La Stampa, Italy,
9 Nov 2006

Italian, Turkish FMs urge Turkey’s admission to EU

by Antonella Rampino

"D’Alema and Gul: Turkey in EU antidote against terrorism"

Rome: Turkey in the European Union would be "the best guarantee
against the great danger that threatens world stability now, the
danger of a conflict of civilizations," that is, between Islam and
the West. The statements made by Massimo D’Alema and his Turkish
counterpart, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul were each almost a
photocopy of the other. They were made at the end of the
Italian-Turkish forum, organized by Unicredit and Limes for the third
year running, which this year exactly coincided with the arrival of a
much-expected report by the European Commission on the EU extension
towards Ankara. And precisely as Brussels’ prescriptions were being
published, Gul let it be known from Rome that "he hoped that they
were balanced, without time limits and deadlines: we well know that
there are still shortcomings, but we are determined to meet all the
conditions." However, he went on, "you must give us time, reforms
must first of all be our achievements, not a way to please the Union,
but the course of a people who deserve the reforms."

Gul spoke yesterday, saying that "he did not have the time to read
the report," which sets these same deadlines, in particular over the
thorny Cyprus recognition issue, which will be "monitored" until the
end of 2006: on Gul’s part, a means of conveying a message to
Brussels, reminding it, on this occasion, of Turkey’s economic
weight, "our foreign trade, which was 35 billion euros four years
ago, now stands at 90 billion, and the heavy engineering industry,
not textiles, is the main item."

Alessandro Profumo had already recalled that Turkey was the first
market for Unicredit (Italy comes third only) and that Turkey "thanks
to a large-scale industrial maturity is destined to become one of the
players in the world economy."

D’Alema opened the curtain on the future: "With Turkey in Europe, an
adhesion that we consider to be of strategic importance, the European
Union may become a real global protagonist, both on the economic and
the geo-strategic plane." Precisely for this reason "our government
is against alternatives to complete membership in the EU."

Former Farnesina [Italian Foreign Ministry] official Ruggiero was
even more explicit in the closed-door session of day’s meeting:
"Within 20 or 25 years the place list of the world powers will be
revolutionized, China will come first, then India, and only after
that the United States and, if it is united and if it grows, Europe
will be among the first five." "I found the Turks to be rather
downbeat, they attach great importance to the admonishments coming
from Europe," the long-serving diplomat confides.

D’Alema makes the same evaluation and, at a lunch, urged Gul to
"understand recommendations from the European Commission as a
powerful incentive."

Cardinal Poupard was also at the table, but sitting at a distance
from Gul. Apparently, there was no exchange of opinions about the
Pope’s forthcoming trip to Turkey. "I am sure it will be a success,"
Gul said, affirming that "the Vatican knew, when it set the dates for
the trip, that neither Erdogan nor I could absent ourselves from the
NATO summit that is to be held at the same time."

As for the substance of Brussels’ "recommendations," Gul would rather
not commit himself, but on Cyprus he does not intend to back down.
"Europe had also promised to open the island’s Turkish zone to free
trade," he says. Then D’Alema steps in, "on Cyprus a compromise is
needed, defusing the short circuit in the island’s unification and in
the dialogue between Turkey and the European Union": on this front,
the rotating Finnish presidency is working for the Union. D’Alema
also urges Turkey to move on to another point that Brussels stresses:
the notorious Article 301 of the Penal Code, which curbs full freedom
of expression. It is the norm under which, for example, Nobel Prize
winner Orhan Pamuk was brought to trial. "You apply it so seldom, so
there is good reason to cancel it altogether."

This is all right, but in the meantime France is passing anti-Turkish
laws with penal sanctions for those who do not recognize the genocide
of the Armenians.