Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
REVUE DE PRESSE-PRESS REVIEW-BERHEVOKA ÇAPÊ-RwISTA STAMPA-DENTRO DE LA PRENSA-BASlN ÖZETi<br />
that Ankara "should take a concr<strong>et</strong>e step to<br />
<strong>de</strong>monstrate its will for <strong>de</strong>mocratic reform."<br />
Within this framework. Ciller's statement<br />
last week that Kurdish broadcasts or<br />
Kurdish-language lessons could be allowed<br />
was carefully noted, although it was also<br />
observed that Çiller has ma<strong>de</strong> several statements<br />
before.<br />
Another step, European diplomats say in<br />
private conversation, would be changing<br />
article 84 of the constitution, which was<br />
invoked in stripping the parliamentary status<br />
of the Democracy Party <strong>de</strong>puties.<br />
Turkish diplomats have told the Turkish<br />
Daily News that while Ankara was "not dissatisfied"<br />
with the French government's<br />
stance in its approach to the human rights,<br />
some French interest groups and some parliamentarians<br />
have ma<strong>de</strong> "a very biased and<br />
unwelcome" interference to Turkey's<br />
domestic affairs.<br />
Ironically, Çiller's visit to France is ma<strong>de</strong><br />
at a time when the French government is<br />
also criticized for putting civilliberties<br />
behind interests of public security, and, also,<br />
being involved in a "French-style<br />
Watergate."<br />
Last month, the French police was criticized<br />
for hauling Bernard Tapie, a centerleft<br />
<strong>de</strong>puty accused of fraud. out of his hed<br />
early in morning and taken away in handcuffs.<br />
The fact that Tapie's telephone had<br />
been tap~d at a judge's or<strong>de</strong>r gave way to<br />
more cnticism. and prompted ~he French<br />
National Assembly to pass a bIll the next<br />
day that the presi<strong>de</strong>nt of the both houses of<br />
the parliamènt shouldbeinformed about<br />
plans to tap a <strong>de</strong>puty's telephone.<br />
Çiller's agenda<br />
Çiller' s visit marks the upward trend in<br />
ties which started with the visit of P.resi<strong>de</strong>nt<br />
Mitterrand to Turkey in 1992, Foreign<br />
Ministry spokesman Ferhat Ataman said.<br />
While in <strong>Paris</strong>. Çiller is scheduled to me<strong>et</strong><br />
Izmir-born French Prime Minister Edouard<br />
Balladur and French Foreign Minister Alain<br />
Juppe. She will. however, will not be able to<br />
me<strong>et</strong> Francois Mitterrand. who is recovering<br />
from his second prostate operation in two<br />
years. A l<strong>et</strong>ter wishing a speedy recovery<br />
was conveyed to Mitterrand by Presi<strong>de</strong>nt<br />
Sülexman Demirel on Tuesday.<br />
Ciller, whose accompanymg <strong>de</strong>legation<br />
inclu<strong>de</strong>s businessmen, will also me<strong>et</strong> with<br />
French business circles and members of the<br />
French press.<br />
Given the fact that France takes over the<br />
European Union term-presi<strong>de</strong>ncy after<br />
Germany, <strong>Paris</strong> becomes an important capital<br />
for Turkey.<br />
Çiller, acutely aware of Turkey's economic<br />
difficulties in establishing a customs<br />
union with the EU by the end of 1995. will<br />
stress once more that the European Eleven<br />
should display sufficient political will to<br />
overcome Greek objections to establishment<br />
of ties b<strong>et</strong>ween Turkey and Greece.<br />
She is also expected to reiterate Turkish<br />
objection to the membership of Cyprus in<br />
the European Union.<br />
An.kara i~ eager to inclu<strong>de</strong> france in the<br />
tripartite mechanism of consultation which<br />
was launched last year b<strong>et</strong>ween Turkey,<br />
Britain and Gennany. France has signalled<br />
that it could join in during the next me<strong>et</strong>ing,<br />
