GUL TO DEAL WITH FAMILIAR FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES IN STRASBOURG
EmÝne Kart Strasbourg
Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Oct 3 2007
During his first international public appearance in Strasbourg,
President Abdullah Gul is expected to deal today with key issues
of Turkish foreign policy such as the Cyprus issue and Armenian
allegations of a so-called genocide — issues on which he worked
during his term as foreign minister.
Gul, who arrived in Strasbourg on Tuesday, is accompanied by his
spouse, Hayrunnisa Gul, Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek and
Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Þahin. On the first day of his visit,
the president took some time to meet with the Turkish community in
France, speaking with their representatives in Strasbourg, home to
approximately 35,000 Turks.
Today, after delivering a speech in which he is expected to underline
Turkey’s commitment to reform and reaching European standards,
Gul will respond to questions from Council of Europe Parliamentary
Assembly (PACE) members. Both the Armenian and the Greek Cypriot
members of the assembly have planned to address questions to
Turkey’s president concerning Ankara’s policies on the Cyprus issue
and Armenian allegations of genocide. Turkish Cypriot deputies who
have been attending PACE sessions as "representatives of the Turkish
Cypriot community" since early 2005 will also direct questions to
Gul, who last month paid his first visit abroad to the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) in a show of support for the
Turkish Cypriots. The controversy over the ecumenical title of the
Ýstanbul based-Greek Orthodox patriarch, not recognized by Ankara,
is also likely to be another subject to be brought to the agenda by
PACE members. Gul and PACE President Rene van der Linden, who on
Monday expressed confidence in Gul’s representative ability, will
hold a joint press conference by noon before moving on to a luncheon
hosted by PACE in honor of Turkey’s president.
Later in the day Gul will have talks with Thomas Hammarberg, PACE
commissioner for human rights, and Yavuz Mildon, a Turkish citizen
heading the Chamber of Regions of the Congress at PACE since 2004.
While in Strasbourg, Gul will bring to mind promises made by PACE
over three years ago for putting an end to the Turkish Cypriots’
international isolation. His visit to the office of the Turkish
Cypriot deputies at PACE will also offer him a chance to urge the
international community once more to keep their promises to ease
the international isolation of the Turkish Cypriots. Meanwhile,
Terry Davis, secretary-general of the Council of Europe, on Tuesday
described certain remarks by Gul concerning the divided island of
Cyprus as "unfortunate."
During his visit to the KKTC, Gul said that acceptance of the realities
on the island — namely the existence of two states, two peoples and
two religions — should be the basis of efforts to find a solution on
the island. "I think the reference to two religions was unfortunate,"
Davis briefly said, when reminded by a Greek Cypriot journalist at
a press conference of Gul’s statement.
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