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EU criticizes Turkey for southeast policy
16.6.2005
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'We
have the impression that state institutions are less
active in implementing legislation than before
December 2004,' Dutch Ambassador Gosses says during
a meeting with Prime Minister Erdoğan
ANKARA - Turkish Daily News -
The European Union's stance against terrorism by
members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
is firm, yet the Turkish government should introduce
a civil alternative to achieve structural peace in
the region as the military option alone cannot be a
durable solution although it is necessary to restore
order for the moment, according to EU diplomats.
Yet, following certain criticism from European
diplomats in Ankara, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdoğan yesterday defended the military operations
in the southeast region.
Amid a shadow cast by recent French and Dutch
rejections of the EU constitution over Turkey's EU
aspirations and Ankara's attitude of dismissing
concerns by saying that ongoing debate within the
bloc was not related to Turkey's EU bid, EU
diplomats have voiced one particular conclusion that
could be safely drawn from the atmosphere in Europe.
“The European public will be more critical of
enlargement and expect from candidates full
compliance with the rules, both the Copenhagen
criteria and the more technical acquis-communautaire,”
Dutch Ambassador Sjoerd Gosses said during a regular
dinner meeting of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdoğan and EU ambassadors on Tuesday night in
Ankara.
Both the Turkish government and Turkish diplomats
have recently been reminding the EU that the
European Council had already decided preconditions,
namely the Copenhagen criteria, for the start of
entry talks with the bloc had been fulfilled per a
December summit last year where the Council set the
date for the start of talks as Oct. 3.
Copenhagen criteria fulfilled or not:
Nevertheless, as the Oct. 3 date approaches,
Ankara's recent attitude seems to be taken as
neglecting the Copenhagen criteria more than a sign
of self-confidence or political will towards
fulfilling necessary requirements of the EU as a
candidate country.
“We have the impression that state institutions are
less active in implementing legislation than before
December 2004,” Gosses said, whose country
represents EU term president Luxembourg in Ankara
since Luxembourg doesn't have an embassy here.
Impact of deficiencies in bureaucratic
implementation has particularly been observed in
cultural rights, Gosses added.
“This leads to a subject of great concern, namely
the situation in the southeast, which is -- again --
the scene of large scale military operations. It
looks as if the bad old days are back after years of
relative calm and some economic improvement. People
in the region are losing hope for the future,”
Gosses said in his speech, a copy of which was
obtained by the Turkish Daily News.
However, when reminded of the criticism by Gosses,
Erdoğan said he hasn't heard any criticism over
military operations in the southeast region from the
EU ambassadors despite the speech text.
The ambassador, nevertheless, reiterated the EU's
stance on PKK terrorism as well as political
experimentation in the area, according to the speech
text.“The EU stands for integration, not for
disintegration, of its future members and has
encouraged Kurds to actively participate in the
process of modernization and accession,” Gosses said
urging the Turkish government to share its views
with EU member states on the issue, which the EU
“hopes will not get out of control.”
‘Government should display its political will':
The current situation in the southeast doesn't seem
to be the sole concern on the EU's part. A recent
decision by the Supreme Court of Appeals to reverse
a lower court decision not to shut down the
Education Personnel Labor Union (Eğitim-Sen), and an
investigation concerning Turkish police officers
responsible for excessive use of force during a
demonstration in March that has not been concluded
yet are listed as concerns for the EU.
Yet for EU observers, who highlight the utmost
importance for Turkey to show that it's a committed
candidate even if the EU doesn't make life easier,
the Turkish government should not lose confidence if
it wants to keep the confidence of EU members in
itself.
“So far the government doesn't seem to have a tool
for peace and not want to play much of a role. If
there is a military conflict, where and how does it
end? Where is the government in the southeast at the
moment?” an EU diplomat questioned urging the
government for more transparency in the region in
show of political will. He said the situation in the
southeast would, in the long term, become important
for the success of Turkey's accession since it would
influence European perception of Turkey.
www.turkishdailynews.com.tr
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