TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER QUOTED ON RELATIONS WITH EU, ITALY, RUSSIA
by Vittorio Da Rold

Il Sole 24 Ore, Milan
Nov 5 2008
Italy

Marseilles – "The Turkish Government will not deviate from its
strategic aim of forcefully working for Turkey’s admission to the
European Union notwithstanding the criticism in the EU report, for
Europe and the reforms related to it are of fundamental importance
for the country’s development." That is what Turkish Foreign Minister
Ali Babacan says in a broad interview granted to Il Sole 24 Ore in
an aside at the Union for the Mediterranean Summit.

On the eve of the EU report that will be made public in Brussels
today [5 November] and that, according to well-informed diplomatic
sources, will contain stern criticism of Ankara over respect for
human rights in the Ergenekon (the Turkish Gladio) trial; of the
absence of an amendment to the Penal Code relating to the offence of
Turkish identity, which has allowed many trials of writers, including
the Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk; and of delays in the struggle
against corruption – Minister Babacan, 41, with an upbeat look and
a relaxed expression on his face, stresses Turkey’s course towards
European integration "at this critical moment in which the attitude
towards Turkey of some European partners (not Italy, which has always
backed us) has worsened. These, however, are cyclical developments
in a long and complex process that goes through ups and downs, just
as happened with Spain and Great Britain. The important thing is not
to lose sight of one’s long-term goals."

Still, Turkey’s admission is an opportunity for both partners, as
"Europe is strong by virtue of its diversity, its democratic values,
its rule of law, its tolerance, and its free market." Babacan says that
the trust in the reforms requested by Brussels remains unchanged, but
that the popularity of the Union is declining, having gone down from
75 per cent to 55 per cent. "The Turks feel that they are not being
accepted, and they emotionally respond with faltering enthusiasm."

As a great Muslim country, though secularized and democratic, in the
EU, Turkey would add "a major global force to the soft power [the
two preceding words in English] of the Union, expanding its culture,
values, and ethnic components. The EU would increase its influence on
areas like the Middle East, Central Asia, and the southern shores of
the Mediterranean, which was precisely the subject of our discussion in
Marseilles today," Babacan recalled, opining that "Turkey’s admission
to the Union goes precisely in this direction and Ankara has no hidden
agendas, but only the positive will to be an element of stability,
progress, and peace in the area."

Then the minister narrates an episode that was not made public:
"During the recent crisis in Georgia, Prime Minister Erdogan and
by flew to Moscow and met with Medvedev, Putin, and Lavrov whom we
informed directly (there were only the five of us) of our plan for
stability in the Caucasus. The initiative was a success, and now the
Russians share our approach to a solution that is based on diplomacy
and dialogue."

Babacan is about to leave for Rome and on to Prague in view of the
6-month Czech EU presidency, then to New York to inaugurate Turkey’s
installation as a non-permanent UN Security Council member.

"Through our cultural and historical links in the area, we are
making diplomatic efforts to promote relations between Azerbaijan
and Armenia, and for our part, to reopen a dialogue with Yerevan,
by starting projects for new gas pipelines and a rail network that
will run along the old Silk Route and will make it possible to link
Shanghai to London going through the Caucasus via Turkey." He does not
forget Afghanistan, as he says: "We have 800 soldiers there, have built
10 schools and 15 healthcare centres, and are involved in a difficult
process of mediation between the Afghanis and the Pakistanis, not to
mention our mediation efforts in Lebanon between Syria and Israel,
as well as over the Iranian nuclear dossier," the minister says.

As for Italian-Turkish relations, "they are excellent, and on 12
November a bilateral summit between the two governments will take place
in Izmir with the participation of the respective prime ministers,
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Silvio Berlusconi, two politicians who are
have also been close personal friends for a long time.

Italy is Turkey’s third-biggest economic partner after Russia and
Germany, and there are excellent development prospects: "Trade
exchanges stood at $17 billion in 2007," and they are estimated to
go up to $20 billion in 2008. "We are two complementary economies,
and that is proved by the 659 Italian enterprises which – apart from
Finmeccanica, Unicredit, FIAT, ENI, and Indesit – operate in our
country: You have the design, technology, and know-how, whereas we
have low costs and good production capabilities. The economy, policy,
last year’s 515,000 Italian tourists, and culture unite us," Babacan
concludes, before leaving for Rome where today, together with Italian
Foreign Minister Frattini, he will attend the Italian-Turkish Forum.