whose date is y<strong>et</strong> to be s<strong>et</strong>.<br />
Other international issues on the agenda<br />
appear to the situation in Iraq, the flushing<br />
of the Turco-Iraqi pipeline. the situation in<br />
Bosnia-Herzegovina with particular stress<br />
on the new peace plan and the conflict in the<br />
Caucasus.<br />
Ankara has recently rejected the request<br />
of France on behalf of a nongovernmental<br />
organization to transport humanitarian aid to<br />
Armenia.<br />
On Bosnia, Foreign Minister Hikm<strong>et</strong><br />
ç<strong>et</strong>in earlier this week criticized a <strong>de</strong>cision<br />
by France and Britain to withdraw their<br />
peacekeepers from Bosnia, saying this<br />
would give the wrong message to Serbs.<br />
Three days before Çiller's visit to <strong>Paris</strong>.<br />
Demirel has written a l<strong>et</strong>ter to Mitterrand -<br />
along with the lea<strong>de</strong>rs of G-7 and Russia -<br />
urging them to put pressure on the Serbs to<br />
accept the new peace plan. Demirel said that<br />
the Bosnians should be given the right to<br />
<strong>de</strong>fend themselves. thus calling for the lifting<br />
of the embargo.<br />
On the economic front, the two prime<br />
ministers will discuss ways to boost economic<br />
ties, which Foreign Ministry<br />
spokesman Ataman said had improved over<br />
the recent years.<br />
France has the highest foreign investment<br />
in Turkey, Ataman said, adding that 137<br />
French firms were active in Ankara.<br />
Turks seem complacent as the outlawed DEP<br />
tightens legalistic noose<br />
Former Del1wcracy Party <strong>de</strong>puties maintain that Turkish security forces have established allumber<br />
of 'concentration camps' ill Southeastern Anatolia of town on th~ir yearly leaves. Only the visiting DEP<br />
By Ugur Akmel<br />
Turkish Daily Nell's<br />
WASHINGTON- Washington is still scorched by an,<br />
unrelenting, humid and sticky heat wave. Close your<br />
eyes for a moment, and you might swear you' re in<br />
Adana. But politics never comes to a standstill in this<br />
city even when the thermom<strong>et</strong>ers melt. Capitol Hill continues<br />
to hum with one fren<strong>et</strong>ic committee me<strong>et</strong>ing after<br />
another before the Congress adjourns for the August<br />
break.<br />
The Turkish offices are qui<strong>et</strong>er. The office of the<br />
Turkish milita~' attache is enjbying relati"e calm following<br />
the whirlwind "isit of Land Forces Comman<strong>de</strong>r<br />
Gen. Karadayl.<br />
The embassv is also idling In lower gear.<br />
Ambassador Kan<strong>de</strong>mir left town a while ago for hls 45-<br />
. day summer "acation<br />
in Turkey.<br />
Most of the counselors<br />
are also out<br />
(the pro-Kurdish Democracy Party which was banned.<br />
~y the Turkish. Constitutional Court on June ]6) <strong>de</strong>]egatwn<br />
- C0mpnsed of former Van Deputy Remzi Kar1al.<br />
former ~ardin Deputy Ali Yigit, Kerim Nevsehir from<br />
the KurdIsh ~uman Rights Project (KHRP al London),<br />
and the Amencan Kurdish Information N<strong>et</strong>work's Kani<br />
Xulam - seems to be as busy as a bee.<br />
DEP is busy in Washington<br />
The DEP ex-<strong>de</strong>puties, who can receive the <strong>de</strong>ath<br />
penalty, if they .go back to Turkey, seem to be everywhere<br />
ln Was~IDgton thes.e days, having one me<strong>et</strong>ing<br />
~fter another With human nghts groups, NGOs, journal-<br />
Ists (mostly non-Turkish) and selected members of the<br />
U.S. Congress. The International Human Riohts e Law<br />
Group ll!1R~G) and the Conference on Security and<br />
Coopqllon m Europe (~SCE) provi<strong>de</strong> ail the logistic<br />
sùpport the DEP <strong>de</strong>legatIOn needs to spread their word<br />
around town. And the word is "we need to end the mill-<br />
59