MIXED FEELINGS GREET LAUNCH OF TURKISH EU MEMBERSHIP TALKS

AsiaNews.it, Italy
Oct 4 2005

Austria has accepted the terms of the negotiating mandate: accession,
not “privileged participation”. Stands taken within the Muslim
country: the press recalls Europe’s debts to Turkey and protests
against membership take place in Ankara and Istanbul.

Ankara (AsiaNews) – Turkey endured long, bewildering hours of
announcements and denials yesterday before finally hearing the news
that its membership talks will go ahead with the EU. The green light
for negotiations – a process expected to last at least 10 years –
came in the late evening.

“We have agreement. I am going to Luxembourg,” Turkish Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul, told the press as he left the headquarters of the
Justice and Development Party in Ankara to join ministers of the Union.

Austria accepted that the common goal of negotiations should be
accession and no longer insisted on the weaker option of “privileged
participation”, which had been upheld by many conservatives and
Christian Democrats across western Europe.

It would seem, then, that the considerable palpitations experienced in
recent days by the whole Turkish nation – divided into those for and
against – are over. There are those, like the national daily Posta
in its recent editions, who assert that entry of Turkey into Europe
is inevitable, given the great historical and cultural debt the west
owes to this thousand-year “Empire”.

The Turkish newspaper was quick to counter a provocative question
which the English Independent had the audacity to pose: “But what
have the Turks done for us?” On Sunday, the Turkish paper retorted:
“What would have become (of Europe) if it were not for the Turks?” It
followed up its question with a detailed, page-long list of things
the Europeans “learned” from the Turks: peaceful coexistence between
different cultures and religions (emphasizing that all enjoyed the
same social and civil privileges under the Ottoman Empire, although it
was Muslim); the art of painting and crafts, above all using fabrics;
trade (without forgetting that the silk trail developed above all
under the Ottoman Empire); the eastern lifestyle and military awareness
(Turkey prides itself in being the most valiant and strong NATO ally).

Then there are others who, as the Hurriyet daily points out, recall
the notable efforts made since 1999, when Helsinki laid down tough
conditions for Turkey to meet if it ever wanted to approach Europe’s
gates. In 2002, the death penalty was abolished in times of peace and
last year, the prohibition was extended to times of war. In 2002, the
ban on teaching in the Kurdish language was lifted and in June 2004,
ample broadcasting space was given to Kurdish programmes on the TRT
national radio and television channels.

In May 2004, the law discriminating against women in cases of adultery
was abrogated; penalties handed down for “honour crimes” increased
in favour of women; and a strong political and social campaign is
under way for literacy of children and girls in rural areas where
the level of education is very low.

A zero-tolerance programme against torture in detention has been given
a strong push forward; torture is now forbidden and punishable by 12
years in prison.

Certain positions amounting to interference in the government of the
Security Council have been reviewed and the Tribunal of State Security
was abolished last year.

Always according to the same newspaper, provisions for non-Muslim
religions have been expanded, although the Greek Orthodox Patriarch
Bartholomew I laments that not enough has been done as yet in this
regard. And some stipulations in the penal code against freedom of
expression have been changed even if, as the Posta admits, there are
still gaps in the law. This was clear, for example, in the notorious
court case filed against the well-known Turkish author, Orhan Pamuk,
who dared to publicly denounce the Armenian genocide. However, adds
the paper, there are renowned lawyers who have taken up his defence
and a positive resolution to the case is hoped for.

However, despite this progress which has unfolded under the gaze of
all, not everyone is in favour of Turkey joining Europe and on Sunday,
large demonstrations registering disapproval took place in Ankara
and Istanbul. The first, organized by the Turkish Nationalist Party
(MHP) and attended by 70,000 people, was one big protest against
Europe addressed by the party leader Devlet Bahceli. Self-appointed
spokesman, he held the crowd with a speech of more than 75 minutes
in a bid to convince his militants that the opening of negotiations
meant the start of serious trouble for Turkey. According to Bahceli,
this step will disrupt the nation’s social and economic development.

The second protest, organised by the Communist TKP party, drew around
3,000 people despite bad weather. The slogan of the demonstration in
the square – “An independent nation against Imperialism and Facism” –
accompanied the march and speeches, in a heartfelt “no” to dependence
on the European Union.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress