EU urges Ankara to rethink stance on Hamas

The New Anatolian, Turkey
Nov 4 2006

Describing Hamas as a "terrorist group" in its upcoming progress
report on Turkey, the European Union indirectly criticizes Ankara,
urging it to conform with the common position of the Union.

According to the draft progress report obtained by The New Anatolian
before the text is released by the EU next Wednesday, although
the Union states that "Turkey has broadly continued to align its
foreign and security policy with that of the EU…and has continued
to support the Middle East peace process," it continues by saying,
"Turkey declared in February 2006 to share the objectives EU Common
Position on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism
and ensure that its national policies would conform to that Common
Position. Hamas is on the list included in this Common Position."

On other issues about foreign, security and defense policy, while the
Union praises Turkey’s participation in the EU-led police missions
including Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUPM), former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia (Proxima) and in Congo (EUROPOL KINSHASA) and UN and NATO
peace missions for the development of European Security and Defense
Policy (ESDP), it criticized Turkey’s resistance to including Greek
Cyprus and Malta in the EU-NATO strategic cooperation based on the
"Berlin Plus" agreement. The reports also notes that Turkey continues,
for political reasons, to block Greek Cyprus’ membership in certain
suppliers’ groups, such as the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls
for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies.

Touching on Turkey’s relations with the Middle East, while the
report says that Turkey’s relations with Syria continued to develop
positively, it also praises Ankara’s efforts and concrete initiatives
to promote stability in Iraq by facilitating dialogue between U.S.

authorities and Sunni Arabs. "Turkey argues that there is a direct
link between the recent escalation of violence in the southeast of
Turkey and increased clashes between Turkish Armed Forces and the
PKK and ‘infiltration of PKK members’ from the Iraqi border," it was
said in the report, saying that a significant number of troops were
deployed along the Iraqi border in order to prevent infiltration by
PKK terrorists from northern Iraq.

The report also praised Turkish efforts to encourage Iran to
comply with the demands of the international community and the
country’s support to EU efforts to obtain long-term guarantees for
the implementation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and its
Nuclear Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) by Iran.

The continued strong support of Turkey for the "Bonn process"
concerning the reconstruction of Afghanistan was also praised in
the report.

Brussels urges Turkey to open its border with Armenia

The Union in the progress report also urges Turkey to open its border
with Armenia, stressing that this would be an important step forward
in the establishment of good neighborly relations between the two
countries and would boost trade relations.

While urging Turkey to open its border with Armenia, the EU cites
the lack of significant developments in relations between Turkey and
Armenia since the official exchange of letters between Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian President Robert Kocharian
in April 2005.

However the EU notes a closer alignment of Turkey’s official position
with EU positions in relation with the Southern Caucasus and Central
Asia. "Turkey has reiterated its support for the European Neighborhood
Policy. Turkey participates in the regional initiative GUAM (Georgia,
Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova) with observer status.

Turkey followed closely the elections in Azerbaijan. It aligned itself
with the EU Presidency statement on the elections in Azerbaijan on
10 November 2005," said the report.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress