the EU’s proposal was a “serious mistake”,
while José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the Spanish Prime Minister, urged EU
leaders to keep the door open to Ankara. Mr Blair’s concerns were shared by
Carl Bildt, the Swedish Foreign Minister, who spoke of a possible calamity if
EU leaders followed the tough Commission line next month. “If you put the
brakes on too hard there is a risk of the collateral damage being very
extensive,” he said. “If it comes to a standstill, we are talking about a
strategic calamity for the EU in a rather volatile, sensitive part of our
neighbourhood.”
But Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, who takes over the
rotating EU presidency on January 1, approvingly called the proposal a strong
signal and President Chirac, a powerful opponent of Turkish membership,
insisted that the EU “had no other choice”.
The furore ensures that another row over Turkey will dominate the
EU heads of government summit on December 15, which will take the final
decision on the sanctions after they are considered by foreign ministers
earlier that week.
As part of the punishment, talks on other areas of the accession
process could be opened but will not be able to be signed off until Turkey
resolves its blockade of Cypriot vessels, Olli Rehn, the Enlargement
Commissioner, said. He added that Turkey could score a “golden goal” before the
foreign ministers’ meeting.
Christodoulos Pashiardis, a Cypriot Government spokesman, said
that freezing some aspects of the talks while allowing discussions on other
areas was not a punishment.
Sticking points
Cyprus Turkey does not recognise the southern
part of the divided island
Armenian genocide the Government will not
acknowledge Turkey’s role in the massacre of hundreds of thousands of Armenians
between 1915 and 1917
Article 301/1 states that “public
denigration of Turkishness shall be punishable by imprisonment”. It was used to
bring charges against the writer Orhan Pamuk, who acknowledged the Armenian
genocide
The Kurds the minority group continues to be
persecuted, with prosecutions brought against Kurds who use their language in
public life. Only Turkish can be taught as a first language in schools
Clash of civilisations the predominantly
Muslim culture has attracted accusations that Turkey lacks European
credentials. France’s Interior Minister says that Turkey “has no place in
Europe”
THE TIMES 30/11/06
Blame game is a dangerous one to play
Who is most to blame for the sudden deadlock
between Turkey and the European Union?
Turkey, by a small margin, if you have to make that call, in that
it has not complied with its promise to the EU to open its ports. It knew it
had a year or so to do it, and it did nothing. That was reflected in the
severity of the European Commission’s verdict yesterday.
But the stalemate would not have arisen without egregious
stubbornness of Greece and Cyprus, urged on by France and Germany, who have
made no bones about their coolness towards the entire notion of Turkish
membership.
At this point, the European Commission has to decide whether it
wants to encourage Turkey, never mind who is most in the wrong.
The message yesterday was that it doesn’t — and that it doesn’t
want the talks to stall. It can’t have it both ways; that dangerous game will
end in Turkey’s angry exit.
Yesterday’s report by the Commission dealt a harsher blow than
expected to Turkish hopes: suspension of eight “chapters” for discussion in
accession talks. They are not the three that Britain had lobbied for, nor the
six for which Turkey had been braced. More damaging, perhaps, was the
recommendation that no chapter of talks be closed until the question of Cyprus
and access to Turkish ports is settled. So far, Turkey and the Commission have
agreed only one of the 35 — on science.
Some reprimand was in order. Turkey had promised the EU under the
“Ankara protocol” that it would open its sea and air ports to vessels from
Cyprus, which it does not recognise. In the end, Turkey refused.
Brussels’ reaction could have been worse. Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
the Prime Minister, called the recommendation unacceptable, but Turkey is well
aware that the Commission could have frozen talks, or set a new deadline for
opening the ports. On the other hand, Turkey has a point, too. The EU promised
to ease the economic isolation of northern Cyprus (recognised by Turkey) when
it, but not the south, voted for reunification in 2004.
The Cypriot Government in Nicosia, which joined the EU in 2004 and
is recognised internationally, has blocked these.
