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

Turkey Threatens To Go Its Way If EU Accession Further Delayed

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says that his country’s membership in the European Union is a strategic goal but Turkey could abandon this goal if the 27-nation bloc refuses “to unblock its path for entry.”

“If the EU clears our way [for membership], we would welcome it, as the EU [membership] is our strategic goal. But if it does not, they will go their own way and we will go ours,” Turkish media quoted him as telling a meeting of the local branch of his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in the western province of Manisa on Sunday.

Davutoglu’s remarks follow a January statement of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he had told Russian President Vladimir Putin that Turkey could drop its EU membership goal and join the Russian-Chinese-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) instead if Ankara was invited to do so.

Erdogan made the statement because of frustration with the stalemate in the EU accession bid. Turkey opened accession negotiations with the EU in 2005 but the progress had been very slow since then due to opposition in some EU countries to Turkish accession and the Cyprus issue.

by RTT Staff Writer

via Turkey Threatens To Go Its Way If EU Accession Further Delayed.

April 2, 2013
Turkey appeals for media seats at terror trial

The Turkish foreign minister has appealed to his German counterpart to allow Turkish media into the trial of the last surviving member of a neo-Nazi terror cell accused of killing ten people, eight of whom were of Turkish origin.

The request was made during a telephone call and comes after the Munich Higher Regional court rejected a petition by the German government to reserve two seats in the courtroom for the Turkish ambassador, as well as the Human Rights ombudsman of the Turkish parliament.

The court has awarded just fifty permanent courtroom seats to journalists. But Turkish media failed to secure a single one. The court claims it processed applications for accreditation as and when they came in, but politicians and the media have called the process bureaucratic and insensitive.

German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle was keen to stress his commitment to transparency: “Given the unhappy back story to this case, assuring complete clarity and openness in the criminal process involving the awful crimes carried out by the NSU should be a matter of utmost concern.”

Kemal Yurtnac, president of the Overseas Turks and Relative Societies (YTB) said he hoped those responsible would “soon acknowledge their mistakes.”

The NSU terror cell is accused of ten murders. As well as the eight victims of Turkish origin, a Greek man and a German policewoman were also killed. The trial of the last surviving leader of the terrorist cell, Beate Zschäpe, begins on 17 April.

DPA/The Local/kkf

via Turkey appeals for media seats at terror trial – The Local.

April 1, 2013
Turkish child fostered by Dutch lesbians sparks diplomatic row

Turks demonstrate against the Dutch youth care policy in Lelystad on March 22. A diplomatic row over a Turkish boy fostered by Dutch lesbian parents clouded the Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the Netherlands this month. Evert Ezlinga / AFP.

Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/europe/turkish-child-fostered-by-dutch-lesbians-sparks-diplomatic-row#ixzz2P6cUzbe0
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ISTANBUL // A nine-year-old boy in the Netherlands is at the centre of a row between Turkey and European countries over non-Muslims fostering Muslim children and eroding their “moral values and religious beliefs”.

Yunus, a Dutch citizen of Turkish origin, was removed from his Turkish parents as a four-month-old by Dutch authorities over suspicions of child abuse and neglect. He was given to lesbian foster parents who have raised him ever since.

Several court rulings have confirmed that Yunus’s biological parents were unfit to care for him, a Dutch official said last week. He said the boy had not been adopted by his foster parents.

The case has become the focal point of a campaign by the Turkish government to prevent Muslim children of Turkish families in European countries from being raised by non-Muslim or homosexual foster parents.

“If a child is given to a homosexual family, then this runs counter to general moral values and religious beliefs of [Turkish] society,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a visit to the Netherlands this month.

At the core of the row lies Ankara’s view that the about four million Turkish citizens and people of Turkish descent in European countries are exposed to threats to their cultural or religious identity – and that Turkey has the right, and the duty, to act.

Mr Erdogan suggested that cooperation between the Turkish and Dutch governments could prevent similar problems in the future and said Turkish non-government organisations in the Netherlands could also help.

Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, dismissed the idea of any Turkish intervention, saying the case was a domestic issue.

Mr Erdogan’s government regards itself as responsible for the welfare of Turks abroad, even if they have foreign passports. But this clashes with Europeans’ view of their sovereignty and ideas of integration, as well as with the continent’s more liberal values.

Bekir Bozdag, a Turkish deputy prime minister who oversees Turkish expatriates, told parliament late last year that there were about 4,000 cases of children who had been forcibly taken away from Muslim-Turkish families in Europe and given to non-Muslim foster parents.

He suggested that religious reasons were behind the trend, but offered no proof to back up the accusation.

“These children are really Christianised,” Mr Bozdag said. “We are faced with a big tragedy.”

Mr Bozdag called on European countries to have Turkish children raised by Turkish families if possible and promised that his government would do everything to “save our little ones”.

Faruk Sen, chairman of the German-Turkish Foundation for Education and Scientific Research and an expert on the Turkish community in western Europe, said the Turkish government was partly to blame.

“There are 700,000 Turkish families in Germany, but not enough come forward to take children” as foster families, Mr Sen said last week. He said Turkey’s diplomatic missions in Europe had failed to provide authorities with lists of potential Turkish foster parents.

Referring to local, parliamentary and presidential elections coming up next year and in 2015, Mr Sen said efforts to please the conservative voter base of the Erdogan government were also shaping Ankara’s position on the issue. “They want to tell voters at home: ‘I am making sure that no Muslim child is raised by a Christian family’.”

A lack of Muslim foster families had also been an issue in the case of Yunus in the Netherlands, the Dutch official said.

“He was initially placed in a foster home and given to the couple after a while,” the official said. He also said that the biological parents of the boy had tried and failed to get Yunus back through the courts.

As the case became public, the lesbian couple in the Netherlands went into hiding with Yunus. Dutch officials said there had been no specific threats, but the move to “another address” had been organised as a precaution.

The Turkish family has turned to the Turkish government for help. Following Mr Erdogan’s visit to the Netherlands, Nurgul Azeroglu, Yunus’s biological mother, praised the stance taken by Ankara.

“Our prime minister’s statement took a weight off my mind,” she told the Turkish Cihan news agency. “Now I have new hope that I can embrace Yunus again after nine years.”

Ms Azeroglu appeared on Turkish television this month and called on Mr Erdogan to intervene in the case. She said she accidentally dropped the child from a poorly fastened carrying bag once – part of the reason he was removed from her care.

Dutch news reports said the authorities in the Netherlands decided in 2008 to remove two of Yunus’s siblings from the Azeroglu family and place them in the same family with the boy, but that the children had been sent to Turkey by their family before the decision was implemented.

* With additional reporting by Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press
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March 31, 2013
Turkey urges E.U. to restructure the terms of the current Customs Union

Turkey has urged the European Union to restructure the terms of the current Customs Union, or cancel the Customs Union altogether and make a separate free trade deal with Turkey.

“If this system aggrieves us then we tell the European Union: Let’s revise this system, lift the visas, lift the quotas on our goods and say ‘Turkey is also a side in this deal,’ while making free trade deals with other countries. Or we could leave the Customs Union and you could make a free trade deal with us,” Turkish Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan told daily Hürriyet.

The minister was expressing his concerns over the damage that the EU’s free trade deals with other countries has on the Turkish economy, triggered by the possibility of the EU signing deals with the world’s largest economies, the United States and Japan.

The U.S. and EU launched moves on Feb. 13 to open negotiations on a new free trade pact, while Japan and EU have reached a separate agreement to kick-off talks on a comprehensive cooperation, including the elimination of barriers and restrictions on trade.

The free trade agreement between the EU and third parties enables these other countries’ goods to enter European markets or Turkish markets via Europe with zero duties, but the decision to provide the same privileges to Turkey is up to the discretion of the third party. Turkey is the only non-EU country included in the Customs Union.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has sent a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama to encourage Washington to continue talks with Turkey for a free trade agreement simultaneously with the EU.

Gearing up its efforts to prevent the neglecting of Turkey in the process, the government and Turkish businessmen have been pressuring the United States to make a separate deal with Turkey, but Çağlayan’s recent remark indicates that Ankara also has another potential path to follow.

“The Customs Union has begun to work completely against Turkey. Under these circumstances, to switch to a Free Trade Deal would be more in line with Turkey’s interests,” Çağlayan said during a meeting of automotive industrialists on March 27.

Since Turkey is the demanding side, the opposite party is asking for a number of compromises that put Turkey in a disadvantageous situation, the minister said.

South Africa, Mexico and Algeria are all countries that have inked free trade deals with the European Union in the last 10 years.

In 2012, Turkey bought $1.3 billion worth of goods from South Africa, while selling only $382 million. It bought $867 million worth of products from Mexico during the same period, but sold $206 million. It exported $1.8 million worth of goods to Algeria while importing $2.6 billion, according to figures provided by Çağlayan.

Hurriyet Daily News

March 30, 2013
Verheugen: Europe cannot do it without Turkey

The European Union needs Turkey if it is to succeed as a global player, former Commission vice-president Günter Verheugen tells EurActiv.

Günter Verheugen is a former Commission vice-president and enlargement commissioner. He was a speaker at the Future of Europe Stakeholder Workshop organised by the EurActiv Foundation on 22 March in Brussels, where he spoke to EurActiv’s Samuel Doveri Vesterbye.

How do you see the future of Europe?

Despite the problems that we have, despite the inefficient crisis management that we have, and despite the lack of support in our societies, European integration must continue.

We are in a changing global environment and I have to say that only a stronger and bigger Europe can cope with the challenges of the future.

First thing that we have to do is prepare an agenda for reform. There is a very broad call for reform of institutions, the functioning of procedures and results. And we should address the reasons why people are dissatisfied or at least uncertain. This can deliver very clear results in order to strengthen public support.

Then as a next step we can discuss the question of further integration. At this junction, I would not say that it’s useful to talk about the next step being political union. It’s too early to talk about the need to have a United States of Europe or a federal state. I don’t see a single European nation prepared to abandon its own statehood in favour of a super state.

But for the time being I think we should organise support for the idea that a stronger Europe in the sense of unity and more areas where can act together. And in the sense of widening, including European countries which are particularly important for our future, in particular Turkey.

Which are the areas that need reform in the EU?

One of the problems is the transfer of sovereignty in a one way direction. The question must be asked and we need to find an answer on whether there are responsibilities, competence and powers which we can give back to member state, at a national, regional or local level.

Number two is the question of regulatory environments that we are creating. President Barroso said a few months ago that less could be more. I fully agree with him. We need more self-restraint. The rule must be that we do at European level, after very tough scrutiny, only what can’t be done at a national or regional level. But it must be a very tough principle.

Number three is the question of targeted spending. I’m not against a strong community budget, but the way we spend it can be improved. If the results are creating disparities then something is obviously wrong.

[A] final point would be more flexibility; taking into account specific interests of member states as far as they do not hamper the general objectives of European integration. There are many things which are harmonised where you can ask the question of whether it’s useful for the functioning of the European market or monetary union.

The overarching issue is the one of democratic structures. The next deepening must be combined with a considerable strengthening of democratic structures. Personally I would go as far as to say that we need a fully-fledged parliamentary system at the EU level. The executive must be the result of parliamentary elections, the commission must be fully accountable to the Parliament and the hierarchy of institutions must be changed in favour of the Parliament.

What’s the importance of Turkey for Europe and enlargement?

In the case of Turkey there is a strategic and economic meaning. Strategically Turkey is the country that can be the mediator between Western democracies and the Islamic world. It can play a very important role in terms of which direction the Arab or Islamic world will develop.

These questions are absolutely crucial for our own future and we cannot do it without Turkey. Economically Turkey is potentially one of the strongest European economies, growing very fast. And Turkey is sitting in a region with a huge potential, meaning that Turkey would not weaken the EU – it would make it stronger.

Without Turkey we can forget our ambition to be a global player in the future.

via Verheugen: Europe cannot do it without Turkey | EurActiv.

March 29, 2013
Turkey could help kick-start Cyprus

EUROZONE CRISIS

Turkey could help kick-start Cyprus

Turkey supports northern Cyprus while Greece backs the southern Republic of Cyprus. While Greece is bankrupt, Turkey could help the island bounce back. But only a round of extreme diplomacy could make it happen.

The financial crisis has hit the southern part of divided Cyprus with full force. While a bailout package was finally agreed on at the last minute, the Republic of Cyprus now has to begin the painful process of adapting to the economic situation – just like Greece has had to do. Yet in Cyprus’ Turkish-controlled north, the financial crisis is barely noticeable.

It’s not surprising as Turkey is booming economically, with money regularly flowing across the Mediterranean to the northern part of the island. Without these subsidies, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is not recognized by the international community, could not survive. Yet many Turkish Cypriots would like to liberate themselves from dependence on Turkey, and even voted for reunification with their island neighbors in 2004. Had Greek Cypriots not rejected the plan by a large margin, northern Cyprus would now be a part of the European Union – and thus also a part of the eurozone crisis.

No gloating over Cyprus’ failed economy

The crisis in the Turkish-controlled northern part of the island can mainly be felt in the gaming sector. Since gambling if off limits to citizens of the north, they rely on income from tourists from the southern part of the island. Mesut Sahin, who owns Saray Casino, said revenues have dropped 50 percent since the start of the financial crisis. He added, with sincerity, that he hopes the south will recover quickly.

Ilke Gürdel, a Turkish Cypriot, said there is no reason for Turks in the north to gloat. He said the situation in the north may be better than the south, but it’s still not brilliant, adding that he feels sorry for Greek Cypriots struck by the crisis.

Capital controls limited withdrawals to 300 euros

Turkish Cypriots are now happy not to be a part of the eurozone, placing their confidence in the Turkish lira. But that has not always been the case, said Turkish publicist and Cyprus expert Ayla Gürel.

“The southern part of the island always used to be financially better off than the Turkish north; that’s why the north would always look longingly at the southern standard,” she pointed out. “But since Cyprus’ bankruptcy, this attitude has changed drastically. Now we are quite happy that the island was not reunited in 2004. Otherwise, we would have plunged into the crisis as well.”

Turkey’s role

Despite strained relations between the north and the south, there have also been times when the two parts of the island have cooperated – such as after the explosions at an ammunition depot in 2011. At the time, the Greek Cypriots had to deal with regular power outages. In response, northern Cyprus agreed to temporarily provide electricity. This kind of cooperation is essential during times of crisis, said Harry Tzimitras, director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, which mediated between the two parts of the island as the peace plan was being drafted for Cyprus in 2004.

Tzimitras said strained diplomatic relations between northern and southern Cyprus are no answer for the indebted south. He observed that the south is under pressure to reconsider its “friendships” after some countries left it in the financial lurch. This could possibly lead to closer relations with Turkey, he said, but Ankara would also have to show its willingness by opening up harbors and airports to the island’s south. Both sides would have to put in a lot of diplomatic effort, but such cooperation would not be easy and is still a long way off, Tzimitras said.

Trucks loaded with money ensured banks had cash for customers

Common interests

Potential for conflict clearly exists, as one recent episode demonstrated. One suggestion for saving Cyprus’ teetering economy is exploiting the Aphrodite gas field in Cypriot waters. But Turkey has said Cyprus may not go it alone and is demanding a say in the matter. Officials in the south do not agree. “It’s one of the most difficult matters to solve, yet cooperation between southern Cyprus and Turkey could bear the most fruit,” Tzimitras stressed.

Another possibility, which Irsen Kücük, Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, has repeatedly proposed, is the construction of a water pipeline slated for 2014. In the future, water is to be pumped from Turkey to the northern part of the island. The dry south could also use more water, but the southern Cypriot government does not want it to come from Turkey.

Even if such proposals are not welcomed wholeheartedly, at least Cypriots are considering them. That was unheard of in the past, said Tzimitras, who is Greek. “Even with solutions that would work and be acceptable for both sides, things would have to be taken one step at a time,” he noted. “A nearly 40-year-old history cannot be changed overnight.”

Cyprus – like other EU nations – has felt the eurozone crunch

The crisis bringing people closer?

Something positive could come out of the financial crisis for southern Cypriot-Turkish relations, said Turkish Cypriot Gürdal – such as the realization among Greek Cypriots that reunification would have been the smarter solution for the island. For him, it’s clear that “if we had reunited back then, the South would not be in the hole it’s in. Perhaps it will motivate southern Cypriots to negotiate with Turkey.”

But the central condition for Turkey agreeing to improve relations with the southern part of the island is the recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus by the South. Both sides are a long way off from that, with national pride on the part of the Greeks being a hurdle, said Gürel. After all, she pointed out, the Greeks still see the Turks as occupiers of their island.

DW.DE

March 29, 2013