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Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Basm Özeti
Turkish Foreign Ministry had to satisfy the
Gennan demand that Ankara deny that
Erbakan had made these remarks in order for
Kinkel to continue with his trip.
But the Gennan Foreign Mmister was visibly
ruffled by these remarks which he knew
had been made and told reporters in the
Turkish Parliament that he would take up the
matter of this "megaphone diplomacy" when
he met with Prime Minister Erbakan later in
the day.
"I don't feel that to be a friendly welcome. 1
will say that calmly and clearly," he said,
Kinkel said that he had arrived in Turkey to
try and sort out the problems that exist
between the two countries. 'There is a need
for honest dialogue between friends. But this
must be conducted within the framework of a
certain tone." Referring to the remarks attributed
by OPA to Erbakan, Kinkel put the matter
in plain terms.
"If these remarks had not been denied then 1
was going to return to Germany from Rome
where 1was attending a meeting of EU foreign
Ministers ... Among ourselves we can say
what we want, but we have to weigh our
words when we are talking in 'public," Kinkel
said in what was a blunt chasttsement of the
Turkish prime minister.
Pointing out that there were seROUSproblems
in Turkish-EU ties, Kinkel said these ties
nevertheless had to be maintained in "calm
waters ....
Turkish-German relations have been on the
decline since Bonn reacted to Deputy Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister Tansu Çiller's
threat that Ankara would veto NATO expansion
if the EU took in former Warsaw Pact
members before Turkey.
While the Gennan Side inte~reted this as .
"attempted blackmail," Europe s Christian
Democrat led by German Chancellor Helmut
Kohl had subsequently sent an eqùally blunt
message to Ankara saxing it could not join the
EU for "civilizational' and "cultural" reasons.
This blunt message was said by diplomats
to have been spurred by Çmer's remarks about
NATO expansion. .
'Addressing a joint press conference with
Çiller after their talks' in the afternoon Kinkel
referred to the question of NATO expansion
and said every country had to act responsIblY
with regard to this issue.
"No one should demand of others what they
can not do," Kinkel said. .
He repeated that he had arrived in Turkey
with his head held high and that no German
official would arrive here with feelings of
shame.
Referring to the fact that Greece was blocking
EU funds allocated to Turkey under the
customs union, Kinkel said he too was not satisfied
with this situation.
Kinkel recalled that he had personally been
making great efforts to have this obstacle
removed.
The German Foreign Minister also declared
that while it was not in the cards that Turkey
should join the EU in the near future, Ankara
was nevertheless on the track to eventual
membership.
He dispelled any notions that Turkey would
be pushed aside from this track.
Kinkel also called on Turkey and Greece to
improve their relations. .
"I don't want to interfere in the domestic
affairs of Greece and Turkey but the two countries
have to come closer on a solution to the
Cyprus problem."
Kinkel that the human rights issues and the
"Kurdish problem" in Turkey were also
among the issues that were obstructing
Ankara' s path to the EU.
Foreign Minister Çiller for her part, said
that there was discrimination against Turkey in
Europe, adding that this should not be the
case.
"Our expectation is that we are treated justly,"
Çiller said reminding listeners that Turkey
was a longstanding member of NATO.
She also denied that there was a "Kurdish
problem" in Turkey. Çiller said that every person
in this country was a "first class citizen."
During his talks with Çiller, Kinkel is said
to have proposed a "new plan of action" for
enhancing Turkish-EU ties. The principal
components of this plan are said to incorporate
further development of the customs union, creating
new financial resources in this context,
cooperating against organized crime, particularly
against drug smuggling, and increasing
political and cultural contacts.
EU traffie
toeontinue
Ankara- Turldsb DaHy News
• High level diplomatic traffic to
Turkey from Europe is seen to be
increasing. French Foreign
Minister Herve de Charette and
Qutch Foreig~ Minister Hans Van
Miedo are set to arrive in Ankara
in early April for talks on Turkish-
EU ties. These visits will take
place on the heels of the on~oing
visit by German Foreign Mmister
Klaus Kinkel to Turkey
The French minister's visit is to
take up all issues of interest
between the two countries - from
the Middle East to the Caucasus
- but the agenda will no doubt be
topped by Turkey's relations with
the European Union.
De Charette, who has planned
to visit Turkey since last autumn,
Turkisb Dairy News rnURSDA Y, MARCH 27, 1997
is to be in Ankara April 2-3.
France, which has distanced itself from
the remarks made by the Christian
Democrats that Turkey was not a
European Union candIdate, said in the last
EU minister' s informal meeting in
Apeldoorn that the EU's commitments to
Ankara should be kept.
Herve de Charette said in that meeting
Turkey's candidacy should be judged in a
"non-discriminatory fashion" and "in the
same way" as the other European Union
candidates.
France, along with the Dutch presiden-
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