Yesterday Egeman Bagis, a foreign policy adviser to Erdogan, said
that the EU should continue the talks to promote reform in Turkey, and not link
them to solving the Cyprus problem, which it did not apply to Cyprus’s
accession.
He is right. To drive head-on for the most difficult issue,
without more common ground established, is to end the talks under the guise of
diplomacy.
The Pope’s support for Turkey was helpful to its cause, despite
the uncertainty about whether he really gave the wholehearted endorsement of
Turkish membership that Ankara claimed.
A spokesman clarified the Pope’s remarks, saying that he had told
Erdogan that although the Vatican did not have the power or competence to
intervene, it “viewed positively and encouraged” the process of entry “on the
basis of common values and principles”.
This is nuanced, but it is still a shift towards the principle of
Turkish membership. It is not one that members of the EU have made together. If
they want to keep the option of Turkish membership open, at this fragile point
in relations, they need to be prepared to overlook some provocation to keep the
talks on the rails.
THE TIMES 30/11/2006
EU on collision course with Ankara over
membership
Brussels takes unprecedented step of
partially suspending negotiations
Nicholas Watt in
Brussels, Ian Traynor in Istanbul
Thursday November 30, 2006
The Guardian
Turkey and the European Union were last
night set on a collision course after Brussels took the unprecedented step of
calling for a partial suspension of Ankara's EU membership talks.
To the fury of Turkey, which denounced the
move as "unacceptable", the European commission recommended that
eight of Ankara's 35 negotiating "chapters" should be suspended.
The announcement surprised Turkey and its
EU allies, led by Britain, which had hoped for a milder punishment after Ankara
refused to open up its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot shipping. Britain
had been pressing for the closure of just three chapters directly linked to
Cyprus.
Fears that Turkey could
abandon its 40-year dream of anchoring its future in Europe were fuelled when
the prime minister and president, who hail from the country's opposing Islamist
and secularist traditions, registered their unease.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime
minister, denounced the move as unacceptable.
Hours after the announcement from Brussels
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer blocked passage of a new law increasing religious
freedoms for minorities in Turkey, which has been introduced under pressure
from the EU.
The underprivileged conditions for
non-Muslim minorities in Turkey is a sore point in the talks with the EU and
also a crucial concern of Pope Benedict XVI, who is currently on a highly
sensitive visit to the country.
President Sezer is deeply hostile to the
Erdogan government, which he regards as a threat to Turkey's secularist
traditions. The government, with a comfortable majority, will be able to
override his veto.
But the veto indicates the rising anti-EU
sentiment in Turkey. A powerful and prickly country feels it is being hectored
and patronised by the EU. "Europe is losing Turkey," say Turkish
analysts.
The EC announced a series of
"carefully calibrated" measures to punish Turkey for its refusal to
extend its customs union to all EU countries, including Cyprus. Olli Rehn, the
enlargement commissioner, announced three key measures:
· The suspension of negotiations in eight of the 35 "chapters"
that are linked to Turkey's refusal to live up to its commitment to extend its
customs union to all EU members, including Cyprus, by the end of this year;
· Putting a less serious block on every other chapter - with the
exception of education, which has been agreed - by preventing them being
closed;
· Holding open the possibility of negotiations in the interim by calling
for four chapters to be opened. These cover uncontroversial areas such as
industry and enterprise. It is understood that Cyprus, which has in effect put
a brake on progress in the negotiations for the past six months, is willing to
allow this to happen.
Mr Rehn, a strong supporter of Turkey's EU
membership ambitions, said the talks would continue
Declaring that Turkey could avoid a crisis
by scoring a "golden goal" on the Cyprus issue, he added: "We
confirm these negotiations must continue, although at slower pace. There will
be no train crash. There is a slowing down because of works further down the
tracks. However, the train continues to move."
Mr Rehn's recommendations are designed to
steer a middle course between critics of Turkey, such as Germany, and
supporters such as Britain.
Tony Blair, who signalled his unease
directly to the EC hours before the announcement, accused Brussels of making a
major strategic mistake. "Just at the moment, to send an adverse signal to
Turkey, I think, would be a serious mistake for Europe long term," the
prime minister said at the Nato summit in Riga. "I think there is going to
be a real challenge to make sure that Turkey's accession succeeds in the way
that we want it to."
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, who
believes that Turkey should be offered a "privileged partnership"
rather than full EU membership, took the opposite view. "The commission
proposal is a strong signal that the Ankara protocol [opening ports to Cyprus]
has to be accepted by Turkey," she said.
The contrasting language from Mr Blair and
Ms Merkel set the scene for a bruising few weeks as EU leaders decide whether
to endorse or amend yesterday's recommendation. Britain will adopt a tough
stance at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on December 11 and at an EU summit
in Brussels on December 14-15, where the final decision is likely to be made.
But it is understood that Britain will eventually accept the Rehn
recommendations.
Matti Vanhanen, the Finnish prime minister,
whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, will visit Turkey tomorrow in
the hope of brokering a last-minute deal on Cyprus.
The decisions in Brussels came only 24
hours after Mr Erdogan scored a bold and important victory at home, obtaining
from Pope Benedict a declaration of qualified support for Turkey's EU ambitions
despite the pontiff's previous opposition and scepticism on the issue.
Road to accession
1952 Turkey joins Nato
1963 Becomes associate member of the EEC, the EU's forerunner
1974 Turkey invades Cyprus after diplomacy fails
1987 Turkey applies to join EU
1996 EU-Turkey customs pact
1999 Becomes a candidate for entry
2002 EU leaders to judge Turkey's economic and political reforms in late
2004. If criteria is met, talks will open "without delay"
2004 EU leaders agree to open entry talks, which may last a decade.
2005 July 29 Turkey extends customs union to include Cyprus,
meeting last official EU requirement for talks. Ankara insists deal does not
imply recognition of Cyprus
Sept 21 EU says Turkey must recognise Cyprus in talks. Sets
2006 deadline or a suspension in entry talks
Oct 4 EU opens talks
2006 Nov 8 Enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn issues tough progress
report on Turkey's efforts at reform and threatens to suspend entry talks over
Cyprus
Nov 27 EU talks in Finland try to resolve standoff after Turkey rejects a
compromise on opening its ports
Nov 29 Commission recommends EU partially suspends entry talks
THE GUARDIAN 30/11/06
Cyprus conundrum stalls Ankara accession
Mark Tran
Wednesday November 29, 2006
Guardian Unlimited
A Turkish flag flies next to a statue of Attaturk and a
Greek church in occupied northern Cyprus. Photograph: Martin Argles
The divided island of
Cyprus, an old political problem, is proving to be a big obstacle for Turkey's
hopes of joining the EU.
The European commission today recommended a
partial suspension of accession talks with Turkey over its refusal to open its
ports to ships from Cyprus.
The final decision will be left to an EU
summit next month, but Brussels has recommended that the EU put on hold talks
on eight policy areas or "chapters" out of a total of 35.
This represents a
compromise between Turkey's supporters, led by Britain, and its critics,
including Germany, who want to offer something called "privileged
partnership" - a euphemism for second-class citizenship - and not the full
membership that has awaited all other candidates, from Estonia to Bulgaria.
But Cyprus is the immediate problem, an
issue that goes back to Turkey's invasion in 1974. Ankara sent in troops after
a Greek Cypriot coup, backed by Greece's then ruling military junta.
The island has been split ever since with a
breakaway state in the north, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The
enclave is recognised only by Turkey and has subject to an international
embargo for years.
A diplomatic Rubik's cube, Cyprus has
defied the best problem-solving efforts of many statesmen. In the most recent
attempt, Kofi Annan, the outgoing UN secretary general, came tantalisingly
close to a settlement.
But two years of UN-brokered talks between
the leaders of the majority Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities went
up in smoke when the Greek Cypriots rejected the UN settlement plan in an April
2004 referendum.
That diplomatic failure is now coming back
to haunt Turkey's accession talks. Following the referendum, Cyprus became an
EU member in May 2004. As such, the EU last year demanded that Turkey permit Cypriot
ships to use its ports during the course of 2006.
However, Turkey has said it will only open
its ports to shipping from Cyprus if the EU fulfils a pledge to end the
economic isolation of Turkish Cypriot northern Cyprus, which the
internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government in Nicosia has blocked.
Nicosia continues to oppose EU efforts to
establish direct trade and economic links to north Cyprus, to encourage the
Turkish Cypriot community to continue to support reunification.
Unsurprisingly, Ankara says the Cyprus
problem should not be linked to Turkey's EU accession bid. The partial
suspension of negotiations threatens to drag the accession process, which began
in October last year, out even more. So far, Turkey has provisionally concluded
talks on just one chapter - science and research.
Even without Cyprus, actual membership is
not anticipated for another 10 to 15 years. It seems absurd that Cyprus can
derail such an important enterprise for both Turkey and the EU.
But Turkey's chief EU negotiator, Ali
Barbacan, who was in London yesterday, acknowledged that public opinion was
becoming an important issue, a reference to "enlargement fatigue" in
France and Germany, now that the EU has grown to 25 members, and to unease in
some countries that Turkey is a mainly Muslim nation, albeit a secular state.
There is impatience in Turkey too at what
Turks see as the constant hoop-jumping to which they are being subjected.
Mr Barbacan told an audience at the
international affairs thinktank, Chatham House, that the inclusion of Turkey
within the EU would increase the body's relevance, give it a more
representative voice and make it truly multicultural.
"The perception of the EU in the
Muslim world will change forever," Mr Barbacan said, adding that the whole
Muslim world was watching Turkey's bid closely, to see whether it would be
accepted by Europe.
Analysts say a breakdown - although we are
not there yet - in accession talks would have an immediate impact on Turkish
politics.
"The goal of EU membership has helped
to ensure that two camps which do not trust each other - the secular
"Kemalists" in the army, judiciary and bureaucracy, and the Islamists
in the ruling AKP government - work together on a reform agenda," said
Katinka Barysch and Charles Grant in a recent paper for the Centre for European
Reform, a London thinktank.
"But the removal of that goal and the
consequent recriminations could destabilise the political system."
THE GUARDIAN 30/11/06
Pope
Prays With Cleric at Turkey Mosque
Thursday November 30, 2006 7:01 PM
AP Photo IST141
By BRIAN MURPHY
AP Religion Writer
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) -
Pope Benedict XVI prayed alongside an Islamic cleric in Turkey's most famous
mosque Thursday in a dramatic gesture of outreach to Muslims after outrage from
the pontiff's remarks linking violence and the teachings of the Prophet
Muhammad.
The pope bowed his head
and closed his eyes for nearly a minute inside the Blue Mosque after Mustafa
Cagrici, the head cleric of Istanbul, said: ``Now I'm going to pray.''
As the pope left the
famous 17th century mosque, the pope turned to Cagrici and thanked him ``for
this moment of prayer,'' the Italian news agency ANSA reported.
``This visit will help us
find together the way of peace for the good of all humanity,'' the pope said
during only the second papal visit to a Muslim place of worship. Benedict's
predecessor, John Paul II, visited a mosque in Syria in 2001.
The mosque visit was added
to Benedict's schedule as a ``sign of respect'' during his first papal trip to
a Muslim nation, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said last
week.
The pope removed his shoes
before entering the carpeted expanse of the mosque, which is officially known
as the Sultan Ahmet Mosque after the Ottoman sultan Ahmet I, who ordered its
construction. But it's widely called the Blue Mosque after its elaborate blue
tiles.
Benedict received a gift
of a glazed tile decorated with a dove and a painting showing a view of the Sea
of Marmara off Istanbul. The pope gave the imam a mosaic showing four doves.
``Let us pray for
brotherhood and for all humanity,'' the pope said in Italian.
Lombardi said the pope
``paused in meditation'' inside the mosque and ``certainly his thoughts turned
to God.''
The pope has offered
wide-ranging messages of reconciliation to Muslims since arriving in Turkey on
Tuesday, including appeals for greater understanding and support for Turkey's
steps to become the first Muslim nation in the European Union.
But Benedict also has set
down his own demands.
After a deeply symbolic
display of unity with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader
of the world's Christian Orthodox, the pope again repeated his calls for
greater freedoms for religious minorities and lamented the divisions among
Christians - including the nearly 1,000-year rift between Catholics and
Orthodox.
``The divisions which
exist among Christians are a scandal to the world,'' Benedict said after
joining Bartholomew to mark the feast day of St. Andrew, who preached across
Asia Minor and who tradition says ordained the first bishop of Constantinople,
now called Istanbul.
The symbolism of the
Orthodox Liturgy was highly significant to Roman Catholics. Andrew was the
brother of St. Peter, who was martyred in Rome and is considered the first
pope.
Benedict has made outreach
to the world's more than 250 million Orthodox a centerpiece of his young papacy
and has set the difficult goal of full unity between the two ancient branches
of Christianity, which split nearly 1,000 years ago over disputes, including
the extent of papal authority.
It's also a key part of
the pope's drive to reinforce Christian bonds in Europe and around the world.
He said all Christians
should ``renew Europe's awareness of its Christian roots, traditions and
values, giving them new vitality.''
In a joint statement, the
pope and patriarch stressed the an culture while remaining ``open to other
religions and their cultural contributions.''
The comments could send
conflicting signals to Turkey after the Vatican suggested there was room in the
European Union for its first Muslim member. They could also serve as a rallying
point for groups opposed to bringing a predominantly Muslim country into the
bloc.
The pope also recalled how
the faith was shaped by the encounters of early Christians with the scientific
and intellectual traditions of ancient Greece. It was the same theological
backdrop - faith and reason - that was the basis for his explosive remarks in
September on violence and the Prophet Muhammad.
Benedict avoided any
direct mention of Islam after praying with Bartholomew at the gilded St. George
Church in Istanbul - which as Constantinople was the capital of Christian
Byzantium before falling to Muslim forces in 1453.
But the pope urged ``all
world leaders to respect religious freedom as a fundamental human right.''
Benedict, making his first
papal visit to a predominantly Muslim nation, had previously said Muslim
demands for greater respect in the West must be matched by increased tolerance
and freedoms for Christians in Islamic nations.
The joint statement listed
``religious freedom'' as one of the hallmarks of the EU - a clear reference to
Turkey and its efforts to join the bloc.
The pontiff also visited
the 1,500-year-old Haghia Sophia, a domed complex that once was a spiritual
center of Christianity and was converted to a mosque in the 15th century. The
site became a museum following the sweeping secular reforms that formed modern
Turkey in the 1920s.
Wearing white robes,
Benedict listened as a museum official explained the site's remarkable mix of
Quranic calligraphy and the Christian symbols that remained, including a
frescoes and mosaics of figures revered by Islam such as Jesus and the Virgin
Mary.
Security was extremely
tight, including snipers on the minarets added to Haghia Sophia following the
Muslim conquest.
About 150 nationalists
protested the pope's visit to the site, gathering at a square less than a mile
away and urging the government to open the museum to Muslim worship. Nationalists
view the planned visit as a sign of Christian claims to the site and a
challenge to Turkish sovereignty.
``Haghia Sophia is Turkish
and will remain Turkish,'' one protest sign read. Riot police surrounded the
demonstrators to prevent them from advancing toward the site.
The pope's deepening ties
with Bartholomew - called the ``first among equals'' among Orthodox leaders -
also is watched with suspicion in Turkey as a possible challenge to
state-imposed limits on Christian minorities and others.
Turkey does not
acknowledge Bartholomew's global status and considers him as the leader of
2,000-member Greek Orthodox community remaining in Turkey. Greek Orthodox
leaders have hoped the papal visit would increase pressure on Turkey to reform
rules governing religious minorities, including lifting educational laws that
forced the closure of Istanbul's only Greek Orthodox seminary more than 20
years ago.
Of Turkey's 70 million
people, some 65,000 are Armenian Orthodox Christians, 20,000 are Roman Catholic
and 3,500 are Protestant, mostly converts from Islam. Another 23,000 are
Jewish.
---
Associated Press writer
Victor L. Simpson contributed to this report.
THE GUARDIAN 30/11/06
EU struggles to avoid rift with Ankara
By George Parker in Brussels
Published: November 29 2006 16:07 |
Last updated: November 29 2006 22:02
Europe’s leaders on Wednesday
sought to prevent Turkey’s troubled European Union membership bid from plunging
into a full-blown crisis, as Ankara responded angrily to a call for much of the
negotiations to be put on hold.
The events were sparked by a
recommendation from the European Commission to freeze talks on almost a quarter
of the negotiating topics because of a dispute between Turkey and Cyprus.
Turkish officials expressed anger that they were not informed by Brussels in
advance. One described the decision and its timing as “a bolt of lightning”.
In meetings at a Nato summit in Riga, EU leaders pleaded
with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s prime minister, not to walk away from the
membership talks. He later struck a more conciliatory tone in a news conference
at Ankara airport, while insisting that there would be no more concessions on Cyprus.
“Actually let us not view this as a suspension... There
will be something of a slowdown,” he said. “We will continue on our path in the
same direction... Our most important goal is to raise our country’s standard of
living.”
Olli Rehn, EU enlargement commissioner, proposed on
Wednesday that Turkey should be barred from opening detailed membership talks
in eight out of the 35 policy areas.
The areas which related to items such as the free
movement of goods, transport, customs and external relations consist of some of
the biggest elements of EU policy.
The move was seen as too harsh by Britain, Spain and
Italy, which argued that no more than three “chapters” in the membership
negotiations should be put off limits.
But others like France and Germany wanted Mr Rehn to go
further and Cypriot diplomats said his plan was “deeply disappointing”.
Cyprus wants the EU to set a date to review Turkish
progress on the ports issue - the kind of new deadline Mr Rehn wants to avoid.
Mr Rehn hopes the EU’s 25 foreign ministers can bury
their differences and agree to the new conditions for Turkey at a meeting on
December 11.
He argues that the compromise plan would allow talks to
continue on many other policy areas and keep the negotiations on track. “There
will be no train crash,” he said.
But his officials admit the bigger concern is Ankara’s
reaction to the conditions and the nagging fear that Mr Erdogan might
eventually decide to walk away from the negotiating table.
The road to impasse
1999: EU declares
Turkey is a ‘candidate’ for membership
2004: EU decides to
begin negotiations with Ankara after concluding it has ‘sufficiently fulfilled’
human rights and democratic criteria
2005: Brussels
approves negotiating mandate consisting of 35 topics or ‘chapters’ Ankara must
fulfil, but warns ‘overall progress’ will be affected if Turkey refuses to open
its ports to ships from Cyprus
June 2006: EU opens and
closes chapter on science and research – the only part of the negotiations to
date that has been concluded or even begun
September 2006 onwards:
Progress on other chapters stalls as tensions rise over Turkish-Cypriot
dispute. As an EU member state, Cyprus has a veto over all stages of the
negotiations
November 2006:
Commission recommends that the EU suspend negotiations on eight of the
remaining chapters amid concerns that Turkey’s bid could be jeopardised.
Several EU member states back Brussels’ stance. A decision is due to be taken
next month
FT 30/11/06
Take Cyprus out of EU talks, Ankara insists
Published: November 29 2006 17:59 |
Last updated: November 29 2006 17:59
“We oppose the linkage between
the negotiations and Cyprus,” insisted Ali Babacan, Turkey’s minister of the
economy and chief negotiator with the European Union, in an interview with the
FT.
Mr Babacan said Cyprus was a separate issue
from Turkey’s accession. “Our proposal on the Cyprus issue is to put it to one
side in the accession negotiations and deal with it by lifting sanctions on
both sides simultaneously.
ADVERTISEMENT
“But it is impossible for Turkey to open its ports to
Cyprus unilaterally. The prime minister has committed himself publicly on
this.” Moreover, added the minister, “the whole of Turkey is behind the
government’s stance”.
“In 2004,” he stressed, “we tried very hard for a
settlement of the Cyprus question. We worked out a detailed plan and then,
unfortunately, the Greek Cypriots rejected it in a referendum at the
instigation of [the Cypriot president] Mr Papadopoulos.
Mr Babacan said the EU was not impartial on the issue
because Cyprus had joined the Union shortly after the referendum.
“The EU initially decided to end the isolation of Turkish
Cyprus, to balance the accession of Cyprus. But the EU has not carried through
on its promise. It is unfair to ask Turkey to make a unilateral concession to
take goods from Cyprus within the customs union when the EU is not open to
northern Cyprus.
“Turkey is a big and relatively poor country and
perceived by some to have a different culture. But this is wrong. Turkey shares
Europe’s fundamental values of democracy and the rule of law.” Mr Babacan said
Turkey’s macroeconomic performance was also converging with the EU’s. “The
ratio of public sector net debt to gross domestic product has fallen from over
90 per cent at its peak to a forecast of just under 50 per cent at the end of
this year.
“Next year Turkey should hit the Maastricht limit of 60
per cent of GDP for the ratio of gross debt to GDP. Turkey should easily hit
all the Maastricht treaty criteria for debt, deficits and inflation within a
couple of years.”
Growth this year was likely to end up at about 6 per cent
and inflation was likely to be just under 10 per cent, despite the impact of
higher energy prices, he said. Next year’s inflation target would remain at 4
per cent. Employment growth was also buoyant.
Inward FDI is forecast at $15bn (€11.4bn, £7.7bn) this
year. Inward FDI and long-term credit will cover the current account deficit of
about 8 per cent of GDP.
Most Turks still believe EU accession is good, insisted
Mr Babacan. But they have been shaken by the German discussion of a privileged
partnership and the proposed French law banning denial of the massacres of
Armenians during the first world war, quite apart from the Cyprus issue. “The
political reaction in Turkey to such European statements and actions explains
the decline in support for accession,” said Mr Babacan
FT 29/11/06
Ankara's troubled bid to join EU is 'still on
track'
By George Parker in Brussels, Vincent
Boland in Ankara and,Daniel Dombey in Riga
Published: November 30 2006 02:00 | Last
updated: November 30 2006 02:00
Olli Rehn, the European Union's
enlargement commissioner, yesterday claimed he had found a way to stop Turkey's
tortuous bid to join the club turning into a "train crash". The next
two weeks will determine whether he is right.
Mr Rehn believes he has found the
balancing point in a political equation which requires him to punish Ankara for
failing to meet its European obligations while not pushing the Turks so far
that they simply walk away.
"There will be no train crash," he said in
Brussels. "But there will be a slowing down because of works further down
the line. The train will continue to move."
Mr Rehn's apparent confidence is based on weeks of close
contacts with the Turks, Cypriots, Greeks, British, French, Germans and others.
But ultimately his proposal is no more than a well-informed political bet.
His compromise will be worthless if just one country
rejects it. The fact both Turks and Cypriots - at either ends of the spectrum -
yesterday described it as "unacceptable" underscored the delicacy of
Mr Rehn's task. Mr Rehn yesterday persuaded the European Commission to endorse
his plan to slow - but not suspend - membership negotiations.
Turkey will be told that out of 35 separate policy areas,
it will be unable to open membership talks on eight of them.
These all relate to Ankara's refusal to open its ports to
shipping from Cyprus, an EU member. The chapters, which can take years to
negotiate, cover some core EU policies: the free movement of goods, the right
of establishment, financial services, farming, fisheries, transport, the
customs union and external relations.
Mr Rehn said there had to be "consequences" for
Turkey in its failure to honour its commitment to the EU to open its ports. But
he says talks should now be able to continue across a range of other policy
areas.
In spite of divergent views in Europe about whether
Turkey should eventually join the EU, there is broad agreement that it is in
the interests of both sides that Ankara continues with the reforms that make
membership possible.
