Turkish Forum

Category: EU Members

European Council decided to open accession negotiations with Turkey on 17 Dec. 2004

  • ‘EU pushed Turkey to look elsewhere’

    ‘EU pushed Turkey to look elsewhere’

    In interview, Obama encourages Europe to ally with Turkey.

    US President Barack Obama said that Europe’s reluctance to allow Turkey into the European Unions may have pushed Ankara to “look elsewhere,” in an interview published in the Thursday edition of Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

    'EU pushed Turkey to look elsewhere'

    Obama said that the US “always expressed the opinion that it would be wise to accept Turkey into the European Union. I recognize this raises strong feelings in Europe, and I do not think…[this] is the sole or predominant factor at the root of some changes recently observed in Turkey’s orientation.”

    However, Obama told the Italian newspaper, this is “destined to play a role in how Turkish people see Europe. If they do not feel like they’re being treated as part of the European family, it’s natural that they would look elsewhere for alliances.

    “Although some things, such as an attempt to broker an agreement with Iran on nuclear issue, have been unfortunate, I think they were motivated by the fact that Turkey has a long border area with Iran and does not want any type of conflict in that area,” Obama added.

    “Perhaps the desire to flex muscles played a role,” Obama told Corriere della Sera. “What we can do is continue to work with Ankara, clarify to them the benefits of integrating with the West, while respecting their unique qualities, that they are a great Islamic democracy.”

    Obama said that alliances with Turkey “can potentially be very good for us, if they embody a kind of Islam that respects universal human rights and the secular state, and can have a positive influence on the Muslim world.”

    The Jerusalem Post

  • Turkish PM: Some European countries not doing enough in PKK fight

    Turkish PM: Some European countries not doing enough in PKK fight

    Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday accused some European countries of turning a blind eye to the activities of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

    Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday accused some European countries of not doing enough to help Turkey in its fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

    “Some European countries did not give necessary support to Turkey in its combat against terrorism for a long time,” said Erdogan at a meeting of the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in Istanbul, according to the state-run Anatolian Agency.

    “Despite all the pain we have been through and bloody attacks on civilians and security forces, today, there are countries who have not cut financial support to the terrorist organization, who turned a blind eye to its activities and its propaganda, and who did not extradite any criminals to Turkey.” he continued.

    Erdogan’s statement comes in the midst of escalating clashes between Turkish forces and the PKK. More than 40 Turkish soldiers have died in the last few months as the result of PKK attacks.

    Both the United States and the European Union list the PKK as a terrorist organization.

    Police in Istanbul Wednesday detained 27 people in connection with the previous day’s bombing of a military bus.

    Four soldiers and the 17-year-old daughter of an officer were killed in the attack, which has been claimed by an offshoot of the PKK.

    The bus was struck by a remote control bomb that had been planted by the roadside.

    In his speech, Erdogan said that European security is connected to the security in cities in eastern Turkey, where many of the recent clashes have taken place.

    “Security in Europe, particularly the Balkans, starts in Hakkari, in Semdinli. You should know that security of Balkan and European countries can not be restored before security is restored in Semdinli,” Erdogan said.

    “Most of our European friends announced PKK as terrorist organization. That is good, but declaring PKK as terrorist organization does not put an end to the matter. How many terrorists have you extradited to us from those you have detained?” Erdogan added.

    Haaretz

  • Mesut Ozil at head of the vanguard for new generation

    Mesut Ozil at head of the vanguard for new generation

    When the camera pans along the German team on Sunday, and that famous national anthem thunders out across the Durban stadium, Mesut Özil’s lips will be moving but he won’t be singing along.

    oezil mesut

    No, Özil will be reciting the Koran to himself. “It gives me strength,” he has explained. “If I don’t do it before a game it gives me a bad feeling.”

    Özil is at the vanguard of a new Germany. This is not the Mannschaft of Teutonic cliché, it is the most ethnically diverse squad in the tournament. Of the 23, 11 were eligible to play for a different country.

    While there have been several Polish-Germans of Silesian background to have played for Germany (including Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski in this squad), Joachim Löw’s team also has players of Bosnian-Serb, Brazilian, Ghanaian, Nigerian, Polish, Tunisian and Turkish descent.

    This new German team has been many years in the making. Hosting the last World Cup catalysed a reassessment of what it means to be a modern German.

    The success of Jürgen Klinsmann’s side at the tournament united the country and gave birth to a patriotism that was not weighed down by the baggage of history.

    The national flag, with all its dubious nationalist association, was suddenly an object of pride and, to the astonishment of many, was even hung from the windows of houses in the German-Turkish community.

