ERGENEKON CASE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE RULE OF LAW IN TURKEY, WIERSMA SAYS
Today’s Zaman
April 13 2009
Turkey
Jan Marinus Wiersma, the vice chairman of the Party of European
Socialists (PES) in the European Parliament, has stated that he sees
the ongoing investigation into the Ergenekon terrorist organization, a
shadowy network charged with planning to topple the elected government,
as an opportunity to prove the prevalence of the rule of law if the
case is handled properly.
The Dutch politician paid a visit to Istanbul to introduce the Turkish
version of the book "Travels to Europe’s Muslim Neighbors: The Quest
for Democracy," which he co-authored with his fellow national Joost
Lagendijk, chairman of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee and
member of the Greens / European Free Alliance Group in the European
Parliament.
Both politicians are sitting on the European Parliament’s Committee
on Foreign Affairs and are known for their support of the Turkish
bid to join the EU.
Wiersma answered Today’s Zaman’s questions about several different
issues which are closely followed not only in Turkey but also by the
EU, since the two are holding negotiations and envisioning Turkish
membership in the bloc once successfully completed. Among the matters
discussed, Cyprus took the lead since negotiations between the leaders
of the south and north, Dimitris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat,
respectively, are continuing and the famous Ergenekon investigation
has spread to the island.
Christofias and Talat have been meeting for talks for more than seven
months to find a solution to the longstanding Cyprus crisis. Wiersma
said the European Parliament is expecting Turkey to recognize the
southern administration of the island as it is a member of the EU
representing the entire island; however, he also stressed that he
understands that Turkey links the recognition of the Greek authorities
with the problems faced in the north by the Turks there. "There should
be more pressure on Greek Cyprus to cooperate," Wiersma explained,
adding that every time the EU wants some improvements for the northern
side of the island, the Greeks insist on recognition of their authority
on the island, which does not lead anywhere.
Asked about what will happen if the talks between the Cypriot leaders
fail, Wiersma said the EU does not have any interest in suspending
talks with Turkey and he does not think that will happen. He added
that the EU’s attitude depends on what Prime Minister Erdogan’s
government does this year as well as what happens in the cases of
the rapprochement with Armenia, the Kurdish issue and the adoption of
a civilian constitution, along with other reforms to be made within
the framework of the accession process into the EU.
On the other hand, Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (KKTC) Ferdi Sabit Soyer filed a request last week, demanding
an investigation into allegations against former KKTC President Rauf
DenktaÅ~_ and former Prime Minister DerviÅ~_ Eroglu, leader of the
main opposition National Unity Party (UBP), whose names are mentioned
in the second indictment in the Ergenekon trial. Wiersma told Today’s
Zaman that it is not surprising the Ergenekon investigation extends
to the island given DenktaÅ~_’s links with the ultranationalists and
the army in Turkey.
Further commenting on the Ergenekon trial, Wiersma said the EU
is pleased that Turkish prosecutors are digging up some dirt,
which would not have happened 10 years ago, a situation Wiersma
argued as indicating the progress the country has made. "Besides,
it is an opportunity for Turkey to show that it is a country of the
rule of law," said Wiersma, adding that he does not agree with the
main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) officials over their
claims that the investigation is a scheme of the Turkish government
to oppress the opposition.
The Dutch politician also talked about former Danish Prime Minister
Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s election as the next secretary-general of NATO
and statements made by EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn beforehand
that a Turkish veto preventing Rasmussen’s bid would negatively affect
Turkey’s pursuit of membership in the EU. He said he was never happy
with Rasmussen’s candidacy and that it is not Rehn’s responsibility
to comment about a matter which has nothing to do with the EU or its
enlargement: "We always to try to avoid mixing the EU with NATO,"
Wiersma underlined in reaction to Rehn’s remarks.
Having talked about Rehn’s uneasiness with Turkey’s initial resistance
to Rasmussen, Wiersma touched on the subject of French Minister
of Foreign Affairs Bernard Kouchner saying he no longer supports
the Turkish accession to the EU after the Turkish veto against
Rasmussen. "I find his remarks opportunistic because there are
speculations that he will seek to be the next secretary-general of
the European Council, who will also be EU foreign minister since the
Lisbon Treaty was adopted." Wiersma added that Kouchner’s withdrawal of
support could also be because he may be trying to align himself with
President Nicolas Sarkozy, known for his strong opposition Turkey’s
accession to the EU.
Wiersma is a socialist politician who is normally supposed to have
his best relations in Turkey with the CHP, deemed to follow socialist
ideals; however, he told Today’s Zaman that the party he serves in, the
PES, has better relations with the ruling Justice and Development Party
(AK Party). "For the last six to seven years our relationship with the
CHP has been a very complicated one since it has aligned itself with a
nationalistic agenda and forgotten that it is a social democrat party,"
he explained. Wiersma also said he does not believe that Erdogan has
a hidden agenda in moving Turkey toward becoming an Islamist country.
Examining Bosnia, Egypt and Morocco as well as Turkey in his
aforementioned book, Wiersma argued that the latter is a model of
evolution not only for the other countries analyzed in the book
but also for the entire Muslim world. He stressed that Mustafa
Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic, played a key role
in transforming the country back in the 1920s and ’30s and laid
the groundwork for the possibility of accession negotiations with
the EU. But ironically, if he was the president of the country now,
Wiersma said, and ruled the country as he had ruled it 80 years ago,
Turkey would not be continuing talks with the EU.
For the information of Turkish readers, the book, written by Dutch
members of the European Parliament, is published in Turkish with the
title "Avrupa’nın Musluman KomÅ~_uları."