Hence yesterday's warnings from Tony Blair, UK prime
minister, that it would be "a serious mistake" to punish Turkey so
that the country turned its back on Europe. Mr Blair was speaking after meeting
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish premier, at a Nato summit in Riga. Mr Blair,
wanted no more than three chapters closed to the Turks, as did Ankara's
supporters like Spain, Italy and Sweden.
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Spanish prime minister,
also in Riga, called on Brussels and Ankara to make "the maximum
effort" to avoid a crisis. But Jacques Chirac, the French president, told
Mr Erdogan that Turkey had to meet its commitments to the EU.
France and Germany had pushed for more than 10 chapters
to be blocked off to send a strong signal to Ankara. Cyprus and Greece pushed
for even tougher sanctions.
Mr Rehn's officials think they have found a compromise
that can win unanimous support among all 25 EU foreign ministers at their
meeting on December 11.
The biggest opponent is likely to be Cyprus. It says
sanctions on Turkey are too weak and threatens to carry on with its unilateral
veto on the opening of any new negotiations with Ankara.
"If we don't find a reasonable compromise then we
prefer to go it alone," said a Cypriot diplomat, adding "we are
deeply disappointed with this proposal . . . we will oppose it all
levels."
Cyprus wants more chapters off-limits and a review clause
to be inserted to allow the EU to assess Turkey's position on the ports
question in 12-18 months time - precisely the kind of new deadline Mr Rehn
wants to avoid. But Mr Rehn knows the biggest question is how Turkey reacts
once the anger has died down.
Yesterday a Turkish spokes-man insisted: "I don't
think there is any doubt that this process goes on." However, Mr Rehn
knows the anti-EU mood in the country is becoming intense, fuelled by the
belief that Turks have been betrayed by Brussels over Cyprus. Some commentators
say, however, that the Turkish position is too defensive and that a greater
commitment to social and political reforms was needed by the Turkish
government.
FT
30/11/06
|
|
Move to freeze talks on Turkey's EU entry
Last Updated: 1:59am GMT 30/11/2006
|
The commission said it was legally impossible to continue with work on nearly a quarter of the 35 "chapters", or policy areas, which must be successfully negotiated for Turkey to join the union.
Olli Rehn, the EU enlargement commissioner, insisted that freezing eight chapters, as he was urging, did not amount to a "train crash", saying that talks would merely "slow down". But Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, who was attending the Nato summit in Latvia, said that the recommendation was "unacceptable".
The commission proposed the suspension of chapters covering customs, fisheries, financial services, agriculture and external relations. It also proposed that no chapter be "closed", or completed, before Turkey lifted curbs against Cyprus.
The reaction from EU leaders at the Nato summit showed how deeply divided Europe is over Turkish accession.
Germany, France, Austria, Greece and Cyprus had been pushing the commission to rule on Turkey's punishment, with France seeking a freeze on almost half the "chapters" in the accession talks.
President Jacques Chirac said that France's view was that the EU "has no other choice" given Turkey's refusal to adopt a customs pact with the EU, which would open Turkish ports to Cyprus — a country that Ankara refuses to recognise.
But Tony Blair said that any talk of halting admission negotiations would be a "serious mistake" for Europe and the wider world.
In Riga, the capital of Latvia, the Prime Minister said the EU should not let "short-term political considerations" blind it to the long-term benefits of Turkish membership. Turkey's accession is strongly backed by Britain as the best means of anchoring the secular Muslim nation in the West.
Mr Blair met Mr Erdogan on the sidelines of the summit yesterday amid growing concern in London that Ankara's accession process could go off the rails.
Mr Blair said: "We have got to make sure that we allow Turkey's admission to proceed. That will mean compromises all round."
Turkey has said it will not open its ports until the EU takes steps to end the Turkish Cypriot community's economic isolation. Greek Cypriot authorities have refused to allow direct trade with the north until longstanding rows over Turkish-occupied territory are addressed.
DAILY TELEGRAPH 30/11/06