    Germany was changing and so was its football team. Between 1995 and 2004, 1,278,424 foreigners took German citizenship and the laws regarding eligibility were liberalised in 1999 through major reforms.

    The new face of German was represented in the football team, with black players of African background like Gerald Asamoah, David Odonkor and Patrick Owomoyela winning caps.

    The latter was the subject of a predictable right-wing backlash when he was included in the squad for the World Cup four years ago.

    The right-wing NPD (the equivalent of the BNP) produced a calendar with a picture of the national shirt with Owomoyela’s squad number on it and the slogan: “White: not just the colour of the shirt! For a real National team!” The leader of the party was taken to court by Owomoyela and the German FA and found guilty of inciting racial hatred and given a seven-month suspended sentence.

    Four years on and there remain mumblings of nationalist discontent about whether this team represents the ‘real’ Germany. Most Germans are relaxed about the singing of the national anthem but the Bild newspaper has tried to force it as an issue. Klose and Podolski have always refused to sing it and several of the new generation joined them.

    And then there is Özil with his Koranic incantation. When Franz Beckenbauer was manager he demanded all his players sang the anthem – and this year he’s at it again. Times have changed.

    Özil is a fascinating case. With the injury to Michael Ballack, German fans have been looking to a new inspiration for the team and the Werder Bremen playmaker has stepped up. He is tremendously skilful and unpredictable and is arguably the most exciting young player at the finals.

    That he has even chosen to represent Germany could have resonance for the future of the Turkish-German community, especially if he leads them to success here. In a 2007 survey it was estimated that there were 1.7 million people living in Germany of Turkish descent, by far the largest ethnic minority in the country. Yet Turkish-Germans, like the Altintop brothers, often opted to play for the country of their parents.

    Özil is different. He is a third-generation immigrant who feels himself a blend of both cultures. He grew up playing with other immigrant children, from Bosnia, Lebanon and Turkey, in Gelsenkirchen- Bismarck, and rapidly emerged as an exceptional talent. “My technique and feeling for the ball is the Turkish side to my game,” he said, “the discipline, attitude and always-give- your-all is the German part.”

    At the European Under-21 Championships last summer, Özil destroyed England in the final, making two and scoring a free-kick as Germany won 4-0. In that same squad were Dennis Aogo, Sami Khedira and Jerome Boateng, sons of Nigerian, Tunisian and Ghanian fathers respectively. Marko Marin, a Bosnian-Serb whose family moved to Germany when he was two, was also in that group. All four have been promoted to what is Germany’s youngest squad at a World Cup.

    Boateng is the only player to play abroad, and he only signed for Manchester City last weekend for £10 million. He is the brother of Kevin-Prince, the Portsmouth forward. Both played for Germany at every youth level but last year Kevin-Prince declared for Ghana and they will be in opposition in the final group game on Wednesday week. It tells you everything you need to know about the mobility of international football that brothers can be in opposition at a World Cup.

    That mobility is also evident with Cacau. The Stuttgart striker is favourite to start ahead of Bayern Munich’s Miroslav Klose against Australia after some strong performances in the warm-up friendlies. He qualified for German citizenship after five years of residency and, like Marcos Senna with Spain and Eduardo of Croatia, has opted to represent his adopted country. He could be one of the surprises of this tournament.

    With a Brazilian-Polish strike partnership (Cacau-Podolski) , a Turkish playmaker (Özil), a Tunisian holding midfielder (Khedira), a Bosnian-Serb winger (Marin), Nigerian and Ghanaian full backs (Aogo and Boateng), and an elegant Turkish centre-back (Serdar Tasci), you can throw out all the old stereotypes about German football when they play Australia. This is a new Germany, and in South Africa, a country itself profoundly marked by racial division, they want to show that they are the future.

    Source : Daily Telegraph
    by Duncan White

  • IQ Test for immigrants

    IQ Test for immigrants

    Union Party leaders insist more immigration oversight to Germany and provoke a new Proposal: The domestic policy spokesman for the CDU in Berlin, Peter Trapp, told the Bild newspaper: “We must reach the immigration criteria that define our state in a really useful manner. Criteria must be beyond a good vocational training, competence and the intelligence. I am in favor of intelligence tests for immigrants. This question should not be taboo anymore.

    The head of the CSU-Europe Group, Markus Ferber mentioned a single European revision of immigration policy, and referred in this context to the example of Canada: “Canada isas much further and requires a higher immigrant children’s Intelligence quotient than in native children. Humane reasons, such as Family members unification may in time not be the only criterion for immigration. ”

    Quick Translation of “Unionspolitiker wollen IQ-Tests für Zuwanderer”
    by Erju Ackman

  • Britain scraps euro preparation plans

    Britain scraps euro preparation plans

    Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has scrapped a government unit tasked with preparing for Britain’s hypothetical entry to the eurozone, as he unveiled the government’s first budget.

    Osborne reaffirmed his government will not join the eurozone in the next five years and said resources would no longer be wasted on planning for it.

    “I can confirm that, as set out in the coalition agreement, this government will not be joining the euro in this parliament,” he said.

    “Therefore … I have abolished the Treasury’s euro preparations unit — yes, one does exist — and the official concerned has been redeployed to more productive activities.“

    Various Sources, London

  • European countries provide most of PKK’s weapons

    European countries provide most of PKK’s weapons

    Intelligence sources indicate that the biggest arms suppliers of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) are allies of Turkey that are also members of NATO. Recently drafted General Staff reports say that many mines planted by the PKK were obtained from Italy and Spain.

    Turkey is ready to start a new round of diplomatic initiatives to stop countries that supply the PKK with arms. Turkey has undertaken similar initiatives in previous years.

    Over the past few months, the PKK has relied on arms from Mediterranean countries, intelligence reports indicate. The roadside bomb that exploded in Halkalı on Tuesday was of Portuguese origin, intelligence sources said, adding this country to the list of countries that supply arms to the terrorist organization. That attack was carried out by the PKK’s urban offshoot, the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK).

    The most crucial question is how the PKK is able to bring these arms supplies it obtains from Mediterranean countries to northern Iraq. US journalist Seymour Hersh claimed in 2007 that this was done via Israel.

    The General Staff has seized PKK arms and ammunition originating from 31 different countries. However, NATO-member countries have been the biggest suppliers. Most of the arms and ammunition seized are of Russian, Italian, Spanish, German and Chinese origin.

    In 2007 Turkey questioned the countries where the arms used by the PKK — particularly the heavy artillery the terrorist group uses — are mostly manufactured on how the PKK could have obtained these weapons. These diplomatic attempts must have produced some sort of a result, as all PKK weaponry seized in the past three years have had their serial numbers erased. The military has noticed that the PKK now generally erases serial numbers, especially on explosives. However, most of the time the origins of the ammunition can still be traced. Turkey is concentrating on finding the sources of not the lighter arms but of heavy artillery such as heavy machine guns, rocket launchers, mines and hand grenades.

    According to data from the General Staff, the Kalashnikovs used by PKK terrorists are from Russia and China. The rocket launchers, mines, hand grenades and heavy machine guns so far seized from the organization appear to have been manufactured in Italy, Germany, England, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic and Hungary.

    The organization uses a third country to bring the weapons to northern Iraq and then into Turkey. What disturbs Turkey most is that the mines that have killed more than 100 Turks recently were all obtained from Italy.

    Another issue is that the PKK, which had been rather sloppy in using remote-controlled mines until 2008, has become more of an expert at such attacks. Terrorism experts say the PKK has been given special training, with many suspecting Mossad agents. In 2009, Interior Minister Beşir Atalay claimed that some Mossad agents had gone to northern Iraq and given training on remote-controlled explosives.

    According to documents from the General Staff, 72 percent of the Kalashnikovs used by the PKK are from Russia, 15 percent from China and the rest from Hungary and Bulgaria.

    In 2007, it was reported that more than 170,000 weapons donated by the US to the Iraqi army had ended up in the PKK’s hands. The US Defense Department started an investigation after Turkey’s discovery of this fact.

    Turkey is making a point to not publicly announce how it suspects these weapons are being brought into northern Iraq. Pulitzer-winning journalist Hersh, in an interview with the Takvim daily earlier this month, said Israel helped the PKK base in the Kandil Mountains bring in arms and supplies on helicopters.

    He said that Israel gives extensive support to the PKK and the related Iranian organization Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK), especially in terms of arms supplies. He also said that Mossad operatives are active in the area, noting that Jewish Kurds who left northern Iraq 50 years ago returned to the region after the 2003 US occupation. He argued that most of these people are cooperating with the PKK and the purpose of these developments will become clear to all in the near future.

    Although this interview has attracted the attention of Turkish security units, there is a visible effort to avoid making any official statements at this point. Turkey recently made a decision to start diplomatically lobbying countries that supply arms to the PKK. If these countries fail to cut the support they provide for the PKK, then they will be warned openly in the international arena.

    24 June 2010, Thursday
    ERCAN YAVUZ ANKARA

    www.todayszaman.com, Jun 26, 2010