Turkish press 19 May 05
BBC Monitoring Service – United Kingdom
May 19, 2005
The following is a selection of quotes from editorials and commentaries
published in 19 May editions of Turkish newspapers available to
BBC Monitoring
Turkey/USA
Hurriyet [centre-right, largest circulation] “In my view, the role
that Turkey wants to play in the USA’s Iran project and to what extent
it will keep the word it will give [to the USA] will determine how
close Turkey and the USA will stay to each other in coming years!
…While making its plans concerning Iran, the USA certainly wants to
foresee what kind of role Turkey will play! In its Iran project, the
USA does not want to repeat the lack of foresight that it experienced
regarding Turkey’s involvement in its Iraq project.” (Commentary by
Cuneyt Ulsever)
USA
Yeni Safak [liberal, pro-Islamic] “Up to now, Washington has taken the
approach of putting every kind of extremism under the general title of
‘fighting terrorism’. Now it has to review its attitudes. It can take
the first step in that direction by immediately declaring a time-table
for pulling out of Iraq…(Commentary by Fehmi Koru)
EU
Milliyet [centrist] “Turkey should catch up with the contemporary
civilization in order to complete the EU project. If this project is
to be completed Turkey should follow Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s way.
Turkey is following this way now. There are difficulties but there
is no way back from the EU project.” (Commentary by Hasan Cemal)
“Turkey’s prospects for joining the EU are not connected with the
hysteria in France. It is much more related to the speed with which
Turkey wants to make progress… its prospect. If one day they [French]
say ‘No’ to Turkey, which has fulfilled all the criteria, they will do
more harm to themselves rather than to Turkey… Turkey’s EU prospect
is making a steady progress, according to its own logic and with its
‘own will’.” (Commentary by Semih Idiz)
Radikal [centre-left] “…The headscarf and Cyprus issues, then the
Armenian genocide and Abdullah Ocalan issues have caused some serious
anti-Western or sceptical feelings in the government. And here in
this atmosphere, the government has started to show an uncompromising
attitude over the [new] Turkish Penal Code… This law will cause
a big clash with the EU in future. The government is holding back
an important part of the democratic reforms that it implemented in
the last three years. I wonder whether the government is getting
ready to say ‘if necessary, we will give up Europe’.” (Commentary by
Ismet Berkan)