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

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Baszn Özeti
Turkish Daily News
Opinion by Mehmet .Ali Birand-January 10, 2001
The principle argument concerns the EU
Wherepolitics and the military part ways
We have never seem Prime Minister E.cevit as worked up as this. The statement by a Gendarmerie
added even more fuel to a ~ebate that has been smouldering for years.
official has
The debate we are talking about concerns who will govern the country this century and how, and just what
kind of Turkey will be created as a result.
Let's not get lost in detail.
Turkey is at a fork in the road as it ente~ the 21st century. It has to take such important decisions on political,
economic and social matters that the country's .spots are going to change. The mould in which the country has
been ruled for the past 75 years will be smashed.
1. Turkey is being forced to accelerate privatization, to abandon the state monopolies, to privatize state economic
enterprises (KIT) an~ abide by the rules of a free market economy. In other words, an attempt is being made to
wrest the economy from the hands of the state. .
2. Turkey is being forced to respect human rights, to put an end to torture and find a solution to the Southeast
problem that does involve the rules we have become accustomed to.
3. Turkey is being pushed into changing its stance over Cyprus and reaching an accord with Greece over the
Aegean.
. It is the European Union, the !MF, the European Parliament, the European Council and the United Nations,
in other words international public pressure, that is pushing Turkey in this direction.
Do you know what will happen if all this comes about?
The state willlose a lot of power.
The state will no longer be able to make rich whosoever it pleases and award contracts to those it considers
close to it, like it did in the past. It will no longer be able to bump off citizens in mystery murders whenever
it feels the need to.
The incredible power currently being held by the cadres governing the state will be drained away. This
will result in Turkey's future opening up. We will find ourselves unshackled and our country shall be a shining
beacon this century.
The huge dilemma
Everybody
What disturbs
stems from just this.
wants Turkey to shine, but at a different rate and in a different way.
Ecevit and Y1lmaz
What disturbs bath Ecevit and Y1lmaz is the fact thatthe military's voice has been getting progressively
louder evers since the 28 February process and that it has been getting more and more involved in the day-ta-day
running of the country.
It is Ecevit who is the kind of leader willing to compromise to the point where even in the face of the strongest
statements by the military can say, "The army is using its democratic right". It is Y1lmaz who is the kind of
leader who tolerates each of the military's tough statements in order not to escalate the tension ...
If both these men have reacted so strongly this time, it is a sign that things have slowly started changing
color and that the army has been told, "You're overstepping the mark somewhat".
We cannot know whether they will continue in this stance. What is known and seen is that the differences
between those who want Turkey to change its spots and those who do not have finally become apparent.
It is the struggle that will determine who will govern Turkey (the civilians or the military) and just what
kind of country it will become.
The more WesteI'J;lpressure on reducing the state's power is kept up, the more this struggle is going to escalate.
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