Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

Revu"e de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Basln Özeti
'ers, Wildred Maartens, a former Be.lgiaIi
prime minister, said that Turkey "IS not
a candidate to become a member of the
European Union, short-term or long." ~
Turkish diplomats sought to d~wn"
play the results of the Brussels meeting.
by pointing out that it did not officially
reflect the views of either the European
Union or any member government. The
statement Wednesday by MT. Kinkel,
however, was an official declaration by
one ofthe Union 's most important mem-.
ber states.
'
While rejecting Turkish hopes fo(;
quick membership in the El!ropean Uni"';
on, Mr. Kinkel assured hiS hosts that'
Turkey "belongs to Europe" and is "an
important country with great respon-'
sibilities." Foreign Minister Tansû
Ciller of Turkey seized on those as-,
surances in an effort to extract
:something positive from a strikingly
:negative message.
"We are on the main t5'1ckto Europe,
not on some outside track," Mrs. Cille~
'asserted. "Naturally there are obstacles'
and problems which Europe has brought
up repeatedly."
"The Cyprus problem cannot re
solved quickly because we need fle; ,1
ibility on both sides," she continuev
"As for human rights, we take these
problems very seriously in Turkey. Wt:
have taken very important steps. In the
interest of the Turkish people, Turkey is;
determined to improve this situation. "
Supporters of Turkey'sapplicationto
join the European
Union have warned
that a clear European rejection like that
which Mr. Kinkel delivered would,
'sll'engiiiëii ,.ani i-Weslern"t'acùon's-Iierë',
'so,ne::or\VhlCh-~~elnt1uêntlâï-miïie
Mr. Kinkel being escorted by an honor guard in An'kara after a wreath-laying ceremony
Wednesday at the, mausoleum, of Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey.
.Iamlst government oflYrime""tv1iii1s' ' ' '!hàt T~rkey is fundlunentalty incompat-
Necmettin Erbakan.'
Ible With Europe and should look for
'Mr. Erbakan haspublicly Sup? friends elsewhere.
,;is country'sdrive for mem,lF'~s" , '_ p~!h~p~!J::1~~~!!..oB.&est supporter o~
.ihe EU, but he has c..ppell!ed I:," Turkey s bid to J.Olnûleturope.an U!1lOn
thusiastic ab~.':l~..iI1,lpr()~m.!L.!~::':'_., has been the l!mte~ States, which Views,
WTtlï Libya, lian and other MùSIim coun- Turkey as a vital plll!lf of ~uropean and
.tries.
Middle Eastern secunty. Nicholas Burns,
. The statements by Mr. Kinkel could the chief State Department spokesman,:
be"used by Islamists here who believe
,
recentlysaid tha.tTurkey's,~uture "ought!
to be grounded In Europe.
rwtr6- Türkisb Daily News THURSDAY, MARCII27, 1997
Turkish-German ties come to the boil
Bonn angry: Kinkel says he has no intention of bowing his head as PM Erbakan suggested he should do
Ankara- Turkish Daily News Kinkel in the afternoon, Prime Minister
Erbakan was asked by a reporter before
• Tensions betweenAnkara and Bonn
the tàlks what he had meant by his
that have been silently simmering in
remarks the day before.
recent weeks came to theboil on
Resorting to his traditional "get~way
Wednesday during the visit of German
tactic" when confronted by such dIfficult
questinsErbakan ,merely said, .
, Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel to
Turkey.
"Don't beheve everythmgyou read In
. "I came to Turkey as the German
the press." ,
Foreign Minister. At the same time, I
He did, however, have indirect
represent the EU. I have no intention of
words of caution for the German
.apologizing or bowing my head,"
Foreign Minister when he saidthat
Kinkel said after meeting members of
Turkey's friends in Europe "should not
the Foreign Affairs Commission in
arrive at decisions that are detrimental
Parliament in the morning. These harsh
for themselves."
words from the visiting' Foreign
Both Erbakan and Kinkel were visibly
uncomfortable during the meeting.
Minister were in response to remarks
by Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan
At one stage Ihl' (Jl'rman Foreign .
on Wednesday.
Minister asked if "they were going to conduct
Speaking to his Parliamentary grouP,.
their talks in front of the pre~s." Kinkel came
Erbakan had called for "respect towards
close to calling off his visit to Turkey aftèr
Turkey" and suggested that Kinkél .
Erbakan' s remarks of the day before were
. would have to "bow his head in shame"
reported by the German press agency, OPA.
during his visit to Ankara. Receiving
Following a flurry of diplomatic activity the
92