TURKISH OPPOSITION LEADER ACCUSES GOVERNMENT OF UNDERMINING NATIONAL UNITY

Anatolia news agency, Ankara
12 Dec 04

ISTANBUL

(Opposition) MHP (Nationalist Action Party) Chairman Devlet Bahceli
has said that Turkey reached a critical juncture ahead of the EU’s
summit meeting on 17 December. He said: “The prime minister should
tour the country and lend an ear to the people rather than touring
Europe and making concessions.”

In a speech he delivered during a rally entitled “My Turkey’s unity
and my nation’s well-being”, which was organized by MHP’s Istanbul
branch at Caglayan Square, Bahceli noted that Turkey had been besieged
and drifted towards a crossroads.

Criticizing the government officials for touring the European
countries and making concessions one after another before 17 December
in a bid to convince the EU to fix a date for starting accession
talks, Bahceli went on to say: “Those who say that they are pursuing a
win-win policy are actually acting like inexperienced and impetuous
merchants and have rather taken a submissive stand based on giving up
what we have. We urge them to stop making concessions. The prime
minister should tour the country and lend an ear to the people rather
than touring Europe and making concessions.”

Arguing that the nation was insidiously besieged by using some
criteria, which, he said, had been put before the people as the
Copenhagen criteria, Bahceli noted: “Demands voiced by those who want
to divide and dismember the country fully coincide with the terms that
the EU is trying to dictate.

Accusing the EU of finding new excuses every other day in order to
avoid setting a date for beginning accession talks with Turkey,
Bahceli remarked: “The prime minister has said ‘We would push ahead by
renaming the Copenhagen criteria as the Ankara criteria if they
decline to set a date.’ What are your Ankara criteria Mr Erdogan? Why
do not you make them public? In our view, the principles set forth in
the preamble of the constitution are our red lines and represent our
Ankara criteria.” (passage omitted on history of Armenian museum)

Reminding that there were some attempts aimed at ensuring recognition
of the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch as the ecumenical patriarch,
Bahceli said: “This nation will never grant you ecumenical status. If
you have such a goal, you should rather go to Athens where they would
confer on you the highest title.”

Noting that the EU countries had been putting pressure on Turkey in
order to convince it to reopen the Greek Orthodox seminary and to
recognize Bartholomeos as ecumenical patriarch in addition to their
demands concerning ethnic minorities, Bahceli stated: “Nobody should
attempt to plant weeds in this country’s flower garden, asserting that
it is necessary under the Copenhagen criteria. We would never allow
this flower garden to be overgrown with weeds.”

Bahceli concluded his speech by saying: “I advise the leaders against
trying to darken Turkey’s future. If you want to admit Turkey, then go
ahead. Otherwise, just say that you will not. One day, this nation
will make its presence felt in Europe.”

Pro-MHP demonstrators attending the rally at Caglayan square shouted
slogans, including “Neither the United States, nor the EU: Patriotic
Turkey” and “We Love Turkey, not Brussels” during Bahceli’s address.

The demonstrators carried Turkish flags as well as the flags of the
Turkic republics and the (self-declared) Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress