AZG Armenian Daily #175, 30/09/2005

Turkey-EU

ANKARA SPEAKS A LANGUAGE OF THREATS TO EU

Turkish Delegation Will Not Leave for Luxemburg if the Phrase ‘Privileged
Partnership’ Is Not Removed from Documents

Speaking about European parliament’s resolution, Turkish Prime Minister
Tayyip Erdogan said: “This resolution is not mandatory. No matter what
resolution they passed, we shall not renounce our stance”. The International
Herald Tribune referred yesterday sources standing close to PM Erdogan
writing that the Parliament’s resolution was in fact a sting for him despite
PM’s outwardly calm response. The paper says that Erdogan at first wanted to
boycott the negotiations.

The representatives of EU member states tried to set the format of Turkey-EU
talks in Brussels yesterday. The EU ambassadors failed to come to a
unanimous decision. Meanwhile Austria proposed the status of “privileged”
partner, which Ankara rejected. Austria’s chancellor Wolfgang Schlussel
declared yesterday that his country will agree to start negotiations for
Turkey’s full membership if the EU reopens talks with Croatia halted because
of Zagreb’s refusal to hand a war criminal over to the Court of Hague.

The Great Britain, which holds the EU presidency, confirmed yesterday that
foreign ministers will meet on Sunday. In effect, the ministers will try to
save EU-Turkey talks slated in Luxemburg, October 3.

Abdullah Gul, Turkey’s foreign minister, called his British counterpart
earlier threatening that the Turkish delegation will not leave for Luxemburg
unless final negotiation documents lay bare on the table. According to
Hurriyet, the Turks will not leave for Luxemburg if EU does not remove
“privileged partnership” wording from the documents and does not withhold
Cyprus’ right for veto on Turkey’s participation in international meetings.

The September 28 speeches at the European Parliament as well as opinion
polls in different EU countries show that the Europeans are not inclined to
accept Turkey as a full member of the European family. Most of the French,
Germans and Austrians are against Turkey’s membership and the Danes would
prefer Ukraine to agricultural, Islamic Turkey. One of Greek deputies said
in his speech: “It’s inadmissible to make a positive decision hoping that
Turkey will some day become a democratic country. Following that logic we
can admit to EU countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iran and other
undemocratic states”.

The International Herald Tribune writes that pessimism in Europe about
Turkey will deepen in near future. In case Angela Merkel wins the elections
in Germany her government will not go beyond “privileged partnership” with
Turkey. Presidential candidate in France, Nikola Sarkozy, is also against
Turkey’s membership.

By Tatoul Hakobian