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
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Revue <strong>de</strong> Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro <strong>de</strong> la Prensa-Basm Öz<strong>et</strong>i<br />
Industry hosted the Thursday luncheon, which<br />
was atten<strong>de</strong>d by prominent businessmen such<br />
as Sak1p.~abancI, Bülent EczaClb~l, Ishak<br />
Alaton, Uzeyir Garih, Feyyaz Berker and<br />
Sarik Tara. During the course of his remarks,<br />
the German foreign minister stressed the need<br />
for Turkey, as a big country, to take the frrst<br />
step in approaching Greece in an effort to<br />
solve the problems b<strong>et</strong>ween the two countries.<br />
"I know it is complicated and difficult, but<br />
Turkèyshould take the first step," stressed<br />
Kinkel, noting that as a country Turkey was<br />
important and strorig and from ~ strategic<br />
point of view even more important. He said<br />
that he had m<strong>et</strong> Wednesday evening with a<br />
member of the Turkish opposition and bad<br />
broached the.topic. The latter had been in<br />
agreement with him that this was a good way<br />
to open a dialogue and solve their problems.<br />
Warning against tying the Cyprus problem<br />
to the European Union, Kjnkel pointed out<br />
that the subject ofCyprus' membership in the<br />
EU would be discussed at a later date. He<br />
also said "We are 15 countries and we have<br />
-more problems. Turkish- Greek problems<br />
cannot be solved in the EU. The EU would<br />
be placing itself in a difficult position. The<br />
problems cannot be solved there." Enka<br />
Board Chairman Sarik Tara asked wh<strong>et</strong>her<br />
Germany could help Turkey solve the Cyprus<br />
problem and Greek-Turkish relations. Kinkel<br />
replied, "Personally l want to dô my best. l<br />
know it is difficult. It might be a good i<strong>de</strong>a if<br />
the Greek and Turkish prime ministers were<br />
to me<strong>et</strong> each other, .I'm not greatly hopeful<br />
but Greece and Turkey have to have dialogue<br />
b<strong>et</strong>ween them."<br />
The German foreign minister stressed that<br />
Turkey should consi<strong>de</strong>r how impqrtant a year<br />
1997~98will be for Europe and for Germany.<br />
I~the EU countries were unable to s<strong>et</strong> up the<br />
s.mglemon<strong>et</strong>ary systèm and Turkey }Vould<br />
lIke to g<strong>et</strong> close to Europe, then this year was<br />
important for Turkey. Headvjsed Turkey to<br />
take measures to solve the Kurdish and<br />
human rights problems and at the same time,<br />
examine political, cultural and soCial matters ..<br />
Pointing out that he himself had worked in the .<br />
Gc;rman Justice Ministry for 8.5 years, Kinkel<br />
s.aI~that he had the impression that what initIatives<br />
were taken by Turkey were often late..<br />
He suggested that instead of complaining to<br />
other peopl~, the Turk.s_should do som<strong>et</strong>hing<br />
about therr mternal problems. As for the min- ,.'<br />
ister's me<strong>et</strong>ing with Turkish Prime Minister<br />
Necm<strong>et</strong>tin Erbakan, he noted that the latter<br />
seemed to be a very polite person. One subject<br />
wh!ch was discussed was Turkey's contacts<br />
Wltha number of Islamic countries. '.<br />
Kinkel how~ver sa!d that whenhe compared<br />
the ~onoffilc r~latlons ~<strong>et</strong>ween Turkeyarid<br />
!theelght Islanuc countnes with which the<br />
Erbakan government had established relati;o~s,.he.~aw<br />
that tra.~eb<strong>et</strong>V/eenarpong them<br />
only amounted to iOpercent of the tra<strong>de</strong><br />
being conducted b<strong>et</strong>ween Turkey and .<br />
Germany.<br />
The foreign minister as well remin<strong>de</strong>d the<br />
a~dien.c<strong>et</strong>hat Germany had her own problems:<br />
wlth high unemployment and a large number :<br />
of r<strong>et</strong>irees. These problems had grown after<br />
the two Germanys were reunited. Problems<br />
within Germany with itscoalition government<br />
and in the government itself and a heavy foreign<br />
policy conunitment were facing his<br />
country. He also said that they had some<br />
problems with Turkey as well.' In Germany<br />
people had attacked him over Turkey's poor<br />
human rights record and the' Kurdish problems.<br />
"I know the Turks like us and l know<br />
they may be disappointed. I frrst came here in<br />
1992 and I followed some of the events in the<br />
southeast. I too g<strong>et</strong> ashamed when l consi<strong>de</strong>r<br />
the Solingen events (where Turkish property<br />
was frrebombed)."<br />
. The luncheon was opened by Horst Kaiser,<br />
the German- Turkish Chamber board chairman,<br />
who said, "We want Turkey to enter the<br />
EU and we are supporting Turkey."<br />
During his visit to Istanbul, the minister<br />
held me<strong>et</strong>ings with representatives of human<br />
rights organizations in Turkey according to<br />
officials. He held a closed me<strong>et</strong>ing with Eren<br />
Keskin" vice presi<strong>de</strong>nt of the Human Rights<br />
Association (IHD) and with Esber Yagmur<strong>de</strong>reli,<br />
a lHO lawyer. Talking with reporters<br />
after the me<strong>et</strong>ing, Yagmur<strong>de</strong>reli said that he<br />
and Keskin gave Kinkel evi<strong>de</strong>nce of the use<br />
of police brutality and torture against people<br />
held on political charges.<br />
Before leaving Ankara for Istanbul on<br />
Thursday morning Kinkel m<strong>et</strong> Akm Birdal,<br />
the head of the Turkish Human Rights<br />
Association (IHD) over breakfast.<br />
: Bird~l told reporters after the me<strong>et</strong>ing that<br />
he provl<strong>de</strong>d the German Foreign Minister<br />
with a "photograph of the state of human<br />
rights in Turkey."<br />
. .Birdal said the request for the me<strong>et</strong>ing had<br />
come from the German si<strong>de</strong>. He said that<br />
wi.th.this ~e<strong>et</strong>ing th.eGerman Foreign<br />
Mmlster aimed to highlight the importance<br />
of nongovernmental (NGO) organizations<br />
and human rights groups in a <strong>de</strong>mocracy.<br />
"He said he knows that NGOs are in a difficult<br />
situation in Turkey and said he support-<br />
. ed our work,':,Birdal said. Kinkel ma<strong>de</strong> no<br />
statement after me<strong>et</strong>ing Birdal. .<br />
Kinkel toured Istanbul's 17t~ centUry<br />
Blue Mo~que and the 6th century Aya Sofia<br />
Museum ID the Sultanahm<strong>et</strong> district in the<br />
morning and éhatted with German tourists<br />
v.'hom he m<strong>et</strong>. ~u~ to his busy schedule, he<br />
had to cancel a VISltto the German high<br />
school in Istanbul. Kinkel left Istanbul in the<br />
late afternoon.<br />
96