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D'alema: Ocalan affair clouds Turkish view
17.5.2006
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Istanbul, 17 May
(AKI) - For Turkish eyes, the name that stands out
in the new Italian cabinet is that of the foreign
minister, Massimo D'Alema, who during his stint as
prime minister in 1998 was involved in what became
known as the "Ocalan affair" - a severe diplomatic
crisis between Rome and Ankara. “I expect D'Alema
will adopt a more responsible attitude as foreign
minister. The political situation when he was the
prime minister is not valid today," said former
Turkish ambassador, Yalim Eralp, referring to the
incident.
"After the September 11 attacks, many politicians in
Europe, including D’Alema have reconsidered their
policies," noted Eralp, who is now a foreign policy
analyst for CNNTurk news channel told Adnkronos
International (AKI).
The 1998 crisis began when the leader of the
separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) Abdullah
Ocalan, was arrested in Rome after arriving on a
flight from Russia with a false passport.
Italy subsequently turned down Turkey's extradition
request on the basis that the Kurdish leader could
face the death penalty - then still incorporated in
the Turkish penal code.
Turkish anger at the Italian government's decision
included a strong rebuke from the parliament in
Ankara and a boycott by many Turks of Italian
products
After a few weeks Ocalan left Italy as a free person
but was subsequently blocked in Kenya from where he
was flown to Turkey in a Turkish intelligence
operation.
The bad blood between Turkey and Italy was washed
away with the 2001 election of Prime Minister Silvio
Berlusconi who won the admiration of his Turkish
counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his vocal
support for Ankara's European Union membership bid
Eralp is convinced that Romano Prodi's centre-left
government won't alter Ankara's relations with Rome.
"Italy’s support for Turkey’s EU bid will continue.
I’m hopeful for two reasons. First, Mediterranean
countries like Italy think more positively about
another Mediterranean country, whereas Central
Europeans have more doubts.
"Secondly, the Italian left-wing supports Turkey’s
membership to the EU more than the Christian
Democrats [who were part of Berlusconi's
centre-right coalition]” Eralp told AKI.
“The Turkish Foreign Ministry might not be happy
with D’Alema’s new post. But the situation is very
different now compared to 1998. Today Turkey is
negotiating for EU membership, back then it was not
even a candidate" he noted.
"But in contrast to the Berlusconi government, I
think Prodi's government will follow a more cautious
policy towards Turkey’s entrance to EU. Because
Prodi is more concerned about enlargement than
Berlusconi was" Eralp concluded.
Adnki com
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