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

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Basm Özeti
The Turkish press on the Kinkel visit
'Turkish press gave extensive coverage to Gennan
'. Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel's visit. At the beginning,
TI the newspapers were preoccupied with headlines emphasizing
the crisis that could emerge from Erbakan' s comments
on "being ashamed" and "bowing the head."
The daily RadikaIreported in an article entitled, "Critical
guest in Ankara" that "'The most important aspect of Kinkel' s
visit is that German opinion would be revealed officially and'
clearly. The German government, led by Christian Democrat
leader Helmut Kohl, has caused sorne confusion as to its position
on Turkey's membership in the EU by sometimes 'objecting
to' and sometimes 'supporting' the idea."
Sabah columnist Mehmet Ali Birand outlined, in "We cannot
get anywhere in spite of Gennany," the positions of Turkey and
Germany prior to the visit as follows:
"Turkey's proposal: Ankara demands clarification of the
promise of full membership and, to allay the European fear of
extensive migration of unemployed Turks, the government pr0-
poses the suspension of the free circulation of labor and the use
offunds.
"'The technical phrase for this fonnula is Full Membership (-
), meaning 'Give us full membership without all of its benefits.'
"Gem1any' s proposal: The technical name for the German proposals
is customs union (+). Instead of full EU membership,
Gennany proposes the improvement of the customs union by
lifting the vetoes on customs union funds and through the inclusion
of Turkey in various institutions and activities of the EU,
but not on the list of Il."
HUrrlyet columnist Sedat Sertollu wrote: "Ankara is waiting
sion she gives to the public. She was e:xpected to smash the
table; such an incident did not happen."
Birand also reported on the Gennall delegation's comments
on the talks with l>rime Minister Erbakan. 'The Erbakan-Kinkel
talks were a total disap~intment acc«ding to the Gennan delegation,"
Birand wrote. ~Intwo thirds of the session, Erbakan
spoke, painting an extraordinary pictlJl'e of how the Muslims
invented algebra and concluding that the government plans
$120 billion in investments, from motorways to hundreds of
bridges and giant f?I'Ojects."
According to BlI'llnd, a high officilll in the German delegation
said, "At one stage, J asked myself if Erbakan came from
another world. He himself should ba~1l:difficulty in believing
what he told us." The same official de:scribed the talks with
Erbakan to Birand as 'wasted time ....
Birand's overall conclusion was tbat although the four-point
German proposal did not bring anythimg new, each of these
points could potentially be filled in productively. "The real
negotiations for Turkey's full membership
begun," concluded Birand.
in the EU have now
Daily YeniyUzytl reported on Kinkel's meeting with the
Turkish prime minister and the forei~ minister with a headline
advising Kinkel, "Don't be emotional" The headline of daily
Radikal read, "Kinkel spoke bitterly (lit European Union."
Kinkel's words that "Turkey knows \lIeIl that it is not within the
first group to enter an enlarged EU." were highlighted in the
. articfe's s~ts. The daily Zaman repoRed that Kinkel found
Erbakan, 'a very polite man, in conm.st to his statement prior to
the visit." Kinkel also reportedly stre!Sed the fact that Erbakan
had received a German education.
Zaman reported too that Kinkel paid athree-hour visit to
Bulgaria o~ his way home from Tufke:y and said at a press conference.
"I am extremely Jlad to have arrived in Bulgaria after a
distressing and difficult Visit to Turke)'."
with its swords unsheathed. I thinK Çi1ler will use very harsh
phrases. But our criticism should not extend to cutting our ties."
l'. Birand's article in the wake of the talks was, '''The expected
disaster did not take place." "Çiller was very cooperative,"
.
wrote Birand. "She did not insist on the tough woman impresferred
evaSive tactics.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
resorted to the usual tactic of charging the
press with false re,POrting. Since Kinkel is a
wrestler who studies his opponents carefully,
he decided that the explanation c~uld be
accepted and stepped onto the wrestling mat
in Turkey. .
However, he did feel that he had to
remind people of the international wrestling
rules before getting into the ring. He pointed
out the problem of over-exciting the viewers
through megaphone diplomacy, and how the
heroic wrestlers in these types of contests
held their tongues. "I have not come here to
bow my head or beg pardon," said he,
demonstrating just how stout a neck he presented
to those who thought to attack him
this way.
The prc:liminary' maneuvering ended and
the actual match got under way.
Sparring for holds
For federal Germany, the goal of this contest
was to clarify the situation once again.
Kinkel held talks with Prime Minister
Erbakan and Deputy Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister Tansu Ç~er, as well ~
with the leaders of human nghts orgamzations
and businessmen. The German
Foreign Minister passed along clear messages,
both through the choice of groups
with which he held talks and during the
talks themselves. He made sure that the
facts, which Turkish authorities are well
aware of but pretend not to understand,
were conveyed. Turkey cannot become a
full member of the EU unless the boss of the.
EU, Germany, says "ya," e'Venif the country
were to achieve the impossible and persuade
all the other EU members that it
should win its bid.
German authorities know that Turkey
belongs to Europe; thE;y stalld ~gainst its
isolation from Europe and advise Turkey to
continue on its journey to Europe. They
reminded people that they had said all these
things in the past and were repeating them
again.
But the road to Europe is a long and
arduous one. It does not seem that Turkey
will be able to travel it quickly, and without
accident, given its present bllrdens. For
Turkey to proceed rapidly along this road, it
must rid itself of these - hllIDan rights violations,
the "Kurdish" problem and disputes
with Greece over the Aegeam Sea and
C~~~
. el pointed out the w~:yin which
_
Turkey can overcome these problems. He
preseIltOO a report he
brought :from Germany
which had been prepared
by international organizations
on the current
human rights situation in
the Turkey. He stressed
the necessity of ending
human rights violations,
preventing torture and
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